SiBurning
1000+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- May 18, 2005
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Some crummy pictures I took with a cheap camera
The Quest
A bag doesn't just hold equipment. It opens opportunities to listen to better music in more places.
On the commute to work, I always carry a large bag. There's plenty of room for a portable DVD player, my HeadRoom MicroDAC, an amp, a stack of CDs, plus spare batteries and an extra battery pack for the DVD player. It's a bit of a mess in a big bag because the equipment just bounces around loose and gets a bit banged up. But the results are worth it. I get pretty good sound on my daily commute. Call me crazy... call me an audiophile... I don't mind carrying all that equipment around. Managing all that equipment and keeping the cables from breaking is another story.
My rig is pretty extreme. Most people object to me calling it portable, and insist on calling it a transportable rig. I have to admit it's true. The DVD player to DAC to amp thing isn't practical all the time. For those times I have an iRiver H120D DAP. The DAP is plugged into a HeadRoom Micro DAC, followed by an amplifier and an IEM, usually the Etymotic ER4P. Add in a few spare 9V batteries, and I'm set to go anywhere. The one concession I make regularly is to leave the amplifier at home. The IEMs are very easy to drive, and for my needs, the line out of any of my equipment is sufficient.
And, yes, I do carry this rig around with me. But it's not very practical. I've tried several camera bags, but they just don't work. I recently broke both an optical cable and an analog interconnect in one day. Every time I need to go inside, the cables pop out. It's a mess to rearrange and stuff neatly back in the bag. The equipment moves around and gets scratched. I'm afraid that one day something that doesn't like to be dropped will slip out. I don't mind carrying all that equipment around. Managing all that equipment and keeping the cables from breaking is another story.
The Meeting
At the the November head-Fi meet in NYC, Tyll Hertsens of HeadRoom saw me fumbling with my portable DAP rig, sans amplifier. The rig was barely staying put in a small camera bag, and the cables were all tangled up. He handed me a pre-production version of a new HeadRoom bag designed to hold a DAP and the HeadRoom Micro Amp. Of course it just as easily holds my Micro DAC instead of an amp.
To get to the point, I like this bag. I spent the next hour swapping IEMs, hooking up my rig to different amps, and basically tangling up a lot of cables. With all that swapping, I didn't drop a thing, and didn't have to put much down. Everything stayed attached to me. Somewhere. I liked this thing so much that I came back later and got the larger version of the bag made for a DAP and Micro Stack, and bought the Micro Amp to go with it. After living with it for a few days, I like it even more.
These bags are designed for on-the-go use of a Micro Amp or stack along with a DAP. They perform this function admirably. Out and about, there's no need to worry about the rig at all. The rig is just there, easily accessible, secure, and designed to let you do pretty much anything with just one hand.
Another design goal is to switch from desktop to mobile with ease. You can keep the stack on your desk, then when it's time to go, just flip the switches to battery operation, unplug, pop the rig in the bag--assuming you ever took it out—zip, and go. When you get back, just set it down, pop in the warts, flip the switches, and you're set.
This doesn't come without a few restrictions. The biggest drawback may be that they're so focused on their main goal that they're not suited for general purpose use. You might be able to stick a pack of gum inside the pocket, but you'll have to roll up your shirt sleeve to stash your Lucky Strikes.
And this bag is very well constructed. From selection of materials to stitch placement, it's beautifully done, and carefully thought out. I'm no sewing expert, but I'll comment on the construction all the same. I do own a sewing machine and even use it on occassion. I've also been considering making my own custom bag for a while, so I've been looking at them closely. Apologies for anything I get wrong.
But let's toss the bag aside for a moment. The real magic is on the inside.
It's in the Bag
The bag comes with a heavy duty strap that wraps around the Micro DAC or Micro Amp. It's made of hypalon, a heavy duty synthetic rubberized material used for inflatable rafts. I think this is the stuff they use for flooring. The larger bag comes with an extender strap that secures both the Micro Amp and Micro DAC. This is very well contructed. To secure the strap, wrap it around the amp, insert one end into the metal bracket, fold over, and press the velcro together. The extender strap fits in the same way. The strap will also protect the equipment from scratches, short of stabbing it with a knife.
The top of this strap holds an adjustable stand for the DAP. This is made from two pieces of urethane molded metal connected by a fixed metal hinge. The contraption works much like a wooden lawn chair. One piece of the stand is attached to the DAP by velcro, the other is attached to the strap. The DAP part rotates on the fixed hinge. A second movable hinge fits into different grooves to hold the stand at different angles. In this configuration, you can lay the stack down on a desk and adjust the angle of the DAP to see the screen clearly.
If I pull straight up on the DAP, the parts separate at the fixed hinge, leaving one piece of the stand attached to the DAP, the other piece on the strap. Pulling in a different direction, the velcro separates. I don't know how this contraption will stand up to long term use. It depends entirely on the strength of the urethane, and whether or not it flexes with age. HeadRoom chose urethane specfically because it is not supposed to relax under repeated flexing. The fixed hinge fits into a molded urethane slot on the second piece. If the urethane loosens with age, this part will need to be replaced. If this bother you, it's very easy to force the velcro to separate rather than the hinge, either by twisting it slightly or by holding the stand while prying the DAC off. Also, the way it's designed, it would be easy for HeadRoom to replace the part, assuming it's available, and assuming further that it ever does need replacing. But the integrity of this hinge is critical when you use another really cool feature I'll get to later.
When it's time to go, the whole rig, cables and all, drops right into the bag. The only problem is there's so much velcro here, you want to place the rig correctly the first time. Just pushing the rig all the way back gently should do. If you have large or odd shaped connectors back there, you want to leave just a smidgen more space. The bottom of the strap is completely covered with 15 square inches of velcro fuzz that attaches to just as much velcro loop in the bag. All this velcro holds the Micro DAC securely in the bag. You might wish they used less velcro when it comes to pulling the rig back out again, but you won't worry about the velcro separating when you're on the go.
Holes in the Bottom
The bottom of the small bag has a hole to use for running the wall wart cable through. The larger bag has two of these holes. The holes are covered by rectangular rubber grommets. The open space measures 1/2" by 13/16".
Of course, these holes are also handy places to route cables out of the bag.
Using these holes to route cables means you can't just slide the rig in and out. It's a nice feature if you don't remove the rig from the bag, or don't mind rewiring whenever you insert or remove the rig. With the larger bag, you might need to remove the rig to change the batteries. With the small bag, it's easy to turn the bag inside out and change the battery without pulling the rig out.
I found it difficult, but hardly impossible, to run the remote for the iRiver H120D through this hole. It just barely fits if you position it right and wiggle just so.
With no other cables routed through, I can plug the wall warts in without opening the bag, and without even looking through the hole. Of course, I have to look close enough to find the hole and to orient the plug correctly. Those with visual impairments can easily insert the plug by locating the screw on the plug and orienting it towards the front of the bag for easy insertion.
This is more difficult with fat cables running through the hole. What's fat? If I read my micrometer correctly, a single 0.15” cable hardly makes a difference. With a cable of 0.20” diameter, the wall wart goes in with only a tiny bit of fumbling to find the jack. More than 0.20” just won't fit with the wall wart plug. With more cables coming out, the cables push the hole aside making it hard to locate the jack. When I tried this with three cables of 0.15” diameter, I had a hard time locating the jack, and had to open the bag, but once I could see the jack, the plug went in just fine.
If you run cables through the hole, you'll probably be forced to lay the bag down on its back or Mother Nature will remind you. To be honest, I don't see any reason to ever stand the bag up. It's much safer to lay it down on its back. Keep in mind that the hole could potentially let in water if you set the bag down on a wet surface. The bag material is waterproof, but the grommet is not set into the fabric with waterproofing in mind, so you can't just plug up the hole and be careless.
In practice, running headphone cables through the bottom is bit of a pain. Sitting on the bus with the bag on the seat next to me, the cables on my Westone UM2 weren't long enough to run down my back and into the bag. On the go, if you have short cables, you might prefer to run them through the top. When you put them away, you can pop the things in the pockets just as easily either way, but running through the top you'll have less exposed cable, and that much less chance of tangling them.
Attaching the Bag
The larger bag has a belt carrier to accomodate a 1 3/4” belt, The smaller bag lacks the belt loop. I'm guessing this will be standardized in the production version. The belt carrier is made of a single layer of heavy duty material. The belt carrier is triple stitched using staggered staight stitching. There is no indication of any backing material to take up the pressure should the bag be pulled while belted. The addition would only slightly reduce the potential of the main bag material tearing under extreme conditions, so I'm not sure it would be of much real benefit. It would, however, give me that warm, fuzzy feeling inside.
Both bags have plastic loops to accept a shoulder strap. I'm rather leery of plastic, and would prefer if these were done in metal. The loops are secured to the bag using the same heavy duty material as the belt carrier. The loop for the loop is sewn securely to the bag. The ends are placed inside the seam and bias tape of the main bag before the main bag is sewn. The loop is then secured by double stitching through from the outside of the bag, catching the entire seam. Nicely done.
The shoulder strap is made from the same heavy duty material as the belt carrier. It is 1” wide and 4' long. It's well designed except for the plastic end clips, which are quite thin and flimsy. Did I mention how I hate plastic on these things? Other than that, the clips rotate 360 degrees, which is a nice touch. The length can be adjusted at both ends, which turns out to be a useful feature. The strap provides a very handy spot to clip the DAP's remote and my Etymotic ER4P. While walking about with the shoulder strap under my jacket, I decided to zip my jacket. This required me to adjust the strap, which I did from the end hanging off my back. The day before, I adjusted it from the front and the remote popped off.
Closed Up
The front and top of the bag is edged by a single long zipper chain. Ribbon loops are thoughtfully provided at the bottom of the zipper chain. Hold onto these to provide opposing pressure while you close the zipper. Two zipper sliders are attached. This allows you to position the sliders to let the cables out where it's most convenient. Running cables through the space between the zipper sliders probably isn't the safest thing for your cables, but it's the most convenient.
With the bag zipped up, you can see the DAP through a clear, thick vinyl sheet that covers the entire front of the bag. This is ideal if you use a remote to control the DAP. If you need access to the DAP itself, you might need to open the flap. The five way control on the iRiver DAPs is frustrating to control when you're actually touching it. Fiddling with it through the heavy vinyl is even harder. Another alternative is to cut a hole in the vinyl, but then you have to worry about dirt and water.
Unzipping just enough to open the top gives access to the controls on the Micro DAC and Micro Amp, as well as the bottom of the DAP. Yes, it's upside down when hung or belted. If you need further access, unzip the bag all the way. The flap drops down out of the way on its own giving you full access to the DAP, except of course, for the back face, which has the velcro pads.
Here's the coolest feature of this bag. The DAP lies upside down in the bag. Now remember that fixed hinge holding the stand to the strap? With the bag unzipped, lift up the bottom of the DAP, and it swings up into view right side up. You can lift until it lies horizontal. You may have to bend your neck down to see it, but you have complete, unfettered, one-handed access to all of the controls and cables.
In practise, I rarely used this feature. To view the front controls of the DAP, I just tip up the bottom of the bag and the DAP face comes into view right side up. Accessing the controls through the bag takes two hands. Maybe you can do it with one hand if you're nimble and have the right DAP. There's no way on the iRiver. You might find this tipping feature useful if you need to do some one handed manuevers. Perhaps while riding a bike. But there's a problem that prevents me from daring.
Remember how I was nervous about that hinge? Granted, the urethane slot will probably remain stable. But what happens if you're rough with the DAP? Or get bumped while it's open like this? Pop goes the DAP. You really need to be careful on the go if you open the bag and tip the DAP up. This is such a cool and useful feature. I'd really like to see HeadRoom reconsider this hinge, and replace or modify it so it can't separate. This is still pre-prouction, so there might be time for a tweak. (hint)
It took a few days for me to get it, but if you pull the DAP off by the hinge, you can hold the DAP in your grubby little paws. Duh! If you pull it off by the hinge it pops right back in exactly where it was. Try that with velcro on a trampoline. So there is a reason to have the parts separate at the hinge. Maybe Mister Wizard can figure out how to attach a safety catch to satisfy every need.
Out and About
Moving around with this bag is a pleasure.
I have RockBox installed on my iRiver. The remote sometimes gets out of sync with the DAP. Easy to fix. Clip the remote on the shoulder strap or to the pocket, pull open the zippers, then pull and reinsert the connector. I can do all that with my other hand holding onto my Starbucks Grande in a Venti cup. Closing the zipper is sometimes a bit more trouble. With the zipper sliders down all the way, you have to tug sideways to pass around the bend before you can pull it up. It's also hard to manuever the zipper completely closed across the back side at the top, but I don't mind leaving the top of the bag opened slightly. In fact, I tend to walk around with the back part opened so I can adjust the volume by jamming my thumb in there.
On Tuesday I was home for 20 minutes before I realized it was still around my neck. And I just left it there until the batteries ran low. With my old rig, I always had to put it down--first thing after my keys--although I admit, sometimes it was down just long enough to get comfortable, then up for the rest of the song.
The biggest problem with this bag may be that it does its job too well. When I'm out and about, I completely ignore this bag. If I were 20 years younger, I'd take this thing skateboarding. It's just so easy to carry around and use. I didn't miss a beat swapping IEMs while dodging traffic on Lexington Avenue, still clutching my usual Starbucks Grande in a Venti cup, although my Etys did end up dragging on the pavement after that little manuever. Good thing they have a clip and a place to clip them. The problem with this is, I sometimes get overconfident and take chances. It might make sense to have a clunky bag to remind me of the precious cargo I'm carrying and force me to be more careful with it.
Interior Space
It's hard to give exact dimensions for how big a rig you can carry. First, without having an actual rig with cables, it's just hard to measure. The bag is also flexible. If your rig is a bit larger in one dimension, the bag will flex to give you space, leaving you with less room in another dimension. The dimensions I'm giving here are what I think you can comfortably fit in each dimension. You probably can't fit a rig this large in the bag comfortably, but I figure there may be play of about 1/4” in the numbers. If you're pushing in two dimensions you need to try it first. There's enough give to ignore little things, like the five way control on my iRiver. Keep in mind that you need to allow space for cables, and you need to be careful if they're squeezed in.
The small bag has a usable interior depth of about 3”. The large bag has a usable interior depth of about 4 1/4””. Both bags are 3 3/4” wide, and just over 5 1/2” tall.
The smaller bag has enough space for just about any DAP and any reasonable interconnects meant for portable use. That means you should probably forget about using straight connectors and stick to right-angles. There's probably enough space to accomodate a small straight end connector, but you may need to accept some compromises in a bag this compact.
The larger bag isn't quite so friendly. It fits my iRiver H120D and my cables, but just barely. Careful connector selection is critical. If your DAP is larger, say as wide as the Micro Amp, and you also use some beefy cables, you may have a hard time.
On first view, it looks like this bag needs to be 3/8” deeper than it is to accomodate the thickness of the second Micro product. I originally thought it could even be 1/2” deeper to accomodate the extra cable for the stack. Now I think the bag is actually large enough, but the flap should be shaped. To do this, I would stuff the bag with a large DAP, hook up some nice unfriendly cables, and hand the bag to a tailor. At the bottom of the bag, the zipper lies flat along the bottom of the bag, adding the needed depth to the bag. When it bends over the top, the zipper lies flush with the front and top, pulling the flap in at the bend. This makes the bag wider at the top, but reduces the depth. Even if you have no cables at this end of the DAP, this also pulls up on the bottom of the flap, reducing the amount of space for cables, and applying pressure to them. This could be fixed by increasing the depth of the top piece, which would allow the front vinyl piece to move forward. This would require shaping the top piece because the zipper won't bend the way fabric does. For example, the top piece could be larger and curved, and joined to the relatively straight edges of the zipper. Optionally, the bottom flap that holds the zipper end could also be shaped to allow more room for larger cables. The rest of the bag could remain as is. Hopefull, they'll tweak this somehow to accomodate a larger selection of cables for us hardcores.
Update: Tyll tells me the bag has already been made larger.
Pockets
The bags have a spandura pocket on both sides. The spandura material is not waterproof or water repellant. It's quite strong and flexible, but you need to be a bit careful what you put inside. I was concerned that the pocket material might not be durable enough to stand up to punctures and snags, so I ran some torture tests. For the tests, I chose things most likely to be put in the pockets that might damage the material. That's mini plugs and 9V batteries. See the torture tests below.
The pockets cover the full depth of the bag and nearly the full height. For the small bag, that's about 2” x 4.5”. For the larger bag, that's about 3-1/4” x 4”. The pocket is sewn into the seam on three sides. The lip is prevented from stretching by double folding the material and sewing across to make the seam, the thread then prevents the lip from stretching. The pockets are sufficient to hold the DAP remote on one side, but I'm not sure the manufacturers would appreciate me stuffing my Shure E5C in the opposite pocket. I, on the other hand, appreciate this immensely.
The strength and flexibility also works in reverse. If you put something in there, shove it in good. The material pulls tight enough to push certain things right out if they're already hanging out of the lip. I learned this when my I put my iRiver remote halfway in.
At first, I didn't like these pockets. I thought it might be better to have larger, tailored pockets with a flap to close using velcro. After carrying the bag for a few days, the wisdom of this choice became clear. First, rid yourself of any notions about using this bag for anything but the rig. Then, for the moment, put the spare batteries in your pants pocket. Changing batteries is hardly an on-the-run procedure anyway. Now, stop and think about when and why you need to access the pockets. I'm serious. Stop reading and think about it for a minute.
The only time I needed the pockets is when changing something in the rig. And there's really not much to change. Need to pay attention for a minute? Stuff the IEMs in the pocket. Want to switch the bag to the other shoulder? Stuff the remote in there. Swap to a different IEM? Change tips? Even when the battery ran low on the Micro DAC and I had to switch to using the DAP directly, out came the attenuator waiting in the pocket. The cables stay put inside the bag.
The truth is, either bag is just too small to have adequate pockets for much of anything. Putting a pocket on the back would prevent attaching them to a belt clip. The bottom line is these pockets are really well designed to help you use the rig on the run. If you need to carry more stuff, you'll have to get a second bag or something larger and less focused.
Okay, you can take the batteries out of your pants pocket now. You can easily store a couple of spare 9V batteries in each pocket of the small bag, or four in each pocket of the larger bag. Just don't go tumbling on a trampoline and expect them to stay in there. The larger bag sets my DIY wheels spinning. The Micro DAC eats rechargeable batteries for breakfast, then another set for supper. The pockets are perfect to hold a strip of 8 AA cells in each. Now if only there was a hole to get the wire through to the inside of the bag.
Bag Construction
The build quality of these bags is top notch. They're designed and constructed with care. Kudos to Jeanne for a first class job.
The bag is made of nylon fabric with waterproof coating inside. I'm not sure, but this looks like the urethane coated ballistic nylon that's become so popular. Either way, the fabric is very strong. It's also waterproof, not just water repellant. This is a good choice and may provide a bit of protection should you get caught in the rain. Just don't go out in a downpour without an umbrella. For one thing, the zipper isn't designed with waterproofing in mind.
You might want to keep from cutting a hole in the clear vinyl front. If you cut it, you get easy access to the DAP, but you lose the protection from dirt and water. This heavy duty vinyl sheet is quite durable, and installed nicely. The sheet is inserted into the bias tape before stitching the bias tape closed. The bias tape takes the pressure of the stitch to prevent the sheet from ripping. A nice even stitch ensures that any pressure on the vinyl will be taken up evenly. There is no reinforcement stitching, which you probably don't want here, since it could just as likely weaken the vinyl or stress it to tearing. I went into extra detail here because I've seen a number of bags that get don't get this part right. I've puched and prodded as much as I dare, and I'm confident this will hold up at least as well as any other vinyl cover.
For those brave enough to do a little sewing, this bag would be a pleasure to modify or repair. It's sewn with heavy duty, rot-proof thread. The stitching is very clean. All thread ends are burnished, or melted, so they won't come loose. Every exposed seam is bias bound. Sewing was planned out to locate the backstitching in areas of stress, strengthening the bind.
The bag is a sandwich of two layers of material with dense foam padding in between. There's no interfacing, glue, or pad stitching to hold the padding in place, but I don't see any way for the padding to move around. The padding feels about 3/16” thick. The entire bag is padded, except for the clear vinyl front. This padding is a nice shock absorber for minor bumps, which happen more frequently that I expect, given that I pretty much ignore this bag as I bop around town.
Tyll Hertsens of HeadRoom assures me the production version will be made to these same exacting standards.
Final Thoughts
These bags are not for everyone. They don't do everything you could want from a bag. They force you to carry a second bag for your other stuff. They limit your choice of cables. Full sized cans? Stash em elsewhere. What you get in exchange is freedom to use your rig on the go with very little hassle.
I throw the bag over my shoulder in the morning. Sit it next to me on the bus. Change IEMs and tunes while walking to work carrying my Starbucks Grande in a Venti cup and smoking my hand rolled cigarette. At work I set the bag down on the desk, plug in the wall warts, flip to wall power, and I'm set. For smoke breaks and lunch I just pull the warts out, flip the switches, and go. For my lifestyle, this bag doesn't just rock, it rolls with every twist and turn I make. Whether I'm dodging traffic, crammed in a subway, or bumping people walking around Rockefeller Center, I don't miss a beat with this bag. Not even while switching between my Etys, Shures, and Westones to try to figure out which I like better.
The bags I have are pre-production samples. That means most of the details are set and the production run will be constructed exactly the way these are. That's good news because these bags are very well constructed. But there may still time for a few tweaks.
There are two changes I'd like to see. That hinge should have an option to not separate at all. The flip feature is just so cool for really active people, it would be a shame if you could only use by putting your DAP at risk. I can imagine the commercial with someone flipping up the DAP to switch tunes while skydiving. The other change (which HeadRoom already committed to make) is to give people using the larger bag a bit more room to allow for a larger cable selection.
There are other features I'd like to see, but they're more options and cool add-on things that only hardcores like me would ever dream up. Most people won't care or need them. Plus they'd add considerably to the cost of the bag. It'd be super cool if the zipper could somehow be made waterproof and the grommet as well. I've been caught in a heavy downpour before. Then again, I don't have a clue how anyone could pull that off. Another add-on for a later release might be to widen the bag and put another set of pockets on the inside of the bag to accomodate two strips of 8 AA batteries. Of course, that requires either a pair of DIN connectors to connect the Micro DAC and Amp, or hacking 4 9V batteries to set into the equipment and then some cables running to the battery strips. That's 10 times the juice I get now from rechargeable 9V batteries, or two to three days of portable pleasure.
Thing is, a bag doesn't just hold equipment. It opens opportunities to listen to better music in more places.
Torture tests
Poking The Pocket
The purpose of this test is to determine whether or not the pockets can be damaged from penetration by mini plugs.
For the mini plug puncture test, I forced the mini plug through the pocket material 6 times. On the first trial I proceeded to apply slow, even pressue. The fabric stretched quite a bit and resisted penetration. After applying considerable pressure on the mini plug, the plug finally stretched the yarn enough to allow the mini plug to penetrate. Examining the material carefully, I could find no damage to the yarn. The plug separated the yarn and entered cleanly between the yarns. After retracting the mini plug from the puncture, I examined the puncture carefully and found the weave stretched, but the fabric otherwise undamaged. To test whether this damage was permanent or temporary, I stretched and massaged the fabric vigorously across the warp, weft, and bias directions. The weave felt completely restored and looked good as new. Careful examination revealed no evidence of any puncture.
From this first trial, I conclude that an unintentional puncture of the pocket material by a mini plug minding its own business in there is a low probability event. Furthermore, the perpetration of such an act is unlikely to result in permanent damage.
Once I became familiar with the subject, I just poked the plug through quickly. I poked 5 times in quick succession before pausing to examine the results. After following the same restorative procedure to each of the punctures, there was no apparent evidence of any punctures having taken place.
Conclusion: mini plugs can be safely stored in the pockets.
The Scrape Test
The purpose of this test is to determine whether or not the pockets can be damaged if snagged by the sharp edges of a 9V battery.
Duracell's are perfect for the 9V battery scrape test. The negative connector has nice sharp edges. Other batteries in my collection, such as the Radio Shack Enercell and the golden power long life have smooth edges.
To perform this test, I ran the edge of the negative terminal of the battery over the pocket material while applying significant pressure.
The yarns of the pocket material became frayed during the 9V snag test when using the Duracell battery. Fraying of the yarns could not be produced when running the trials with the other batteries, despite the application of significantly higher pressure.
Be careful which batteries you put in these pockets. Ratshacks are okay. Duracells are right out.
Conclusion: Only certain 9V batteries can be safely stored in the pockets. Proper care is warranted in the selection of batteries to ensure that they lack sharp edges on the negative terminal.
Update: A few days later, while taking pictures for this review, I could not find the fraying. Still, I'd be careful with sharp objects around the pocket.
Catch the Bag
The 9V battery scrape test was performed on the bag material. Yarn fraying, in the form of light scratches, were evident when running the test using the 9V Duracell battery. Fraying of the yarns could not be produced when running the trials with the other batteries, despite the application of significantly higher pressure.
Conclusion: Don't scrape sharp stuff across the bag. But in a pinch you can rub it if you have an itch.
Update: A few days later, while taking pictures for this review, I could not find the scratches. The material is quite strong, and those scratches were pretty light. The bag material definitely passes this test.
Water Torture
The purpose of this test is to determine the extent to which this bag is resistant to water.
To perform these tests, portions of the bag were held under running tap water for several seconds, while rubbing the material vigorously to encourage seepage.
Note that certain other wet tests were not performed due to the extreme stupidity involved in subjecting my rig to water.
Results
The bag material is water proof, not just water repellant.
The zipper tape is not waterproof.
The zipper teeth will leak water like a sieve if you drop the bag in water.
The cable feed grommet may allow water entry under certain conditions.
Conclusion: This bag should not be used underwater. The material should protect the contents against accidental splashes and short exposure to light rain. It is unclear how this bag will stand up to other water related weather events and situations. I recommend that you keep this bag dry. Even small amounts of water on the zipper chain or tape will seep through easily. Although the cable feed grommet is on the bottom of the bag, water on the sides of the bag could easily drip to the bottom and be suctioned between the cable feed gromment and the bag material. If the bag is subsequently placed in a horizontal or upside down position, this water could travel along a cable and seep through the jack into the equipment. Please keep your bag dry, if possible.
The Quest
A bag doesn't just hold equipment. It opens opportunities to listen to better music in more places.
On the commute to work, I always carry a large bag. There's plenty of room for a portable DVD player, my HeadRoom MicroDAC, an amp, a stack of CDs, plus spare batteries and an extra battery pack for the DVD player. It's a bit of a mess in a big bag because the equipment just bounces around loose and gets a bit banged up. But the results are worth it. I get pretty good sound on my daily commute. Call me crazy... call me an audiophile... I don't mind carrying all that equipment around. Managing all that equipment and keeping the cables from breaking is another story.
My rig is pretty extreme. Most people object to me calling it portable, and insist on calling it a transportable rig. I have to admit it's true. The DVD player to DAC to amp thing isn't practical all the time. For those times I have an iRiver H120D DAP. The DAP is plugged into a HeadRoom Micro DAC, followed by an amplifier and an IEM, usually the Etymotic ER4P. Add in a few spare 9V batteries, and I'm set to go anywhere. The one concession I make regularly is to leave the amplifier at home. The IEMs are very easy to drive, and for my needs, the line out of any of my equipment is sufficient.
And, yes, I do carry this rig around with me. But it's not very practical. I've tried several camera bags, but they just don't work. I recently broke both an optical cable and an analog interconnect in one day. Every time I need to go inside, the cables pop out. It's a mess to rearrange and stuff neatly back in the bag. The equipment moves around and gets scratched. I'm afraid that one day something that doesn't like to be dropped will slip out. I don't mind carrying all that equipment around. Managing all that equipment and keeping the cables from breaking is another story.
The Meeting
At the the November head-Fi meet in NYC, Tyll Hertsens of HeadRoom saw me fumbling with my portable DAP rig, sans amplifier. The rig was barely staying put in a small camera bag, and the cables were all tangled up. He handed me a pre-production version of a new HeadRoom bag designed to hold a DAP and the HeadRoom Micro Amp. Of course it just as easily holds my Micro DAC instead of an amp.
To get to the point, I like this bag. I spent the next hour swapping IEMs, hooking up my rig to different amps, and basically tangling up a lot of cables. With all that swapping, I didn't drop a thing, and didn't have to put much down. Everything stayed attached to me. Somewhere. I liked this thing so much that I came back later and got the larger version of the bag made for a DAP and Micro Stack, and bought the Micro Amp to go with it. After living with it for a few days, I like it even more.
These bags are designed for on-the-go use of a Micro Amp or stack along with a DAP. They perform this function admirably. Out and about, there's no need to worry about the rig at all. The rig is just there, easily accessible, secure, and designed to let you do pretty much anything with just one hand.
Another design goal is to switch from desktop to mobile with ease. You can keep the stack on your desk, then when it's time to go, just flip the switches to battery operation, unplug, pop the rig in the bag--assuming you ever took it out—zip, and go. When you get back, just set it down, pop in the warts, flip the switches, and you're set.
This doesn't come without a few restrictions. The biggest drawback may be that they're so focused on their main goal that they're not suited for general purpose use. You might be able to stick a pack of gum inside the pocket, but you'll have to roll up your shirt sleeve to stash your Lucky Strikes.
And this bag is very well constructed. From selection of materials to stitch placement, it's beautifully done, and carefully thought out. I'm no sewing expert, but I'll comment on the construction all the same. I do own a sewing machine and even use it on occassion. I've also been considering making my own custom bag for a while, so I've been looking at them closely. Apologies for anything I get wrong.
But let's toss the bag aside for a moment. The real magic is on the inside.
It's in the Bag
The bag comes with a heavy duty strap that wraps around the Micro DAC or Micro Amp. It's made of hypalon, a heavy duty synthetic rubberized material used for inflatable rafts. I think this is the stuff they use for flooring. The larger bag comes with an extender strap that secures both the Micro Amp and Micro DAC. This is very well contructed. To secure the strap, wrap it around the amp, insert one end into the metal bracket, fold over, and press the velcro together. The extender strap fits in the same way. The strap will also protect the equipment from scratches, short of stabbing it with a knife.
The top of this strap holds an adjustable stand for the DAP. This is made from two pieces of urethane molded metal connected by a fixed metal hinge. The contraption works much like a wooden lawn chair. One piece of the stand is attached to the DAP by velcro, the other is attached to the strap. The DAP part rotates on the fixed hinge. A second movable hinge fits into different grooves to hold the stand at different angles. In this configuration, you can lay the stack down on a desk and adjust the angle of the DAP to see the screen clearly.
If I pull straight up on the DAP, the parts separate at the fixed hinge, leaving one piece of the stand attached to the DAP, the other piece on the strap. Pulling in a different direction, the velcro separates. I don't know how this contraption will stand up to long term use. It depends entirely on the strength of the urethane, and whether or not it flexes with age. HeadRoom chose urethane specfically because it is not supposed to relax under repeated flexing. The fixed hinge fits into a molded urethane slot on the second piece. If the urethane loosens with age, this part will need to be replaced. If this bother you, it's very easy to force the velcro to separate rather than the hinge, either by twisting it slightly or by holding the stand while prying the DAC off. Also, the way it's designed, it would be easy for HeadRoom to replace the part, assuming it's available, and assuming further that it ever does need replacing. But the integrity of this hinge is critical when you use another really cool feature I'll get to later.
When it's time to go, the whole rig, cables and all, drops right into the bag. The only problem is there's so much velcro here, you want to place the rig correctly the first time. Just pushing the rig all the way back gently should do. If you have large or odd shaped connectors back there, you want to leave just a smidgen more space. The bottom of the strap is completely covered with 15 square inches of velcro fuzz that attaches to just as much velcro loop in the bag. All this velcro holds the Micro DAC securely in the bag. You might wish they used less velcro when it comes to pulling the rig back out again, but you won't worry about the velcro separating when you're on the go.
Holes in the Bottom
The bottom of the small bag has a hole to use for running the wall wart cable through. The larger bag has two of these holes. The holes are covered by rectangular rubber grommets. The open space measures 1/2" by 13/16".
Of course, these holes are also handy places to route cables out of the bag.
Using these holes to route cables means you can't just slide the rig in and out. It's a nice feature if you don't remove the rig from the bag, or don't mind rewiring whenever you insert or remove the rig. With the larger bag, you might need to remove the rig to change the batteries. With the small bag, it's easy to turn the bag inside out and change the battery without pulling the rig out.
I found it difficult, but hardly impossible, to run the remote for the iRiver H120D through this hole. It just barely fits if you position it right and wiggle just so.
With no other cables routed through, I can plug the wall warts in without opening the bag, and without even looking through the hole. Of course, I have to look close enough to find the hole and to orient the plug correctly. Those with visual impairments can easily insert the plug by locating the screw on the plug and orienting it towards the front of the bag for easy insertion.
This is more difficult with fat cables running through the hole. What's fat? If I read my micrometer correctly, a single 0.15” cable hardly makes a difference. With a cable of 0.20” diameter, the wall wart goes in with only a tiny bit of fumbling to find the jack. More than 0.20” just won't fit with the wall wart plug. With more cables coming out, the cables push the hole aside making it hard to locate the jack. When I tried this with three cables of 0.15” diameter, I had a hard time locating the jack, and had to open the bag, but once I could see the jack, the plug went in just fine.
If you run cables through the hole, you'll probably be forced to lay the bag down on its back or Mother Nature will remind you. To be honest, I don't see any reason to ever stand the bag up. It's much safer to lay it down on its back. Keep in mind that the hole could potentially let in water if you set the bag down on a wet surface. The bag material is waterproof, but the grommet is not set into the fabric with waterproofing in mind, so you can't just plug up the hole and be careless.
In practice, running headphone cables through the bottom is bit of a pain. Sitting on the bus with the bag on the seat next to me, the cables on my Westone UM2 weren't long enough to run down my back and into the bag. On the go, if you have short cables, you might prefer to run them through the top. When you put them away, you can pop the things in the pockets just as easily either way, but running through the top you'll have less exposed cable, and that much less chance of tangling them.
Attaching the Bag
The larger bag has a belt carrier to accomodate a 1 3/4” belt, The smaller bag lacks the belt loop. I'm guessing this will be standardized in the production version. The belt carrier is made of a single layer of heavy duty material. The belt carrier is triple stitched using staggered staight stitching. There is no indication of any backing material to take up the pressure should the bag be pulled while belted. The addition would only slightly reduce the potential of the main bag material tearing under extreme conditions, so I'm not sure it would be of much real benefit. It would, however, give me that warm, fuzzy feeling inside.
Both bags have plastic loops to accept a shoulder strap. I'm rather leery of plastic, and would prefer if these were done in metal. The loops are secured to the bag using the same heavy duty material as the belt carrier. The loop for the loop is sewn securely to the bag. The ends are placed inside the seam and bias tape of the main bag before the main bag is sewn. The loop is then secured by double stitching through from the outside of the bag, catching the entire seam. Nicely done.
The shoulder strap is made from the same heavy duty material as the belt carrier. It is 1” wide and 4' long. It's well designed except for the plastic end clips, which are quite thin and flimsy. Did I mention how I hate plastic on these things? Other than that, the clips rotate 360 degrees, which is a nice touch. The length can be adjusted at both ends, which turns out to be a useful feature. The strap provides a very handy spot to clip the DAP's remote and my Etymotic ER4P. While walking about with the shoulder strap under my jacket, I decided to zip my jacket. This required me to adjust the strap, which I did from the end hanging off my back. The day before, I adjusted it from the front and the remote popped off.
Closed Up
The front and top of the bag is edged by a single long zipper chain. Ribbon loops are thoughtfully provided at the bottom of the zipper chain. Hold onto these to provide opposing pressure while you close the zipper. Two zipper sliders are attached. This allows you to position the sliders to let the cables out where it's most convenient. Running cables through the space between the zipper sliders probably isn't the safest thing for your cables, but it's the most convenient.
With the bag zipped up, you can see the DAP through a clear, thick vinyl sheet that covers the entire front of the bag. This is ideal if you use a remote to control the DAP. If you need access to the DAP itself, you might need to open the flap. The five way control on the iRiver DAPs is frustrating to control when you're actually touching it. Fiddling with it through the heavy vinyl is even harder. Another alternative is to cut a hole in the vinyl, but then you have to worry about dirt and water.
Unzipping just enough to open the top gives access to the controls on the Micro DAC and Micro Amp, as well as the bottom of the DAP. Yes, it's upside down when hung or belted. If you need further access, unzip the bag all the way. The flap drops down out of the way on its own giving you full access to the DAP, except of course, for the back face, which has the velcro pads.
Here's the coolest feature of this bag. The DAP lies upside down in the bag. Now remember that fixed hinge holding the stand to the strap? With the bag unzipped, lift up the bottom of the DAP, and it swings up into view right side up. You can lift until it lies horizontal. You may have to bend your neck down to see it, but you have complete, unfettered, one-handed access to all of the controls and cables.
In practise, I rarely used this feature. To view the front controls of the DAP, I just tip up the bottom of the bag and the DAP face comes into view right side up. Accessing the controls through the bag takes two hands. Maybe you can do it with one hand if you're nimble and have the right DAP. There's no way on the iRiver. You might find this tipping feature useful if you need to do some one handed manuevers. Perhaps while riding a bike. But there's a problem that prevents me from daring.
Remember how I was nervous about that hinge? Granted, the urethane slot will probably remain stable. But what happens if you're rough with the DAP? Or get bumped while it's open like this? Pop goes the DAP. You really need to be careful on the go if you open the bag and tip the DAP up. This is such a cool and useful feature. I'd really like to see HeadRoom reconsider this hinge, and replace or modify it so it can't separate. This is still pre-prouction, so there might be time for a tweak. (hint)
It took a few days for me to get it, but if you pull the DAP off by the hinge, you can hold the DAP in your grubby little paws. Duh! If you pull it off by the hinge it pops right back in exactly where it was. Try that with velcro on a trampoline. So there is a reason to have the parts separate at the hinge. Maybe Mister Wizard can figure out how to attach a safety catch to satisfy every need.
Out and About
Moving around with this bag is a pleasure.
I have RockBox installed on my iRiver. The remote sometimes gets out of sync with the DAP. Easy to fix. Clip the remote on the shoulder strap or to the pocket, pull open the zippers, then pull and reinsert the connector. I can do all that with my other hand holding onto my Starbucks Grande in a Venti cup. Closing the zipper is sometimes a bit more trouble. With the zipper sliders down all the way, you have to tug sideways to pass around the bend before you can pull it up. It's also hard to manuever the zipper completely closed across the back side at the top, but I don't mind leaving the top of the bag opened slightly. In fact, I tend to walk around with the back part opened so I can adjust the volume by jamming my thumb in there.
On Tuesday I was home for 20 minutes before I realized it was still around my neck. And I just left it there until the batteries ran low. With my old rig, I always had to put it down--first thing after my keys--although I admit, sometimes it was down just long enough to get comfortable, then up for the rest of the song.
The biggest problem with this bag may be that it does its job too well. When I'm out and about, I completely ignore this bag. If I were 20 years younger, I'd take this thing skateboarding. It's just so easy to carry around and use. I didn't miss a beat swapping IEMs while dodging traffic on Lexington Avenue, still clutching my usual Starbucks Grande in a Venti cup, although my Etys did end up dragging on the pavement after that little manuever. Good thing they have a clip and a place to clip them. The problem with this is, I sometimes get overconfident and take chances. It might make sense to have a clunky bag to remind me of the precious cargo I'm carrying and force me to be more careful with it.
Interior Space
It's hard to give exact dimensions for how big a rig you can carry. First, without having an actual rig with cables, it's just hard to measure. The bag is also flexible. If your rig is a bit larger in one dimension, the bag will flex to give you space, leaving you with less room in another dimension. The dimensions I'm giving here are what I think you can comfortably fit in each dimension. You probably can't fit a rig this large in the bag comfortably, but I figure there may be play of about 1/4” in the numbers. If you're pushing in two dimensions you need to try it first. There's enough give to ignore little things, like the five way control on my iRiver. Keep in mind that you need to allow space for cables, and you need to be careful if they're squeezed in.
The small bag has a usable interior depth of about 3”. The large bag has a usable interior depth of about 4 1/4””. Both bags are 3 3/4” wide, and just over 5 1/2” tall.
The smaller bag has enough space for just about any DAP and any reasonable interconnects meant for portable use. That means you should probably forget about using straight connectors and stick to right-angles. There's probably enough space to accomodate a small straight end connector, but you may need to accept some compromises in a bag this compact.
The larger bag isn't quite so friendly. It fits my iRiver H120D and my cables, but just barely. Careful connector selection is critical. If your DAP is larger, say as wide as the Micro Amp, and you also use some beefy cables, you may have a hard time.
On first view, it looks like this bag needs to be 3/8” deeper than it is to accomodate the thickness of the second Micro product. I originally thought it could even be 1/2” deeper to accomodate the extra cable for the stack. Now I think the bag is actually large enough, but the flap should be shaped. To do this, I would stuff the bag with a large DAP, hook up some nice unfriendly cables, and hand the bag to a tailor. At the bottom of the bag, the zipper lies flat along the bottom of the bag, adding the needed depth to the bag. When it bends over the top, the zipper lies flush with the front and top, pulling the flap in at the bend. This makes the bag wider at the top, but reduces the depth. Even if you have no cables at this end of the DAP, this also pulls up on the bottom of the flap, reducing the amount of space for cables, and applying pressure to them. This could be fixed by increasing the depth of the top piece, which would allow the front vinyl piece to move forward. This would require shaping the top piece because the zipper won't bend the way fabric does. For example, the top piece could be larger and curved, and joined to the relatively straight edges of the zipper. Optionally, the bottom flap that holds the zipper end could also be shaped to allow more room for larger cables. The rest of the bag could remain as is. Hopefull, they'll tweak this somehow to accomodate a larger selection of cables for us hardcores.
Update: Tyll tells me the bag has already been made larger.
Pockets
The bags have a spandura pocket on both sides. The spandura material is not waterproof or water repellant. It's quite strong and flexible, but you need to be a bit careful what you put inside. I was concerned that the pocket material might not be durable enough to stand up to punctures and snags, so I ran some torture tests. For the tests, I chose things most likely to be put in the pockets that might damage the material. That's mini plugs and 9V batteries. See the torture tests below.
The pockets cover the full depth of the bag and nearly the full height. For the small bag, that's about 2” x 4.5”. For the larger bag, that's about 3-1/4” x 4”. The pocket is sewn into the seam on three sides. The lip is prevented from stretching by double folding the material and sewing across to make the seam, the thread then prevents the lip from stretching. The pockets are sufficient to hold the DAP remote on one side, but I'm not sure the manufacturers would appreciate me stuffing my Shure E5C in the opposite pocket. I, on the other hand, appreciate this immensely.
The strength and flexibility also works in reverse. If you put something in there, shove it in good. The material pulls tight enough to push certain things right out if they're already hanging out of the lip. I learned this when my I put my iRiver remote halfway in.
At first, I didn't like these pockets. I thought it might be better to have larger, tailored pockets with a flap to close using velcro. After carrying the bag for a few days, the wisdom of this choice became clear. First, rid yourself of any notions about using this bag for anything but the rig. Then, for the moment, put the spare batteries in your pants pocket. Changing batteries is hardly an on-the-run procedure anyway. Now, stop and think about when and why you need to access the pockets. I'm serious. Stop reading and think about it for a minute.
The only time I needed the pockets is when changing something in the rig. And there's really not much to change. Need to pay attention for a minute? Stuff the IEMs in the pocket. Want to switch the bag to the other shoulder? Stuff the remote in there. Swap to a different IEM? Change tips? Even when the battery ran low on the Micro DAC and I had to switch to using the DAP directly, out came the attenuator waiting in the pocket. The cables stay put inside the bag.
The truth is, either bag is just too small to have adequate pockets for much of anything. Putting a pocket on the back would prevent attaching them to a belt clip. The bottom line is these pockets are really well designed to help you use the rig on the run. If you need to carry more stuff, you'll have to get a second bag or something larger and less focused.
Okay, you can take the batteries out of your pants pocket now. You can easily store a couple of spare 9V batteries in each pocket of the small bag, or four in each pocket of the larger bag. Just don't go tumbling on a trampoline and expect them to stay in there. The larger bag sets my DIY wheels spinning. The Micro DAC eats rechargeable batteries for breakfast, then another set for supper. The pockets are perfect to hold a strip of 8 AA cells in each. Now if only there was a hole to get the wire through to the inside of the bag.
Bag Construction
The build quality of these bags is top notch. They're designed and constructed with care. Kudos to Jeanne for a first class job.
The bag is made of nylon fabric with waterproof coating inside. I'm not sure, but this looks like the urethane coated ballistic nylon that's become so popular. Either way, the fabric is very strong. It's also waterproof, not just water repellant. This is a good choice and may provide a bit of protection should you get caught in the rain. Just don't go out in a downpour without an umbrella. For one thing, the zipper isn't designed with waterproofing in mind.
You might want to keep from cutting a hole in the clear vinyl front. If you cut it, you get easy access to the DAP, but you lose the protection from dirt and water. This heavy duty vinyl sheet is quite durable, and installed nicely. The sheet is inserted into the bias tape before stitching the bias tape closed. The bias tape takes the pressure of the stitch to prevent the sheet from ripping. A nice even stitch ensures that any pressure on the vinyl will be taken up evenly. There is no reinforcement stitching, which you probably don't want here, since it could just as likely weaken the vinyl or stress it to tearing. I went into extra detail here because I've seen a number of bags that get don't get this part right. I've puched and prodded as much as I dare, and I'm confident this will hold up at least as well as any other vinyl cover.
For those brave enough to do a little sewing, this bag would be a pleasure to modify or repair. It's sewn with heavy duty, rot-proof thread. The stitching is very clean. All thread ends are burnished, or melted, so they won't come loose. Every exposed seam is bias bound. Sewing was planned out to locate the backstitching in areas of stress, strengthening the bind.
The bag is a sandwich of two layers of material with dense foam padding in between. There's no interfacing, glue, or pad stitching to hold the padding in place, but I don't see any way for the padding to move around. The padding feels about 3/16” thick. The entire bag is padded, except for the clear vinyl front. This padding is a nice shock absorber for minor bumps, which happen more frequently that I expect, given that I pretty much ignore this bag as I bop around town.
Tyll Hertsens of HeadRoom assures me the production version will be made to these same exacting standards.
Final Thoughts
These bags are not for everyone. They don't do everything you could want from a bag. They force you to carry a second bag for your other stuff. They limit your choice of cables. Full sized cans? Stash em elsewhere. What you get in exchange is freedom to use your rig on the go with very little hassle.
I throw the bag over my shoulder in the morning. Sit it next to me on the bus. Change IEMs and tunes while walking to work carrying my Starbucks Grande in a Venti cup and smoking my hand rolled cigarette. At work I set the bag down on the desk, plug in the wall warts, flip to wall power, and I'm set. For smoke breaks and lunch I just pull the warts out, flip the switches, and go. For my lifestyle, this bag doesn't just rock, it rolls with every twist and turn I make. Whether I'm dodging traffic, crammed in a subway, or bumping people walking around Rockefeller Center, I don't miss a beat with this bag. Not even while switching between my Etys, Shures, and Westones to try to figure out which I like better.
The bags I have are pre-production samples. That means most of the details are set and the production run will be constructed exactly the way these are. That's good news because these bags are very well constructed. But there may still time for a few tweaks.
There are two changes I'd like to see. That hinge should have an option to not separate at all. The flip feature is just so cool for really active people, it would be a shame if you could only use by putting your DAP at risk. I can imagine the commercial with someone flipping up the DAP to switch tunes while skydiving. The other change (which HeadRoom already committed to make) is to give people using the larger bag a bit more room to allow for a larger cable selection.
There are other features I'd like to see, but they're more options and cool add-on things that only hardcores like me would ever dream up. Most people won't care or need them. Plus they'd add considerably to the cost of the bag. It'd be super cool if the zipper could somehow be made waterproof and the grommet as well. I've been caught in a heavy downpour before. Then again, I don't have a clue how anyone could pull that off. Another add-on for a later release might be to widen the bag and put another set of pockets on the inside of the bag to accomodate two strips of 8 AA batteries. Of course, that requires either a pair of DIN connectors to connect the Micro DAC and Amp, or hacking 4 9V batteries to set into the equipment and then some cables running to the battery strips. That's 10 times the juice I get now from rechargeable 9V batteries, or two to three days of portable pleasure.
Thing is, a bag doesn't just hold equipment. It opens opportunities to listen to better music in more places.
Torture tests
Poking The Pocket
The purpose of this test is to determine whether or not the pockets can be damaged from penetration by mini plugs.
For the mini plug puncture test, I forced the mini plug through the pocket material 6 times. On the first trial I proceeded to apply slow, even pressue. The fabric stretched quite a bit and resisted penetration. After applying considerable pressure on the mini plug, the plug finally stretched the yarn enough to allow the mini plug to penetrate. Examining the material carefully, I could find no damage to the yarn. The plug separated the yarn and entered cleanly between the yarns. After retracting the mini plug from the puncture, I examined the puncture carefully and found the weave stretched, but the fabric otherwise undamaged. To test whether this damage was permanent or temporary, I stretched and massaged the fabric vigorously across the warp, weft, and bias directions. The weave felt completely restored and looked good as new. Careful examination revealed no evidence of any puncture.
From this first trial, I conclude that an unintentional puncture of the pocket material by a mini plug minding its own business in there is a low probability event. Furthermore, the perpetration of such an act is unlikely to result in permanent damage.
Once I became familiar with the subject, I just poked the plug through quickly. I poked 5 times in quick succession before pausing to examine the results. After following the same restorative procedure to each of the punctures, there was no apparent evidence of any punctures having taken place.
Conclusion: mini plugs can be safely stored in the pockets.
The Scrape Test
The purpose of this test is to determine whether or not the pockets can be damaged if snagged by the sharp edges of a 9V battery.
Duracell's are perfect for the 9V battery scrape test. The negative connector has nice sharp edges. Other batteries in my collection, such as the Radio Shack Enercell and the golden power long life have smooth edges.
To perform this test, I ran the edge of the negative terminal of the battery over the pocket material while applying significant pressure.
The yarns of the pocket material became frayed during the 9V snag test when using the Duracell battery. Fraying of the yarns could not be produced when running the trials with the other batteries, despite the application of significantly higher pressure.
Be careful which batteries you put in these pockets. Ratshacks are okay. Duracells are right out.
Conclusion: Only certain 9V batteries can be safely stored in the pockets. Proper care is warranted in the selection of batteries to ensure that they lack sharp edges on the negative terminal.
Update: A few days later, while taking pictures for this review, I could not find the fraying. Still, I'd be careful with sharp objects around the pocket.
Catch the Bag
The 9V battery scrape test was performed on the bag material. Yarn fraying, in the form of light scratches, were evident when running the test using the 9V Duracell battery. Fraying of the yarns could not be produced when running the trials with the other batteries, despite the application of significantly higher pressure.
Conclusion: Don't scrape sharp stuff across the bag. But in a pinch you can rub it if you have an itch.
Update: A few days later, while taking pictures for this review, I could not find the scratches. The material is quite strong, and those scratches were pretty light. The bag material definitely passes this test.
Water Torture
The purpose of this test is to determine the extent to which this bag is resistant to water.
To perform these tests, portions of the bag were held under running tap water for several seconds, while rubbing the material vigorously to encourage seepage.
Note that certain other wet tests were not performed due to the extreme stupidity involved in subjecting my rig to water.
Results
The bag material is water proof, not just water repellant.
The zipper tape is not waterproof.
The zipper teeth will leak water like a sieve if you drop the bag in water.
The cable feed grommet may allow water entry under certain conditions.
Conclusion: This bag should not be used underwater. The material should protect the contents against accidental splashes and short exposure to light rain. It is unclear how this bag will stand up to other water related weather events and situations. I recommend that you keep this bag dry. Even small amounts of water on the zipper chain or tape will seep through easily. Although the cable feed grommet is on the bottom of the bag, water on the sides of the bag could easily drip to the bottom and be suctioned between the cable feed gromment and the bag material. If the bag is subsequently placed in a horizontal or upside down position, this water could travel along a cable and seep through the jack into the equipment. Please keep your bag dry, if possible.
