iFi recently announced a slew of new accessories, ranging from cables to cases to put your audio stuff in – and the iFi iTraveller is exactly that. It is a small case made of fabric with ample lining to keep all your stuff safe and sound while you are out and about. And it’s stylish, too!
Disclaimer: this unit was provided on loan as part of the iDSD Diablo accessories. The iTraveller is available for £49. Further information is available on the official website.
Travelling has not been a thing in the past year, at least for me, and that was quite a big change: I used to travel around Europe quite a bit, for both pleasure and work. What I often found myself missing was a case in which I could keep all my audio-related stuff: my DAP, my IEMs, my cables and accessories. Lacking any other options, I resorted to using an old pencil case from when I was in middle school, but that never was a good option: it just didn’t provide the necessary protection for my gear.
In the past couple of years there’s been a somewhat sudden flood of dedicated cases for audio devices on the market. The iFi iTraveller is not among the smallest I’ve seen, measuring 19 x 13.5 x 5 cm, but it’s large enough to hold an iFi micro iDSD (e.g. micro iDSD Signature or iDSD Diablo) or a large DAP, plus at least one set of earphones. It can actually hold much more than that, as inside it are: a large space with an elastic where you can place your DAC or DAP, with an optional Velcro divider in case you want to store multiple devices; a smaller space with a Velcro divider where you can place your earphones; a small mesh pocket on the lid, where you can put another pair of earphones or accessories such as USB cables; a large mesh pocket on the lid, where you can put e.g. a smaller DAC/amp like the iFi hip dac or other stuff like power banks. There are also openings on both the top and the bottom where you can route cables through, plus a mesh pocket on the back.
The iTraveller is quite well built: it is soft, yet with generous padding that helps protect your valuable items. While the outside is made of fine-grained canvas, the inside is made of both nylon-like fabric (on the lid) and plushy-looking fabric (on the main compartment). The overall sensation is that the iTraveller can offer very good protection for the most common situations; inside a bag or backpack it is going to keep things safe and sound (unless you really hit that bag or backpack with a hammer). You don’t need to put the case inside another bag, though, as there is a small strap to carry it more easily.
I tried fitting in a few devices and it worked perfectly. The iFi iTraveller also fits in perfectly in my backpack (see picture above), which is made for 13/14″ notebook PCs and is therefore relatively small, though it is still quite spacious for its size. You should have no issues fitting it even in handbags.
All in all I really like the iFi iTraveller and, considering the flexibility it offers and the alternatives on the market right now, I find it a bit expensive but in line with what it is. I could easily fit everything I need for a short trip in it and I am probably more demanding than most people, considering I review stuff for a living (as it’s my full-time job, in addition to being my hobby!). I think iFi really nailed it with this accessory as it made something extremely useful and for which there’s not that much competition while keeping the price affordable.
Hi
Thanks for the thorough review. Like you I have been using and hoc small cases for my music gear including toiletries bags. I will likely buy one of these before my next trip.
All the best…Jim