Review - Creative Stage V2: Impressive quality; value for money in the segment

Popular audio brand, Creative, in December 2020, launched a product much different than the previously launched soundbars. While the ones launched in the market are smaller in size, the Creative Stage V2 is fairly bigger than most available from the same brand.

The newly launched audio product is 68 cm in width and comes with several features which improve connectivity with several devices. The sturdy body is all-black with the logo on the left corner and looks elegant when placed under the television or monitors.

Ports are designed on the back, sideways, in a way that helps the wires stay intact. The power, volume and Bluetooth options are on the right side of the bar, integrated with the designed, to look seamless. The front of the soundbar has the logo on the left end and a small, yet visible LED display.

The soundbar is accompanied by a slim subwoofer to enhance the experience, which comes with a wire – to be connected with the bar. This part of the product is 12 cm in width, with a fairly long wire that could connect with the bar even when mounted on the wall. Besides this, the package comes with remote control and additional wires.

Creative Stage V2 offers several options to connect the product with your device. One can choose to connect it with the TV or phone or other devices using aux, Bluetooth, USB, optical ports or HDMI. However, connectivity using the pen drive is not possible. The remote control functionality adds to the experience. It is designed in a simple manner, to control all audio offerings including power, track changes, volume, surround, treble and dialogue; the latter with five levels each. But the drawback to the product is the sole accessibility using remote, as the product cannot be used without this.

Key observations about the audio experience:

• Sound quality is above average, and better when the HDMI option is used. The volume was the best at 70 per cent when played in an average-sized room, and increasing the volume there would hamper the experience.
• Treble and surround needs to be adjusted individually for added experience, and this enhances the audio
• When connected with Bluetooth, you will have to adjust two levels of audio control – one using the remote and the other on phone.
• The surround and dialog options help in improving the speech audio quality, making it clear, and this has been made possible using the ‘Sound Blaster’ technology from creative.
• However, the drawback is about wanting a single formula that enhances the experience both while listening to the songs or watching a film, but sadly there is none. So experimenting with these options for individual needs is the only way.
• The quality of dialogues in the ‘dialog’ mode is impressive, as it offers significant clarity

On the price front, Creative Stage V2 was initially priced at INR 9,999 with a warranty for a year, and this was then expected to increase to INR 17,999. While the introductory offer seems attractive, the latter would make it difficult for the buyers to choose from, as the stiff pricing could offer more options to buyers.

However, if the makers continue pricing this at INR 9,999, buyers would be attracted to the product, as it offers an impressive outcome. In comparison to others, Creative Stage V2 is value for money in this segment and recommended.