Since the beginning of the pandemic, I’ve really missed movie theaters. I’m someone that absolutely prefers going to a theater to see a new movie, rather than seeing it at home. That’s thanks in large part to the expansive, room-filling audio. But surround sound systems for the home are getting better too — and the Enclave CineHome Pro is a perfect example of that.
The CineHome Pro is a 5.1 wireless surround sound system that offers full-fledged surround sound in a well-designed and easy-to-use package. Indeed, because it’s wireless, there’s very little to actually set up. But at the end of the day, should you spend almost $1,600 on the system? I’ve been using it for a while now to find out.
Enclave CineHome Pro design
One of the best things about the Enclave CineHome Pro is its design. It’s sleek, stylish, and does away with users having to run wires throughout their living room.
The system essentially exists in seven parts. There’s a center speaker, along with two front left and right speakers. Then there are the two rear speakers and the subwoofer. In other words, this is a 5.1 system with a separate speaker for each individual channel. That’s distinctly different from some systems, which wrap three channels into a soundbar. Lastly, there’s a hub that ties everything together, called the CineHub.
Everything is made from strong black metal and plastic, and while the relatively large speakers won’t necessarily blend into their environments, they will look good wherever you place them. That’s true of the hub too — which is just another black box that you’ll place on your TV or entertainment center.
Everything being a little oversized is particularly characterized by the subwoofer, which is huge. You’ll need to think about exactly where you want the subwoofer considering its size. It’s a little tricky to find somewhere to hide it, but again, that will depend on your room.
There’s also the remote to consider, though ultimately I didn’t really use the remote. The remote lets you switch inputs, control volume, mute the system, and so on. It’s easy to use, and looks great.
Generally, I really like the way that the CineHome Pro is designed. It definitely looks premium — not cheap — and if you can find the space for it, it should fit in well.
Enclave CineHome Pro setup
Setting up the CineHome Pro is an absolute breeze. That’s partly the whole point of this system — it would be frustrating if a wireless system was tricky to set up. But it’s still good to see.
To set the system up, you’ll start by placing the hub on your TV stand, and connecting it to your TV. You have a few options for this, but the best option is to use HDMI ARC or eARC from your TV to the system. Alternatively, you can use an optical connection or a 3.5mm connection. The system also supports Bluetooth, however that’s more for sporadic use.
Once the Enclave CineHome Pro’s hub is set up, you’ll simply plug each speaker into a power outlet. You might realize that there are still some wires here — power cables. And, with six speakers, it can be tricky to find enough power outlets. You might have to run extension cables through your home, but that should be easier than running speaker cables, assuming you have some power outlets throughout the home. The hub should automatically connect to the speakers once everything is powered on.
Once everything is physically set up, you’ll want to download the app and connect to your system. The app connects to your system through Bluetooth, not Wi-Fi — so you’ll have to be nearby for it to connect properly. The app allows you to make a number of tweaks that you might want to make. For example, you can set the distance of the front and rear speakers, and adjust the volume of individual speakers to best suit your setup. It works decently well.
The app in general is fine. It’s pretty boring in terms of its design, and a little hard to navigate at times. This is no Sonos app, folks. But it does its job, which is to allow you to tweak settings every now and then, as needed.
Unfortunately, the app connects through Bluetooth, not Wi-Fi. The result is that this system doesn’t support tech like Apple’s AirPlay and Google Cast. That’s a bit of a bummer — though features would have really brought the system to the next level.
Enclave CineHome Pro sound
Easily the best thing about the Enclave CineHome Pro is its sound. It sounds awesome. The system is made up of 14 custom-designed drivers and a 10-inch subwoofer, and it eas easily able to fill up my living room with expansive, well-tuned audio. Seriously folks, if you’re interested in a cinematic experience, you’ll love the Enclave CineHome Pro.
The system, in general, delivers rich, deep bass that can seriously rumble a room, when needed. And, coupled with that, you’ll get detailed and crisp audio in the high-end. It’s not a completely flat sound, but it’s generally more natural than others, which is what I prefer.
The CineHome Pro supports THX, so if you watch THX-supported content, you’ll get an incredibly immersive experience. I couldn’t help but wish it went a step further though — Dolby Atmos support would have been particularly useful, and would have made the system even more immersive. After all, some similarly-priced systems, like the Focal SIB Evo, support Dolby Atmos.
Conclusions
The Enclave CineHome Pro is an excellent option for those looking for a wireless surround sound system. It offers detailed audio, a super easy setup process, and so on. But the system isn’t cheap, and at this price it’s missing some features. I would have really liked to see AirPlay and Google Cast support, as well as support for Dolby Atmos. The $800 Sonos Arc supports Atmos, along with AirPlay and Google Cast, plus a built-in voice assistant. Theoretically, you could build a surround system with a Sonos Arc and a few Sonos One speakers, though that would get quite expensive.
Still, if you like the idea of a surround system, and really just want it for watching movies anyway, this is a great option.
The competition
As mentioned, products like the Sonos Arc offer more smart features for less money — though you won’t get a surround experience. Alternatively, systems like the Focal SIB Evo add Dolby Atmos, but aren’t wireless. If you’re looking for a wireless surround system, you can’t do much better than the Enclave CineHome Pro.
Should I buy the Enclave CineHome Pro?
Yes, but only if you don’t care about missing features like Dolby Atmos, AirPlay, and Google Cast.
