I am not a big fan of iPhone cases. They really distract and cheapen the look and feel of one of the most sophisticated and elegant consumer electronics products out there. However, they are almost a necessity these days, especially if you plan on protecting your iPhone’s resale value as much as possible.

Over the years I’ve owned several iPhone case with various features and design quality. In terms of design and attractiveness this Vaas case is about average. It looks and feels plasticky, and not particularly elegant. The case allows the access to all of the iPhone’s ports and buttons, but just barely. The case is not too bulky and heavy though, and it sits comfortably in my hand.

This case’s unique selling feature is its passive sound enhancement design. It indeed makes the sound coming out of your iPhone sound much louder and clearer. I don’t have the noise volume measuring equipment to test how much louder it is, but the claims of 3X enhancement seem to be exaggerated.

I don’t use my iPhone’s external speaker much, except for one important function: GPS navigation. This is where having a very clear and loud sound really comes in handy, and this is indeed the situation in which this iPhone case really shines. I finally didn’t feel like I was sacrificing anything in going from my Garmin to using my iPhone for GPS navigation. The turn-by-turn driving instructions were very clear and attention-grabbing. If you use your iPhone for GPS navigation a lot, then this case would really be of a great help for you. For all other situations you should decide how important is having a louder external speaker is to you.

**** Product provided for review purposes. ****