Creative Sound Blaster Katana SE Soundbar Review – RGB soundbar with USB and HDMI Arc connectivity

Inventive introduced the Sound Blaster Katana SE in June, which sits between the Katana V2 and V2X in pricing. In contrast to the opposite Katana soundbars, Inventive have condensed all of the audio system into the soundbar itself, omitting the necessity for a devoted subwoofer and growing the driving force measurement and energy to permit this soundbar to realize spectacular bass ranges.

I’m a giant believer in utilizing a devoted subwoofer for audio; my 50 kg Monoprice Monolith V2 is a testomony to that, however subwoofers are massive and ugly, and they are often inconvenient to make use of in confined areas. This soundbar goals to be the proper different.  

Inventive Sound Blaster Katana SE vs Katana V2X vs Katana V2 Specification

The Inventive Sound Blaster Katana SE is an all-in-one audio resolution that comes with a myriad of options. It boasts an influence output of 90W RMS, with every tweeter able to delivering 20W RMS and the mid-bass drivers dealing with 25W RMS every. It’s outfitted with an HDMI ARC port, a Toslink optical-in, a 3.5mm AUX-in, and a USB-C enter. Moreover, it helps Bluetooth 5.0 and comes with a built-in SXFI-out for Tremendous X-FI holographic audio capabilities.

Inventive then has two different soundbars priced simply above and under this. The large distinction is that these each have subwoofers, which can be off-putting in the event you don’t have room for a giant black field in your ground.

On account of this distinction, the Sound Blaster Katana SE is a bodily bigger soundbar. It matches the ability output of the Katana V2X, and it does this through the use of a lot bigger mid-range drivers and tweeters.

Design / Options

The Inventive Sound Blaster Katana SE boasts a modern and fashionable design. Its compact dimensions make it match for restricted areas, and its understated aesthetic permits it to mix seamlessly with any room decor. The chassis, product of sturdy steel, exudes a way of sturdiness.

Characteristic-wise, the Katana SE is laden with functionalities geared toward enhancing person comfort and audio expertise. The RGB lighting on the base provides a contact of personalisation, whereas the included distant management and complete on-unit controls provide simple operability.

Connectivity is excellent. You may have USB-C, permitting you to attach it on to your PC, which permits increased high quality audio going as much as high-resolution 24-bit / 96 kHz

You then have legacy inputs for optical and aux and, lastly, Bluetooth, which is restricted to SBC.

The one HDMI Arc port permits you to get Dolby Audio 5.1 playback (Dolby Digital) in the event you use it with a TV. In case you are utilizing a console, you’d need to join the console to one of many HDMI ports in your PC, after which the soundbar to the HDMI Arc port on the TV; this can then will let you get the highest quality audio attainable out of your console.

I’d have favored an extra HDMI in port, however this may have cannibalised the gross sales of the Inventive Stage audio system.

On the entrance of the soundbar is a headphone jack, and this can be utilized along side the SXFI app to supply superior-quality digital encompass sound on any SXFI-certified headphones.  

Inventive App

The Inventive app enhances the usability of the Katana SE by offering a user-friendly interface to customize sound profiles. With the app, tweaking the EQ settings or deciding on totally different sound modes is a breeze. It additionally permits for straightforward administration of the RGB lighting to match your temper or decor.

A few of the choices that the Inventive App has embody:

• Acoustic Engine
• EQ
• CrystalVoice
• Scout Mode
• Lighting
• Dolby Digital Decoder
• Mixer
• Customise the distant buttons

In use – PC Audio system / Console / Dwelling Theatre

The large promoting level in regards to the Katana soundbars is the inclusion of each a USB port to hook up with your PC and an HDMI Arc port. This makes the soundbars extra versatile for players in comparison with most competing merchandise.

I primarily used this soundbar in my workplace, situated on my desk below my monitor, which is probably going the commonest situation.

One factor I instantly seen is that the bass is surprisingly good for a comparatively small soundbar with no devoted subwoofer. As all of the bass comes from the soundbar itself, you may really feel the bass in your desk, which I believe is sort of good for gaming, making it a bit extra immersive.

Its virtualised 5.1 encompass sound offers a fairly efficient soundstage due to left and proper separation, although it isn’t actually able to producing rear sound. Nevertheless, it does job of bettering the gaming expertise.

It’s price noting that this soundbar lacks Dolby Atmos, whereas the extra inexpensive Stage 360 included it. Personally, I don’t thoughts this omission, as I discover that many soundbars fail to copy the encompass sound correctly except you purchase a premium soundbar with a lot of drivers such because the SXFI Service or the Sennheiser Ambeo.

The general sound high quality is superb for a soundbar of this measurement. I’d say it offers stability with good readability within the mids, and the bass doesn’t muddy up the frequencies. The treble doesn’t get too brilliant, which avoids the harshness you may get with smaller audio system.

I haven’t used them, however I think about the Katana V2X and V2 will present superior bass with a hotter sound because of the subwoofer.

It goes fairly loud, particularly in case you are utilizing it on a desk with it fairly near you. It was too loud for me to depart it on max quantity for longer than a number of seconds. The soundbar begins to sound a bit harsher at increased volumes because the bass can’t fairly sustain, however it doesn’t seem to backside out like some small audio system.

When hooked as much as a console or used as a house theatre soundbar, the Katana SE proves to be small soundbar. Whereas it could not ship the thunderous lows of a full-fledged residence theatre system, it greater than makes up for it with its crisp and detailed mid-range and high-frequency output.

For gaming, each on the PC and console, the scout mode is a priceless characteristic throughout the Inventive App, permitting you to enhance the readability of sure noises comparable to footsteps and steps, which, in concept, ought to assist improve your gaming efficiency.

RGB

With these being geared toward players, it’s no shock that there’s RGB. It’s moderately delicate so far as RGB goes, with only one strip operating alongside the underside of the soundbar that displays off the floor.

You may management the RGB throughout the Inventive App with a wide range of movement settings comparable to wave, pulsate and morph.

It is usually attainable to set the RBG to be reactive to music.  This doesn’t react to only music however no matter audio is popping out of the audio system, so you could have some fundamental dynamic RGB primarily based on motion pictures or gaming.

Nevertheless, that is rather more restricted than issues like Razer Chroma RGB, which is used on a few of the Razer soundbars.

Microphone

Having a microphone constructed right into a soundbar isn’t a characteristic I’d particularly search for when shopping for a soundbar, however it has proved to be rather more useful than anticipated.

The microphone itself gained’t compete with a good-quality devoted USB or XLR microphone or an honest headset. Nevertheless, I discover it actually handy to have.

The Inventive App makes a giant distinction. I’ve beforehand praised the CrystalVoice options in earlier opinions, and it continues to work properly right here.

You may have 4 choices:

• Noise Discount – Reduces static background noise on outgoing calls
• Good Quantity – Be heard clearly with out having to shout or whisper
• Microphone Equaliser – Microphone EQ which could be set to scale back base and enhance readability
• Focus – Permitting you to create a choose up angle to scale back environmental noise from outdoors the angle.

I didn’t personally discover the microphone equaliser had a lot profit, and the main target was a bit hit-and-miss.

Good quantity is superb; it does add some echoey-ness to my voice, so it isn’t one thing I’d advocate utilizing if you need high-quality recordings, however it works properly on issues like Zoom calls the place you need to be sure to are heard.

Noise discount works very properly. I performed some white noise whereas recording my voice, and it was very efficient in lowering the background hum and bettering my vocal readability.

I don’t do on-line gaming with voice chat, however I might undoubtedly use this as my essential microphone for Zoom/video calls as a result of it’s rather more handy than having a devoted microphone.

Value and Various Choices

The Inventive Sound Blaster Katana SE has an RRP of £299 and is obtainable from Inventive for £259.99.

The Inventive Sound Blaster Katana V2 has an RRP of £319.99 however is obtainable for £299.99. Or the extra inexpensive V2X is £259.99 RRP discounted to

Razer has some PC-focused soundbars with RGB. These all have a USB enter however no HDMI Arc or microphone:

• Razer Leviathan V2 Professional
  • 5 full vary 2” drivers + subwoofer
  • Options: THX Spatial Audio, AI head monitoring, 98dB SPL
• Razer Leviathan V2

regular soundbars, Richer sounds reveals that for below £300 you may get:

• Sonos Ray for £279 – That is possible inferior by itself for normal use, however clearly advantages from being Sonos and upgradable with different Sonos audio system.
• Samsung HW-B550 for £250, which is louder at 410W, has Digital DTS:X, however solely has HDMI Arc in, optical and Bluetooth. There may be additionally no microphone, RGB or companion app.

Total

I believe the Inventive Sound Blaster Katana SE is a compelling selection for these in search of an all-around sound resolution for PC and console gaming. It’s a superior different to 2.0 or 2.1 lively laptop audio system, which have fallen out of style lately.

The speaker’s general characteristic set and flexibility, with its intensive connectivity choices, is the primary cause I might purchase this soundbar. I believe the connectivity makes the Katana soundbars a superior choice to the Razer Leviathan soundbars.

Though I’ve not examined them, When you have the house for a subwoofer, I’d be inclined to say both the V2 or V2X can be higher soundbars. The subwoofer offers you extra bang on your buck. A counterargument could also be that the Katana SE is healthier suited to residing preparations the place you don’t need the intrusive noise of thumping bass from a subwoofer penetrating a ground.