Exterior Impressions

Once again, I will not be focusing on the packaging at all. The case came well packaged and the box was not damaged.


The first thing anyone will notice during unpackaging is that the Sonata III is quite heavy for a standard ATX-sized case. This is due to its nearly all-steel construction which makes it very sturdy but adds significant weight. The exterior finish is a black luster that is very susceptible to both fingerprints and scratches so be careful when moving this thing around. Even though it is prone to damage, the finish on the Sonata III’s exterior makes it look and feel like a higher-end case. Antec adds a latch with a lock for the side panel and a pivoting door to hide the front drive bays. There are also a number of connectors on the front panel which we will get to later.

The rear of the case does not hold anything out of the ordinary. We see that the rear fan is of the 120mm variety (Antec has included one of their Tri-Cool fans) and there is another grille underneath the fan which is a throwback to the now-removed Antec ACAG.


The door on the Sonata III swings towards the left but does pivot until it is completely flush with the side of the case. This is completely maddening for anyone who sites to the left of their computer case since they will keep bumping into it. The hinge for the door is not the most robustly-constructed component on the planet either and for something that needs to open every time you turn on your computer, it feels downright cheap. The door comes equipped with a lock as well so if you are really paranoid you can lock the front and side of your case.

The front panel is also home to a pair of USB ports and an eSATA port in addition to a headphone jack and a microphone input for all those of you dreaming of a karaoke contest through your brand new Sonata III. Unlike the two Sonatas before it, the Sonata III makes do with a small blue LED for both the power and the hard drive indicators.


Since Antec wanted to keep the overall size of this case down, they riveted one of the side panels on since there is no room for able-routing between this panel and the chassis itself. The opposite side panel can be opened through the use of the latch as well as a pair of thumb screws.

The feet on the Sonata III are made of a soft rubber which protects your floors from unnecessary scratches but these also make the case very hard to push in any direction.


The front panel also hides a washable air filter. This is an ingenious addition considering many cases on the market forget to add this necessary component. It slides out from the bottom of the panel by pushing in two small levers and then dragging the filter out of the case. The holes in the filter are large enough to trap the majority for the dust particles yet provide enough airflow if you decide to add the optional front 120mm fan. Trust me; you will want to check on this filter at least once a month because it traps a shocking amount of dust.