Simple sealed ziplock packaging.

 
Content: card, instruction, tweezer, bag, case, and protective stickers (2 sets).

 
Case open to about 100 degrees.  The magnetic closure is pretty strong.

 
Simple instructions for the stickers.

 
Stickers applied.

 
Since the iPod Touch 5th Gen is thinner than the iPhone 5, there is a large gap inside and need further backing support.

 
My extra pack of VentureCraft Gorilla Grip (not included, $11)

 
I cut one piece into four and applied to the four corners.

 
You will need a Torx 6 size driver for the screws, and the screws are not tight at all and come out and screwed back in easy.  This case was originally designed for VC's DAC/AMP, but it does fit the back side of the V-MODA VERZA perfect.  Note that V-MODA offers their own Metallo case, but it screws to the front with a Torx 8 (not 6) driver, so in theory you can have BOTH installed at the same time!

 
No more gaps and very secure backing.

 
Rock on!

 
The MM5 case is perfect if you have both VC or V-MODA DAC/AMP and the Apple iPhone 5 or iPod Touch 5th Gen.  My only two complaint is 1, no T6 drive included as the tweezer is nice but pretty worthless; 2, I have two surface ding already so the finish is not that strong.  The color will better match the black versions of DAC/AMP.

Box of VAMP and VERZA
 

Open box
 

QuiqCard removed
 

Content
 

VERZA in pearl white and metallic orange
 

Back of QuiqCard for settings
 

Over all the VERZA is slightly bigger than the VAMP but only about 3/5 as thick. The gray "X" part is of semi-soft plastic like the black part from the VAMP.
 
Ok I charged my VERZA and here is my first test drive of it with my iPod Touch 5th Gen with the M-100. All I have to say is WOW, if the iPhone 4/4S with VAMP was great, than this new VERZA just takes the M-100 to a whole new level. Listening to AKB48's "1830m" with the VERZA at 1/3 volume gives a much stronger base than normal, with the highs and mids remain quite clear. EQ mode bring the sounds even more base, and EQ + 3D is just too much for me. As of now I do prefer the sound of my old VAMP as it is more even sounding, however, the overall package and everything else the VERZA trumps the VAMP. If I have to pick I think I would like the VERZA better, and given time I might grow custom to its sound. Note that I definitely like the volume control on the VERZA better, as it is more solid (my VAMP's knob is a bit loose) AND you can turn your VERZA completely off with it without touching the toggle controls. It will be my perfect setup if Val and V-MODA release more Metallo cases so I can retire those (given very nice) rubber bands. Releasing a 90 degree angled cable for Apple Lightning connection, like what VentureCraft did, would be great too (naturally since the VERZA was derived from the GO-DAP X).
 
Test Setup
 

 
Songs:
AKB48 "River"
fripSide "Decade"
Puddle of Mudd "Blurry"
 
Sources:
iPhone 4S
iPod Touch 5th Gen
Zune HD
iTunes with AudioQuest DragonFly from my Alienware M18x R1
 
Headphone:
V-MODA M-100 with 1 button and BoomMicPro cables
 
Volume:
iTunes 100%
AudioQuest DragonFly 20%
VAMP 30-40% (can't be sure since there are no marks)
VERZA 30%, 100% in computer in USB-DAC mode
 
All iPhone, iPod, VAMP, and VERZA EQ and 3D mode OFF.
 
Test 1 - With and with out the 30 pin adapter for the iPod Touch 5th Gen: I can safely say that to the best of my ability that I detected no difference between the two given that the 30 pin adapter has a Wolfson DAC inside. I can assume it is properly bypassed in this case.
 
Test 2 - iPhone 4S vs. iPod Touch 5th Gen with VERZA: I can also detected no difference in this case
 
Test 3 - VAMP vs. VERZA: as mentioned before the VERZA was tuned for the M-100 and it shows, and you can definitely tell that the VERZA gives off a much stronger base and mids but the high end suffers. This is the one point I don't like about the VERZA as I think it is too far away from neutral even with EQ off. It by no means sounded bad, but if you really care about neutral sounding high notes you might not like the VERZA.
 
Test 4 - DragonFly vs. VERZA in USB-DAC mode: this is where the VERZA get interesting, as the VERZA is even more bassy sounding than in iAMP mode. Personally I considered the DragonFly gives off a very good neutral sound, so the difference here is even more striking. This test could be an indication that USB-DAC mode users for computers or Android devices will notice more bass and mids compare to their iDevices counterpart given the same songs and settings.
 
Test 5 - Zune HD: failed as I forgot that I need to get an USB to micro USB adapter for it to be used in USB-DAC mode, so stand by for this one.
 
Future plan: I have a pair of Sleek-Audio SA7 coming so I will have to test that along with all my other IEMs. As a quick note I did pair my VERZA with the Ferrari T350 and does make it sound better and more lively. Since now I have the VERZA, I can finally send V-MODA another RMA request to have my VAMP updated again, and hopefully fix some of the issue I still have with it. I hope this help to some of you that are on the fence about the VERZA, and my bottom line for you is that the VERZA is a great device as it does so much and compatible with almost everything. However, sound wise the VERZA is really not for everyone even with the default setup of it pairing with the M-100, so take advantage of the 60 days trial period that V-MODA offers and judge for yourself. I hope some of you here will able to test the VERZA plus Samsung GS3 with Metallo case combo in the future. Hope this helps.
 
IEM test with VERZA
 
Setup
 
Songs:
AKB48 "River"
fripSide "Decade"
Puddle of Mudd "Blurry"
 
Sources:
iPod Touch 5th Gen with 30 pin adapter and default patch cable (Wolfson DAC should have been bypassed)
iPod Music Player
EQ-10
 
Headphone:
Bowers & Wilkins C5 MSRP $180
Ferrari Cavallino T150i MSRP $250
Logitech UE900 MSRP $400
Klipsch X10 MSRP $300, most places discount this to about $100
Sleek Audio SA7 and SA1 MSRP $350 and $70
V-MODA Vibe II MSRP $120 but discontinued
Comply Foam Tips on all IEMs except SA1 and SA7
 
Volume:
iPod Touch 5th Gen 6 clicks (about 1/3)
VERZA 25-30%
 
All iPod, EQ-10, and VERZA EQ and 3D mode OFF.
 
Test 1 - Bowers & Wilkins C5: the C5 is known for its great highs and VERY strong bass. Using EQ-10 flat did cut down the bass a hair compare to the Apple stock player but not by much. Pair EQ-10 with the VERZA you are getting very clear mids and highs with EXTREMELY punchy bass. You really have to set your own high pass filter with EQ-10 to reduce the bass but keeping the trebles flat is fine.
 
Test 2 - Ferrari Cavallino T150i: I would never buy this at MSRP and I have only gotten it when Ferrari had an private sale for 60% off. But even at the discounted price I still would not recommend this for use on its own, as it is overly bassy and lack staging and decent highs. However, pair with the VERZA fixes it somewhat but bring up the mids and highs and have an even stronger base (but not as strong as the C5.) This is where you really need the EQ-10 to cut bass and boost highs.
 
Test 3 - Logitech UE900: there were a lot already have been said about the UE900 so I am not going to repeat them here. Overall you don't really need the VERZA for the UE900, but it did brings the highs and mids even brighter without messing up the staging. The bass is even stronger but not too over powering. I would still recommend a bit of bass cut but it's not really necessary. So far this is the best sounding IEM that I have pair to the VERZA.
 
Test 4 - Klipsch X10: this is my current value champ and I just love how it sounds with out over doing anything to the sound. However, in stock form with the Apple Music player, it does sound a bit weak and the VERZA really helps here. With the VERZA the mids are much more clear and the bass is not over powering. The trebles could use some help with EQ-10 so I recommend a bit of high boost here. Overall the best value for the sound at the current discounted price.
 
Test 5 - Sleek Audio SA1: this is be babe SA6 and this is my current budget IEM of the lot. It is the weakest sounding of the bunch at the volume I set, and you really need to use your iPod at about 50% volume to bring the level on pair with the others. The default bass is strong with still decently clear mids but lack highs although it isn't as bad as the T150i. The VERZA drives the SA1 much better than stock for the mids and highs and only produce a marginally stronger bass. You will need EQ-10 to fix some of the SA1 bass and treble just like the T150i. If you are on a budget, then I think you will be happy with the SA1 sound given you fix it with EQ-10 even with out the VERZA or any AMP/DAC.
 
Test 6 - Sleek Audio SA7: the is the latest and best offering from Sleek-Audio, and the second most expensive of the bunch. In stock from it is decently flat with bright mid and highs and not overly bassy, but staging wise it is not as good as the UE900. Note that I found the SA7 tend to be a bit over boots on the treble sometimes even with the treble - ports when the volume is high, and with the treble + port the highs are just way over boost for me. Also EQ-10 gives off even more treble for some reason. Pair with the VERZA the SA7 is really great and pretty neutral sounding and just makes everything brighter. However, I found the SA7 is VERY sensitive to volume levels and at 1/3 volume for the VERZA it is just too much for me and I have to reduce it down to 1/4. I can really say that the SA7 is a great alternative to the UE900. Unfortunately the stock accessories is a bit thin with only 3 pairs of S/M/L flanged ear tips and no secondary cable, and the worse is that there are currently no officially supported Comply Foam Tips for either the SA7 or SA1 (neither the T100 nor the T400 will work and I don't have any T500). Therefore this will affect the seal and might throw the sound a bit off for me. Overall the SA7 is a great pair of IEM especially pair with the VERZA, but it will require careful tuning of the volume and EQ (specially on the highs) to get the sound just right.
 
Test 7 - V-MODA Vibe II: I literally went to war with my Vibe II so I know its sound by heart. By default the Vibe II is a very bassy IEM pretty much on par with the C5 with clear mids but lack highs a bit (but not as bad as the T150i). It is another set of weak IEM what require close to 50% volume from my iPod Touch to drive so the VERZA really helps here. The VERZA really brings the highs and mids back to live but WAY over boost the bass at 1/3 volume, so cutting the bass with EQ-10 is really necessary in this case. Given the Vibe II has been discontinued and at prices so close to the X10, there is no reason not to pick the X10 over this.
 
After thought: the VERZA is a great AMP/DAC especially for weaker headphones or IEMs. It can bring weak sounding mids and highs back to live, but over all I think it boost the bass a bit too much and require EQ fixes in general. Bass head would definitely love the VERZA, and it would definitely help people looking for an good sounding setup that augment some of their IEMs short comings. Therefore, instead for people already own decently high end headphones like the SA7, UE900, or the M-100, the VERZA is really more suited for less than perfect IEMs.
 
p.s. for iPhone 3G/3GS owners, there is a great alternative to the VERZA on Amazon, which is the VentureCraft Go-DAP 3.0, and it can be had for ONLY $20 (MSRP $200)!! This is a great way to get into great sound in a budget. Don't miss out.

Update: it turns out to be my F807 having a rather weak line out and not the fault of the PHA-1.  Therefore please ignore my comments about the gain issue and I am bumping up my rating from 3 to 4.
 
Ok here is my take on the Sony PHA-1 along with their F806 Walkman and the Sennheiser Momentum, and to be honest, I think some of you may not like it…
 
Here is a bit of background, the PHA-1 is MSRP at $600, but I paid for mine at $400 from Amazon, and this is my baseline on judging its value. However, most of you should able to find it for around $350 if shop around.
 
My bottom line for this little wonder is that it does a good job as a DAC with good amount of features, but as an amp, not so much.
 
Let’s talk about its DAC first, which is asynchronous and can operates at 24/96, just like the AudioQuest DragonFly (MSRP $250), and they sounded almost identical to each other at the same volume with my V-MODA M-100 during A/B testing. The PHA-1 performs equally well with my iPods compares to the V-MODA VERZA due to the digital amp and it shows.
 
However, the same cannot be said with the analog amp, which is where the PHA-1 falls apart.
 
Since the PHA-1 is a Sony product, it supports their Walkman line of DAPs by providing a LOD cable, which I paired with my F806. To my surprised, I LOST volume at low gain by about half using the PHA-1 vs. straight out from the F806. Both of the Sennheiser Momentum and V-MODA M-100 are low impedance cans at 18 ohms and 32 ohms respectably, and they both performed very well with the V-MODA VAMP and VERZA in low gain at 1/3 volume dial. Since the VERZA and the PHA-1 power rating are comparable to each other, I fully expected that power and volume wise they would be similar, which unfortunately is not the same. Compare to the F806 set at 35-40% volume, at low gain, I have to set the PHA-1 to at least 50% in order to get a similar level of volume back. Of course this is not exactly a problem for me, as once I switch to high gain, I can get the same level of volume at 1/3 dial just like my VERZA at 1/3 dial in low gain. However, I foresee problems with higher impedance headphones with this amp in analog mode.
 
But this begs the question: why would you buy the PHA-1? If you want to use it for your PC/laptop, then the AudioQuest DragonFly seems to be a much better choice as it is cheaper and much smaller; if you want to use it for your iDevices, then at MSRP you can get the Fostex HP-P1, V-MODA VERZA, or the latest and greatest VentureCraft SounDroid Typhoon for even less; if you want to use it for a Sony Walkman or other DAPs that only has an analog LOD, then there are so many better and cheaper alternatives that makes the PHA-1 a moot point. The situation that the PHA-1 will be viable is that 1, you can get if for much less than MSRP; 2, you are moving up from FiiOs and the like but don’t want to pay $600; 3, you want an all-in-one device and don’t have other DAC/AMP that I mentioned or similar above; 4, you want to stick with Sony for your Walkman.
 
I might seems to be overly critical to the PHA-1 and I think I am, and to be fair at $350 it is a good buy for a DAC/AMP with asynchronous USB at 24bits/96kHz and reasons I mentioned above. And future models and variants will only get better.
 
One thing that might save me from returning the PHA-1 is that I might work with the F806 in digital mode since that series of Walkman are Android based. I was going to test it but I couldn’t found my female USB to micro USB adapter. However, even if this works, the setup is not going to be pretty, as I have yet to see a short WM-PORT to micro USB interconnect anywhere, plus the V-MODA VERZA officially supports Android and it will be more likely to work with the F806. So if the testing works out, at $350 this will be a great buy for all you F806/807 owners.
 
I know I left out a lot of other stuff like sound quality, but I think it will not be necessary for me to repeat the findings from other reviews. Feel free to pm or post if you got questions, and I will try to update the post once I get some decent pictures.
 
Update: I just found out that there is a WM-PORT to female micro USB adapter from Sony model WMP-NWM10 for around $10-$15 bucks, and with this you can make your own interconnect to your favorite DAC/AMP that supports Android. I am going to hunt one down and test it out.
 
Setup: Top: iPod Touch 1st Gen; Middle: Sony PHA-1; Bottom: Sony NW-F806 plus Sennheiser Momentum.

 
Silicone soft clips up close. They work pretty well on the rail system. However, it only works on the top but not the bottom, hence the bands for my double setup.

 
Sony NW-F806 need to connect to the PHA-1 via analog in from the WM-PORT with the included cable. Tested the connection from WM-PORT to the mini-USB port and failed. Technically the PHA-1 support PC connection via mini-UBS, so I was hoping it will work for Android like the V-MODA VERZA. Too bad that I tested the F806 on both and they both failed to connect...