Dekoni Audio Headphone Savior Carry Case Discussions | Drop

Jul 6, 2020

PushFaderCashCheckPeople trust thousands of dollars of camera equipment to a camera case. You should be able to trust it to hold expensive headphones. I've been into the higher end of photography equipment for a couple of decades now, so am quite familiar with protective options for cameras and their various use cases. This is a design that is not typically associated with multi-thousand dollar setups for serious protection, it's a type of case design that I have personally used for mountain sports photography, where lack of bulk and weight was a primary requirement, used to carry SLRs for convenient access. This bag appears to be a a size-tweaked adaptation for headphones, which have quite different requirements. Cable will damage the headphones if not removed prior placement. Insufficient room for a long main cable. Shoulder strap and hip belt loop are directly taken from camera bags, but headphone users do not have the same carry requirements (that being fast hip access for shooting, or 2+kg of weight to carry for the shoulder strap). Internal divider used as a support looks messy and opportunistic, instead of a ground up design decision. For headphones, I think the Geekria semi-hardshell designs are better. Foam cutouts, lower bulk carry handle if required, cable doesn't have to be removed if using the case for simple storage. And about 50% of the cost. Edit: I just watched the review video. Even the divider is the same type as used with cameras- the bendable flap at the top is designed that way so that you can use two in conjunction to support the camera body around the lens. And the big pocket on the outside is too tight to roll a cable into, meaning that the cable is supposed to be stuffed into the main bag body, or the little flap under the lid.

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Jul 6, 2020

Feastalisk

Jul 6, 2020

NotABotI'd use it for scratch/slight drop proof. You're right about the cable and the pocket, there should be a vertical sleeve on the main pouch for this for stiff cables. I can see why someone would get this over a camera bag of a similar design because how it's marketed(brand + specified purpose).

Jul 6, 2020

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Jul 7, 2020

FeastaliskI can see why someone would get this over a camera bag of a similar design because how it's marketed(brand + specified purpose). IMO someone would only get this if they didn't already know about camera cases. Because any experienced DSLR photographer would see this, see the price tag, and laugh.

Jul 7, 2020

Jul 25, 2020

NotABotIt’s fair not to want it, but just a few things I noted while consulting for Dekoni and filming the videos: •The case is wider and taller than both of the ones you linked. Bit heavier too. Those cases would not fit a Focal or Audeze, even an HD 6XX might be a tough fit because of how narrow they are. •Canvas vs nylon or parachute nylon. •Padding is thicker than the samples you linked... thicker than even my Lowepro Slingshot 102 AW. •Most headphones don’t have their cables exit directly down from the earcups... combine that with a tilt, and the exits from the earcups can point right towards the front “edge” of the box shape, so I haven’t detected significant strain on cables. •You could use the dividers to hold a long cable separate from the earcups if you’re worried about scratches... but the top mesh pocket is actually quite roomy if you detach cables regularly. I find cables are typically a soft rubber, and they’re fine just coiled at the bottom of the case, with accessories in the top pocket. Plenty of room for the living-room length cables on all the headphones shown in the video (the scratched Fostex hurts my soul a little bit, have you watched their Making Of video?). •I agree the shoulder strap is intended for heavy weight bearing. I usually don’t use straps, and these days the case is mostly an organizer to home. Hope to go on a road trip soon! But it’s fair to say the case might do double duty as a day bag for a camera 🤣 I’m not here to tell you what to do or make a recommendation... I’m just an indie consultant. But I figure few people have seen the case in person, so I’d drop a few notes.

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Jul 25, 2020

Jul 30, 2020

EvshrugI did watch your videos, thought they were well done and enjoyed them more than the idea of the product itself. I realised that the cases I linked are not identical to the Drop product. I literally grabbed the first two links that turned up from a Google search to use as examples. The point I was making was not that these are existing camera cases, it's that Dekoni seems to have simply adapted a pre-existing design from another category of product, a design that is fundamentally ill suited to the requirements of carrying headphones. If full sized headphones were regularly carried outdoors, where they needed hip or shoulder mounting for instant access, and weighed a couple of kilograms, this design might make sense. However, this is not how high end circumaural headphones are typically used. Resizing the design, tweaking the outer shell and adding a bit more padding, these things miss that the fundamental design is for a product that faces a totally different usage case. I am unable to see what real benefit this design offers for headphone transport compared to traditional case designs which are sold at half the price. You mention that you use this bag as a home organiser... in which case, it seems like the squared designs from the likes of Geekria, would be both cheaper and stackble, without the presence of external pockets that would bulk the case out of a flat top or bottom. Personally, I have owned several Lowe type bags for cameras. They are only used for outdoor carry when I need high mobility (mountain sports). At home, they are not particularly well suited to storage as they add too much bulk and have no humidity protection, so I use either simple transparent plastic boxes or Pelican cases.

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Jul 30, 2020

Jul 30, 2020

NotABotOh yes, I totally bought my Slingshot in college for landscape shots, not for home storage. I bought a Peak Design Everyday backpack recently because Drop had a V1 clearance special... can’t say I’ve fully become comfortable with how to use that yet. Heavy, rigid back kind of hurts, and kind of overkill for the mirrorless cameras I prefer. There seems to be an endless pursuit of perfection when it comes to cases and bags. Sometimes, it’s pain points or customer feedback that inspires great product design. If they were my cases, you’d probably see two different types, specialized for a particular use, but I admit I probably won’t go into making my own stuff. However, I HIGHLY appreciate your compliments on my videos, especially right when I’m planning to start my own series of headphone audio videos since Dekoni hasn’t asked me for any since COVID. But anyway, here’s two nice landscapes from when I bought the Lowepro!

Jul 30, 2020

Jul 30, 2020

EvshrugHey, that first shot is quite arresting, where is it? Because it has much greener landscape peeking out from behind what looks like an arid crater. I appreciate some of the Peak Design gear- the carry clip is great for mountaineering type activities as long as you're willing to forgo any sort of protection, much easier to use than a chest carry system which gets in the way of climbing. The backpack is a bit weird though- definitely too stiff and I find the shoulder straps with the chest strap highly compromised, definitely a bit of form over function going on there. I just used the bag as a fast access travel bag for flights, in the days that people still got onto planes. Good luck with starting the series- headphones must be one of the few areas that hasn't been too disrupted, or even benefited from, everything that's going on now.

Jul 30, 2020

Jul 30, 2020

NotABotThanks again! First shot was in the Great Sand Dunes of Colorado... so the mountains in the distance are able to hold a bit more rain and a tree line, but the sand has been blown against and collecting in the valley before those Rocky Mountains. Visiting is quite an experience, everything is of a larger scale than you expect... I HIGHLY recommend going (and the view from the tallest sand dunes is absolutely worth the hours of climbing sand). Some more photos on my Instagram @Evshrug (I’m “Evshrug” everywhere!). Gotta say... my sister got me this “weekender” bag by eBags.com, and though it doesn’t have camera organization or include camera cubes, it’s been my go-to carry-on for flights less than a week. You should have seen how much I loaded it coming back from NAMM! Thanks also for the good luck wishes. The headphone industry is still affected by the current events... but in a different way. There is still demand for headphones, perhaps MORE due to shelter in place orders and school being cancelled. However, manufacturers are still struggling with shipping, reduced hours for employees, and two companies I had hoped to consult for are waiting to enter the US market (and consider me) until things feel more normal. There’s not much money in making YouTube videos (my channel there is also EvShrug), at least from an Adsense perspective, but I figure that sharing headphone/audio education could really help people make informed decisions for themselves, while also being like a sort of portfolio to show value to companies that might want to hire me. As I often said: If I kept what I knew to myself, then I’d just be a nerd, so I appreciate everyone who enjoys it and gives my research some purpose 😃

Jul 30, 2020

Spectralis

Oct 21, 2020

NotABotHuh. I did literally that lol. Good advice. When I bought one of these a month ish ago I was getting it to fit my x2hr, since I had thought the ones it advertised were way bigger. However it didn't fit so I got my money back because Amazon and got a geekria case for way cheaper and haven't looked back. Also added info, the geekria case feels way more sturdy and protective than the dekoni did. Like, way more.

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Oct 21, 2020

Spectralis

Oct 21, 2020

EvshrugThe first picture looks like a disfigured walrus staring into my soul lol. Literally can't tell what I'm looking at for some reason. lol Second one looks fantastic. good ol water and trees Oh and also, nowadays the money from YouTube is more from having a community and then a bunch Join the channel or sign up to a patreon. That's how most youtubers are getting money now as far as I can recall. So typically once you get enough of a following some would be willing to support the kind of content you make with more than just ads.

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Oct 21, 2020

Spectralis

Oct 21, 2020

SpectralisSide note. Didn't realize these were from a few months ago. Sorry for the pings

Oct 21, 2020

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