Creative Sound Blaster Katana V2 review: A compact powerhouse soundbar with a separate subwoofer
The Creative Katana V2 fits neatly under a monitor or TV, delivering room-filling sound from a sleek aluminium body. Picture: Creative Labs.
Creative’s Sound Blaster Katana V2 soundbar is a versatile, small-form-factor audio system that feels at home under a TV or a gaming monitor. With a powerful sound, smart controls and a host of connections, it’s excellent for anyone chasing cinematic sound without a bulky setup.
The Katana V2 looks understated but sharp, with a solid brushed-metal body and subtle angular edges that hint at its gaming DNA. It has raised feet, which tilt the soundbar upward for better sound dispersion.
The front now features a clear dot-matrix LED display that provides useful information at a glance. When powered on, it greets you with “Welcome” and shows the input source, sound mode, and volume level, all easy to read from a distance. You can also switch it off if you prefer a more discreet look.
Beneath the soundbar is a wide RGB light strip that adds customisable ambience, whether you’re gaming or watching films in the dark. Wall-mount brackets are included, making it easy to integrate with any setup.
The Katana V2 delivers 252 watts of total output, combining two mid-bass drivers, two tweeters and a beefy subwoofer, each with its own chamber. The result is a clean, controlled soundstage that fills medium-sized rooms with ease.
It also supports Dolby Audio and Creative’s Super X-Fi headphone holography technology, a clever feature that personalises audio for headphones via a companion app. You’ll need compatible hardware to experience it, but for movie fans and late-night gamers, it’s a treat.
The tactile top-mounted controls feel firm and responsive, while the remote (two AA batteries not included) offers a comprehensive layout covering both basic and advanced functions.
Around the back, Creative has packed in nearly every connection you could ask for. There’s HDMI ARC for easy TV hookup, USB-C for PC audio, optical input, a subwoofer output, and a 3.5mm AUX jack. There’s also an SXFI-out port, and on the front, a convenient 3.5mm headphone jack. It’s a versatile setup that works equally well beneath a monitor or TV, or as the centrepiece of a compact desktop entertainment system. Ultimately, though, it serves best when paired with a gaming rig or console.
Creative’s mobile app, available on iOS and Android, makes setup simple. Pairing takes seconds, even without diving into Bluetooth settings, and from there, you can tweak EQs, lighting, and sound modes with precision. There’s also a built-in microphone, and the app lets you adjust settings in the CrystalVoice section, including the microphone equaliser and focus range, which helps suppress noise outside your zone so your voice comes through clearly.
You can store multiple presets for gaming, film and music, adjust subwoofer levels independently, and even remap shortcut buttons on the remote. The “Smart Volume” feature deserves special mention: it keeps dialogue clear while taming low-end rumble for late-night listening sessions.
RGB fans will appreciate being able to fine-tune lighting effects or disable them entirely.
In daily use, the Sound Blaster Katana V2 punches well above its size. Movie dialogue is crisp, explosions have depth without boom, and spatial cues in games are pinpoint accurate. Music playback is clean and detailed, and the tweeters add sparkle without harshness, while the mid-range stays full even at low volumes.
At higher levels, the 252-watt system keeps its composure, delivering satisfying impact without distortion. Dolby Audio processing helps anchor dialogue and improve channel separation, especially noticeable when watching action films or streaming Dolby-encoded shows.
The Katana V2 is a compact home-theatre system that can comfortably handle everything from Spotify playlists to Netflix marathons.
The Sound Blaster Katana V2 is a compact and powerful soundbar with excellent audio quality, features, ports and input selections. Dolby support and feature-rich software make it an exceptional all-rounder.
€349.99 Creative Labs
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