Customer Reviews

Zune Leather Case 80 GB

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I purchased this case the day after I got my 80G Zune from circuit city on launch day. They were selling this case for $29.99 on sale. Great deal that couldn't be beat.
The case's overall quality is great. Very sturdy and looks great.
It has a great magnetic latch to keep the cover closed, no clip or strap to fight with. Just close the cover and stays closed.
If you wrap the headphones just right, the zune headphones will even stick to the outside of the case due to their magnets. I found this pretty handy.
I would have to say the only reason this case did not get five stars, would be the fact that, in order to charge your zune or use it in a dock. You have to take your zune out of the case completely. There is no access hole in the bottom for the charging port on the player.
It would also have been nice to have the option fo some kind of belt clip, though not a big deciding factor for me.
I would definately recommend this case though, if you have been able to purchase the new 80G model. I can say the new zune is one great player, with a lot of potential. Once more accesories become available for the Zunes, apple better watch out. Zune is a much sturdier option to the I-pod.

To get it out of the way quickly, is it worth $50? No. I paid $40 for mine at a local store, and I don't regret it, but even that is a little pricey for me.

But for that $50 your are doubtlessly getting the best looking, sexiest, case for the 80gb Zune. The outside is made entirely of a dark brown leather, emblazened with a small Zune logo on the front right corner. Upon opening the case, you'll be greeted with the same pattern as the default Zune wallpaper. It's a small touch that reall brings things together nicely, I think. There is also a small pocket where you can slip in a credit card, or better yet, your gym membership card (totally helpful) that is trimmed with a bright neon pink. The color isn't for everyone and I've gotten some stares from friends and family, but it definitely looks cery cool.

The Zune fits very snuggly in it's provided pocket, and the headphone jack and lock button are exposed for your convenience. In fact, almost all of the Zune's functions are available to you while it's in the case. The only thing left off it a hole for the Sync cable. This means that you won't be able to charge it while it's in its case. It is, perhaps, a minor oversight, but it's not such and inconvenience to me as I mostly have the case so that the screen doesn't get scratched in my pocket. The whole front cover stays shut via a magnet that is hidden under the lining material, that way your case will never flap open and expose your Zune to any harmful materials.

Again, the whole case is extremely simple, modern, and well designed. You are really going to be paying for style with this purchase. If you don't mind your case looking a little less stylish, than I'd recommend something a little less pricey. But if you're like me and you want to protect your Zune and look good doing it, I highly recommend that you consider this case. I am not disappointed with my purchase at all, despite it being a little pricey.

EDIT: Glad to see they lowered the price on this thing. At around $20, there really isn't a better option out there!

I received this case as a freebie that came with my awesome Zune 80. I can't say I would have paid the $50 that it was selling for at the time (but I wouldn't pay that much for any case, period). That being said, this is a very high-quality leather case. Both inside and out, it's well-crafted and snuggles the Zune safely inside.

I can access the squirkle and left/right buttons easily. While there is no plastic cover over the screen, this is of no concern due to the durable glass Microsoft smartly gave the Zune screen.

It's almost perfect. There are two issues that keep it out of 5 star territory. First, you must remove the Zune in order to access the USB connection. Being that this is the Zune's lifeline to power and content, removing it is done on a frequent basis. And when attached to my home or car kits, the case must be tossed aside. So it is a carrying case in the purest form. It's only good when carrying the Zune.

Secondly, since removing it must be done all too often, it's irksome that the headphones must be disconnected in order to free the player from the case. So there is a lot of disconnecting, removing, reconnecting, disconnecting, inserting, etc., etc., etc. Not very convenient.

It would take only small modifications to make this case the end-all be-all of cases, but as it stands: it's a quality case with a few too many compromises. If I had to shell out cash for a case, I'd take a hit on quality for a more ergonomic design.

Decently constructed, the official Zune 80GB case falls flat with its execution of the details. The most obvious flaw is the lack of a cutout for the data transfer/charging cable. But equally galling is the tight opening cut for the headphone jack. If a Zune 80 user decides to stick with the stock earbuds, there's really no problem with connectivity. But if you're like me and enjoy using any number of third-party headphones, the cutout in this case basically stinks since it doesn't provide enough clearance for quite a few of my earphone sets.

My primary listening set is Shure's excellent E500PTH, which I started using on my iPods and my Zune 30. The cutout in this case is barely big enough for the Shure's miniplug to get any sort of usable contact with the Zune's headphone jack. But that good contact ONLY works if I and my Zune 80 are stationary and not moving about; as soon as the cabling moves a bit whenever I move, the right channel will invariably cut away. Sometimes there enough a break in the connection to cause the Zune to go into pause mode, which is REALLY an irritation since the manner I usually use an MP3 device is to start my player then put the controls on lockout mode. Moreover, I dislike the lack of screen protection. I know that the Zune has a glass overlay on the LCD screen, which is generally superior to using most types of polymer-type plastics, but glass can still scratch and most certainly it's a fingerprint magnet that could've been controlled had there been a clear shield sewn into the case.

The other issue I have with this case is value. The built quality of the case and the materials used is pretty good, however it's really not any better than the typical third-party leather cases for iPods (or Zune 30s) costing half its $50 price (or even cheaper). At the time of this review, there aren't all that many dedicated case options available for a Zune 80 owner. But if you can see fit to wait, there should be plenty of alternative cases available after the holidays when case manufacturers will finally have had a chance to catch up and get better executed designs to market. Considering that this new Zune appears to be a popular selling device (I certainly have been impressed with mine, much more that I've been with the current lineup from Apple), I have no doubt that all the usual third-party accessory makers will be lining up to provide their latest protection offerings for this excellent MP3 player.

This case is a very nice case. Nicely manufactured, very sturdy. Nice magnetic closer. Holds it closed securely. I am giving it 5 stars even though (as was mentioned in other review) you do have to remove the Zune from the case in order to charge it/hook up sync cable. It isn't that hard to do, but I would rather not. I guess though that if there was a hole on the bottom for the sync cable, dirt/etc could potentially get in the socket.

I just bought this case for my 80GB Zune, and I am very happy with the purchase. The case fits the unit perfectly, is lined with a soft cloth with the Zune logo, made of good quality leather, and allows the use of all controls except the USB connector on the bottom. An integrated magnetic closure keeps the cover closed. Worth the money to protect your investment.

Pros:
The Amazon price was definitely right compared to other outlets, and the case does fit the 80gb Zune like a glove. The leather and stitching is clearly high quality.

Cons:
As others have noted, the cut-outs are not placed correctly, so its aggravating to use. Specifically, the hold button is hard to turn off once its turned on. The cutout for the headphones is mis-aligned, and there is no cutout for the charging/synching port. So, one must remove it from the case each time its connected.

Bottom Line: I can't recommend it if convenience is a priority. If you are mostly concerned about protection and sharp looks, then you may well be happy with it.

pros:
- good fit to the zune. not oversized compared to other leather cases.
- small pocket on the inside cover. great for credit card, cash, notes, bus pass.
- back and play buttons on the case are cool. feels good on the touch.
-magnetic flip closure

cons:
- headphone jack cutout is a little small. i shoved a small thin marker through it to stretch it out.
- the bottom zune plug is covered up by the case. so you have to remove it from the case to charge/sync it. i ended up cutting a hole in it so i would not have to ever remove it from the case.
- the stitching is only along the outside edges. everything else is glued together.

This is a very well made case, very protective but functional.
I think people will have to remember that the Zune setup, case, dark cloth ear buds, the whole thing gives the impression of an all business, powerful, piece of tech.

Product was received perfectly packaged and at first looks was an extremely well made, quality case. However once I slid my new Zune inside I realized that the cutout for the headphones was misplaced about a full 1/4" (the hole shows me a perfectly centered headphone icon, and the case completely covers the actual jack.

This is disappointing and if I had paid full price I would have been rather upset.