Conclusion
Craig's review gave you the inside track on a Wave Master, my review simply serves to let you gawp at the black version and give you my own views on it.I've been pining after a quality aluminium chassis with a door for my ugly beige opticals, that's aesthetically pleasing to the eye (to my own tastes of course) and that doesn't break the bank. I think the Wave Master fits the bill for me. At £140 including horrible VAT in the UK, from Scan International, it's not the cheapest aluminium you can buy but it's definitely the most stylish.
It has its downsides. Lack of drive rails for external optical devices, hard to route fan connectors, a stubborn motherboard tray guide rail and the material's inherant ability to pick up grubby fingerprints are all things to consider when choosing the Wave Master. But the upsides should definitely put it on any shortlist of cases you're considering.
The only reason I can see for someone choosing something else is the aesthetic. You'll either love it or you won't. For understated style, Cooler Master's own Black Widow is another to consider, for less money than a Wave Master too.
The size of the chassis makes it hard to tidy up an octopus impersonator like the Tagan PSU used for the end system build, the picture above is proof of that. But if you want something a little different and the plus points of the design and implementation are appealing, pick one up. I'll be replacing the sample with my own as soon as it has to go back, I can't give it a higher recommendation than that.
Highly recommended.
Score
Pros
LightweightExcellent looks
Quiet fans
Good expansion
Tool free entry and maintenance
Top fan conversion and expansion ports
Blue LEDs (I hate to say it, it's a cliché these days, but they are good looking)
Cons
Not the cheapest black aluminium that Cooler Master doAntec's Sonata exists and does some things better
No drive rails for external 5.25" drives
Thanks
Scan International for the sample.Additional pictures
Optical drives installed (~11KB)Tape used to hold the top lid in place (~24KB)
Power button and HDD LED (~11KB)
Wave Master logo (~10KB)
Motherboard tray alternate shot (~23KB)
