External Examination (continued):

The bottom of the case is of interest for two reasons. First I found it odd that the bottom was painted, as I can't think of any other tower cases that I have used where it wasn't the color of bare metal. The more important feature on the bottom is that Quiet PC has pre-installed a set of Acousti Products AcoustiFeet (found on this page at Quiet PC USA). These ultra soft silicone feet help reduce noise by isolating the case from the floor/desk, which greatly reduces noise from vibration.


Internal Inspection:

With the case opened for the first time, some users may think there is an excess of packing material inside the AcoustiCase 340. While the bags of air are there to keep the box of accessories in place, all of the dark gray foam blocks are part of the case's design.


There are four 5.25" bays (all externally accessible and seven 3.5" bays (two externally accessible and five integrated into a removable drive cage). While you can obviously use all of these locations for installing drives, the blocks of foam are provided to fill unused bays in order to absorb sound. Each block is made from high density, non-shedding foam described by Quiet PC as being "made from the highest quality professional studio-grade materials". We'll take a closer look at the use of these blocks later in the review, but just don't toss them when you first open the case!


Another sound dampening feature is that the inner surfaces of most of the case are covered in AcoustiPack. This is a self adhesive acoustical foam that can be bought separately from Quiet PC for use on most cases, but it has been pre-installed on both of the AcoustiCase 340's side panels, as well as the inner surfaces on the bottom, top, and back of the case. The review conducted on AcoustiPack over three years ago convinced me that it could really make a difference, and with such a thorough installation on this case, I am assume it will work even better.