One of the great things about today's hard drive enclosures is the sheer number of choices available. Do some shopping around and you'll quickly realize there's a solution for any storage requirement no matter how large or small. For those in search of a simple dual-bay JBOD enclosure, the I-Series ET-CSIU2-BK definitely fits the bill. It is compact, easy to use, affordable, and performs exactly as advertised. As long as you don't mind looking at a power LED that is bright enough to light up a small room, this enclosure will serve you well.
Even though the $35 price tag is pretty cheap for a dual-bay enclosure, nothing about the unit feels cheap. The aluminum construction is sturdy and there are even some extras included like a different colored front bezel and backup software. I appreciate it when companies include a little something extra, even if it's something relatively minor like a colored bezel. Of course, all necessary cabling is included with the enclosure too – all the user has to provide is SATA hard drives.
As I said, the power LED is very large and bright. It is bright enough to the point of being annoying when working in a dark room. If for some reason you sleep in the same room as your computer, be prepared to either turn off the enclosure or find a way to block the light coming from the LED.
I have also heard reports of the fan being excessively loud on this unit, but during my testing the fan was very quiet and didn't bother me in the least. However, as I continue to use this enclosure I will monitor the fan noise and report any changes on the forums.
Pros:
- Compact size
- Automatically configures a JBOD array
- Backup software included
- Interchangeable front bezel
- Affordable
Cons:
- Unnecessarily bright power LED
- No eSATA port
If you have any further questions about this product, please feel free to post them HERE.
