Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I bought this case for its actual purpose - to put gear in it and actually fly it back to my current home in Japan.
The case arrived in a super-thin cardboard box, with little-to-no padding surrounding it, against any damage that it may incur prior to arrival. (Hey, we all want our toys new when we get them, right?) Well, the cardboard box came a little worn, assuming that it was placed on a truck and due to its sheer weight, it slid around the truck a bit. So, it arrived pretty well intact, with a few cuts and scrapes to the actual outer shell, but nothing affecting the actual flight case. Great.
After removing the case wrapping, it is easy to notice that the metal edges, buckles and all other things NOT wood, are simply painted black. Really. So, my first thought was "this will be great looking - until I have to send it somewhere". After opening the box, there are NO *repeat* NO instructions for use, for the 15-20 pieces of foam with random Velcro attached. They just all kind of float around in the box. Now, I am a DJ with approx 16 years experience, and I have had my share of equipment. I know what to order and what to do with it when it comes. But what about the new guy? All you get with this box when it comes is a bunch of foam inserts, a great looking outer case, and a whole bunch of questions. Something as easy as a cheat sheet with four or five suggestions for foam setup/layout of the most popular pieces of gear (fore example: Pioneer's CDJ 200's, CDJ 400's, CDJ 800's, coupled with the top 5 mixers, perhaps?), and the appropriate suggestions of where to put your foam inserts, accordingly. It's not too much to ask for the new guy.
The glue inside this thing is a mess. Glue beads and messy seams throughout for Velcro carpet, and foam. Take a few lessons from the folks at ODESSEY, gentlemen. Make your gear look great, inside too...it's half the fun of buying it.
Now. Onto my flight. Customs was a breeze, and the flight was 4 legs, back to Hiroshima, Japan. My bags checked all the way through, despite this one being labeled "HEAVY." and "FRAGILE". The case itself weighs 33 pounds and the max weight on a bag under new FFA regulations is 50 pounds. Unless your combined 2x CD turntables and 1x 12 inch mixer weigh less than 15 pounds COMBINED (hahahaha good luck.), you are more than likely going over your weight limit on a case that is supposed to be made for flight purposes. Just keep that little extra fee in the back of your mind when you use this piece of gear.
Destination arrived: Bags arrived on time. My case slid down the baggage ramp and my fears were immediately confirmed. all the edges that had moderate to severe contact within the plane's cargo areas were dinged, and as predected/feared, the black paint had chipped. The force was enough to actually bust a rivet on one of the box edges, creating a hole that moisture can enter the case through. Of the three locks I put on the flight case, one was damaged beyond functionality. Thank goodness my gear was safe inside, and not outside, taking a bruising.
WRONG. When I arrived home and opened the case, the 2 DMP-555 CD players were both laying askew from their original placement in the flight case. One CD deck had been knocked so hard out of place that the jog wheel had separated from its chassis. Not a very good sight after 8500 miles of flying. The mixer I had put inside (DJM500) sustained little damage, save for a few knobs and slides not in their original positions.
I don't blame Marathon for the flight conditions, but I do challenge them to make a case, a FLIGHT CASE...that will not allow for such things to occur inside a case to protect them from exactly those conditions. The big block foam inserts that position directly over the three main faces of the gear did nothing to keep the CD players from launching into the unused cavity area with enough jostling from uncaring flight crews.
I would not buy a Marathon case again.
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Marathon Flight Road Blk Series Case MA-CDi12Wblk Holds 2 X Medium Format CD Players Like Numark ICDx, American Audio Radius 1000 And a 12-Inch Mixer
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