Pono AT vs Kamoa E300

I played both a Pono AT Acacia tenor, and a Kamoa tenor (I think it was an E300?) in a store today and they both sounded great, but there was $100 price difference and I couldn't work out why.

Are there any great differences between the two that I should know about? Is one much 'better' than the other? Thanks!

Pono AT all the way. Day and night. 24/7. Inside and out.

Why it is better? I don't know. Maybe it is the Indonesian factory set up and controlled by Ko'olau using Ko'olau designs, instead of contractors in China. You'll see down below that I have a Pono ATD. It is a really good uke. I like it in high G. Strung with Living Water low G it is rich and juicy, luscious. The Pono At is different in a few details: satin finish, open geared tuners, a little less ornament on the build. The satin finish should make it a little brighter than the gloss. Mine came from HMS. Best buying experience there is.

Kamoa? Meh. Not a fan. I've pulled a lot of them off the wall at stores around here. No magic for me there.

Nothing in the OP about Kala.

You can eat it with ham. You can Pono it with spam. Sam, I am, green eggs and Pono.

You'll get the entire $100 back in resale. Kamoa is much less popular and you'll get skinned in future resale.

I have the scabs to prove it.

Thanks for the replies. I suspected Pono might be the winner, there was something about it that just 'sang' to me more so than the Kamoa, I guess.

I'd go for the Pono all over again. I like the natural look of the unstained wood along with the smooth satin finish, and the sound is as good as it gets. I use Worth Brown strings on mine, as I think that the wound strings of the original set of Ko'olau tends to sound too "metallic".

Go Pono! Not a close contest.

Pono ALL THE WAY.