For the official launch of his hi-resolution digital music device, Neil Young created a promo video (warning, it contains some profanity), featuring artists including Elton John, Norah Jones, The Foo Fighters, Rick Rubin, the Beastie Boys, Jack White, Arcade Fire, Bruce Springsteen and others literally raving about the quality of the sound of the PonoPlayer. The idea behind PonoMusic and the PonoPlayer is to restore the studio quality sound to compressed digital songs, unlike other MP3 players like the iPod or iPhone. At his SXSW keynote speech, Young described the project as “rescuing art” through quality without sacrificing convenience. The high-profile endorsements seem to be effective—within just days of going live, the Kickstarter campaign has already surpassed its $800,000 goal, bring in more than $2.3 million so far. The Pono will retail for $399, and the hi-res digital albums will cost anywhere from $14.99 to $29.99—significantly more than iTunes’ (almost) standard price of $9.99 …
