The Creative Sound Blaster Katana V2 is the company’s second attempt at an RGB soundbar made for all things, especially gaming. This particular soundbar is important not only because it’s made for gaming, but it is also one of the rare soundbars that has an RGB lighting system built in.
It makes for an aesthetic piece in your gaming/living room setup, but how does it sound if you take away all that RGB pizzazz? Dropping the X moniker in its name for the second gen model, let’s check out some of the specs of the Creative Sound Blaster Katana V2.
Specifications – Creative Sound Blaster Katana V2
Comparison between the Creative Sound Blaster Katana V2, and the original Creative Sound BlasterX Katana:
Design
In terms of design, the Creative Sound Blaster Katana V2 comes as a two-piece system consisting of the soundbar and the dedicated subwoofer. Compared to the original model, the V2 is now more streamlined with less sharp edges and protruding speaker grilles. The LED display has also been moved to the front, which just makes so much more sense. The RGB strip is a little shorter, but it has a nicer, softer tone to it. That makes it more comfortable on the eyes.
As for the subwoofer, it seems to be a bit more beefy this time around, but that’s because the subwoofer driver has been bumped up from a 5.25-inch to a 6.5-inch. That gives the soundbar almost double the peak power output (150W to 252W) compared to its predecessor. The air pipe has also been moved towards the bottom of the subwoofer box.
The remote control is now bigger, with even more controls than before, as well as more features – customizable buttons! You get a speaker/headphone output switcher button, six customizable buttons using the Creative app, SXFI toggle button, subwoofer volume button, and quick access buttons to all the audio source options. More on this later.
Setup
Setting up the Creative Sound Blaster Katana V2 was surprisingly easy. I thought there’d be more cables to connect, but all you need is the power cables, optical cable for my setup, connect them all, power it up and I was ready to listen to music. The soundbar does come with a remote control, that has a ton of features to control not just the audio, but playback, as well as the RGB lighting as well.
Connectivity
This might be one of my favourite features of the Creative Sound Blaster Katana V2, its vast connectivity options. The soundbar system can not only connect to one, not two, not three, but five options. This includes HDMI ARC, USB-C, Optical In (SPDIF), AUX In, and last but not least, Bluetooth 5.0.
The expansive list of what the soundbar could connect to includes the PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Windows PC, Mac devices, and of course smartphones too. If you have a device that you’d like the sound amplified, I’m sure there’s a way to connect it to the Creative Sound Blaster Katana V2. Bluetooth seems to be the easiest wireless option, but there’s always the 3.5mm audio jack on the front for easier access wired connectivity.
When connected to a mobile device, the soundbar does have dual built-in beamforming microphones for when you need to take calls. So, it kind of becomes a conference speaker for when you really need it. During our testing, our voices were heard just fine and there were no interference heard on the other end of the call. We tested this on Discord, Teams, as well as Google Meet.
I’m not even done on the connectivity part. The Creative Sound Blaster Katana V2 is compatible with two apps, each with a different set of functions to enhance your experience with the soundbar. The Creative app lets you customize RGB lighting, make EQ adjustments, and access Sound Blaster technologies. It’s on the App Store, Google Play Store, as well as on Windows PC/Mac OS. And yes, you’re seeing that first image right. It does say Genshin and the app does have multiple profiles for different games, which you can set to the 6 customizable buttons on the remote – super awesome!
As for the SUPER X-FI app, it lets you experience the audio you have from the soundbar directly into your headphones, any headphones. I’ve tried this feature and while the audio does sound a little better, it’s not worth the hassle. You could use it without, or just set it up once and leave it at that. It’s only on the App Store and Google Play Store, so it’s for mobile only.
The amount of connectivity this soundbar has is insane, and that’s one of the reasons why I personally, love it so much.
User Experience
Using the Creative Sound Blaster Katana V2 for about a month now, I’ve been absolutely spoilt with the feature set it has to offer. I think I can say it’s all I’d want in a soundbar, for now. Regardless if it’s setup in the gaming or living room, it just looks so good.
The RGB lighting on the front is so mesmerizing, the audio quality is absurdly good, and the plethora of connectivity options is just mind boggling. Not only that, you can even get interactive with the soundbar using OS software and mobile applications, further customizing your experience, making it truly yours.
Audio Quality
Music listening for me, has been brought to the next level. Movies now sound more immersive, and games just sound so much clearer. The Creative Sound Blaster Katana V2 has different audio profiles to fit the different scenario the soundbar is used in, and if they’re not to your liking, you can customize your own EQ profile too. Yes, I do realize I’m saying the word “customize” a lot, but that’s like a primary feature of the soundbar, which is awesome.
One thing that sort of makes or breaks audio performance are the low frequencies. With the 6.5-inch subwoofer unit the soundbar has, it can deliver up to 252W peak power. The bass can get real heavy and dirty, or it can be clean and well managed, it’s up to your preference. In my experience, I love heavy bass, but the bass is so powerful, I had to keep the bass levels at 0.
Conclusion
The Creative Sound Blaster Katana V2 while only in its second generation, it’s already leaps and bounds better than the original, and better than the other options out there in the market for gaming soundbars. For its price, you’re getting a very decent package of great sound, great connectivity, and a vast set of features all designed to enhance your user experience with the soundbar.
If you’re in the market for a new soundbar and you have extra cash to spend, the Creative Sound Blaster Katana V2 should definitely be at the top of your consideration list.
