Zalman Noiseless Case Review

David Stellmack's Jan 15 review of the TNN 500A from Zalman was very informative and interesting. Unfortunately, I believe he missed the point on a couple MINOR areas.

1. David writes, "The case only offered 2 USB 2.0 ports in the front and of course these are hidden behind the door so one has to open the case to access them. Considering the cost of the TNN 500A, this is an unacceptable arrangement."

What's unacceptable about that? This case is meant to hide discretely in a Home Theater configuration 99% of the time. I would not expect anyone to leave USB cables hanging out the front. Hiding them behind a door is the correct solution, IMHO.

2. David writes, "It would be nice to see Zalman use some fancier graphics or a paint stripe or two to dress up the TNN 500A, or perhaps something to call attention to the fact that it is a noiseless solution. The TNN 500A's look is acceptable, but not stellar."

Again, this system is meant to hide discreetly in an HT environment. The only thing I want to see when watching video is the screen.

Considering a "modest" HT system can easily cost in excess of $10,000, I believe the intent of Zalman was to create a box that, when integrated into a HT system, would complement the setup and not detract from the sound and sights of the movie. And I believe they have done that. Yes, it is very pricy but I expect that will come down soon (I hope).