Creative Stage SE Soundbar Review

Following on from my assessment of the superb Artistic Sound Blaster Katana SE, I’ve been testing the Stage SE.

This can be a compact and reasonably priced soundbar designed to sit down beneath your monitor and improve the audio out of your laptop computer or desktop PC.

It’s a fundamental soundbar that lacks most of the options that the Katana SE has. Not solely is it a smaller and fewer highly effective soundbar, however it additionally lacks a microphone and integration with the Artistic App.

Nevertheless, it packs some spectacular sound expertise right into a small and handy bundle and with a worth of simply £50, it’s distinctive worth for cash.

Key Options

• 48W RMS energy output
• Sound Blaster audio enhancements
• Multi-function management knob
• IR distant management
• Encompass and dialogue audio modes

Artistic Stage SE vs Stage Air V2 vs Stage V2 Specification

Design and Construct

The Artistic Stage SE is designed with a smooth, all-black end that matches seamlessly into any desktop setup. The soundbar measures 41cm extensive, 7cm tall and 11cm deep, making it low sufficient to suit underneath most screens. The 41cm width additionally means it doesn’t take up an excessive amount of desk area, it’s barely wider than my keyboard.

The design features a metallic grill that wraps across the entrance to cover the audio system and a big knob on the fitting aspect for simply adjusting the amount and switching between USB and Bluetooth modes.

This compact product weighs simply 1.22kg, making it straightforward to maneuver round.

Connectivity and Controls

The soundbar is powered by way of an influence adapter and helps each USB digital audio and Bluetooth 5.3 for versatile connectivity. The included USB-C to USB-A cable permits for direct connection to your pc.

The massive multi-functional knob on the aspect of the soundbar because it enables you to alter the amount, change between modes and energy the system on and off. I like the flexibility to show down the amount with a bodily knob inside arm’s attain, it’s rather more user-friendly than messing round with media keys on my keyboard or the Home windows settings.

For extra sound enhancement options, an included distant management gives choices akin to tone adjustment and activation of encompass and clear dialogue modes.

Sound High quality

You usually get what you pay for, and at £50 it’s a must to have lifelike expectations of what that is able to, it actually doesn’t compete with the Katana SE.

Nevertheless, I used to be pleasantly shocked with the spectacular audio high quality from Stage SE.

The soundbar homes a pair of full-range racetrack drivers and an outsized passive radiator, delivering highly effective bass for its petite dimensions and very good vocal readability. The Sound Blaster expertise additional enhances the sound high quality and immersion, offering an all-encompassing audio expertise.

Whether or not you’re listening to bass-heavy music, watching a film, or taking part in a high-octane recreation, the Artistic Stage SE delivers excellent audio efficiency.

I believed the soundbar was capable of deal with louder volumes surprisingly effectively. I usually anticipate little audio system to distort badly while you dial up the amount, however this performs effectively. At greater volumes, it’s possible you’ll profit from putting the soundbar on some foam or one thing padded, as there was some distortion from my desk.

Minor gripes could be that the mid-range can sound a little bit recessed at low volumes. Then at greater volumes, it will probably begin to sound a however sharp with some tracks because the bass struggles to maintain up, which is widespread for low-powered audio system.

For Bluetooth, this makes use of the newest 5.3 model, however the codec is restricted to SBC. It really works effectively and I doubt a superior codec would have offered an excessive amount of profit.

Sound Blaster Know-how

The Artistic Stage SE comes outfitted with Sound Blaster’s audio applied sciences – Clear Dialog and Encompass. The Clear Dialog function extracts the vocals and spoken dialogue via an algorithm, then intelligently enhances and amplifies them. This makes each syllable clear with out compromising on different ambient results.

The Encompass function, however, opens up the sound stage, offering a wider and extra immersive audio expertise. Like most soundbars that purpose to copy encompass sound, the general impact is considerably restricted. The soundbar does appear to do a superb job of increasing the soundstage, however it’s undoubtedly not encompass sound. It really works effectively for issues like gaming, supplying you with a bit extra of an immersive expertise.

Worth and Various Choices

The Artistic Stage SE has an RRP of £60, and on the time of writing, it was out there from Artistic for simply £50. On the time of writing, it was out there on Amazon for £45 with the on-page voucher.

Sitting slightly below that is the Artistic Stage Air V2 for £40, which is considerably much less highly effective at 20W, however it additionally has a built-in battery, permitting you to make use of it as a conveyable Bluetooth speaker.

One step above the Stage SE is the conventional Stage, which is on the market for £70. This advantages from a subwoofer with a considerably greater output of 160w. The primary challenge with that is that it’s fairly previous and solely has Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, Optical-in and Aux.

The Stage V2 has superior connectivity with HDMI ARC, USB, Optical-in and AUX-in, however the worth is considerably greater than the Stage SE at £75.

There may be not an excessive amount of competitors at this worth level for PC-focused soundbars. Many of the choices appear to be the unknown manufacturers you discover on Amazon.

The Redragon GS560 is well-reviewed at an analogous worth and consists of RGB. Then, I seen it solely has 2x4W drivers, so I’d keep away from it as it should sound considerably worse than this.

Belief has some soundbars which might be extra reasonably priced however restricted to a 12W peak output.

The Razer Leviathan V2 X  is well-reviewed however nearly twice the worth and costlier than the Stage V2,

Professionals and Cons

Listed here are the important thing positives and negatives of the Artistic Stage SE soundbar:

Professionals:

• Compact dimension matches underneath screens
• Spectacular audio energy and bass for the dimensions
• Helpful audio enhancement modes
• Intelligent management knob implementation
• Nice worth for cash

Cons:

• Lack of three.5mm aux enter limits versatility
• Mid-range can sound recessed at low volumes
• At greater volumes it will probably begin to sound a little bit sharp because the bass can’t sustain
• Management knob presses can shift unit

Conclusion

The Artistic Stage SE packs spectacular audio energy right into a compact and reasonably priced desktop bundle. It’s a superb possibility if you wish to improve your PC sound with out sacrificing desk area.

Minor flaws like the dearth of a 3.5mm enter and recessed mid-range at low quantity are forgivable given the low-price tag. However the punchy, balanced sound makes it straightforward to suggest.

There may be nothing I can discover available on the market that I’d suggest over this at an analogous worth.

For desktop PC and laptop computer customers in search of an reasonably priced audio increase, the Artistic Stage SE is an outstanding selection.

Final replace on 2023-10-27 / Affiliate hyperlinks / Photographs from Amazon Product Promoting API