Help me to determine which Tenor Ukulele to buy, Opio KTO-10, Pono ATD

Today I received my new Pono MT, the overall feeling is soooo good. I will give a very simple update on how I feel, after I played it for a bunch of minutes.
I don't have other similar level Uke to compare with, I only have a cheap Uke, which costed me $70, made in China by a China brand. The Pono costs me more than $500 (it's fair price because I buy it from a China dealer, not the U.S).

Overall feeling: The Pono is a real instrument. The cheap one is not, it's noise maker. I have just bought me the correct Ukulele for me, if it's not the best. Though Pono is 7 times more expensive than the cheap one, the value is not 7 times more. It maybe 70 times, 700 times, or more.

Build: I can't see any flaw with my eyes. I don't know if I can find any flaw if I use X-ray . If I show it and my cheap Uke to a person who never saw a Uke before, I believe he will immediately realize which one is cheap.

Looking: The Mahogany body wood and the Ebony fingerboard and bridge look so beautiful. The satin finish looks so smooth and so enjoyable. I'm happy I didn't choose the gloss deluxe model, I like the satin finish more.

Play-ability: It was painful to play my cheap Uke. Now it's enjoyable on Pono. The hand feeling is so smooth. Barre and partial barre is much easier (note I didn't master barre yet), even though this model doesn't have radius fingerboard.

Sound and tone: I like the tone. Though I'm not sure whether the tone matches the words I used to describe my requirements. Indeed I can't describe sound properly even in my native Chinese language. The sound on the high frets is good too. On my cheap Uke, the sound is just noise after 12th fret (or after 7th, 8th fret).

Volume: No comparison, but I think the volume is a little low. However, I like the low volume, so I won't worry about disturbing the neighbors.

Weight: I heard Pono is heavy, but I didn't expect it's that heavy. But since I always use a strap, even when I sit, the weight is not a problem.

Fingerboard thickness: It's thick. I'm comfortable with it because I always put my left hand thumb behind the fingerboard, not wrap on it.

Truss rod: I know all Pono models have truss rod. I know pro classic model has adjustable truss rod. But I didn't know the truss rod in the standard MT model is also adjustable. That's so nice.

To the beginners like me, it's fine to start with a cheap and low quality Uke when you don't know much about Uke and don't know how buy a good Uke, like I did before. But after you have some experience, you'd definitely go with a decent Uke (not only Pono, any Uke with decent quality). Low quality Uke will destroy your ear and your interesting!

Thanks for all guys in this thread, you helped me to choose a really good (in quality and value) Ukulele.

Sounds like you're happy, that's what counts! :shaka:

Seems like you made the right choice, congrats! I'm sure the Opio would've been a fine option as well but, judging by your taste, I've no doubt the Pono suits you better.

I completely agree with you on the build quality. Ponos are always understated but just ooze quality. I always adore how the fretboard and bridge are so nicely made and finished. I really like the simplicity of the build and the subtle rope rosette.

Just a comment on the volume: I think it was mentioned in this thread previously already but Ponos are typically not the loudest ukes. However, at least a part of that is because of the strings. The stock strings on Ponos are either nylon or an equivalent monofilament string that is fairly thick. I would definitely urge you to try different strings on it, namely fluorocarbon which will most likely give the uke a bit more volume, although they will make it sound a bit brighter as well. Personally, I really like nylon strings on larger sized ukes, and to me they suit the traditional type of build of Ponos really nicely. They also give it a nice warm sound so you might ultimately prefer them as well, but in my opinion it's always a good idea to try different types of strings on new ukes.

Congrats on the new uke. Try some living waters strings. It will ring like a bell. I love my Pono tenor with these strings.

Congrats to you! Yes, Ponos are nice, well-made instruments. Real ones, lol. I would second the suggestion to try some fluorocarbon strings on it. They really enhance the tone. I'm not fond of the stock strings either. I've found that my Ponos become louder in volume in a couple months, as they start to open up.

Congratulations on your new Pono. I agree with Cadia: it takes a bit of time for solid wood ukes to open up so you might want to give it some time before changing out the strings.

Wqking, Congratulations! You will enjoy your Pono a lot. It's a great learning uke. As well as an excellent performance uke. My first "better quality" uke was a MGT Mango tenor. I still have it. It was my workhorse tenor for quite some time.

As others have said, it will begin to open up in volume and the overall quality of its sound.

Enjoy! Have fun!

Thanks all for the congratulations and advice.

Today I played it for some time.
The volume is small, though I don't complain about it. And the tone wood needs time to open up.
I will definitely looking for better strings after current strings retire.