The allure of wireless home theater systems is clearly beginning to draw consumers in, as data by ResearchandMarkets tells us the global wireless speaker market is anticipated to reach $65.65B by 2026 (it was at $8.93B in 2018). The hard-charging adoption of IoT technology is obviously playing a major role in this surge of interest. And wireless speakers have most certainly emerged as the fastest-growing product in the department of smart home technology.
While the wireless world on the tech front is moving quickly, it has moved a bit slower when it comes to wireless home theater sound systems. At the higher end, speakers are now receiving audio information from the receiver wirelessly. Some subwoofers also get their sound signal wirelessly from a paired soundbar. Lots of wonderful choices here; however, price tags can be well over $5,000.
On the slightly lower-priced end, around $1,000 give or take, we have a wider selection, with a few more wires to deal with, but these systems can pack a powerful audio punch – which brings us to the Enclave Audio CineHome II CineHub Edition. No AV receiver, no Wi-Fi and, perhaps best of all, no passwords. Add to this the fact that routing cables with a typical surround sound system always take a bit of the shine off of purchasing one as, depending on the room configuration, the setup never turns out quite like you hoped. Enter Enclave.
Out of the box with this system, you’re looking at the central piece being Enclave’s CineHub, the unit that essentially controls the system and the five additional speakers – two vertical towers and a center channel that handles the audio from the front, while two surprisingly solid satellite speakers fill the room with that surround sound experience you’re expecting.
Here’s where the wireless sell gets stretched a bit, as each one of the speakers needs to be plugged into power, but they do indeed speak wirelessly to the CineHub. Each of the speakers is clearly labeled with its suggested position. This works perfectly with compatible TVs, making it really easy to control audio levels.
The system is also WiSA certified, meaning a few cool things, chief among those is the high-quality signal that is sent to the speakers (24 bits at 48kHz/96kHz) with near-zero latency, and this also assures the speakers are always in sync with each other.
More important than the easy setup, and major reduction in wires, is the sound, and Enclave delivers big time in this department. Audio is clean and crisp, particularly from the two satellite speakers, as they truly produce that very full HD surround sound quality.
As the notion of listening to music over the TV continues to gain steam, the CineHub also lets you stream music from your phone, as Enclave includes a Bluetooth connection. Enclave also offers a very useful smartphone app, designed to allow you to control each individual speaker’s volume and levels/modes, along with offering firmware updates and answers to FAQs.
The bottom line here is that Enclave has come to market with high quality, and a very straightforward setup, with the CineHome II CineHub Edition, and the wireless technology works without a glitch.
BOX THIS:
THE GOOD: This is a solidly built, high-quality home theater sound system with speakers that are easy to handle and place in any room you choose. Setup is hassle-free and the HD-quality sound fills the room.
THE BAD: Not much, other than having to plug the speakers into outlets, as Enclave has crossed many T’s and dotted many I’s with this system.
THE PITCH: Believing in “honesty is the best policy,” we think it’s best to let buyers know that this “wireless system” does require each of the speakers to be plugged into the wall….with wires. However, you can also let them know that setup is a snap and sound quality is very solid, for roughly $1,100.
