Creative Sound Blaster Katana V2 Review

Performance

Plugging in the soundbar, I opted to use it on my PC. I’ve opted for USB C for the bulk of my testing, as it gives me access to the desktop software side of things too. However, as you saw, this speaker can support a lot of devices, so you could just as well put it under your TV and use it with your Xbox if you really wanted. It’s wall mountable too, so you really do have some good options for where to put it.

The first things that you notice when you power it up are the front panel display, which tells you various things like source, volume levels and other settings that you may be changing from the remote or top buttons. Then there’s also the lovely RGB lighting that runs the width of the speaker.

The lighting looks great, and you’ll be glad to hear you can easily customise it too. It can be turned on or off, you can adjust the brightness, and you can change the colours and effects.

Speaking of changing settings, you can do the bulk of that from this gorgeous remote control. It’s well laid out, allowing you to change virtually everything.

The desktop software is equipped to change all the same settings too. However, you can tinker with some more advanced stuff here such as the processing, EQ, and other profiles. However, one of the best features are the C1-C6 buttons as these are fully programmable. Think of them as macros, so, lighting, EQ, volume, game profiles, etc. can all be saved here.

The Katana V2 has Creative’s iconic triple-amplified design, with the tweets, woofers and sub all having their own power delivery and processing. This means a cleaner and more powerful sound overall. Of course, bigger amps and bigger speakers have taken the power from 75W RMW to an ear-shattering 126W RMS. No wonder they’ve given the tweeters a robust aluminium dome configuration. I couldn’t max out the old one without feeling a little scared, and the same is still true. It’s certainly louder, but it’s also just got more power too. There’s a lot more mid-range and low-end grunt, and things like explosions and revving car engines can really be felt in your chest.

The new tweeter and woofer configuration sounds great, it really is packing more punch. However, it’s the overall clarity improvements at lower volumes that impress me. The old model didn’t perform well at lower volumes, and each level increased the output too aggressively. The volume scaling here is much smoother, and it just sounds clearer and more full at regular at-home volume levels.

Throw some melodic death metal through there and crank it up a bit, and it really holds the sound detail well. The subwoofer responds very quickly and sounds tight. Often passive subs can sound a little slow and mushy, but the fact this one has its own dedicated amp in the soundbar means it’s not quite as passive as you might think. Its EQ is driven and processed separately, rather than just using a low-pass filter from the main speakers.

The Dolby processing works great too, just remember you need an HDMI cable for this. Albeit, many of you will have a spare HDMI port on your graphics card you can output from. It’s a virtual 5.1 output because there’s no real centre channel or rear surrounds. However, it throws the sound out well, and you can certainly benefit from surround material. I sat and watched four Martin McDonagh movies on this. Seven Psychopaths, The Guard, In Bruges and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri if you were wondering. All great films and the KATANA V2 gave clear dialogue, the soundtrack filled the space around me, and the subwoofer gave any guns and explosions the kick they needed.

SXFI, Scout Mode, and Battle Mode are all welcome features too. SXFI gives you the best surround sound processing out there right now for headphones. I use it every day and have done for years, and I wouldn’t dream of giving it up yet. So having it built-in here means you can plug in any headphones and enjoy this feature. Scout and Battle are great for gaming tho, but I suggest just turning them all on one by one while gaming and hearing what works for you, there are so many processing options here, you’re bound to find something to suit your needs.

The built-in microphones are a welcome feature. I suspected they would cause feedback at higher volumes, but surprisingly… they do not. Creative has used some echo/noise-cancelling hardware, so while I wouldn’t use it while playing Halo Infinite and chatting with my team, making a Zoom or Discord call when I’m not playing media works really well. However, it’s more ideal for desktop use, not living room use in this mode.