There is no denying it. The Nanoxia Deep Silence 1 is gunning straight for the Fractal Design R4. It shares quite a few elements with that successful case, but does take things a bit further.
First, there is the aspect of price: the Deep Silence 1 costs 15 Euros more than the Define R4. But what does that extra money buy you? Three instead of two fans, a better fan controller, and the ability to install an external 3.5" device right out of the box. Thus, from a price point, the Deep Silence 1, albeit a bit more expensive, offers a bit more, which results in a similar price/performance ratio.
That leaves feature set and implementation. The Deep Silence 1 does, in this regard, offer functionality that is a tick more elaborate, which results in more flexibility because of the "Air Chimney", its extremely flexible trio of hard-drive cages, and the dual channel fan controller. The Deep Silence 1 trumps the Define R4 in these areas, but falls somewhat short in the tool-less lock department. While the DS1 offers plastic locks, they are, essentially, not strong enough, pressuring the user into using traditional screws as well. The R4, on the other hand, goes for thumbscrews right out of the box.
It is, even with aspects that are completely different between the Deep Silence 1 and R4, a close call. The Deep Silence 1 scores with two doors, which swing open in the right direction, while the R4 fires back with eight expansion slots and better sound dampening materials. What really sets the Nanoxia Deep Silent 1 apart from the competition is its water cooling compatibility. With multiple sets of mounting holes in the ceiling, one can easily install a radiator of their choice within the chassis and still use the Air Chimney design to combine air flow with as much sound encapsulation as possible. So, ultimately, the Deep Silence 1 is an excellent first chassis from Nanoxia that has a few surprises up its sleeve - well done!