External Overview
From Antec:
“The Sonata Elite expands Antec’s original Sonata design with even more silence and elegance. With 7 drive bays, 7 expansion slots, and 0.8mm cold rolled steel construction, the Sonata Elite has ample size and durability, while the vibration-reducing silicone grommets ensure the quietest possible operation. Side intake vent draws in air over the hard drives and into the case, while a quiet 120mm TriCool™ exhaust fan and 120mm rear slot exhaust blower form the optimum balance between silent operation and cooling power. The Sonata Elite also features convenient front mounted USB, eSATA, and HD audio ports. These cutting edge features combined with Sonata’s Quiet Computing™ reputation make this case a truly quiet legend.”
The Sonata Elite has a pretty plain exterior with a piano black finish. The front bezel, composed of plastic, also has a simplistic design. The easy-access ports are found in the center of the case and include two USB, an eSATA and audio/mic inputs. The external drive bays aren’t visible by the eye, but are hidden behind the front panel door, which has a lock and covers the top half of the front bezel. The three external 5.25” drive bay covers can also be easily removed, right from the front panel.
The right side panel has a large cutout with mesh covering, allowing for air intake to the hard drives and inside of the case.
The rear panel of the case includes your standard upper mounted PSU slot, I/O slot, and seven expansion card slots. The rear 120mm exhaust fan also has a switch allowing you to adjust the fan speeds between low, medium and high. Below the switch is a custom designed exhaust hole for the specially designed exhaust fan that comes equipped with the case.
Both side panels are secured by two thumb screws each. The piano black finish of the side panels also extends to the bottom of the case where four rubber feet reside.
