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

Average customer rating: 3.5

Good product, poor Customer Service frm Antec
Really disappointed with the Sonata II
Great case!
Nice case ... junky power supply.
Still a Problematic Power Supply

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

Manufacturer: Antec
Product Group: CE
Binding: Electronics
ASIN: B0009WKBR6

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Product Description

9 Drive Bays / Mid-Tower Case / 450 Watt Power Supply / Style, Performance, Silence 9 Drive Bays - 3 x 5.25 inch external drive bays, 2 x 3.5 inch external drive bays, 4 x 3.5 inch internal drive bays in individual trays with rubber grommets to absorb hard drive vibrations Cooling System - Rear 120mm Tricool fan with 3-speed control to balance quiet with cooling Motherboards - Standard ATX 12 x 9.6 Double hinge door design - allows the door to open up to 270 Made with 0.8mm SECC Steel Built-in washable air filter keeps harmful dust out of the case Dimensions - Height 16.75 x Depth 18.25 x Width 8.13 inches, 42.5cm x 46.3cm x 20.6cm

Customer Reviews:

Good product, poor Customer Service frm Antec.......2007-06-09

I've had this case for over a year now, and was working great. Its still audibl, but certainly quieter than any other case I've bought. The weakness was (and is mentioned in reviews on other websites) is the frontdrive bay door/cover. The way it attached to the hinge, there are 2 pins on bendable plastic that go into th hollow spine of the hinge.

What is bendable, is also breakable. I contact customer service, and despite my detailed description of what happened, they email me a skematic and ask me to identify the part. I do. Then they ask me to send them a copy of a receipt of invoice. I bought it retail over a year ago, I dont have such a thing. So after a few days of nothing, I ask if I can buy it. So I get a link to all Sonata II accessories/parts and buy it there.

I get it, and it doesnt fit. Antec changed their design for the hinge/door assembly. I bring that to light, and he says that I now need a new front panel, but no mention of if one is ordered for me, or I now have to buy more parts or what. They have since closed the ticket (not to my satisfaction) and the way their system is, you cannot view tickets that have been closed, so I cannot even go in and re-read it to see if I mis-read something. I DO feel that if I had kept the receipt, I may be in better shape, but right now, I'm feeling 2nd class

Really disappointed with the Sonata II.......2007-05-25

I purchased the Antec Lifestyle Sonata II case because I liked the looks and design and was looking forward to putting my P4 components in a quieter case. And much to my dismay when I opened the case up I found a piece of black plastic laying in the bottom. So I searched around and discovered it was suppose to be holding the front grill on. Being curious, I pulled on the front grill a little bit and heard a couple more plastic pieces come flying off. Maybe not the best idea in the world, but it proved to me that there are some seriously cheap plastic parts on this case that is touted as being steel. And to top it all off, I squeezed the tabs on the air filter to pull that out and the darn thing broke into pieces in my hand. So now I'm out over $100 bucks trying to decide if I want to use this case still or not. I'd have to recommend passing on this one.

Great case!.......2007-03-09

I bought this case to upgrade my computer and test several motherboard / cpu combinations. I have been able to run several combinations (P4 / 478, D805 / 775, and C2Duo / 775) with no problems. I put in several harddrives, CD/DVD drives, extra cooling, and several peripherals. The case has handled everything I threw at it. I still have to test it with a RAID configuration but not bad so far...

I have seen several reviews about the PSU failing after a few months but I have not had it that long. The PSU has done a good job so far requiring less power than I expected for the various configurations. The wiring was clearly labeled and easy to use.

My one complaint was the passive cooling system. I had to remove the custom Antec air intake flow to install components. Not a big deal but I won't put it back in. I would definitely consider the case again.

Nice case ... junky power supply........2007-02-21

I have been using my Sonata II case for about 2 years now. I love the design, very sleek and nice on the outside. On the inside the brackets for drives are not tooless but I the security and ease of taking in and out are great. There is great air movement with just the 120 mm fan, not much more is needed, (I think the passive cooling duct work thing is junk and I don't use it, actually makes my temps a little higher.) Now the bad, the power supply is worthless, mine lasted about 1.5 years and then quit for no reason. Then I read that a lot of people were having problems with this particular power supply from Antec, so just be warned there is a good chance it will die. Last thing the lights at the front which are cool looking died, not a big deal for me though. So even with the bad power supply I recommend this case, because it looks nice, is built solid and very easy to use to make a great system. Just to be safe start shopping for that better power supply.

Still a Problematic Power Supply.......2007-02-07

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. =) )

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