Vaja i-volution iVod DJ

Gadgeteer Hands On Review by Judie Hughes

December 27, 2005

When I was looking for a case to hold my U2 Edition iPod, one of the biggest considerations was that it stay true to the digital music player's striking red and black coloring. Of course I wanted protection for my iPod from the occasional fit of butterfingers, but I also wanted a case that would look great and not clash with my iPod's bold coloring - which automatically eliminated those composed of pastel colors or brown leather. Not surprisingly, I found exactly what I was looking at Vaja's site in the i-volution iVod DJ.

There are an almost overwhelming selection of custom iVod DJ color combinations available on the site, and it wasn't until the last page of choices when I found the exact color combination I wanted - the red and black which stayed true to the original color scheme of my U2 special edition iPod. I asked for the basic version, which does not include a belt-clip or any personalization, although those options are available for those that prefer them. The only forms of branding on the case is the small distinctive metal Vaja logo on the front...

...and a small printed Vaja on the rear of the case.

The iVod DJ starts with the distinctive molded leather styling of Vaja's i-volution line, but takes it a step further by adding what looks like an "old-school" grooved vinyl LP to cover the iPod's selection wheel - hence the "DJ" name.

I wasn't sure if the LP-styled cover would cause any usability issues with the selection wheel or not, but I was pleased to find that it did not make much of a difference at all. Of course, the lightly grooved texture is a little bit different, but the wheel is still just as quick to respond and select.

Because this iVod DJ is a custom made case, the handcrafting process takes approximately 20 days. That's almost three weeks of anticipation, but when the final product showed up at my doorstep, I knew it was worth the wait. As always, the scrumptious smell of Vaja's leather is in a class by itself, and the molded i-volution styling is the perfect compliment to the sleek lines of the Apple iPod.

The case measures 4.33" tall x 2.72' wide x 0.94" thick, which does add a bit of bulk to the iPod, but it does not make it in any way unwieldy. The iPod is still quite pocketable and the addition of the case offers welcome protection, as I learned when I accidentally dropped the combination from about five feet onto our hard wood floor earlier today. I snagged my headphone cable on a door knob, which ripped out the jack and sent my iPod flying. I gasped as my iPod hit the floor hard. However, there was absolutely no damage to my iPod and after reattaching the headphones it immediately began playing again...big sigh of relief!

A clear plastic screen protector built into the case covers the iPod's screen which is great added protection for a device which is already a scratch and fingerprint magnet. All of the iPod ports are accessible when the device is in the case...

...but it should be taken into consideration that the iPod will need to be removed from the case when using an an aftermarket cradle or certain add-on accessories which need direct attachment to the bottom sync/charge port. If one is only using the iPod's sync/charge cable, then the digital music player may never need to be removed from the case.

I have been very pleased with the Vaja i-volution iVod DJ since the day I received it. Just like other Vaja i-volution cases I have reviewed, this one does not disappoint. Of course, adding a case this fantastic makes the decision of future device upgrades that much harder...ah well. :0)