ddHiFi C2022 Carrying Case Review – On The Road Again
The ddHiFi Carrying Case C2022 is a well-made textile-leather carrying case for personal audio gear. It is roomy enough to hold a couple of daps or portable headphone amplifiers plus accessories.
Pros — Spacious, practical, attractive, great workmanship approved by a seamstress.
Cons — Buckles made of plastic (not metal); no shoulder pad.
In this Article
Introduction
ddHifi have left a big impression on us in the past. The company sparkles with innovation with their adapters, cables, earphones, dongles, and other accessories. Anything they released is not only extremely useful but also optically and haptically of the highest quality. Any premium earphone that went through Calgary on a Head-Fi tour contained at least one ddHifi adapter. It is therefore no wonder that the company made it as a whole onto our Wall of Excellence.
I love storage. Being German by trade, I like to have my gear orderly stowed, but also quickly accessible. ddHifi’s C-2020 case fulfills all these requirements, but it is a tech organizer and a pure storage device, bulky and therefore best suited for travelling in our luggage.
The C2022 is a totally different design – inside and outside – to be worn on the go while playing music – if desired. It therefore has a different functionality. Both cases are complementary.
Let’s see what the C2022 case can do for us…
Specifications
Model: C2022 Fabric: 1680D double-strand nylon Lining: 150D polyester Bottom: black cowhide leather Zipper: YKK metal slider + ddHifi Drawstring Colour: dark blue Weight: ca. 250 g (including shoulder strap) Outer dimensions: 160 x 150 x 120 mm Tested at: $49.99 Product Page: ddHiFi Purchase Link: ddHiFi Official Store |
Physicalities
The C2022 carrying case is largely made of double-strand nylon on the outside, with cowhide leather at the bottom and on the sides. The inner lining is of polyester. It comes with a shoulder strap that is also made of sturdy nylon and adjustable in length. It is plenty long for a 6 ft/180 cm guy like me. The velcro straps are of very good quality and so is the zipper.
I showed the C2022 to my sister-in-law who is a seamstress. She approved of the stitching and the ruggedness of the fabric. Not much I can add.
Functionality
The ddHifi C2022 case looks very much like a camera bag. Since its compartmentalization is impossible to photograph, I drew its layout schematically.
- Green: On the outside is a “frontal zipper pouch for small items” (iems, SD cards, batteries, adapters). Too small for iems.
- The main bag is divided into 3 compartments: slim front and rear pockets with double velcro straps (blue) for phone, dap, power bank, dongles etc.
- The middle pocket (red) is extremely roomy and offer storage even for the fattest Discman, Walkman, even a small desktop amp…the sky’s your limit.
There are several loops on the back and the sides for attaching shoulder strap, carabiners or similar and/or strapping the case to another device.
Let’s now have a look what this looks like in real life.
These plastic parts may be sturdy and light but I preferred the metal in the C-2020.
When actually using the C2022 bag on a daily basis, I found it interfering with my arms because of its depth. It sticks out from the body quite a bit. I’d prefer a different aspect ratio: wider and less deep, like a map case (and not so much like a camera bag). I’d also appreciate a shoulder pad for increased comfort considering you can load this bag up quite a bit. But maybe this shape is optimal for you. You can see that readily from the photos.
As to the price, I don’t find $50 particularly cheap, but it is all relative. A Van Nuys bag costs you three times as much. After all ddHifi use real leather. Nevertheless do I find the identically C-2020 bag a better value (with more metal and more leather).
Concluding Remarks
Well, schlepp your audio gear around while listening to it with this well-made, rugged, and practical ddHifi C2022 bag. I am taking it on an intercontinental trip to Europe this July. It may not be the cheapest solution, but when looking at a comparable Van Nuys, Coach, or Louis Vuitton, you may be out a multiple of what you pay for the C2022.
Until next time…keep on listening!
Disclaimer
I thank ddHifi for providing this case for review. I always have fun analyzing “difficult” items.
Get the C2022 carrying case from ddHifi.
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