Noreve Sony NWZ-A820 Tradition Leather Case Review
While the next roundup article is cooking, I thought I'd fill the gap with an accessory review. We also haven't really covered Noreve before so it's time to pay them a visit.
For those of you that don't know them, Noreve is a company that makes leather cases for gadgets. They're often the first ones on the market with cases for new devices and despite the somewhat premium price the quality and number of devices covered makes them loved by a lot of people. Read on for a review on the Noreve Sony NWZ-A820 Tradition leather case to see if it's worth the money.
Design
Some companies like to put their logo on big types on the front of their cases, making the whole thing look somewhat like a free giveaway to promote something. Noreve keeps the outside of the cases clean and with only a metal logo button on the front that's standard for all their cases. It looks very slick and gives the case a very exclusive feel, and you can also customize the color when ordering and choose between 12 normal colors and 3 vintage colors.
On the back of the case you have the screw that's used to attach the belt clip and the push button lock for the case lid. The case is flip style which means the lid will protect the screen very well. There is an opening for the main buttons, but the T shaped opening they've gone with makes it extremely hard to press any buttons as the case stops your finger trying to hit the tiny left/right buttons on the player.A much better solution would have been a rectangular opening so that operating the player would have been easier. My main use for the player is with Bluetooth, which means I have the controls on the headphones and don't really mind the buttons being hard to reach, but for people navigating using the player's buttons it would definitely be harder than it should.
Around the side of the case are openings for USB cable, headphones, Bluetooth button, volume controls, lanyard hole and hold switch. It's also worth mentioning that they haven't taken any measure to make sure the Bluetooth antenna doesn't get hindered, so even though the case isn't that think it'll still impact the range of the player slightly.
Belt Clip
One of the biggest features with Noreve cases is the belt clip. Compared to cheaper cases it's a lot more sturdy and the quick release function is great. Basically you screw out a protective screw on the back, attach a different (bigger) screw that slides into a slot on the belt clip. Push the belt clip release button to remove the case from the clip again. While not everyone would use the belt clip it's definitely an incentive to buy the case for those that do. Noreve also sell spare belt clips if that should ever be an issue.
Conclusion
A lot of people don't use cases because it costs money and makes the player more bulky. However, a lot of people also end up with broken player due to dropping them, sitting on them or other incidents. While this case does cost $40 which isn't by any means cheap, it's only $5 more than the official Sony case and so it's a viable competitor. The official case is more open and don't have the button pressing issue, which is something you should make note of if planning on buying this. Either way, the most expensive A820 version cost $320 and so the extra 12% of that sum that this case costs might end up saving the player.
Also note that Noreve cases keep the same level of quality for all models. While there are alternatives for Sony cases both with the official cases and Ebay variants, some players don't have many options. When I got the Noreve case for the D2 it was the only case out there and even after the cheaper leather/pleather cases were released I still would have chosen the Noreve simply because it looks better. It's definitely a steep price to pay, but if you use your player a lot it might deserve some designer clothes. Note that Noreve operates with it's own site for the US, Noreve USA | Noreve
Comments
Furr on November 6, 2008 7:33 PM
i have a Noreve Leather Case for my D2 and it's just awesome! Noreve is a good good company.
Da on November 6, 2008 8:28 PM
Although those silicon skins look tacky I'd rather use those over a huge bulky leather case. What's the point of having a portable audio player if it's not that portable anymore?
gadgets on November 7, 2008 12:35 AM
This is new for me but I don't know is this better than that what I use original leather case for my phone. price is not mentioned should be given so that we can conclude is it worth or not.
Andreas Ødegård on November 7, 2008 2:40 AM
@gadgets: the price is given in the article very clearly: "While this case does cost $40 which isn't by any means cheap, it's only $5 more than the official Sony case and so it's a viable competitor."
Yvan robin on November 8, 2008 10:36 AM
I think the noreve case is very overpriced. a value for money alternative is the case from i-nique.com they have a great range of leather cases for this as well as all other devices on the market. and no noreve are not always first. in fact i-nique are the only manufatcurer to offer a case for the 2 new sony machines on the market the E430 and S630
yvan robin on November 8, 2008 11:04 AM
also on the belt clip feature - who other than Americans walk around with an expensive device on their belts? this went out in the 80's with the "revenge of the nerds" I think all case companies think this is something we want... we dont... get rid of them and give a reduction in the price of the case with the cost you saved!
Mike on November 8, 2008 12:42 PM
Umm, yvan, if you don't have a belt clip, where do you put the player when you're walking around/exercising? Carry it in your hand? Wear a backpack or fannypack just to carry your player? Of course, an armband is an option, but especially for larger players, a belt clip works great.
Wings on November 8, 2008 1:15 PM
Nice to see more items for the Sony players.
aki on November 11, 2008 4:49 PM
Noreve cases are great. definetly worth the investment, if you are planning to use a player for years. I had a noreve zen vision M and ZEN case, and i was content with it.
Hastis on November 20, 2008 12:40 AM
Mike, maybe we want to have it in our pocket heh