Nativ ships touchscreen-based Vita music player with built-in Apple Music support

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV
Electronics maker Nativ on Wednesday launched the Vita, a high-end, touchscreen-based music player and server which has the rare feature of integrated Apple Music support.




The Vita uses an 11.6-inch, 1080p IPS display, and supports a number of other streaming services such as Spotify, Tidal, Pandora, Google Play Music, and SoundCloud. In some configurations music can be saved locally -- while the default model lacks internal storage, there are 2- and 4-terabyte upgrade options, using either hard disks or SSDs. Alternately music can be pumped in from a network storage drive, a nearby Mac or Windows PC, a phone or tablet, or direct analog and digital inputs.

The device includes USB, SPDIF, HDMI, and AES/EBU ports, as well as Bluetooth, gigabit Ethernet, and 802.11ac Wi-Fi connections. The last allows control via iOS, Apple Watch, and Android apps, as well as pushing audio elsewhere via AirPlay, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, Sonos systems, or other Nativ products.




Supported audio formats include filetypes like MP3, OGG, AIFF, WAV, FLAC, and Apple's ALAC, in qualities up to 32 bits and 384 kilohertz. Video functions allow the Vita to stream music videos and even run YouTube, whether on its own screen or a TV. TV output requires HDMI or Google Cast.

The product includes an IR remote, and can also take voice commands.

Vita prices start at $1,599 for a driveless model with an oak stand, and can range as high as $3,099 for a unit with a walnut stand and 4 terabytes of SSD storage.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 9
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,053member
    No, thanks. I'd rather use that money to spend on speakers instead.
  • Reply 2 of 9
    polymniapolymnia Posts: 1,080member
    fallenjt said:
    No, thanks. I'd rather use that money to spend on speakers instead.
    It's assumed you have a well-appointed music system.

    kinda like someone saying no thanks to a new Audi because they don't have a driver's license. 

    While it it may be an appropriate response in your position, it isn't much help to the people the device is aimed at—people who own quality music stereo systems (or in Audi's case, people with driver's licenses). 
  • Reply 3 of 9
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    So Apple is licensing Apple Music to other vendors?
  • Reply 4 of 9
    polymniapolymnia Posts: 1,080member
    Soli said:
    So Apple is licensing Apple Music to other vendors?
    It's been integrated into Sonos for quite some time. 
    Soli
  • Reply 5 of 9
    wozwozwozwoz Posts: 263member
    On checking, and to their credit as a genuine audiophile product, this DOES ALSO natively support hi-res formats like DSD (the native format of SACD - Super Audio CD), using a Burr Brown DAC. That is well done.  And to their credit, the styling and interface look very smart and neat.

    My only audiophile concern may be that:   playing back hi-res audio through one of these front ends usually involves digital interference ... e.g. using software to control volume (through the computer) means that the signal is being digitally 'messed' with by the computer (this invariably happens with iTunes), as distinct from taking the digital source to the D/A converter, and letting the amplifier do volume adjustments in pure analog. I am not sure if that is the case here - but it is the usual caveat to such interfaces in the audiophile community.
    edited June 2017 jony0
  • Reply 6 of 9
    polymniapolymnia Posts: 1,080member
    wozwoz said:
    On checking, and to their credit as a genuine audiophile product, this DOES ALSO natively support hi-res formats like DSD (the native format of SACD - Super Audio CD), using a Burr Brown DAC. That is well done.  And to their credit, the styling and interface look very smart and neat.

    My only audiophile concern may be that:   playing back hi-res audio through one of these front ends usually involves digital interference ... e.g. using software to control volume (through the computer) means that the signal is being digitally 'messed' with by the computer (this invariably happens with iTunes), as distinct from taking the digital source to the D/A converter, and letting the amplifier do volume adjustments in pure analog. I am not sure if that is the case here - but it is the usual caveat to such interfaces in the audiophile community.
    Even Sonos Connect (the closest comparable Sonos device) allows you to lock the volume, making it impossible to mess with the digital signal. 

    I'd imagine this much higher-end device was designed from the ground up to avoid problems like that.

     But I have no specific info to back that up. 
  • Reply 7 of 9
    I thought I recornised this, been watching it for a while on indiegogo...

    https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/nativ-high-res-music-system-touchscreen-control#/

    Was hesitant to crowdfund it due to being burned several times now on kickstarter projects. Good to see one actually see the light of day and make good on their promises, most do not.
  • Reply 8 of 9
    How is this not a violation of the Playstation Vita trademark Sony has?
    tallest skil
  • Reply 9 of 9
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    gordlacey said:
    How is this not a violation of the Playstation Vita trademark Sony has?
    I was going to say. Overlap in use case, however small, does exist.
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