Nanoxia Deep Silence 1 Case Review: You Asked For It, You Got It
by Dustin Sklavos on November 27, 2012 12:01 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- quiet
- ATX
- Nanoxia
Conclusion: We Need the Nanoxia Deep Silence 1
If it seems like I nitpicked the Nanoxia Deep Silence 1 in this review, it's only because the case itself is actually an incredibly strong design. It's not a perfect one, but Nanoxia did a heck of a lot right, and in many ways they're reminding me of another small company that was looking to break through in the US not too long ago: BitFenix. Together with BitFenix, Fractal Design, and Corsair, Nanoxia threatens to be part of a new wave of case designers that will shake the old stalwarts out of their complacency.
Before I start gushing about the DS1, it's only fair that I highlight some of the issues that the enclosure does have. As I said, it is by no means perfect. While Nanoxia assures me the I/O pop-up hinge has been fixed, that's not something I can readily test and prove (at least not until they send me another review unit) so I have to take them at their word. The old style mounting grooves for the side panels mean you'll be resting your body on the side of the case as you try to replace the panels, and it feels like the measurements for the motherboard tray seem ever so slightly off. Nanoxia's default fans are also obviously efficient, but because you have to push them to their fastest settings to get good thermal performance out of the case (great, even), that means there's very little room to grow without adding or changing fans. Finally, I'd like to see Nanoxia do a better job of matching the tone of the plastic fascia with the tone of the steel sides.
With all that said, while I was testing the DS1, I was expecting it to run $150 at the least due to the sheer weight and durability of the materials used, and at that price I felt it would've been competitive. It's feature rich (I'm particularly bullish on the integrated analog fan controller), mostly user friendly, and offers solid performance in a very comfortable acoustic envelope. When they told me they were looking at a substantially lower price range, my first thought was "well, that's an editor's choice award right there." Thermal and acoustic performance meet or beat every other silent enclosure I've tested, build quality is good, and features are generous.
BitFenix's Ghost and Fractal Design's Define R4 are both less expensive, but they don't perform as well either, and they're not as solid. Corsair's Obsidian 550D is more expensive and performs worse. The Deep Silence 1 could still use some refinement, but for the targeted price, it's going to be very tough for other manufacturers to beat. To me, that's Bronze Editor's Choice Award material. It doesn't quite live up to the hype, but it comes very close.
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kevith - Friday, March 8, 2013 - link
Lol! :)ShieTar - Tuesday, November 27, 2012 - link
If the case would be made in germany, the export-cost would be negligible as compared to the 500$ worth of salaries going into the production.Like basically everbody else, Nonoxia are producing in China.
Egg - Tuesday, November 27, 2012 - link
I agree. However, 109 euros is 140 dollars. Selling it for 109 dollars would actually make it cheaper in the US.Death666Angel - Tuesday, November 27, 2012 - link
As far as I know, MSRP for the US is usually without taxes (VAT). While in Germany all prices for consumers are with taxes included. It currently retails for 100€ which is 130 USD incl. taxes and 84€ excl. taxes which translates to 109 USD. Shipping costs will likely be similar from their manufacturer to the respective countries. So 110 to 120 USD sound very plausible, depending on how aggressive they want to pursue the US market.I personally haven't heard from them and I'm from Germany. :D
Grok42 - Thursday, November 29, 2012 - link
I deal with international pricing of our product and you would not believe how much more expensive products have to be in non-US countries because of the government policies. VAT is obviously the largest issue which is typically closer to ~20% and built into the price rather than ~8% in US which most don't even pay if they order on-line. The other biggest price factor is warranty. Germany requires a 2-year warranty while the US only requires a 30-day one. Most manufactures include more in the US and use it as a competitive feature. That isn't really possible in much of the EU and everyone seems to have agreed to price fix and charge a lot for it. We charge roughly 2x the price in the EU as we do in the US between VAT and Warranty. The import duties and shipping are almost the same so they aren't a factor.Dustin Sklavos - Tuesday, November 27, 2012 - link
You'll have to take my word on it. I spoke with them about their MSRP and what they were targeting.Azethoth - Friday, October 18, 2013 - link
Amazon price: $105.50Alexvrb - Wednesday, November 28, 2012 - link
Well, in the quiet case department... personally I'm looking to get an Antec Solo II. It's just about perfect. Reasonably priced, too, IMO.MyrddinE - Tuesday, November 27, 2012 - link
I'm still sporting a four year old Antec Sonata case. This might be my replacement. My needs are quiet and spacious, so (unlike Egg) I appreciate a full size Tower without a full size sound.crimson117 - Tuesday, November 27, 2012 - link
Antec Sonata III user here!Buzzing front panel audio when using USB, no room to work inside, no USB 3.0 front panel (as with any older case), and that stupid door are getting pretty old.
It runs well and fairly quiet, but it really heated up when I tried to use dual 6850's.
Nanoxia, bring this one to the USA!