Best value Soundbar and Subwoofer combo – Creative Stage V2 Review

Creative Stage V2 Review – Some people feel content watching movies with built-in TV speakers but if you don’t, a good soundbar can make a huge difference. But if you are living in an apartment or have a smaller bedroom TV, you might not want to grab that big, premium soundbar due to the limited amount of space. Or maybe you just don’t want to spend that much.

Creative Stage V2 is that perfect, compact soundbar and subwoofer combo with great value that you’ll love. It’s a big upgrade in the sound department without the premium price.

Creative Stage V2 Review – Packaging Contents

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Creative Stage V2 Review – Design & Features

Creative Stage V2 consists of a soundbar and a subwoofer (2.1 sound system). They are compact enough that you can actually use them for your desktop PC if you like, but it’s definitely designed to be hooked to a TV (big or small).

The soundbar comes with multiple connectivity options: HDMI (ARC), Optical, USB, Bluetooth 5.0, and AUX-in. These variety of options allow you to connect pretty much anything you might have at home, from gaming consoles to wireless devices. And when you are not watching TV, you can still use it for music listening through your phone.

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It’s completely mountable on the wall which will look really good if your TV is already mounted on the wall to maintain that minimalist and clean setup. We don’t mount our TV on the wall though and unfortunately, the soundbar blocks the IR signal so I can’t use my TV remote anymore at the signal can’t get through.

If you hook your TV to a smart display like Apple TV though, you probably wouldn’t need to worry about this problem. You can also grab an IR extender if you still really need to use that TV remote.

The subwoofer is slim and tall, and doesn’t take up much space either (width wise). Obviously, you can’t expect a subwoofer of this size to deliver heavy, thumping bass like my AudioEngine S8 Subwoofer, but your ears can definitely hear the upgrade. It, however, also depends on how far you are sitting from the subwoofer.

While I’ve cranked the subwoofer volume to the max with the included remote, I feel that I’m still longing for that deeper, heavier thump from the subwoofer. I also can’t move the subwoofer next to my bed as the included cable from the soundbar to the subwoofer is rather short.

Speaking of remote, you can use the remote to control many features of the Creative Stage V2 such as Surround and a Clear Dialog mode that will boost the frequency of vocals a bit more. The difference is not night and day, but I really appreciate that Creative has added this in as we watch MasterChef Australia 2021 episodes.

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Overall, I love how clean the sound coming from the soundbar & subwoofer combo and it’s good enough to fill our bedroom even at lower volume. Sure, it’s nowhere in comparison to our living room TV which is hooked with the Focal Chora 806 speakers (A$1,299) and AudioEngine S8 Subwoofer (A$499) but at the price of just A$199.95, you cannot ask for more.

Creative Stage V2 2.1 Soundbar and Subwoofer Review Conclusion

Creative Stage V2 is a great value for what it offers and should be on the top of your list if you are looking for a small upgrade to your movie watching experience. It’s not expensive, has a minimalist and clean design, compact in size, offers multiple connectivity which includes Bluetooth 5.0, and Creative’s clean and bright sound signature!

It’s a perfect soundbar & subwoofer combo on any TV, and great to fill smaller-sized rooms like your study area or a Master bedroom. And if you like, you can also hook it up to your PC or gaming consoles.

Creative Stage V2 retails for just A$199.95 and available to purchase now at Creative website.

Disclosure: Creative Stage V2 review sample was supplied for reviewing