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Yesterday, Creative announced the Stage SE soundbar, which is designed to be small enough to fit under a monitor. It is on the affordable end of the spectrum, priced at just £70. Only the Creative Stage Air V2 is cheaper.
Looking at the specification and price, it seems like a bit of an odd fit. The Creative Stage is just £10 and almost the same price if you look on Amazon. The Creative Stage V2 is £30 more.
The Creative Stage appears to be a superior buy. It is a 2.1 speaker system and has more powerful drivers of 20W vs 12W, then the subwoofer provides an additional 40W. This gives you a total power output of 80W vs 24W. The subwoofer should make a big difference with your overall experience.
The main issue with the Creative Stage is that it lacks a USB input, so you have to use HDMI ARC, optical input or Aux-in. For a 2.1 soundbar, the only difference in performance between optical and USB input will be the quality of the DAC on your motherboard or the DAC on the soundbar.
The Creative Stage V2 adds in a USB input. It has the same power output, but the soundbar is larger and heavier. The subwoofer appears to be identical.
Personally, I’d buy the Creative Stage over the Creative Stage SE as it seems to offer better value for money overall, but the SE may be appealing if you don’t want or have the space for a subwoofer.
Announcement
Yesterday, Creative announced the Stage SE, the latest under-monitor soundbar that is designed to amp up the user’s desktop audio experience. Despite its compact size, the Creative Stage SE packs a powerful audio punch with custom-tuned racetrack drivers and Sound Blaster technology to deliver a clearer and more immersive audio experience. This soundbar is also simple to set up and powers up easily via a power adapter; it also offers both USB digital audio and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity. Together with convenient controls and tone adjustments, the Creative Stage SE sets the Stage for an elevated movie, music, and gaming experience for PC users.
Creative Stage SE offers clearer, louder, and punchier audio in a smaller form factor.
Fitted with powerful full-range racetrack drivers and oversized radiators, the Creative Stage SE is able to deliver clearer and punchier audio, even without a subwoofer. With a total peak power of 48W, this soundbar surpasses the audio performance of any default PC built-in speakers to offer a better listening experience for users. The Creative Stage SE also features Sound Blaster audio technologies such as Clear Dialog and Surround Sound, which offer users
clearer dialogue even amidst jam-packed scenes and a cinema-like audio experience with a widened sound stage.
On top of that, the Creative Stage SE also allows users to switch between warmer and brighter audio reproduction with the latest tone adjustment feature. Now users can tune and adjust tone neutrality to their liking with a simple press of a button.
Lastly, for a seamless listening experience, the Creative Stage SE features a simple plug-and-play setup that supports both USB digital audio and Bluetooth connectivity. Furthermore, the soundbar includes an integrated volume control knob conveniently located on the side for users to make quick sound adjustments on the fly, as well as a remote control to toggle a variety of features such as tone adjustments, surround sound, and clear dialogue mode selections.
Originally posted on mightygadget.com – Follow on Twitter – Instagram – Facebook – Mighty Gadget Latest Reviews
I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.
As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.
In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.
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