Pono (/ˈpoʊnoʊ/, Hawaiian word for "proper") was a portable digital media player and music download service for high-resolution audio.

Pono's stated goal to present songs "as they first sound during studio recording sessions", using "high-resolution" 24-bit 192kHz audio instead of "the compressed audio inferiority that MP3s offer" received mixed reactions, with some describing Pono as a competitor to similar music services such as HDtracks, but others doubting its potential for success.

[15][16] In September 2012, Young appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman with a prototype of the player, and confirmed backing from Warner, as well as major record labels Sony, and Universal.

[32][33] The press release noted that the PonoPlayer, developed in collaboration with Ayre Acoustics, could store "100 to 500 high-resolution digital-music albums".

[34] PonoMusic was the device's accompanying desktop-based media management system, which allowed customers to download and sync music to the player.

"[9] Press reaction to Pono announcements in March 2014, was generally skeptical: approving of the idea of good sound, but questioning the viability of a standalone player in a market that had moved largely to smartphones and increasingly towards music streaming.

[6][7][8][38] Several commentators suggested that the key to improved sound lay largely in music engineering and mastering practices, rather than in file formats and players.