Akasa Elite S and Integral S 2.5″ Hard Drive Enclosures Review

1. Introduction2. Akasa Elite S Hard Drive Enclosure3. Akasa Integral S4. Akasa Card and Drive Reader5. Performance6. Closing Thoughts7. View All Pages

The Akasa Elite S is packaged within a substantial black cardboard box that is robust enough to withstand quite severe knocks and bumps.  The top of the box contains a plastic window which lets you see the attractive leather finish of the drive within.  Turning over the box reveals a detailed breakdown of the enclosure's features in a various languages.

Inside the box we find a USB DC power cable, a micro USB3.0 cable, a screwdriver and an installation guide.

It's clear that Akasa have designed the Elite S for those who appreciate stylish PC accessories as it is finished in leather.  This looks fantastic and should prove durable in the long run as it doesn't scratch or scuff easily and doesn't seem to pick up dirt easily.  The backbone of the enclosure is constructed from aluminum that should prevent the drive from being damaged within.  The two ends of the drive are also made from aluminum which is anodised black and brushed, which compliments the leather finish well.

The Elite S supports USB3.0 which should help to improve transfer speeds for users with compatible PCs.  The micro USB3.0 connector and 5V DC power connector are located on one end of the enclosure alongside a drive activity LED.  There are two screws on either side of these connections which must be removed in order to install a drive within.

After removing the bezel on the end of the drive, we must remove the PCB from inside the enclosure.  This isn't secured by any screws so it is a simple matter of pulling it out.  Once this has been removed, it can be slotted onto the hard drive's SATA connector and be inserted back into the enclosure with the hard drive.  There are no screws required to fix the PCB to the hard drive as the whole lot are forced together when the bezel is reattached.

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