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Neil Young might not be a name one would normally associate with music technology.

More at home strumming an acoustic guitar or torturing a Les Paul, Young is regarded as one of the world’s great singer-songwriters.

Yet for much of the past three years he has been quietly driving a digital music revolution, with the creation of his Pono Music Service and portable player.

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Young’s desire was to “rescue the art form I’ve been practising for the past 50 years”, after becoming disillusioned with the sound quality on existing digital media.

Pono uses high-resolution (24-bit 192kHz) file formats, which allow higher fidelity playback.

The venture received initial funding through the crowd-funding site Kickstarter, with the stated aim of providing “the finest quality, highest-resolution digital music from both major labels and prominent independent labels”.

The Pono Player.

The project raised more than $6 million, and the Pono Music Site launched on Tuesday.

Among the big names to embrace the sound are Arcade Fire, Beck, Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith, Jack White, My Morning Jacket, Dave Grohl, Flea and Elvis Costello.

“This gives it to you as good as you can get it,” Tom Petty said in a Kickstarter video.

Red Hot Chili Peppers’ bassist Flea was glowing in his praise of the new system.

“You listen to the CD and it’s like someone twanging on a f***in’ rubber band, compared to the full scope of what music is,” he said.

The player will retail for US$399, with albums available for purchase for between US$17.99 and $24.99.

Pono is the second high-quality audio player to be released this week, after Sony unveiled the latest incarnation of the Walkman.