Antec Sonata Series SOLO II Black Aluminum / Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Pros: * Quiet Baby
* Sturdy / Solid
* Good room for cables, drives, everything.
* Air filters

Cons: * The front case doesn't just pop off easily without rigging. Takes a little while to pop side off then front.
* Only reason that's a problem is because the filter is there and gets dirty easy. I clean every couple weeks.
* Price is a little steep.

Other Thoughts: * I own one, and now two of my friends also own 1 each. Had them for over a year.
* Better than the Storm Scout I have in many ways, but no handle.

Pros: Beautiful looking case.
Perfect drive options for basic server or high-end workstation.
Quiet.
Overall dimensions are more in line with traditional mid tower cases. It is not embarrassingly huge like a lot of the gaming style cases out there today.
Filters are easy to clean.
Mesh on top is a fine grill and sturdy... no screws can fall through.
flush-mounted front-of-case usb ports with ample spacing around them.

Cons: Not as easy to work with as some of the huge gaming cases, but it is a breeze to work with as compared to other normal sized mid-towers.
Only 2 drives can be bungee suspended in the 3.5 bay area.
5.25 rails are not tool-less.

Other Thoughts: I've been building computers for over 20 years, and this is the most beautifully finished case I have ever seen. If you like having a professional look, this is the one. The pictures don't do it justice. The photo on the box gives a good idea of the outer finish.

The gap around the CD drive is a little larger than I would prefer, but it is necessary because the hinged front panel must swing around it.

I don't do a lot of reviews, but this case definitely deserves a boost. I wish more people would try it.

Pros: Super quiet.
Feels durable.
Great size.
3 Large Fan openings (I bought 2 for the front)
No overheating problems, ventilation seems good.
USB3.0 to bring me to the next gen
I will likely keep this case if I ever change MBs, this is just a great all around case for general use.

Cons: Little plastic clear thing to shine HDD light to the fron of the case broke off before I even got the PC setup. This does not bother me at all, and should actually be a pro, because I can still see the HDD light perfectly well without the little "portal", and I would think it would be too bright with it installed.

Pros: Elegant, professional appearance. Hard drive rails easily accessible by folding down front fan bay.

Very sturdy, solid construction. Feels like it could survive a 5 story drop. This is important given how much frustration is involved when wiring this case.

Cons: Cable management is basically non-existent. There is no room to route cables behind the motherboard. Instead, there is a small space behind the hard drive bays that allows looping cables around plastic hooks, and one cutout by the mobo's SATA connectors. This is grossly insufficient. The inside of the case is so cramped that cables must be compressed and bent at sharp angles to ensure everything fits, risking damage to drive I/O connections.

Top-mounted power supply feels like a dated design, making cables run an extended distance to reach drives and devices.

How can such a wide case have so little room for cable management?

Case came with insufficient number of screws. There are 12 rubber grommets included to absorb drive vibration, the case included 6 screws to fit through these. Various smaller screws came in odd quantities as well.

This case is expensive given the poor internal design. There are cases a third of the price with better cable management and near-as-good noise dampening. Overall, this case reflects a poor-to-average return on investment.

Pros: Has USB 3.0 in the front and venting for your power supply on the top. This thing is incredibly quiet and built like a rock and worth every dollar. I like the interior layout because it has lots of room for drives and cards as well as a dedicated spot for an SSD drive. I ended up using one of the trays to mount mine. The venting is superb as well with a place to put a fan over the hard drives if you want. I really like the construction of the case because of the aluminum used in construction. This really is a durable case and is some what heavy, a major plus. I've had an issue in the past with Antec and the power button on the case but none so far in this beast.

Cons: The price is a bit to swallow. But then again you are investing in one of the best cases out there. You get what you pay for when it comes to computers and electronics.

Other Thoughts: For those who are bit old school, they might want a firewire connection on the front panel but the 2 USB 3.0 and 2 USB 2.0 ports are hard to argue against.

Pros: This is the second of this Solo II I have bought but have owned many Antec cases for years. All of them top quality. This one is cool, quite, and great looking.

Cons: Some people like bottom mounted PSU so that could be one. I like it on top. old school.

Other Thoughts: Great buy even for the price if you want low noise and cool operation with plenty of flexibility.

Pros: Simple yet elegant style. Very useful design. It is easy to use, runs quiet, looks nice, without trying to be a fashion statement.

Cons: I cannot really think of any cons.

Other Thoughts: If you are looking for a computer case that houses your computer, is easy to work with, and looks very nice without trying to be a fashion statement, this one is for you.

Pros: Decent construction quality. Flexible enough if you only need a small number of drives. The back fan exhaust mount fit a Corsair H80 with push/pull easily.

Cons: The power button rattles when the air flow picks up from the front fans. There are two plastic bits stuck together, and the middle one rattles around inside. I removed the center piece to stop the noise and I can still operate the button but it is awkward.

It is difficult to work in this case as there isn't alot of room. The power supply is directly adjacent to the MB and plugging in power/fan connections with a large heat sink installed is difficult.

The dedicated SSD mount is difficult to install into. Connecting cables first then mounting the drive was the only was I was able to it to work.

Other Thoughts: This is a solid option if you want a straight-forward case and don't expect to need to get inside often.

No cable routing behind MB.

Will want to install fans on the front if you are going to use high-end graphics cards.

Pros: Nearly silent. . .just a low, clean hum. It was very easy to install components, and the build quality looks very good.

Cons: Only one disappointment that I did not expect, and that was the power button which is cheap and rattles. Not worth taking a star off for, but many have pointed out this issue and Antec would do well to correct in future versions of this case.

Other Thoughts: There legitimate issues with this case, but I went in 100% with the knowledge of what features this case had. I wanted something clean and quiet, and this case had everything I needed. The door was a little crooked, and I was afraid it was bent when I got the case, but it was only a matter of straightening how it sat on the hinge. The power button issue is the only annoyance.

Pros: Nice layout, quiet and looks good.

Cons: Black plastic piece in center of power button rattled, but drop of super glue dropped into it from inside the bessel took care of that.