Nativ is a home audio system that you control with a touchscreen. No, it's like taking the giant touchscreen control panel out of a Tesla and dropping it in your home. Actually, it's the kind of futuristic-looking thing we always thought we'd be using to control the entertainment in our homes. Wait, no, it's more like taking a tablet, stapling it to a box of PC components, and placing it in a wooden tray.

Of course, it looks nicer than that. But there are some clever ideas here! I'm practically salivating at the idea of a media box with 4TB sitting on my kitchen counter. (Take that, Alexa.) It has something like a dozen ports, supports a suite of high-resolution audio standards (DSD64, DSD128, DSD256, DXD, and PCM up to 32-bit/384kHz), and supposedly has the hardware to back this all up. It's basically an everything box, with support for services like YouTube, Apple Music, Pandora, Spotify, and Tidal — all of which can be beamed to your TV via Google Cast. And it looks mercifully different from most current home audio solutions, which — let's face it — are just speakers that come in different shapes and colors.

It's an everything box

Nativ has already blown past its $100,000 goal on Indiegogo, which is great for the company — but isn't necessarily great for potential customers. Crowdfunded startups often run into just as many delays and problems when they find themselves overfunded as they do when they simply match their goal. And even if demand doesn't cripple Nativ, the company has a long road ahead as it tries to please the audiophiles willing to shell out $1,000 or more on this idea.