SLAPPA HardBody PRO d2i CD Cases

The media migration from compact discs to digital audio has been underway since Apple’s iPod and other such devices exploded onto the consumer market. If you are like me, you have at least one digital audio playing doodad loaded with your favorite tunes but you still have that collection of CDs lying around the house.

Now you are not ready to completely do away with those compact discs but you would like to find a better way to store and manage your collection. Well the great people from Slappa have provided us with three of the four available options to evaluate from their new HardBody PRO d2i CD product family with capacities ranging from 20 to 420 discs.

I have approximately 225 CDs, with the majority stored in their original jewel cases in a revolving tower with a capacity of 200. I have utilized the tower for almost a decade and it works fine but I am interested to see if one of the products from Slappa can do a better or at least an equivalent job of storage while requiring less space.

Since I am reviewing three different products in one review, I am going to first discuss things that are available on all, and then, to uncover their unique characteristics, I will dive into the two smaller cases together and lastly the biggest one.

This review covers: 40 d2i HardBody CD Case, 240 d2i HardBody CD Case and the 420 d2i HardBody CD Crate.

Image courtesy of Slappa.com

Specifications:
All
   Patented d2i pockets

   x-EVA HardBody Shell
   Heavy duty handle (on applicable models)
   EZ grip zipper pulls (on applicable models)
   Velvet lined interior
   Disc cleaning cloth
Pro CD Crate (additional features)
   Zippered interior storage compartment
   Heavy duty retractable carrying handle
   Removable shoulder strap
   Industrial strength zippers
   Honeycomb frame for structural reinforcement
   Removable zip-away lid
   Removable inner storage trays
   Exterior storage pouches

d2i HardBody CD Case Product Family Common Characteristics:

First impressions, I was immediately fond of the look and feel of the cases. The case bodies are comprised of molded shells that are solidly constructed. The shell is designed to be waterproof, heat resistant and resilient against splitting and cracking.

The x-EVA HardBody Shell is very sturdy and robust. Each successfully held a five-pound weight with little to no evidence of compression. The shell design allows each case to maintain their shape and size regardless of the number of discs inside.

One potential negative that applies to the smaller cases is the size, in regards to thickness. I have a Toyota Camry and Corolla and neither the 40 nor the 240 case would fit under the seats of my cars, which is a popular place to conceal them.

The 40 is approximately as thick as 9 standard CD jewel cases and weighs just under a pound, while the 240 is comparable to a stack 12 jewel cases and comes in at around 4 pounds.

Slappa has implemented great technology into the page pockets, which extends the convenience and flexibility of CD sleeves over the traditional jewel cases that accompany discs when purchased. Each page actually provides two pockets per side, allowing you to store the disc and disc cover in separate, dedicated pockets on the same side. The back pocket is assembled from a soft, felt-like material, black in color, which protects the disc from dust and scratches on both sides. Since the felt-like material is on both sides of the back pocket it means each disc is completely covered, further reducing the chances of picking up a scratch. The front pocket provides a clear window, made of non-stick plastic, to store and display the disc cover.

Since the pages are double-sided that means the four pockets are comprised of five layers. The layers are (from one side to the other): 1. Clear, non-stick plastic window, 2. Soft, black micro-fiber fabric, 3. Soft, black micro-fiber fabric, 4. Soft, black micro-fiber fabric and 5. Clear, non-stick plastic window.

If desired, you can choose to store an additional CD in the front pocket instead of a disc cover, doubling the storage capacity. It should be noted that the product’s capacity expressed in each name is with storing two discs per page and no disc cover. So the 40 d2i CD Case has a maximum capacity of 40 discs or 20 discs and 20 covers.

All pockets are stitched together, not molded like other carrying cases, adding strength, which is important since you want the pockets to hold up through putting in and pulling out your favorite tunes.

Lastly the pages utilize Slappa’s FLEX RAILS technology on each side of the individual pocket. The flexible PVC rails allow you to slide and lock one page to another and to transition the pages between the d2i HardBody products. So you can move music from the 40 to the 420 without ever taking the disc out of its protected pockets.

Image courtesy of Slappa.com

I expected them to be difficult to interlock but fortunately I was wrong. Whether locking one page to another or a page to a case, I had no difficulties. They worked, as advertised, which is great.

Image courtesy of Slappa.com

This ability to easily transition between the product-line without actually removing the discs from the page is a major plus. This way you can store your collection in the 240 or 420 case but shift some of your favorites down to the 40 d2i HardBody case for a road trip in the car or a vacation.

The d2i products can also utilize d3i disc pages which are designed for your double-disc collection. The difference between a d2i and d3i page is that the d3i has an additional pocket per page-side. So, let’s say you have Billy Joel’s “Greatest Hits” two-disc set, you can put the booklet in the front pocket and the two discs in the individual back pockets.

Industrial strength zippers are employed in all the cases. The zippers on the outside of the two smaller cases take it a step further and include grippers to make operation very smooth.

40 & 240 d2i HardBody CD Case:

As previously stated the cases are designed with a molded shell. The shells of the cases are beautifully covered in a combination of synthetic leather and synthetic suede; providing a stylish, yet durable look and feel.

Here is the 40 d2i HardBody Case,

Image courtesy of Slappa.com

and the 240.

Image courtesy of Slappa.com

Honestly, the images do not do justice to the exterior quality of the case. Simply gorgeous.

The drawback of the synthetic suede is that it serves as a dust and dirt magnet. I noticed the dust the cases collected just sitting in my house and I can’t imagine what they would look like after a few months of stuffing them under a car seat.

Lastly, the exterior of both cases have a built-in clear label holder on the spine of the binders. Nice if you have multiples so you can differentiate between them.

Moving inside, the interiors are lined with soft velvet and have a small mesh pocket to hold miscellaneous items. Items such as the small disc clean cloth included in each case.

The 40 accommodates 1 sleeve per page side, meaning that you can hold 1 disc and 1 cover or 2 discs per side. Each of the 10 pages (both sides) in the 40 d2i case can hold 2 to 4 discs.

Image courtesy of Slappa.com

The 240 case has 4 sleeves per page side, 4 discs and 4 covers or 8 discs per side. Extrapolate that out to 240 discs or 120 CDs and 120 covers.

Image courtesy of Slappa.com

A nice feature of the pages in the 240 is they are split horizontally in the middle, meaning that you can flip the top or bottom row sleeves by themselves, without turning all four. I can see positives and negatives of the split design.

If you know the CD you are looking for is on the top row, the horizontal split is great because you do not have to worry about the bottom row. The flip-side of that is if you are unsure where the disc you are looking for is located, you may have to flip the rows, on at a time, doubling the page turns.

420 d2i Pro CD Crate:

Now this is a case for the serious audiophile who needs their audio supplies, not just CDs, to be mobile in a secure fashion. A DJ is the ideal suitor that came to mind when I first laid my eyes on the crate.

It is big, dwarfing the 40 and 240 combined. It is like a small suitcase with tons of storage options.

The 420’s exterior differs from the other smaller cases, in that the majority is ballistic grade nylon with polyvinyl resin accents. The nylon is the rugged, tough feel as opposed to the smooth, soft-to-the-touch accents. Not as flashy as the smaller cases, but the crate presents a more workman’s appeal.

The outside of this case has a large pouch on the front two and two smaller, one on each side. The pouches are secured via Velcro.

Image courtesy of Slappa.com

There is good-size, retractable handle on the top and a nice, strong, yet comfortable shoulder strap. The handle and strap make the large crate easily mobile. The bottom of the exterior has four hard plastic feet to provide stability when upright.

Image courtesy of Slappa.com

Opening the crate is where the excitement begins. The lid and bottom can actually be detached from the outside zipper, creating two separate containers. A great feature, especially since detaching and reattaching the halves is simple.

Image courtesy of Slappa.com

The detached lid, which is the front of the case when zipped up, is contained with a dual-zipper top. One of the zippers was rather difficult, repeatedly giving me a hard time to open, but that was the only trouble I experience with any of the products.

Once inside the lid compartment, you get a better perspective that the crate is not just for holding CDs. Contained in the partition is a large Velcro pouch, a button strap, a business card holder, a smaller pouch, three pen holders and two spandex straps.

Notice how the two sections are detached in this picture.

Image courtesy of Slappa.com

The button strap can be used to secure headphones, while the large pouch can hold miscellaneous cords and wires. The two spandex straps can hold wires or a microphone stand or another rod-like device.

The bottom half of the crate has 3 separate removable, soft jersey lined trays that hold the CDs. Again, you can easily transition the d2i or d3i pages into the trays, or if desired, a CD jewel case. The front of each tray has a small plastic label window to assist you in identifying the contents.

Image courtesy of Slappa.com

Aside from the obvious DJ use for the crate, it could also serve as the perfect mechanism for mobile gamer. There is plenty of room for the new, sleek gaming systems, plus game controls and game discs.

Conclusion:

The d2i HardBody CD cases are an impressive, to say the least, solution to the common problem of how to best store your discs so they take up the least amount of space, yet are easy to search through and are still mobile. Slappa’s quality construction and functional design features are only outdone by the gorgeous look and feel on each of the cases.

I have always been partial to the standard jewel cases but after reviewing these cases, I can definitely see the advantages of utilizing the products for storage and mobility.

I would highly recommend these three cases to anyone looking for a new, mobile storage solution. You might think they are a little expensive, but trust me, they are well worth the cost.

Price:
40 d2i HardBody CD Case: $19.99
240 d2i HardBody CD Case: $59.99
420 d2i Pro CD Crate: $199.99