Customer Reviews

Sabrent 3.5 Inch/5.25 Inch Aluminum USB 2.0 IDE/PATA CD/DVD Enclosure with Cooling Fan and Audio Ports (EC-525K)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I stuck my neck out a little when I ordered the Sabrent enclosure. Some of the user reviews fussed about a loud fan or problems with screws, etc. After reading those, when I opened the package from Amazon I was pleasantly surprised to find a nice looking unit with a little heft to it and case that looked well made.

I slipped in a good Plextor DVD burner that I had salvaged from a computer I had just scrapped,screwed the face plate on the enclosure and plugged in two cables and the power adapter and hooked it up to a USB port on my Asus eeePC netbook.

It immediately read a CD and then played a DVD movie without any problems and with no further tinkering and without needing the tiny "user manual" leaflet that came in the package. Drivers included on a mini-CD are for Windows 98SE and are not needed with Windows 2000/ME/XP.

Fan noise? In the unit I received it was virtually non-existent. Since the unit cost just enough to qualify for Amazon's Super Saver shipping, I paid no shipping charges. I'm extremely pleased with both the price and the value of this drive. I don't expect it to have hard use, and I won't travel with it, so I see no reason why I shouldn't be using it for a long time. A good cheap drive, a good cheap little baby computer -- good deal.

The enclosure appears to be very well made for its price. Assembly using a DVD burner salvaged from a Mac was trouble-free. The new drive required no setup when connected to an ASUS EEE PC 904HA running Windows XP. The drive is also recognized when connected to our newer Mac. The fan noise is comparable to other external enclosures I have used, louder than some premium units, but much quieter than most budget models.

The cable connections are not secure enough to recommend this enclosure for portable use, but it is great for home use with a Netbook.

I was looking for an inexpensive way to save my desktop drive and this was the way. Plain and functional, does the job! Very pleased.

I have to say that the product works as expected; Vista discovered the device and I was able to start using my drive right away.

What I didn't expect was how loud the enclosure would be. You should always expect some noise from enclosures, but the fan on this is way too loud. I have been forced to turn on and off the device as I need it.

This product is exactly what I needed. Easy to assemble for someone who isn't great with computers.

I bought this so I could continue using a hard drive from a PC that died. The Sabrent was easy to set up and required no configuration with Windows XP. The cable seemed a bit fragile but it works fine.

Unit Failed To Power Up when installed.
This united is designed for CD/DVD burners and NOT for hard drives. There is no method or suggestion as to securing the HD to the case, making it unsuitable as a portable device for HD.
And the front panel has a "pop out" for the CD/DVD tray which will "pop out" at the slightest pressure and can not be reseated.

I just built a home-theater pc and wanted an external housing for the Blu-Ray drive so I could hide the PC and put the Blu-Ray drive next to the TV. This worked great for that purpose and I've been very pleased with the product. Installation was easy, and with a built in power supply it powers the drive directly. Only modest complaint is that the fan is a little loud for a home-theater application, but if that is a problem for you the fan can be easily replaced.

I bought two of these, one in May and one in June 2011. Compared to many other enclosures I have bought these were easy to install the CD/DVD drives into. A month or so ago, the fan on one of them went out, making horrible clattering noises. Today when I tried to use the other for the first time, it refused to turn on even though the light on the power module was lit. After a few seconds it made a pop noise and had a slight electrical smell. I just now requested an RMA to return them. Previous contact with Sabrent tech support to request a missing screw set was very satisfactory, so I anticipate they will take care of this in a prompt manner.

Nice enclosure. I ordered 2, fan noise is not a problem on either one that I ordered! For the price and ease of installation, this unit can't be beat.