MITER Standing case for FiiO X7 MKII

Miter Cases for FiiO X7mkii and iBasso DX200

Miter cases are genuine leather cases made for FiiO X7mkii and iBasso DX200 wich offer a nice aftermarket case option for both devices, are well priced, and easily accessible from Amazon




Miter cases for X7mkii can be bought here [Miter]: https://goo.gl/ptUcpJ

Miter cases for DX200 can be bought here [Miter]: https://goo.gl/tK4Hae

Miter cases for X7mkii can be bought here [Amazon]: https://goo.gl/AzHaCN

Miter cases for DX200 can be bought here [Amazon]: https://goo.gl/djQX8T



Review

Miter cases are a brand of Cases from Kore who are made from Leather, and which offer a good amount of protection for a device. They are thicker than the original case, and depending on what USB cable you are using, might need you to check the compatibility with that cable, but which are really good otherwise. They are compatible with all my music cables so far, they didn't cause any issues in usage, and I had a generally good experience with them.

They don't have any strange smell, but actually smell like high quality leather, and the black one for DX200 looks quite nice, while the gray one is not my personal favorite as I prefer black cases.

For both DX200 and X7mkii, I think that the main Miter case body is better than the stock one, for DX200 the color being more to my liking in black, than the original brown case, while for X7mkii, Miter case is smoother and has a finer surface. On the other hand, the thicker back, especially caused by the stand thing is making both devices thicker, which might not be the favorite for everybody. Many customers have modded the cases to remove the stand part, making them thinner and improved even when compared with the original cases. The Miter cases usually look pretty elegant and stylish, giving a nicer feeling to the DAP, and being an excellent choice for those who love genuine leather cases.

All in all, both cases are nice additions to the players, and we can recommend them, for a full leather case priced at 30USD or less, being a great deal for an accessory to protect your DAP, while still giving it an amazing elegant and stylish look.

Photos​

Stay safe and remember to always have fun while listening to music!​

Pros –

Introduction –

Miter is a South Korean accessory manufacturer that specialises in cases. And though they provide a reasonably wide range of models, they’ve garnered a strong following for their high-quality DAP covers that provide additional protection and higher quality materials. Of course, as a lot of manufacturers such as Fiio and Astell & Kern are providing cases from factory, it’s essential that Miter differentiate their products.


Luckily, their cases are a product of focus and function; rather than introducing gimmicks or overly premium materials that would overly inflate pricing, Miter have instead pursued improved in-hand feel and extended features. Moreover, they do so at an attainable $30 USD price point. Please see Miter’s website here for the full list of specifications and features.



Unboxing –


The Miter case has a simple unboxing with a protective outer hard-box that prevents deformity during shipping. The case is also kept scuff-free via a fabric pouch inside.



Design –


While a lot of manufacturers are including cases from factory, none feel truly luxurious in the hand. The vast majority are constructed from slim but tacky TPU and silicone or generic pleather that feels stiff and plasticky. Miter don’t use genuine leather, but their cases are handcrafted in Korea from Italian faux leather. This provides a very agreeable compromise between price and quality; with the Miter cases offering a clear upgrade to the stock, manufacturer provided units.


In this instance, the difference between the Miter X7 II case and the Fiio case was immediately evident. The Miter case has a tighter, more secure fit around the DAP and a far suppler feel in the hand that aids tactility. The Miter’s suede interior is also a huge step up from the textured vinyl on Fiio’s case, ensuring the DAP doesn’t become scratched by trapped particles. The buttons also demonstrate greater tactility than either the stock TPU or pleather cases.


It should also be noted that the Miter case covers the bottom of the DAP with an opening at the top, whereas the Fiio case is the opposite, with an opening on the bottom. As such, the Miter case provides more comprehensive protection during drops, which are most likely to damage the bottom face. In return, the case does cover the ports which may interfere with some plugs, but the vast majority such as those from Oyaide are case-friendly. The case is also half a millimetre short at the top, leaving the top edge partially exposed.


Perhaps the headline feature of the case is its inbuilt kickstand. The back of the case opens via a hinge on the bottom. A magnetic support arm follows metal rails in the back plate before locking into a small groove. This enables the player to be propped up in portrait for convenient media consumption and the magnetic system reliably keeps the back closed during portable use; in fact, the stand looks almost perfectly integrated into the case.


The stand is super simple to open and holds its place very firmly due to its steel internal frame; it offers plenty of stability for the user to interact with the device while propped up for instance. Furthermore, despite the extended functionality, the case is only 1mm thicker than the original and it does feel fairly minimal both in the hand and pocket as the back has tapered edges.


Unfortunately, listening while propped on the stand is not ideal as the plugs on the bottom become obscured. You can partially alleviate this by placing the DAP on the edge of the table, but it seems that a landscape stand would have been more appropriate for DAPs with bottom facing interfaces. And given the simplicity of its mechanism, it seems like a missed opportunity not to include various levels of adjustment, especially since a more acute angle would have permit use with larger plugs.



Verdict –


Miter’s cases aim to provide an upgrade in both form and function. This does come at the expense of some practicality chiefly, obscuring of the bottom facing plugs on the DAP. However, in return, the case provides a very well-implemented kickstand for media consumption in addition to much-improved material choices. Moreover, the case does so with very minimal thickness increase and it is undoubtedly more visually pleasing than the manufacturer provided unit. This is a fine accessory for any Fiio owner and Miter have a range covering other DAPs too.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed my review, please see my website for more just like it!

MITER Standing case for FiiO X7 MKII

http://miter.co.kr
Price: around 30 US$ on Amazon



Introduction

After doing a review for the new FiiO X7 MKII here on Head-Fi, I was asked by Joey Lee of South Korea based company MITER if I could do a review of
a protection case for named FiiO DAP that they manufacture. Since I was looking for alternatives to the included FiiO case anyway, I happily agreed.
Joey was so nice to send me a grey colored case free of charge for review purposes.


Disclaimer

I am in no way associated with MITER and confirm that the following review reflects my honest thoughts about the reviewed product.


Appearance/Quality

As mentioned I received the gray version of the Standing case for FiiO X7 MKII (there is also a blue version). It came in a simple yet stylish black box with the MITER logo on top.







Fortunately the did not use any plastic wrap
to seal the box, just a plain white fabric pouch for the case inside. Some manufacturers tend to wrap every single piece in plastic which is really not necessary in my opinion.

The case itself looks classy and feels soft to the touch. The build quality is very good. Even if the material used is PU leather rather than real leather, the case sure looks the part. Also there is no chemical stench/smell which I appreciate.

I only wish MITER would add some more color options like red or brown etc.

5/5 points


Fit

The case fits very snug, in fact it took me a little while to get it completely onto the X7 II, but i think that is fine. Getting it off though is a little bit of a hassle thanks to the snug fit.











The holes for the jacks are very accurate, though I am not sure that every jack will fit here. On the picture you can see that my Eidolic mini trrs connector fits just right, but a slightly bigger one might not work here. So I guess you have to test to find out.



I had no issues whatsoever operating the X7's buttons. MITER took a different approach than FiiO with the included case: They left the upper part unprotected rather than the bottom like on the FiiO case. For me personally, it makes sense, since i always had some trouble pushing the power button with the FiiO case.



Protection wise, it's a little bit of a mixed bag.

4/5 points


Protection

If your player would drop and you were still wearing your headphones, it could happen that due to the headphone cable being attached to the lower end, the player could fall onto the unprotected top. Otherwise using the FiiO case, it could as well drop onto the unprotected bottom when you handle it without wearing your headphones. So I guess, the odds for the one thing or the other happening are even.



One thing has to be mentioned though: The MITER case that I received is roughly one millimeter too short on the upper end so that the upper edge of the X7 II is peeking out of the case. I believe that this is a small but important detail that MITER should be able to solve easily. Also they could add a small 90 degree "overhang" on top of just a millimeter or so that would result in an even better protection for the player.

4/5 points


Functionality

As already mentioned, the case retains easy access to all your players functions while adding an angled stand to it. I believe the idea is that when you are streaming from your player you can place it on the table and operate it without holding it in your hand. Plus it makes for a nice display of your precious DAP.





The stand itself is a magnetically attached flap on the back of the case that can easily be unfolded. Another smaller magnetic flap inside holds everything
in place. The whole mechanism is very neat and works very well.

5/5 points


Size/Weight

The MITER case has about the same dimensions like the FiiO case, but is 1mm shorter (the 1mm missing at the top) but around 5mm thicker due to the stand mechanism. It weighs in at 42g while the FiiO case is 30g in comparison.









I think the added weight is not an issue, maybe the additional 5mm may bother you if you should carry the DAP in your pants pockets.

thickness:
25mm MITER case
20mm FiiO case

weight:
42g MITER case
30g FiiO case

4/5 points


Conclusion

As there are not many case options availlable for the FiiO X7 MKII right now, the MITER case is a nice alternative to the standard FiiO case that is included with the player. Also the MITER case adds a stand to the DAP as well as a little bit of bulk which I personally don't mind.

I hope that MITER will add some more color options in the future and fix the small issue with the case being about 1mm too short at the top.

Also I wouldn't mind a real leather version too as well as one without the stand. In the meanwhile I will continue to enjoy using the MITER case
and see how it fares over a while of heavy usage.

The MITER cases are available for a broad range of DAPs and other devices on http://miter.co.kr or Amazon.

Overall

Appearance/Quality 5/5
Fit 4/5
Protection 4/5
Functionality 5/5
Size/Weight 4/5

TOTAL 4/5 points