CREATIVE Stage V2 2.1 Soundbar with Subwoofer, Clear Dialog and Surround by Sound Blaster, Bluetooth 5.0, TV ARC, Optical, and USB Audio, Wall Mountable, Adjustable Bass and Treble, for TV

I needed to tidy my desktop and where possibe upgrade one or two elements. For years I've had a 5.1 speaker system which delivered on sound but the plethora of cables and speaker units had become a dust trap and consumed a load of desktop space (as well as the surround speakers trailing leads around my room). This sound bar plus (a smaller) woofer sorted that out at a stroke.It delivers terrific sound (but I am no audiophile and so it's more than adequate for what I want) and satisfyingly bassy. It is nicely built, being solid and weighty, has great connectivity (though I am using only USB and Bluetooth) and fits snugly bneath the front of my two monitors (the soundbar only needs 8-10cm of vertical clearance and 68cm length). Gone is the tangle of cables and the depressing dust. The remote control is easy to use and very handy although the two control buttons on the end of the bar itself provide more than enough control.For me, it was a good price, easy to install and a pleasure to use. The only minor criticism I have is that it remains in standby mode which these days is a no-no because, and although it feels like atiny bit of power consumption, over a year or so that can cost some money (I haven't investigated what standby power it consumes - I'll take the hit!).For ease of use ad installation right out of the box with a big impact this is a a great desktop sound system (and would do well for your TV too - it has ARC connectivity, though no Dolby if that's your thing).

I am really impressed by the clear sound that this more moderately priced soundbar produces. The soundbar has simple sound modification options such as virtual surround sound and a setting for enhancing voice clarity with easy to use buttons on the remote. There are also more advanced treble and bass settings which I am not really bothered with, and have kept on the default setting.On maximum volume settings it is not deafeningly loud which is ideal for keeping volume at a more moderate level when in a block of flats but is more than loud enough to fill a room even at 40-60% volume. I never find myself setting the volume beyond 70% to appreciate a loud, full audio experience.Aesthetically the unit is compact and looks quite smart in black in combination with the external subwoofer which is large enough for my needs. Cables are long enough for most conventional setups.As others have mentioned I am very happy with the remote which feels comfortable and has helpful shortcuts for any quick sound modifications.The unit is also compatible with my TV's HDMI ARC capability which automatically switches the sound from the TV to the soundbar without me having to change this each time I turn on the TV.The only niggle I have is with the display on the front of the unit which does not turn off after any length of time.I updated the software using the included USB connection through the Creative website software which did seem to help with subtle sound improvements from the out of the box software version but was hoping that the software update would include a feature to turn off the display light after a short time when not using the remote. The display light is thankfully not too bright and distracting however, I would prefer it to turn off after a short time when the remote is not actively being used - perhaps a future software update may resolve this.

I've been a big fan of Creative products for a long time. They're not only solid build quality but also at a really nice price point, where you get great value for money. I've had a set of Creative speakers for my PCs since 2006 and they're still going strong, so when it came to getting a soundbar it was my first port of call.Firstly, the build quality is great. It all feels well put together and whilst perhaps not super high-end materials are used here I don't feel like that's an issue for me, you're not going to touch it constantly. Nothing rattles, vibrates, or sounds off. The aesthetics are great too, I love how this looks and the sub is nice and compact. The light from the middle of the soundbar isn't too bright, you get used to it.It's pretty much plug-and-play, just plug the sub into the soundbar and the soundbar to your TV (however you want to connect it). They provide plenty of cables for connection, so the choice of connection isn't one you have to worry about - this connected fine via optical cable and Bluetooth to my Samsung TV. There are also several power cable options too, so if you're thinking of moving abroad or sending/taking this with you elsewhere then you won't need an adapter.My only complaint here is that there were no AAA batteries in the remote. I would've figured that if Creative thought about the added expense of providing multiple connection and power cables, adding two AAA batteries shouldn't have been a second thought, either. Fortunately, I have plenty to hand, but this seemed a bit odd to me.The sound quality is nice and the bass and treble are good as well. It's easy to all these levels via either the bar itself or the remote. It's perhaps not the most amazing sound quality in the world but for a sub £100 soundbar you can't expect the world. The 'surround' and 'dialogue' options are nice, but I don't foresee myself using them though I can see why they're useful for others. It gets to a decent volume, capping out at '35' on the volume figure, but for a larger space/living room, it might not be loud enough so take this into consideration.It does the job really well at this price point and we've watched plenty of TV shows and played video games since we got this and have no complaints about it. I highly recommend this for any small to medium living room space, or even for a PC setup. Creative has produced a great product here and I can't fault it for what it is.