Creative Sound BlasterX Katana Multi-channel Gaming Soundbar Review

When Creative first announced they were bringing the world's first gaming under-monitor audio system to CES this year I was cautiously intrigued.  I mean, how good could a sound bar be given the limited form factor.  Creative bills the Katana as the world’s first under-monitor audio system and it may look like a traditional sound bar but the Katana is so much more.

Is the Creative Sound BlasterX Katana the speaker solution you have been looking for? Let’s find out.

The Sound BlasterX Katana is comprised of two main components. The roughly 24 inch sound bar is the brains of the setup featuring  multi core audio DSP processing and doubling as an external sound card/DAC driving the 150 Watts of 24-bit high resolution audio.   And don’t forget the four onboard speakers or the lighting. More on those in a minute.

Coupled with the soundbar is a modest 5.25” (133mm) long throw subwoofer designed to fit discreetly out of the way and still bring the bass when you need it.   Subwoofers are always a balance between size and power so matching the subwoofer to your system is critical to keeping a balanced sound stage.

• Powerful 150 W Peak (75W RMS) Amplifier
• Hi-Res 24-Bit/96KHZ Audio
• Integrated Sound Card/DAC
• DSP Powered 5-Driver Design
• Tri-Amplified, One-piece Design
• Dolby Digital Decoding
• Aurora Reactive LED Lighting System
• Flexible Connectivity Options
• IR Remote Control

System Configuration: 2.1 system
Dimensions (H x W x D):

• Soundbar: 60.0 x 600.0 x 79.0 mm (2.4 x 23.6 x 3.1 inches)
• Subwoofer: 333 x 130 x 299 mm (5.1 x 11.8 x 13.1 inches)

Weight:

• Soundbar: 1.5kg (3.3 lbs)
• Subwoofer: 4kg (8.8 lbs)

Bluetooth® Version: Bluetooth 4.2
Bluetooth Profile: A2DP (Wireless Stereo Bluetooth)
Supported Codecs: AAC, SBC
Connector Type:

• Bluetooth, AUX-in
• Optical-in
• USB Flash Drive
• USB Audio
• Mic-in
• Headset out

Color: Black
Remote Control: Infrared

Creative is the worldwide leader in digital entertainment products. Founded in Singapore in 1981, Creative started with the vision that multimedia would revolutionize the way people interact with their PCs.

Famous for its Sound Blaster sound cards and for launching the multimedia revolution, Creative is now driving digital entertainment with cutting-edge audio solutions, premium wireless speakers, high performance earphone products and portable media devices. The company's innovative hardware, proprietary technology, applications and services enable consumers to experience high-quality digital entertainment - anytime, anywhere.

Since launching the phenomenally successful Sound Blaster sound cards and setting the de-facto standard for PC audio in 1989, Creative has been able to leverage on its leading-edge audio technology, a huge user base of 400 million, and strong brand name to expand into the exciting lifestyle Personal Digital Entertainment (PDE) market.