As much as we love all the bells and whistles and fancy features that come with a big soundbar or speaker system, often they’re just not practical.
No matter the soundbar’s quality, you’ll have to take into account the available space, the screen size, and the positioning of any extra speakers. Luckily, we have found the perfect solution for those looking for a desktop or a small space: the Creative Stage Pro, which is now reduced to £90 at Amazon.
With a main soundbar that measures just 8 x 55 x 11cm (hwd) and a slender subwoofer that comes in at 42 x 12 x 27cm, this is a highly versatile soundbar package that can be neatly tucked onto and under a PC desk, or slot into even the smallest of rooms.
Don’t let the diminutive stature fool you, however – the sound is far more cinematic than we expected at this price.
Computer accessory brand Creative has ditched most fancy features in a straightforward attempt to improve sound, and we think that was a smart move.
As our Creative Stage Pro review reads: “Starting with the 4K Blu-ray of Blade Runner 2049 via our Oppo UDP-203 disc player, we find that the Stage Pro delivers a surprisingly cinematic sound despite its small footprint.
“The challenging bass section towards the start of chapter two is handled with surprising oomph, and while it isn’t the most defined bass that we’ve ever experienced, it remains controlled, tonally balanced and, most importantly, doesn’t distort even at higher volumes.”
The soundbar is an equally pleasant midrange surprise – voices are presented with impressive detail and emotion, while it excels with music too thanks to a pin-sharp sense of timing and impressively clean vocals.
The biggest drawback of the Stage Pro is scale – it struggled to push the sound out to fill our test room fully. But if you have a small room, this ’bar will make an excellent upgrade for your TV speakers, especially at this price point.
The simplicity extends to the set-up process too. A single cable links the soundbar and subwoofer, while the two can be connected easily to your TV or monitor via HDMI ARC or optical cable. There are USB Type-C and 3.5mm auxiliary inputs also, along with support for Bluetooth 5.3.
Given the Creative Stage Pro’s size and price, our expectations were admittedly low going into testing. But we were quickly swayed when we heard the soundbar package in action. For £90 at Amazon, it’s cheap, cheerful, and better than it has any right to be – and it’s our compact soundbar of choice.
MORE:
Read our full Creative Stage Pro review
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