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Jul 25 2005
Vaja I-Volution Leather Suit Review
PSP Hardware Review | PSP Case
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| Summary: Roles Royce of PSP Cases
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The number of cases available for the PSP is overwhelming. There are many cheapies that do a half-effort job and then one or two that do an incredible job. Vaja, a company known for its line of high-quality cases for laptops, iPod's and other gadget's has taken a liking to the PSP with their i-volution PSP Leather Suit. It's true that with this level of quality comes a much higher price tag, but is it worth it? Let's find out.
Our i-volution case has a mid-grey exterior and orange interior, beautifully matched. The top has a very small and simple, metallic Vaja logo in the bottom right corner, a silent lock clasp in the middle and two snaps on the back to keep your PSP secure. The top of the case has two 'blocks' that are slightly raised and padded. At first, it looks like a design element, but it actually functions as a stand. The firmness of the UMD portion of case is quite strong, but the weight of the PSP is enough to cause the rest of the case to sit comfortably. Look at picture 4 on the left to see how this works. Altogether, the leather is soft to the touch, but it clearly has a firm body to keep your PSP protected.
Inside there are compartments for three Memory Stick cards. These aren't separate pockets that are added onto the internal casing, but rather an actual part of the internal casing. It should be pointed out that except for the portion of the case which sits behind the PSP, everything here is leather. To put your PSP in, you simply undo the two snaps and slide it in. The back of the PSP, nearly up to the shoulder buttons, becomes covered in the lovely grey leather. Once you've snapped the holding snaps into place, your PSP will feel fully secure. When closed, the case gives you access to the PSP's headphone jack.
The design is very conducive to gaming. The shoulder buttons and all other front buttons, as well as the headphone jack, power port and USB port are accessible. To play, you simply hold the PSP as you would normally do, and the back of the case simply flops backwards. If you look at the second picture on the left, the portion of the case which sits directly behind the UMD door is flexible and can flop back. This portion is connected to the top of the case which is what comfortably gets out of your way when you want to play games or watch movies. It's easy to access the buttons and even the analog stick. You might even find that holding the PSP with the case on makes gaming easier as the case is dry and not slippery, unlike the PSP after a bit of tense gaming.
Locking the case together is equally as well thought out as the other features. The lock is in the middle, where you would expect it (think Logitech PlayGear). But wherein the Logitech and other cases requires you to do a press or pull, the i-volution requires nothing but a surprisingly soft opening action. That is, you simply open the case as if you were flipping up the top portion. No unlocking, no snapping. It was incredibly surprising to see how easily and silently the case closed and opened. We did a quick shake test to see if the lock was as secure as it was quiet by holding the back of the case facing up and shaking violently. To our surprise, nothing came undone, everything was perfectly secure.
The case is noticeably light and slim, unlike the Logitech or other cases. Vaja's i-volution leather case provides incredible protection both outside and inside. Playing games with the case on not only feels totally comfortable, it keeps your PSP protected in a way that other cases can't compare. It is clear in so many ways that this isn't your regular off-the-shelf case. When you order your case online, you can choose from over 40 colour combinations. Not only that, you can personalize the case with your name for an extra $10 or even get a logo embossed for $30. You thought people's heads spin when they see your PSP's screen, wait until they see your PSP with the Vaja case on. You're practically guaranteed to have a one-of-a-kind case.
The quality of the leather, modern aesthetic and level of skilled craftsmanship is absolutely unparalleled as far as PSP cases go. You simply will not find anything else as high quality as this. Conversely, at $180 USD, this is the most expensive case you'll find. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for, and the Vaja i-volution Leather PSP Suit is a product fit for that breed of PSP fanatic that demands a case with the best protection and unmatched quality and aesthetics. If you can afford it, get it.
REVIEW IT
PRODUCT INFO
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Comments
a thing of beauty is a pleasure to behold. I'd get one in a second if I had the spare 180US. So I'll save...
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Diamond encrusted? WOW!
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digi said: "anyhow, it looks like the analog stick would be totally useless with this thing on.. "
Its OK... it depends on how you use your analog stick right now. I used to move the stick with it about 1cm down on my thumb. Now with the case on there, I have to pretty much use the tip of my thumb to move the stick. Only took me a short time to adjust though... the other benefits outweigh this little nag... yes, even to the tune of $180 bux.
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Waste of $$. if it wuz a hard case that coverd ma psp lik dat den id get it
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For $180 I'd expect "full protection" (meaning full FACE protection)
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Its OK... it depends on how you use your analog stick right now. I used to move the stick with it about 1cm down on my thumb. Now with the case on there, I have to pretty much use the tip of my thumb to move the stick. Only took me a short time to adjust though... the other benefits outweigh this little nag... yes, even to the tune of $180 bux.
thats what I was talking about.. I can't play like that
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billster said: "For $180 I'd expect "full protection" (meaning full FACE protection)"
It does, can't you see the cover?
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captain: Please see if Vaja would be willing to do a contest with one of these as a prize 
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You know, if it's just ONE that you're looking for to use as a prize, coopermor, than they could probably just buy ONE and keep it packaged, and give it away. I'm sure most contests on websites don't actually have a deal with the producer of the product, but instead are bought or donated to the site by itself, seperately.
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ahh... not exactly. Most sites have promotions with the companies, where the companies give stuff away and it kind of serves as advertising.
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this is a case for the older gamer, I’m nearly 30years old and see myself as a mature gamer who earns money (and not given pocket money by my parents) and see this as an essential product to have, like many people have commented about the price which I don't see a problem with because your paying for the craftsmanship.
I own the logitech case but feel there's a something missing about this case, it's great for protecting and that's about it. I find it quite bulky and they never bared in mind the amount the memory sticks a PSP user would have!!
But hey! that's just me!
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after looking at the hires pictures on the site, i'm changing my opinion of the case almost entirely, though I still think the analog nub would be less used by me with the case on... the craftmanship of this case is unbelievable.
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lordofpsp said: "Waste of $$. if it wuz a hard case that coverd ma psp lik dat den id get it"
naww... The soft texture is the best thing about this case. Though... the case IS rigid. In fact, looking at the crappy aluminum case I was using until now - its already dented.
And I CAN'T STAND screen covers... I wouldn't have bought it if it had a plastic screen cover. I have a Vaja iPod case - made for 1st Gen iPods... it sux, cuz it has a crappy face cover. Makes the screen look awful. Thank heavens they've stopped doing that on their cases.
And one more thing... this case is the BEST SMELLING case around... hehehe... seriously, if you dig fine leather products, this thing will rock you.
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seriously, if you dig fine leather products, this thing will rock you. leather just smells like quality.. i'm a sucker for that kind of stuff. (goes to admire my boots, jacket, pants, wristbands.) lol
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