24 May 2004
by Noah Kravitz
Reviews Editor

Monster iCase Travel Pack for iPod -- $69.95 list Compare prices at PCPrices

(Almost) Everything You Need To Go ... To Go!
Monster has long been in the business of making premium cables and accessories for home audio and video systems. Their Monster Cable speaker wire is the upgrade of choice for would-be audiophiles on a budget -- like yours truly -- and connoisseurs of esoteric, high-end a/v equipment alike. In the past few years Monster has expanding their offerings to include a/v component cables and, more recently, portable audio gear. They've now introduced a line of iPod-specific accessories including the iCase Travel Pack, which they sent us for review.

The iCase Travel Pack for iPod consists of an InCase nylon pouch outfitted with a customized interior meant to hold your iPod and accessories. The pouch comes pre-packed with a Monster iCharger auto adapter and iSplitter headphone adapter (both of which are also available separately). iCharger lets you power your iPod through a car cigarette lighter, while the iSplitter allows you to "share the music" by splitting your single earphone jack into two 1/8" mini-stereo outputs. Remember that scene in "About Last Night" where Rob Lowe uses the dual-headphone gambit to score a cute chick? Probably not ... but if you do, you get the idea of the iSplitter.

iCase is a handy package that would make a good gift for a new iPod user who's planning to user his/her iPod in the car and otherwise travel with it a lot. The InCase Travel Pack is nice -- its black nylon fabric is sleek and sturdy, the orange trim reminds me a lot of Waterfield Designs' bags, and the curved, oversized rubber zipper pulls are a nice touch. The interior actually seems a bit complicated, with its dedicated iPod holder and two-pouch system for securing the iCharger and its (attached) cable. But the Case does provide a lot of storage for small items. Oddly enough, given that iPod is a hard drive device, the packaging touts the many slots on the inner left sleeve as being perfect for flash memory cards (though it does mention they'd be good for business cards or other "flat" items, as well).

The iCharger and iSplitter both work well. Monster says the iCharger's Monster Smart Digital Charging technology "charges rapidly and switches to a trickle charge at full battery capacity to help ensure long life." I haven't had the Charger long enough to verify their claims, but I can tell you that it charged my Pod just fine. iSplitter provides a clean, clear signal to both headphone jacks, though it doesn't amplify the signal like the Boostaroo portable headphone amp does.

One thing I can't help but wonder is why Monster didn't choose to include their nifty iCarPlay Wireless FM Transmitter/Charger in the package instead of the included iCharger. iCarPlay lets you play your iPod over the radio in addition to charging it up, killing two key iPod/car birds with one stone. The reason is likely that iCarPlay lists for $69.95 on its own (same as the iCase package), while the standard iCharger is only $39.95. If you ask me, everything is a bit overpriced. Heck, Monster wants 10 bucks for iSplitter, which is essentially an iPod white version of a standard Y-cable you can get at ElectronicEmporium.com for 49 cents! (Sure, the Monster version is probably of higher quality, but can it really be worth twenty times the price? It's just an 1/8" earphone splitter, for Goodness' sake)

The iCase Travel Pack is a handy all-in-one solution, and the case itself can double as a small but handy oragnizer for your wallet, business cards, or other small items. However, for 70 dollars you can also get yourself a full-on iPod auto kit -- including an FM transmitter and dashboard mount -- if you're willing to piece together a few items and settle for a not-so-customized case. By way of example, a quick trip to Everything iPod found the Soundfeeder Auto Charger/FM Transmitter combo for $27.99. Sure, it's ugly, but it's cheap and it gets the job done. Then again, the iCase is pretty cool looking. I guess you get what you pay for, one way or another.

For more information, visit the Monster website.

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Noah Kravitz runs the Technology and Culture blog Threebase.com. He is an educator, musician, and writer who calls Brooklyn, NY home and the author of the forthcoming book, Teaching and Learning with Technology.