Customer Reviews

Antec LifeStyle Sonata II ATX Quiet Super Mini-Tower with 450-Watt Power Supply (Piano Black)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There are some great things about this case: 120mm front and rear fan slots (bigger fans mean they can spin slower to provide the same airflow and thus be quieter); the hard drive cages are individually mountable and go on rubber grommets to stop rpm vibrations; the sheer number of devices supportable by the case and the power supply. Quiet power supply and bundled fan. Good front panel connections for everything your ATX motherboard might have. Very easy to open, which is of tantamount importance if you're an enthusiast. Dual locks, 1 on the side, and 1 on the front drive bay door. And it's just cool looking (nice color, dual front LEDs if you can find a 4-pin connector from the psu, and it's rugged (it's made of real metal, except the drive bay door).

The weak spots include an instruction manual which is at times frustratingly badly written. FOR EXAMPLE: the manual tells you to plug the power switch/ reset switch/ led plugs into the motherboard "with the label facing the front." This "label" is actually a tiny arrow on each plug. Another example: The descriptions of what hardware to use in each circumstance are not descriptive enough-- "special screws" could mean any of the 4-5 types of screws they provide. This just means that first time builders will have a great deal of difficulty, and experienced ones will still have some annoyances.

Other weaknesses: the power supply cables are not braided so your case will inevitably be somewhat messy on the inside, and all the cables prevent efficient airflow. The power cables could be a little longer given the size of the case and the distance your devices will likely be from the psu. The bundled fan also has it's own speed control, which is inside the box, and it has no 3-pin connector for a fan controller, which would've been nice as well.

Also, do not be under the illusion that buying this case will make instantly for a quiet computer. More than likely, you will need a much quieter cpu cooler, and possibly a quieter VGA cooler if you have a loud graphics card like I do. In fact, I'd say if you're upgrading, get a new cpu cooler before you get a new case and see if that doesn't fix your noise problems. This is a great case though, and if I were building a new computer I would definitely get another.

Having previously owned the original Sonata, I was more than happy to purchase the Sonata II for my newest PC.

While the original Sonata was excellent, it did have its flaws. (see my review of the original for more detail) The Sonata II addresses the biggest issues I had with the original Sonata, and maintains the good looks, intuitive design, and overall quality of the original.

-The big "bullet hole" Antec logo is gone on the Sonata II! The sides of the Sonata II are sleek and beautiful, and don't have the ugly logo the previous case had.

-A larger power supply for power-hungry motherboards. The original Sonata came with a 380w power supply, which was probably adequate at the time. With today's CPUs using more juice, the 450w power supply on the Sonata II is definitely an improvement. The fact that its a quality Antec Smartpower makes this case a bargain considering the power supply is worth over half the price of the case on its own.

-The included 120mm fan is more useful than the one in the original Sonata as well. It features a manual control switch you can set to the speed you like. This allows you to balance cooling and silence as you would like, instead of relying on the power supply to do it for you, like in the old Sonata.

-One final improvement is the door on the Sonata II. It features a double hinge and can move 270 degrees to the other side, for aesthetic or functional purposes.

The only feature I didn't find useful on the Sonata II was the built in air duct. It didn't fit my motherboard, and after doing some research it is probably not a beneficial feature even if it fits your CPU. It was kind of a hassle to remove, but once it's out you don't have to deal with it again. I would suggest doing some research on airflow and studying how the temperatures in your case are affected before installing the air duct.

Overall this is a great case and I am very impressed with Antec's improvement on a product that was already excellent.

I bought this for an amd athelon 64 atx board so the duct doesn't line up-customer service said to remove this feature it works for intel only and amd's athelon 64 run cooler anyway.

The door broke off the first day I used it, not because it was a defect but because it is weak when open because the hinge support is a small piece of plastic.

The power supply may be to weak with my graphics card I wish I had a 500 watt. The case fan doesn't plug in to my mb which has amd's cool n quiet feature and would have controlled fan speed. The power supply fan does have feed back and is mostly quiet while the case fan has an internal 3 sped fan adjustment and can be left on low. quite frankly any case would have been just as quiet if you get the right fans or install a fan controller or DIY install a 3 watt 25 ohm variable resistor/rheostat (google fan speed modding). I think this is over priced old technology and I now hate drive door covers.

After reading several reviews of the Antec Sonata II, I ordered, receiving the case about a week ago. Immediately, I noticed a high pitched whine, coupled with an occasional crackling noise, after I had assembled the components and turned the power on. I asked a friend of she heard it as well, but she could only hear the fan when listening very closely. Fortunately, my mother visited with her dog, who freaked out when the computer was turned on. (My mother could not hear the whine either.)

Following a bit of research, I found that not only is the power supply in this case frequently faulty, but the sound I was heard was a problem internal to the psu, inaudible to most adults. Eventually, the problem causing the noise would case the psu to fail. If, like most adults, I had not able to hear the frequency, I would not have known there was a problem until it failed, possibly taking other components with it.

I still give the case 3 out of 5 stars, as the case is well constructed and I really like the design. Additionally, Antec customer service has been extremely helpful and is replacing the psu, though I should note this has resulted in my buying a temporary psu to use in my computer while the original Antec psu is shipped back and forth in the mail. Considering the amount of time this case has been out, and that the problem with the psu is so widespread that the case has this issue listed in the FAQ at the Antec site, I would suggest only ordering this case if one does not mind having to replace the psu. (Also, turn it on at some point around a child or dog to see if they hear a whine. =) )

Antec has dropped the ball on this one. My power supply came in DOA.
If you read reviews there are lots of reports of short life on power supply.

The case weighs 25 pounds. It is a major hastle to uninstall everything and mail it back to California.

It is a pretty case with some well thought out features, but not worth reliability hastles.

Pros: Stylish, designed for silence and good cooling. Easy-Access drive bays. An improved locking front door that swings further out of the way. A specially designed air duct that ducts fresh air to both the CPU and Video Card area. An easy-open side panel with a lock. Solid construction.

Cons: PSU fan is not as quiet as some others, even Antecs own NeoHE series. The PSU is difficult to access with a CPU heatsink installed. The front-panel Audio ports are awkwardly mounted and are not HD-Audio compatible. The air filter is difficult to access and only really works when an intake fan is being used.

Still a great basis for a Silent PC, this case has a sleek, unobtrusive style, good airflow and good acoustics. I recommend this case if you need to lock access to the power switch and drive bays. (to keep children from using the system for example) The blue accent lights are extremely bright, but can be left unplugged. The air duct is only useable with OEM-style CPU coolers, but can be discarded with no ill effect.

Great sturdy case. Well thought out design. Quiet. I call it my black Ferrari! The fantastic reviews of this product online say it all!

the con: power supply went dead on me after 2-3 months. What do you expect when most cases don't even come with a power supply? Nevertheless, until I receive my new power supply, my adventures in Half Life 2 are on permanent hold!

I like the style and functionality of the case. It is quiet and looks nice, but the CPU air duct thingy seems a little more gimmicky than practical.

The weakness is the Antec SmartPower 450 Watt power supply (PSU). In theory it is a good power supply, but in reality has shown lack of durability. There have been quite a few people complaining of complete PSU failure within a year. Yesterday my own failed on me and I had to go buy a new one. These things aren't that cheap! On the plus side, the PSU has a 3 year warranty. Trouble is I can't allow my machine to be down for several weeks while Antec sends me a new one.

I love the looks of this case; although, I am concerned a bit about the front cover. Wish I didn't have to open it every time to turn unit on. Now for the bad - my PSU didn't last the 1+ years that most do...it died in 2 days! I am VERY disappointed since the reason I bought this case was b/c of Antec's reputation for great power supplies. Sonata III uses completely different PSU so I'm guessing Antec figured out this PSU is junk.

I bought this case to build my newest computer. I'll start with the pros: It looks great. Its built solid, with lots of drive bays. The locks on the front drive bays and the side panel are good if, like me, you have young children running around, and you want to keep them out of your computer.

Now the cons: Its a little tight to work in. I installed an evga 8800GTS and the optional front intake fan, and I can bairly fit the power connector to my graphics card. The air chasis guide is worthless unless you spend the money to install the 92mm intake fan in it. Then it does a fairly good job cooling the CPU (at least 3-4 degrees), but at the expense of motherboard temperature (at least a 1-2 degree increase).

I can't comment on the power supply, because I wanted a more powerful psu anyway. But it does look fairly cheap. I'm not surprised that it dies in less than two years.

If I had another chance, I'd probably look for a different case, but I'm not dissapointed. That's why I gave it 3 stars.