{
  "guide": {
    "slug": "teenage-engineering-pom-170",
    "title": "Teenage Engineering POM–170 Buyer Guide",
    "subtitle": "Whether POM–170 is the right Teenage Engineering tool for hands-on patching and a compact fixed-architecture modular build.",
    "summary": "Buy POM–170 when you want hands-on patching and a compact fixed-architecture modular build; the main tradeoff is fixed architecture, kit-build friction, proprietary tools, and discontinued supply. The official US feed showed $260 on 2026-10-18; its status was out of stock and discontinued. As an Amazon Associate, Field Guides may earn from qualifying purchases.",
    "category": {
      "slug": "hardware",
      "name": "Hardware",
      "description": "Product factsheets for computers, devices, peripherals, and buying decisions."
    },
    "tags": [
      "teenage-engineering",
      "portable-audio",
      "music-hardware",
      "pom-170",
      "buyer-guide"
    ],
    "version": "2026-10-18.2",
    "publishedAt": "2026-10-18",
    "updatedAt": "2026-10-18",
    "freshness": "Official Pocket Operator Modular page, current US price/status, Sound On Sound, MusicRadar, and a community family discussion were checked 2026-10-18. No exact Amazon identity was accepted; no Amazon offer or availability claim is made.",
    "heroLabel": "Pocket modular synth buyer guide",
    "vaultPath": "Research/Technology/Hardware/Teenage Engineering POM–170 Buyer Guide.md",
    "r2JsonKey": "guides/teenage-engineering-pom-170/2026-10-18.2.json",
    "archetype": "buyer",
    "stats": [
      {
        "label": "Official US price",
        "value": "$260",
        "detail": "Official store feed observation on 2026-10-18; Amazon price remains unverified."
      },
      {
        "label": "Official state",
        "value": "Out of stock and discontinued in the official US feed",
        "detail": "Official US feed state; not an Amazon offer claim."
      },
      {
        "label": "Core role",
        "value": "Single-oscillator Pocket Operator Modular synthesizer kit",
        "detail": "hands-on patching and a compact fixed-architecture modular build."
      },
      {
        "label": "Main constraint",
        "value": "fixed architecture, kit-build friction, proprietary tools, and discontinued supply",
        "detail": "Check this before paying for the compact workflow."
      }
    ],
    "thesisCards": [
      {
        "label": "The fit",
        "title": "POM–170 is a red, single-oscillator patching kit with a built-in keyboard and sequencer.",
        "body": "Choose it when assembly and physical signal flow are part of the instrument; choose a ready-built synth when you need sound immediately."
      },
      {
        "label": "The reason",
        "title": "Fixed modules, a front-panel patch field, and a self-contained keyboard/sequencer make modular ideas tangible.",
        "body": "Standalone POM–16 is a separate product, not an included sequencer in the POM–170 kit."
      },
      {
        "label": "The catch",
        "title": "The architecture is fixed, supply is discontinued, and early reviews report assembly/distribution friction.",
        "body": "Check the kit’s tools, cables, power path, and revised-kit details before treating a used unit as complete."
      }
    ],
    "sections": [
      {
        "id": "bottom-line",
        "eyebrow": "Bottom line",
        "title": "Buy POM–170 for the build and patch.",
        "body": "POM–170 is a hands-on patching object for someone who wants to build and reroute a small fixed architecture. The official US feed showed $260, out of stock and discontinued, on 2026-10-18; the built-in keyboard/sequencer is part of POM–170, while standalone POM–16 is separate."
      },
      {
        "id": "product-shape",
        "eyebrow": "Product shape",
        "title": "A fixed red modular voice with its own sequencer.",
        "body": "The official modular page positions POM–170 as the red single-oscillator member with fixed, patchable modules, a built-in keyboard, and a built-in sequencer. It is a compact lesson in signal flow rather than a conventional expandable rack, and standalone POM–16 should be treated as a separate product."
      },
      {
        "id": "comparison-ladder",
        "eyebrow": "Comparison ladder",
        "title": "Choose patching, immediacy, or expansion.",
        "table": {
          "columns": [
            "Choice",
            "Product",
            "What you gain",
            "What you give up"
          ],
          "rows": [
            [
              "Ready-built synth",
              "Korg Volca Modular",
              "Choose this when patching ideas should start without kit assembly.",
              "You give up POM–170’s build ritual and distinctive fixed-panel object."
            ],
            [
              "Target",
              "POM–170",
              "Choose it when building, patching, and the red single-oscillator voice are the reason to own it.",
              "You accept fixed architecture, proprietary hardware, and discontinued supply."
            ],
            [
              "Larger POM",
              "POM–400",
              "Choose three oscillator sources and a larger patch surface within the same fixed-architecture family.",
              "You pay more and inherit the same assembly/used-condition questions."
            ],
            [
              "Expandable system",
              "Eurorack modular system",
              "Choose true module interchangeability and long-term expansion.",
              "You trade compactness and a self-contained keyboard/sequencer for cost and complexity."
            ]
          ]
        }
      },
      {
        "id": "buying-matrix",
        "eyebrow": "Buying matrix",
        "title": "Where the small fixed architecture fits.",
        "table": {
          "columns": [
            "Use case",
            "Fit",
            "Why"
          ],
          "rows": [
            [
              "Learning patching",
              "Good with caveats",
              "The fixed front panel makes signal flow tangible, but it is not Eurorack."
            ],
            [
              "Fast sound",
              "Mixed",
              "The built-in keyboard/sequencer helps, but a ready-built synth avoids assembly."
            ],
            [
              "Long-term expansion",
              "Weak",
              "The architecture is fixed and official supply is discontinued."
            ],
            [
              "Build/collecting value",
              "Strong",
              "The kit and physical patch panel are part of the instrument."
            ]
          ]
        }
      },
      {
        "id": "review-signal",
        "eyebrow": "Review signal",
        "title": "Independent reviews explain the tradeoff better than the feature list.",
        "table": {
          "columns": [
            "Signal",
            "What it supports",
            "Confidence"
          ],
          "rows": [
            [
              "Sound On Sound",
              "Sound On Sound explains that the POM products use patchable modules but fixed front-panel architectures; it also documents early production and distribution issues.",
              "Professional hands-on review"
            ],
            [
              "MusicRadar",
              "MusicRadar finds the concept and sound elements appealing but flags unreliable fit, basic synthesis, and the difficulty of justifying the price as a DIY kit.",
              "Professional review or launch-context source"
            ],
            [
              "r/synthesizers",
              "Synth owners debate whether POM is a useful entry to patching or an expensive fixed synth; comments are anecdotal and cover the family rather than one tested unit.",
              "Community signal; anecdotal"
            ]
          ]
        }
      },
      {
        "id": "mechanism",
        "eyebrow": "Mechanism",
        "title": "What is inside POM–170, and what is separate.",
        "table": {
          "columns": [
            "Area",
            "What the sources describe",
            "Buyer consequence"
          ],
          "rows": [
            [
              "Architecture",
              "Red single-oscillator voice with fixed modules and physical patch cables.",
              "You can reroute the documented modules, but not rearrange them like Eurorack."
            ],
            [
              "Sequencing",
              "Built-in keyboard and sequencer; standalone POM–16 is separate.",
              "Do not add the price or function of a standalone POM–16 to the included-kit assumption."
            ],
            [
              "Build and power",
              "Flat-pack assembly, proprietary hardware, patch cables, and the documented power/connection path.",
              "Check tools, screws, cables, power, and patch connections before accepting a used kit."
            ],
            [
              "Revision context",
              "Early reviews documented fit/distribution issues, while the official modular page provides revised-kit context.",
              "Use the current official guidance and a real return path rather than treating every early complaint as the current revision."
            ]
          ]
        }
      },
      {
        "id": "decision",
        "eyebrow": "Decision",
        "title": "Choose POM–170 when the build is part of making music.",
        "bullets": [
          "Choose POM–170 when making and patching the instrument is the desired activity; choose Korg Volca Modular or Eurorack when the priority is immediate sound or future expansion.",
          "Confirm that a used listing includes the complete kit, built-in keyboard/sequencer, tools, patch cables, and power connections; standalone POM–16 is separate.",
          "Read the official revised-kit guidance alongside early review complaints, because fit and distribution reports are time-bound.",
          "POM is patchable but fixed in architecture, so do not buy it expecting Eurorack interchangeability."
        ]
      },
      {
        "id": "edge-cases",
        "eyebrow": "Edge cases",
        "title": "Check kit completeness and revised-kit context.",
        "bullets": [
          "Confirm that a used listing includes the complete kit, built-in keyboard/sequencer, tools, patch cables, and power connections; standalone POM–16 is separate.",
          "Read the official revised-kit guidance alongside early review complaints, because fit and distribution reports are time-bound.",
          "POM is patchable but fixed in architecture, so do not buy it expecting Eurorack interchangeability.",
          "The official feed marked POM–170 out of stock and discontinued; no Amazon identity was accepted."
        ]
      },
      {
        "id": "cheat-sheet",
        "eyebrow": "Cheat sheet",
        "title": "POM–170 in one minute.",
        "table": {
          "columns": [
            "Question",
            "Answer"
          ],
          "rows": [
            [
              "Core role",
              "Single-oscillator Pocket Operator Modular synthesizer kit with built-in keyboard/sequencer"
            ],
            [
              "Official US price observation",
              "$260 on 2026-10-18; out of stock and discontinued in the official US feed"
            ],
            [
              "Best first buyer",
              "A builder who wants physical patching and a compact fixed architecture"
            ],
            [
              "Main limitation",
              "Fixed architecture, kit completeness, proprietary hardware, and discontinued supply"
            ],
            [
              "Source confidence",
              "Official modular page plus two professional reviews and labeled owner discussion."
            ]
          ]
        }
      },
      {
        "id": "sources",
        "eyebrow": "Sources",
        "title": "How this guide was built.",
        "body": "Official product, guide, and dated US price-feed sources were checked on 2026-10-18. Professional reviews and labeled owner discussion are identified in the source metadata; their workflow observations are not current offer, reliability, or hands-on claims by this guide. Merchant price, stock, seller, fulfillment, delivery, bundle contents, warranty, and returns remain unverified unless a dated source explicitly says otherwise. As an Amazon Associate, Field Guides may earn from qualifying purchases."
      }
    ],
    "sources": [
      {
        "id": "te-price-feed",
        "title": "Teenage Engineering US product and price feed",
        "publisher": "Teenage Engineering",
        "url": "https://teenage.engineering/_api/mw2/products.json",
        "accessedAt": "2026-10-18",
        "sourceType": "official",
        "role": "price"
      },
      {
        "id": "te-pom-170-official",
        "title": "POM–170 official product page",
        "publisher": "Teenage Engineering",
        "url": "https://teenage.engineering/products/po/modular",
        "accessedAt": "2026-10-18",
        "sourceType": "official",
        "role": "spec"
      },
      {
        "id": "review-sos-pom",
        "title": "Pocket Operator Modular",
        "publisher": "Sound On Sound",
        "url": "https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/teenage-engineering-pocket-operator-modular",
        "accessedAt": "2026-10-18",
        "sourceType": "review",
        "role": "review"
      },
      {
        "id": "review-mr-pom170",
        "title": "Teenage Engineering POM-170 review",
        "publisher": "MusicRadar",
        "url": "https://www.musicradar.com/reviews/teenage-engineering-po-170",
        "accessedAt": "2026-10-18",
        "sourceType": "review",
        "role": "review"
      },
      {
        "id": "community-pom",
        "title": "POM-170/POM-400 owner discussion",
        "publisher": "r/synthesizers",
        "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/synthesizers/comments/1ac9r1y/is_the_teenage_engineering_modular_400_a_good_idea/",
        "accessedAt": "2026-10-18",
        "sourceType": "community",
        "role": "community-signal"
      }
    ],
    "claims": [
      {
        "id": "identity",
        "claim": "POM–170 is the single-oscillator pocket operator modular synthesizer kit in this comparison.",
        "sourceId": "te-pom-170-official",
        "evidenceType": "official",
        "confidence": "high",
        "caveat": "The role is an editorial summary of the current official product page; recheck the exact model and variant before buying.",
        "guideLocation": "Product shape",
        "sectionId": "product-shape"
      },
      {
        "id": "core-specs",
        "claim": "The official Pocket Operator Modular page positions POM–170 as the red single-oscillator member with a built-in keyboard and sequencer; standalone POM–16 is a separate product, and the family uses physical patch cables between fixed modules.",
        "sourceId": "te-pom-170-official",
        "evidenceType": "official",
        "confidence": "high",
        "caveat": "Manufacturer specifications describe the feature set; they do not guarantee every workflow or host combination.",
        "guideLocation": "Product shape",
        "sectionId": "product-shape"
      },
      {
        "id": "official-price",
        "claim": "The official US feed showed $260 for POM–170 on 2026-10-18; the listed state was out of stock and discontinued in the official US feed.",
        "sourceId": "te-price-feed",
        "evidenceType": "official",
        "confidence": "high",
        "caveat": "This is an official store observation, not a live Amazon offer or a guarantee that every color, bundle, or seller shares the same state.",
        "guideLocation": "Buying matrix",
        "sectionId": "buying-matrix"
      },
      {
        "id": "review-one",
        "claim": "Sound On Sound explains that the POM products use patchable modules but fixed front-panel architectures; it also documents early production and distribution issues.",
        "sourceId": "review-sos-pom",
        "evidenceType": "review",
        "confidence": "medium",
        "caveat": "This is an independent review of a specific unit and time; it is not a universal performance guarantee.",
        "guideLocation": "Review signal",
        "sectionId": "review-signal"
      },
      {
        "id": "review-two",
        "claim": "MusicRadar finds the concept and sound elements appealing but flags unreliable fit, basic synthesis, and the difficulty of justifying the price as a DIY kit.",
        "sourceId": "review-mr-pom170",
        "evidenceType": "review",
        "confidence": "medium",
        "caveat": "The review’s sample, firmware, and comparison set may differ from a current unit.",
        "guideLocation": "Review signal",
        "sectionId": "review-signal"
      },
      {
        "id": "community-signal",
        "claim": "Synth owners debate whether POM is a useful entry to patching or an expensive fixed synth; comments are anecdotal and cover the family rather than one tested unit.",
        "sourceId": "community-pom",
        "evidenceType": "community",
        "confidence": "medium",
        "caveat": "Community reports are anecdotal and selection-biased; use them to form inspection questions, not failure rates.",
        "guideLocation": "Review signal",
        "sectionId": "review-signal"
      },
      {
        "id": "buyer-decision",
        "claim": "POM–170 makes sense when hands-on patching and a compact fixed-architecture modular build; the main tradeoff is fixed architecture, kit-build friction, proprietary tools, and discontinued supply.",
        "sourceId": "review-sos-pom",
        "evidenceType": "inference",
        "confidence": "medium",
        "caveat": "Fit depends on the reader’s workflow, budget, and tolerance for the stated limitation.",
        "guideLocation": "Decision",
        "sectionId": "decision"
      },
      {
        "id": "compatibility",
        "claim": "The relevant connection, configuration, and ownership caveats for POM–170 are material to the buying decision: confirm the complete kit, built-in keyboard/sequencer, tools, patch cables, power, and the separate status of standalone POM–16 before buying used.",
        "sourceId": "te-pom-170-official",
        "evidenceType": "official",
        "confidence": "high",
        "caveat": "Check the current guide and included accessories for the exact revision before purchase.",
        "guideLocation": "Edge cases",
        "sectionId": "edge-cases"
      }
    ],
    "commerce": {
      "disclosure": "As an Amazon Associate, Field Guides may earn from qualifying purchases.",
      "primaryLinkId": "te-pom-170-direct",
      "priceApi": {
        "provider": "merchant-observed",
        "status": "not_applicable",
        "note": "No exact Amazon identity was accepted for this discontinued product; use the official page or a verified secondary-market listing and confirm condition."
      },
      "links": [
        {
          "id": "te-pom-170-direct",
          "merchant": "Teenage Engineering",
          "title": "POM–170",
          "label": "POM–170",
          "description": "Official product page for POM–170; the current feed marks it out of stock and discontinued in the official US feed.",
          "url": "https://teenage.engineering/products/po/modular",
          "relationship": "direct",
          "role": "primary",
          "factCard": {
            "eyebrow": "POM–170",
            "summary": "Single-oscillator Pocket Operator Modular synthesizer kit",
            "details": [
              "red single-oscillator modular kit with built-in keyboard and sequencer",
              "physical patching between fixed modules"
            ],
            "caveat": "No exact Amazon identity was accepted; do not infer marketplace availability."
          }
        },
        {
          "id": "te-pom-400-direct",
          "merchant": "Teenage Engineering",
          "title": "POM–400",
          "label": "POM–400",
          "description": "Official Pocket Operator Modular family page for the POM–400 comparison.",
          "url": "https://teenage.engineering/products/po/modular",
          "relationship": "direct",
          "role": "alternative",
          "factCard": {
            "eyebrow": "Compare POM–400 on the official site",
            "summary": "Three-oscillator POM alternative",
            "details": [
              "Compare architecture, patching, and discontinued status."
            ],
            "caveat": "No exact Amazon identity was accepted."
          }
        }
      ]
    }
  },
  "publicUrl": "https://fieldguides.co/g/teenage-engineering-pom-170"
}