Need a stylish case with plenty of power included, but want to maintain a low noise level? Perhaps the Antec Sonata Plus 550 is the case for you. Today we will take a closer look at the Antec Sonata Plus 550 and see just what Antec has to offer in this stylish case.
First Impression:
Well I must say I was a bit worried when UPS delivered the Sonata Plus 550. It was the first Antec I have reviewed and I was expecting a retail box, however, that was not the case. The Sonata Plus 550 came in a brown generic box that was a bit over-sized and thin, however, it was packed well enough that it was undamaged in shipping.
Upon removal from the box I found the Sonata Plus 550 to be wrapped in a cloth like material that protected the beautiful finish underneath from scratches those nasty looking plastic wrap residue marks you get one most cases.
The Sonata Plus 550 protective wrap.
Out of the wrapping the Sonata Plus 550 shines like a new penny. It has a beautiful glossy black finish that will reflect anything around it, not to mention attract fingerprints like bees to honey. The front panel, which is plastic, has a brushed aluminum skin over gloss black plastic with striking copper colored trim around the drive covers and down each side vent. These colors work very well together, and produce a style with a touch of class. We also find that the front panel does not have a door to hide the drive bays, some may like this, some may not, personally I like the fact that is does not. We find a HDD LED light and the power button is back lit by a blue LED. Below the power button we find the reset switch and below that the header panel, which contains the audio jacks, 2 usb 2.0 ports and a firewire port. The drive bay covers are matte black and there are 4 in total, with one being able to be converted into a 3.5 inch drive bay. The front panel utilizes its copper colored vent sides as the front air vents for the case, which should provide plenty of air flow while minimizing dust on the front of the case.
Looking Good!!
Highly reflective finish.
Simple design, yet classy.
A color combination that flows well together.
Front Panel buttons and usb header.
4 drive bay total, 1 being a combo 3.5/5.25
Side air intake vents on both sides of front panel.
Opening the case is easy with the new spring loaded thumb screws Antec has added to this case, which do two things; 1) Helps you keep up with the screws. 2) Prevents having to search for the holes, you just close the side panel and tighten the screws. And as with most of Antecs cases the side panels are of the swing open design, which is a nice option to have. Antec has even added the ability to lock the side panel if you so desire by simply adding your lock to the provided lock rings.
Spring loaded thumb screws.
Swing open side panels.
Lock rings provided.
The Antec Sonata Plus 550 comes with the Antec NeoPower 550 modular power supply unit pre-installed in the case. Also inside the case;
instructions manual and warranty info
power cord
drive rails
front header connectors (connected to front panel)
PSU modular connectors
screw pack
pre-installed rear Antec 120mm TriCool exhaust fan (non-LED)
Packed with power, fan and essentials to start your install.
