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Nerb Handcraft
FiiO X3 Leather Case​

Review by TrollDragon​

 
 
 
Quite a while ago in the FiiO X3 thread on Head-Fi, there was a post with a very interesting looking leather case for the X3. I wanted to get one of these cases for my player but there were no details of how to acquire it in the thread. With a little reverse Google Image search; I discovered the creator of this case was a company called Nerb Handcraft,  who produces finely handcrafted leather goods in Bangkok, Thailand. This was great–I contacted them on Facebook and inquired about the X3 case. I was informed that is was a custom production run for one of their customers and if they were ever going to produce any more of them they would let me know. Well a few months later there was a status update on their Facebook page that the X3 case was going to be made again and available for sale.
 
This was great news, so I contacted Nerb via Facebook and they were very friendly and very prompt to reply to my questions. I was given the option of brown or tan so I made my choice and ordered the case. Today an XpressPost package arrived from Thailand tied with string; a nice little nostalgic touch. Who does that these days?  Packages usually have so much shipping tape wrapped around them it’s crazy. The package from Nerb didn’t have a piece of tape anywhere to be found,  inside or out. You will be able to see in the upcoming pictures, that the packaging is quite environmentally friendly.
 
 

The shipping box in all it’s glory!​

 
 

The Contents​

 
The inner packaging is exceptional! This box is tied up by a strip of leather with a Nerb stamped fob in the center. Upon opening this box, you are presented yet with another surprise, a drawstring cloth bag stamped with the company logo in ink.
 
We are now going to get down to brass tacks, after opening all of this great packaging the cloth bag finally reveals a leather case for the X3.
 
 
The exquisite smell of leather is the first thing you notice; you just have to pick it up and smell it again.  In my opinion, all cases for electronic devices should be made from leather.
 
 

The FiiO X3 Installed​

 
As you can see by the above picture, the holes lineup fairly well with the X3's buttons and since the leather is quite thick, you will have to use the end of your finger to push them.
 

Top and Bottom View​

 

Left and Right Side Views​

 
There are openings in the case for all the ports and switches–the only thing missing is the reset hole at the top for resetting the X3. This hole could be easily made yourself or Nerb might just include it in their next case builds.
 
 

Conclusion​

The Nerb FiiO X3 Case has an excellent look, feel and smell to it; the leather is thick and the workmanship top notch. Since the leather on the case is substantial, you will have to use the end of your finger to push the buttons. Installing the X3 into the case requires a fair bit of pushing as the case is very snug. Removing the X3 from the case is a bit of a chore since there is nothing to grab onto.
The only thing that needs to be redesigned on the case, in my opinion, is the area around the headphone jack. You will need a headphone plug with a long shoulder on it like the ones made for cell phone cases.  Plugs without this shoulder will get caught up in the stitching or be too large in diameter for the hole.
 
So if you are looking for a great little leather case, send a message to Nerb Handcraft on Facebook; this seems to be the only way at the moment to get in contact with them.
Tell them Charles sent you, or you saw a review on Head-Fi.
 
 
 
 
Constructive criticism is always welcome.
 
TrollDragon