SPCR

I'm seriously confused. I recently ordered a system using the sonata with acoustipac. My dealer said that the the sonata with acoustipac was more silent than the antec p150. He said that the p150 was more silent than the sonata but when you add the acoustipac the sonata becomes the more quiet of the two.
Is this true?

I've seen that the spcr-autorized pc uses the p150 with acoustipac but when i asked my dealer about this he said that no such precut kit was available. Acoustipac has peices that you can cut yourself. Is it hard to cut your own acoustipac set for the p150. I have no idea of wich pieces I need and where to put it. You think I can find a "how-to" somewhere?

Bottom line. Is it worth the extra hassle to change my order and get the p150 and cut the acoustipac set myself?

alot of people prefer the p150. Out of the box, it will provide better airflow and hard drive silencing. The hard drives already come ready for suspension which will reduce alot of vibration. This is a feature that the sonata does not have. Also, the intake on the Sonata is horrible. The p150 has pretty decent intake, two 92mm fans can be put right in the front of the case. As for acoustipak, it shouldn't be too hard. If I am not mistaken, you just cut it, the stick it. Unless you really want to do alot of modding (such as finding a way to suspend harddrives in the Sonata), the p150 will be the quieter case.

Derek

I'm very happy with my P150.

Also, I believe it's a wee bit roomier than the Sonata.

You could get the P150 and -if- you find it's not quiet enough, add acoustipac later.

Hello & welcome to SPCR,

If you want a black version of the P150, get the Solo. I think that the Solo/P150 is a much better case than the Sonata. The air flow in the front is better, the hard drive suspension is better, and it comes stock with dampening. If you add more, all the better.

I've got a Sonata, but would prefer a Solo.

My reasons:
- The door covering the drives on the Sonata is a pain, unless you have some need to secure access to the PC, which it provides. I removed the door several years ago.
- While the intake is much better on the Sonata II, the many small openings make the intake filtering less useful then it could be. I used metal mesh in place of one 5.25 drive bay cover to enhance the intake area. No, the dust accumulation didn't change noticeably with that modification.
- The Solo/P150 already have a variation of acoustic-damping material.
- The sideways HDD drive sleds in a Sonata are clever, but pose other challenges that the Solo/P150 solve better with their integral suspension.

Judging from this reviewfrom SPCR several years ago, I'd have a hard time believing that a Sonata with Acouticpac would be substantially quieter (if everything inside is the same).

I'm holding out for the possibility that a smaller case with a large fan, like the iCute seriesor something similar, will become available in the US and prove to be sufficiently quiet.

Thanks a lot for all the help!

I called and changed my order today.

funpark5 wrote:Thanks a lot for all the help!

I called and changed my order today.

Wise decision.

-Patrick "Have both. No question which is better."

I can't figure out why the Solo (without PSU) seems to be the same price as the P150.

If it were cheaper then the P150 (I'm in Canada) I'd be all over it, because I don't think I can afford a P180 (which would force me to buy a new PSU as well).

raddygast wrote:I can't figure out why the Solo (without PSU) seems to be the same price as the P150.

?

P150, $176.70
Solo, $102.51

Wow. NCIX is the only place I know that sells both, and I hadn't bothered to check the P150 price there.

That P150 seems a little steep considering a P180 can be had for $145. I was hoping that the Solo would be closer to the $85 mark.

Apart from the lack of separate "chambers" isolating the PSU, and the fact that the Solo/P150 has an HD suspension system and sound dampening foam pre-installed, are there any features that are missing? I can't remember now if the P180 had a removeable motherboard tray... I don't think the Solo does, does it? Is it missing some toolless options?

It'll be easy to justify upgrading my case if it is not only mostly-silent but also luxurious to work in. I've always had bottom-dollar cases and I really want my next one to be a pleasure to work in.

raddygast wrote:I can't figure out why the Solo (without PSU) seems to be the same price as the P150.

If it were cheaper then the P150 (I'm in Canada) I'd be all over it, because I don't think I can afford a P180 (which would force me to buy a new PSU as well).

Too bad you can't get a frys deal there, usually the solo ends up being $40 or $60 after rebate.