Zalman HD160 Home Theatre Case

eclipz · **1st April 2008, 11:48 AM**

Can any one give me some feedback regarding this case. have heard good and bad things. most seem to be good though. can any one confirm what the volume like knob acts as?

audiophile · **1st April 2008, 12:35 PM**

i got mine last night, however due to not all parts being available have only installed the power supply.

quality finish, and you notice the little things in the case to stop vibration and noise reduction.

philzgr8 · **1st April 2008, 01:17 PM**

I can tell you I have been using this case for quite a while and generally I am very happy with it. The quality of finish is first class and it does the job I want it to do.

That said, I would make a few negative observations though:

Firstly I have no need of the volume knob so I have never tried to use it. As far as I'm concerned it's as useful as a flywire door on a submarine.

Secondly, and I think this probably applies to most VFD's, if you could buy this machine a bit cheaper without the VFD you would do well as it is unreadable from more than a few feet away as are most VFD's. To my way of thinking it's not worth having but it does add to the appearance of the case and its ability to look like it fits in with your HiFi equipment and that is also true of the volume knob.

Lastly I think configuring the IRTrans Receiver to manage mouse movement with a Media Centre Keyboard (if you have one) can be a bit problematic from memory but given that I have it disabled and just use the Microsoft receiver it isn't an issue to me. I personally found that the machine was so low that I would have trouble with line of sight from where I was sitting and so using the MS receiver was more appropriate.

In the end I would say that this is a great case but if you are specifically looking for a functional VFD and or you want to use a MCE keyboard with the IRTrans receiver then you may be disappointed. In all other respects I'd suggest its as good as anything on the market.

eclipz · **1st April 2008, 02:36 PM**

managed to find 2 alternative cases which are not as pricey as the Zalman. The Lian Li PC-C32A Case which has the power supply located in a more convenient location and the SilverStone LC17 Silver.

The Lianli does have a 5.25" to 3.5" bay adapter which could be useful for mounting an IR device.

philzgr8 · **1st April 2008, 03:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by eclipz

managed to find 2 alternative cases which are not as pricey as the Zalman. The Lian Li PC-C32A Case which has the power supply located in a more convenient location and the SilverStone LC17 Silver.

The Lianli does have a 5.25" to 3.5" bay adapter which could be useful for mounting an IR device.

You will find plenty of people around here who will recommend the Silverstone. I can't speak about the Lian Li.

aanda6 · **1st April 2008, 04:31 PM**

the thian li case that you mentioned is actually a rack mount case. Perhaps this one is more appropriate for your needs. LIAN LI PC-C30

Damoo · **2nd April 2008, 06:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by philzgr8

You will find plenty of people around here who will recommend the Silverstone. I can't speak about the Lian Li.

Are the fans that come with it noisy? The Thermaltake Tenor i have now is a nightmare, i hate it.

eclipz · **2nd April 2008, 06:31 PM**

not to sure. i physically haven't heard them however they are rated between 18db and 21db so not to bad. I'll probably end up replacing them with noctua or scythe fans any wayz.

Paul Mathews · **23rd June 2009, 02:21 AM**

Can some one tell me what kind of remote the aussie version of the ZALMAN HD160 comes with.

If you can supply a picture what would be nice.

I really need to replace my Craptastic Antec Overture 2 case.

Thanks.

philzgr8 · **23rd June 2009, 10:35 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Mathews

Can some one tell me what kind of remote the aussie version of the ZALMAN HD160 comes with.

If you can supply a picture what would be nice.

I really need to replace my Craptastic Antec Overture 2 case.

Thanks.

From my recollection it doesn't come with one but is compliant with the standard MCE one which in turn is compliant with Logitech Harmony remotes.

audiophile · **26th June 2009, 10:47 AM**

it does come with a remote.

The remote is similar to the microsoft remote that comes with the USB transceiver.
The only difference the zalman one isnt programmable.

philzgr8 · **26th June 2009, 02:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by audiophile

it does come with a remote.

The remote is similar to the microsoft remote that comes with the USB transceiver.
The only difference the zalman one isnt programmable.

Thanks for the correction. I bought mine so long ago I just couldn't remember.