Packaging and Accessories


The box for each enclosure is done in a subtle and refined color scheme consisting mainly of white, black, gray with red highlights. There is a picture of the enclosure as well as a brief point-by-point description of the features for each enclosure.


Both Mediasonic enclosures came in very similar boxes and unless you look closely you would not be able to tell them apart. Even on closer inspection you can only tell them apart by a sticker which states what connections it supports. In this case it was a blue circle for USB only and orange for the enclosure equipped with FireWire and USB.


Besides being aesthetically pleasing the box provides you with all the information a first time buyer would need. In particular are the great diagrams on the back of the box that not only tell you what the different RAID levels are, but it also shows you everything in easy to understand icons. Overall it’s a very nice box that advertises its contents well without resorting to garish holograms or flashy bright color schemes.


When you do open the box you are greeted to the plastic wrapped raid enclosure that is loosely packed in the top section of the box.

Underneath the enclosure is a cardboard insert that separates the enclosure from its cables, cd, screws, screwdriver and power adapter. These items are also placed fairly loosely in the bottom of the case. This packaging format is common for enclosures, and I believe that shipping this unit in its retail packaging is acceptable and does not require any additional protection.


Like most external storage enclosures, Mediasonic provides everything except the necessary hard drives. In this picture you see the accessories which are common to both enclosures: an AC adaptor, an installation CD which also holds the instruction manual, a screwdriver, mounting screws, a USB cable and a power cord.

Here is a full list of accessories included with each drive:

HUR1-SU2 Package Contents:

* USB 2.0 Cable x 1
* External Power Adapter (AC Input: 100 - 240V, DC Output +12V/2A, +5V/2A)
* Power cord
* Screw Driver
* Accessories Pouch (screws)


HUR1-SU2FWB Package Contents:

* USB 2.0 Cable x 1
* FireWire 400 Cable x 1
* FireWire 800 Cable x 1
* External Power Adapter (AC Input: 100 - 240V, DC Output +12V/2A, +5V/2A)
* Power cord
* Screw Driver
* Accessories Pouch (screws)


As you can see there is very little to distinguish the USB-only enclosure from the Firewire-equipped one when it comes to accessories. However, Mediasonic does bump thing up a notch by including both Firewire 400 and 800 cables with the more expensive HUR1-SU2FWB


While it is not a costly accessory, the inclusion of a screwdriver was a nice touch. No one likes having to look for tools when they try to install any new device and this attention to detail gives a very good first impression.

However, one thing that did stand out by its absence was that both units lacked installation instructions. The CD that comes with the enclosure includes fully diagramed installation instructions but having to print them off does not leave a good feeling with me and this oversight is puzzling. It wouldn't cost Mediasonic much to print up these instructions.