The soundbar comes in two parts - the 2.1 audio soundbar itself and a cable-connected long-throw, tower-sized subwoofer. The soundbar is a sleek 26.8” long unit and connects to power, and then to your TV, PC, or whatever else you wish to emit sound from. Connectivity options include Bluetooth 5.0, TV ARC, HDMI, optical audio, USB, and a 3.5mm audio jack. So, you can use it with multiple devices as you wish. A 3.5mm cable is provided in the box, but you will need to supply your own HDMI or optical cable.
The soundbar has controls on the side, but you can also use remote control. A 2xAAA-powered remote control is included, though it also works perfectly fine with universal remotes like the Logitech Harmony range.
Audio enhancement options include virtual surround sound, clear dialog, and five levels each of bass and treble amplifications. The clear dialog feature can extract vocals and spoken dialogues in movies and games, to intelligently enhance and amplify the words spoken. If you find yourself complaining about movies where the actors whisper but all dialogue is punctuated between huge explosions, then this feature is definitely for you!
The soundbar can be placed directly below your TV or PC, or it can be mounted on the wall with two screws 560mm separate from each other.
The soundbar has powerful custom-tuned mid-range drivers with a side-firing subwoofer. It has a peak power of 160W, has a frequency range of 55 to 20,000 Hz, and an SNR ≥ 75 dB. The Bluetooth 5.0 connection has a range of 10 metres.
I could talk about features for a long time, but the way to really know how it performs is to hear it. For me, my TV speakers sounded tinny and puny after the rich, immersive, room-filling audio and clarity of the Creative Stage V2 soundbar.
In fact, you can hear it compared to Panasonic plasma TV speakers for yourself below, albeit tempered by the microphone on my recording device. You can buy it for $199.95 with free shipping, and at that price, it’s a surprisingly affordable yet incredible upgrade for your ears.
