Today’s best TVs and gaming monitors are brilliant things, with eye-popping colours, amazing contrast and super-speedy response times. So it’s a shame that even the most expensive ones rarely sound as good as they look. The reason? Those slim cases aren’t roomy enough for the kind of speakers that make your room go boom or that put you right in the middle of the on-screen action. You're missing out on tons of fun if you haven’t heard your favourite movies or games on a Creative soundbar.
Creative’s soundbars are designed to be compact and space-saving, so they’ll look good in any room – but don’t let their diminutive dimensions fool you. These soundbars contain multiple drivers and amplifiers to deliver incredible audio, whether that’s for a desktop gaming rig or a whole home cinema setup.
A new kind of soundbar for incredible audio
The flagship takes soundbars to a whole new level. It’s the first of its kind, a Dolby Atmos Speaker System (DASS) developed with Dolby Labs to push the aural boundaries of what compact soundbars can deliver. Its DSP-controlled amplifier controls seven individually tuned drivers to deliver exceptional sound in every frequency band, and it supports all the latest high-end audio technologies including Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus and Creative’s SuperWide.
As if that wasn’t impressive enough, it’s also the world’s first soundbar with award-winning Super X-Fi technology to deliver a Dolby Atmos-style experience on headphones: great for cranking up the volume for a late-night gaming session or box set binge without upsetting the neighbours. The Creative SXFI THEATER, wireless headphones which are perfect for lounging from the sofa for such sessions, comes free with the SXFI carrier.
Connectivity-wise, it’s well-endowed. With two 8K compatible HDMI 2.1 inputs, HDR10, HDR10+ passthrough, Dolby Vision compatibility, and a HDMI eARC port for lossless audio transmission, the SXFI CARRIER is simply future-proofed and ready for the newest TVs.
Your favourite games just got better
The Creative Sound Blaster Katana V2 may well be the best gaming soundbar on the planet. Its sleek design is a perfect fit for desktop PCs and consoles too, and it’s powered by Creative’s legendary Sound Blaster tech and Super X-Fi for incredible immersion and cinematic audio – including on headphones when it’s too late to crank up the speakers.
Creative’s award-winning Xamp tri-amplification technology uses a proprietary DSP to drive the drivers, tweeters and subwoofer drivers individually, delivering a strong, exciting performance that doesn’t skimp on the all-important detail – detail which, in many games, is literally a matter of life and death. This generation is the most exciting yet, with upgraded 3/4” fabric down tweeters for even clearer highs and a larger subwoofer driver for subterranean bass. And that audio power is available for movies and music as well as games thanks to the built-in Dolby Audio decoder and multiple connectivity options including HDMI ARC, optical, USB-C audio and Bluetooth audio.
It looks pretty amazing too, thanks to gaming-inspired RGB lighting with custom profiles and illumination modes that can pick and choose from 16 million colours. And you can even use the Katana V2 for calls and voice chat thanks to its twin beam-forming microphones.
Exclusive for TechRadar readers – enjoy 10% off the Katana V2 with this promo code KATANAV2TR (valid till 31 July 2023, for the UK only).
Serious bang for not many bucks
UCreative hasn’t forgotten about buyers on a budget. The Creative Stage Air V2 is an incredibly affordable, lightweight soundbar that’s ideal for desktops and laptops – and you can also use it as a wireless speaker thanks to its built-in Bluetooth and six-hour battery life.
There’s also the superb Creative Stage 360, widely regarded as one of the best affordable soundbars to deliver Dolby Atmos surround sound. It’s a 2.1 soundbar that delivers a 5.1.2 experience thanks to its custom-tuned racetrack drivers, long-throw subwoofer and a choice of near- and far-field listening modes for desktop or living room use. And with 240W of power, it’ll happily fill any room with incredible Dolby Atmos sound.
Exclusive for TechRadar readers – enjoy £15 off the Stage Air V2 with this promo code STAGEAIRV2TR (valid till 30 April 2023, for the UK only)
Exclusive for TechRadar readers – enjoy £30 off the Stage 360 with this promo code STAGE360TR (valid till 30 April 2023, for the UK only)
Upgrade your ears with Creative soundbars
Creative’s soundbars offer the best of both worlds: the precision and power of dedicated speaker systems without the need to find room for multiple speakers and the cables to connect them. That makes them ideal for any setup from dedicated gaming rigs to the most luxurious living rooms – and for any device from your PC and phone to your big TV, PS5 or Xbox Series X.
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Click here to find out more about Creative’s incredible soundbars for movies, music, gaming and more.
