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.