[PunchLine]

My requirements from a new music server were access to SoundCloud, local storage, low jitter output and remote operation.

The moment I grab my freshly delivered Vita, I was excited. By the rattling hard drive compartment and the misaligned LCD display I knew was in for a great adventure. And I wasn't disappointed. As I gently mounted the unit onto the stand, the display came unglue:

After a good laugh, I turned my attention to the internals and soon discovered a liberal and crude deployment of electrical tape that either kept parts in place, held them together or protected them from exposures. My heart swelled. I had only the deepest admiration to that jerry-built DYI. Better still, Nativ's business acumen seemed brilliantly cunny: the build was good enough to meet the warranty period and just about it. There were other giggle-inducing oddities, but I'll spare you the details:

Nativ swore it was a one-off mishap, a unit rushed out in a hurry. So, being a fair-minded person, I asked for photos of their supposedly properly assembled internals. Now, I was in for another lovely surprise: purportedly their vendor doesn't allow taking photos inside their facilities. A clandestine assembly line, so it'd seem. And the thought of ordering an unglued unit to the Nativ’s offices, so they could take some photos, seemed not to have crossed their minds. Mmm...strange.

By the end of it, it took my refund and whistled off. Better safe than sorry.

Be very leery of what's under Nativ’s hood, and, even if Nativ promises a change, draw your own conclusions of its business ethos.

 

[Thenewguy007]

Did they ever offer you a replacement or to repair it?

 

[PunchLine]

Did they ever offer you a replacement or to repair it?

They offered a replacement, vowing their typical standards were much higher (I suppose ISO9001). But how could I trust the replacement wouldn’t be a coarse tape-work too?

So I asked for photos of the internals. Their reply: only if I committed to accept a replacement.
My cynical interpretation: only if money was on table would they fabricate evidence (Photoshop or a mockup).

I warned Nativ their reputation and credibility were on the line, but they shrugged me off.
It's really impossible to know what's going on in their minds. Nothing at all, i.e., stupidly? That their prospects and customers are gullible fools? Or perhaps they're on their last gasps, ready to fold.

At this stage, I'd be dubious of any explanations they offered; and for sure avoid them like the plague.

 

[EElegances]

FWIW, I have the Vita from the Gogo campaign and it is rock solid. I occasionally have problems with the software but the software is always being improved and customer service has been great all this time. Mine has zero build issues. I've even dropped it and there was no damage internally or externally. I do wonder if at some point they outsourced manufacturing and that may have led to build issues since the early models?

 

[PunchLine]

FWIW, I have the Vita from the Gogo campaign and it is rock solid. I occasionally have problems with the software but the software is always being improved and customer service has been great all this time. Mine has zero build issues. I've even dropped it and there was no damage internally or externally. I do wonder if at some point they outsourced manufacturing and that may have led to build issues since the early models?

I'm glad your experience has been on the positive side.

Yes, they replaced contractors and mine came fresh off the new contractor. As usual in business, it's a safe to assume the change was a cost saving measure and poor build quality was not late to follow.
The customer service was commendable, but I didn't trust the company; not after they refused to send me photos of the supposedly standard internals.

 

[dougi555]

I've now had my Vita for near two years, one of the first. No problems at all with build quality, in fact very impressed. Sound is beautiful, a few software connectivity issues but Kevin at the support desk has been first class. I use it as both a Roon endpoint and player in its own right. And it looks great..!

 

[PunchLine]

I've now had my Vita for near two years, one of the first. No problems at all with build quality, in fact very impressed. Sound is beautiful, a few software connectivity issues but Kevin at the support desk has been first class. I use it as both a Roon endpoint and player in its own right. And it looks great..!

So what are suggesting, that consumers ignore my much more recent experience--that took place after Nativ had switched outsourcing--and rely on yours,, which is 2 years old and lacks any actual knowledge or photos of the internals?

With all due respect, I'm trying to helpful to others, whereas you, it seems, are attempting to justify your purchase.

 

[dougi555]

So what are suggesting, that consumers ignore my much more recent experience--that took place after Nativ had switched outsourcing--and rely on yours,, which is 2 years old and lacks any actual knowledge or photos of the internals?

With all due respect, I'm trying to helpful to others, whereas you, it seems, are attempting to justify your purchase.

And with the greatest of respect I have no need whatsoever to justify my purchase. I'm simply trying to rebalance the thread.

 

[dougi555]

So what are suggesting, that consumers ignore my much more recent experience--that took place after Nativ had switched outsourcing--and rely on yours,, which is 2 years old and lacks any actual knowledge or photos of the internals?

With all due respect, I'm trying to helpful to others, whereas you, it seems, are attempting to justify your purchase.

And with the greatest of respect I have no need whatsoever to justify my purchase. I'm simply trying to rebalance the thread.

 

[PunchLine]

And with the greatest of respect I have no need whatsoever to justify my purchase. I'm simply trying to rebalance the thread.

Rebalance?

Testifying that your old specimen works fine does no favor to anyone but Nativ.
The new production is taped up and will likely come apart with time, especially in hot climates. People should be aware of it.

I wish someone had warned me before i bought into their Chines shenanigans.

 

[tommyboydude]

I too have experienced excuse after excuse from Nativ. After a lot of back and forth, with a different excuse every 2-3 weeks, I started getting an auto reply saying that they are out of the office for the “mid autumn festival“ and would get back to me the following Monday. For three weeks I got the same auto response without them ever getting back into the office on any of the Mondays that followed. I finally gave up and sought a refund through PayPal. PayPal was great, and after attempting to reach out to Nativ unsuccessfully, I got my money back from PayPal. I am afraid that Nativ may not survive the pandemic. It is a shame, because their product is highly regarded by those they could actually get one in their hands.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Sorry to read this thread and wanted to say that one million great experiences do not prove anything. It's when screwups happen that we see the true colors. Things go wrong, what's important is what happens next.

 

[Dipesh]

I too have experienced excuse after excuse from Nativ. After a lot of back and forth, with a different excuse every 2-3 weeks, I started getting an auto reply saying that they are out of the office for the “mid autumn festival“ and would get back to me the following Monday. For three weeks I got the same auto response without them ever getting back into the office on any of the Mondays that followed. I finally gave up and sought a refund through PayPal. PayPal was great, and after attempting to reach out to Nativ unsuccessfully, I got my money back from PayPal. I am afraid that Nativ may not survive the pandemic. It is a shame, because their product is highly regarded by those they could actually get one in their hands.

I am having the same issue. I have asked for a refund from PayPal. I honestly think they are just collecting money and had no intention of delivering product. They are scaring people.