Infinity Entra Point Five HTS

CNET editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 3.5 stars Very good
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 7.0 (3.5 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Steve Guttenberg
• Reviewed on: 09/29/2002

Infinity's highest-end speaker, the Prelude MTS, was introduced a few years ago to rave reviews in all of the audiophile and home-theater magazines. That speaker boasted cutting-edge components and radical design innovations befitting its $8,000 price tag. Incredibly enough, Infinity invested a large helping of that high-tech magic on its newest and most affordable home-theater speaker package, the Entra Point Five HTS. The family resemblance was evident in our listening tests.Infinity's highest-end speaker, the Prelude MTS, was introduced a few years ago to rave reviews in all of the audiophile and home-theater magazines. That speaker boasted cutting-edge components and radical design innovations befitting its $8,000 price tag. Incredibly enough, Infinity invested a large helping of that high-tech magic on its newest and most affordable home-theater speaker package, the Entra Point Five HTS. The family resemblance was evident in our listening tests.

Point by point
Infinity's trickle-down technology was first apparent when we popped off the speakers' grilles. The four Point Five sats, the Entra Center, and the Entra Sub are outfitted with Infinity's amazing ceramic-metal-matrix-diaphragm (CMMD) drivers, just like their upmarket brothers. These pewter-colored drivers are ultrarigid--many times stiffer than conventional paper, plastic, or metal drivers--and deliver low-distortion sound. The sats and center speaker are equipped with 4-inch woofers and 0.75-inch tweeters.

This Entra's look is understated, though closer inspection reveals subtly curved and chamfered front baffles. The black, vinyl-wrapped cabinetry feels unusually solid, and the sats incorporate keyhole slots for easy wall mounting. The center speaker has a rear-mounted port, so hanging it on a wall would have a detrimental effect on its performance; it's better to leave it atop your TV.

The Entra Sub is fairly large--15 by 14 by 17 inches--and like the center speaker, it needs a little breathing room to sound its best. The front-mounted, 10-inch, CMMD woofer is coupled to a 150-watt amp. Connectivity options are routine, though we were happy to see that Infinity included a direct line-level input that bypasses the 50Hz to 150Hz low-pass crossover. This direct connection makes it easy to smooth out the sub/sat blend when the kit is connected to a 5.1 receiver. We wish that more subs had this feature.

Pointed performance
The Entra Point Five system can deliver both home-theater and music satisfaction. We rocked out with Ryan Adams's first solo CD, Heartbreaker, had a swinging good time through Duke Ellington's classic, Blues in Orbit, and were amazed by Glenn Gould's virtuosity on Bach's Goldberg Variations. So yes, this is a music lover's home-theater package. The 7-inch-tall sats are incredible performers. Continue reading

Compare prices for Infinity Entra Point Five HTS

This product is currently not in stock at any of our online merchants.

Email me when this product is available

Recent user reviews

• Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 7 reviews
• My rating: 0 stars Write review

• Showing 3 of 7 user reviews

• 4.0 stars

  "Great bass, clear highs"

  on November 13, 2003

• 5.0 stars

  "great sound unbelievable for the size and price bought on ebay stores direct from harman kardon $400"

  on November 11, 2003

• 4.0 stars

  "Excellent sound!"

  on March 7, 2003

• See all 7 user reviews Write review