This portable soundbar solved my biggest problem with modern TV audio (at a low price)

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This is a space saving soundbar/subwoofer combo creative It may not meet the lofty demands of audiophiles, but for anyone who wants more sound from their movies or television, it ticks plenty of boxes.

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Selling on Amazon for $170 stage pro There’s a midrange soundbar that does one particular thing very well: making sure you can hear every word of spoken dialogue, an issue that frustrates some people to the point of watching with subtitles. However, thanks to this soundbar, you won’t need to do that anymore.

Let’s talk about what this soundbar can do.

my experience

First of all, the bar has been set very high for soundbars in my home thanks to the JBL Bar 1000. That soundbar produces surprisingly accurate and rich sound, and I have yet to find one that bests it. Of course, the Bar 1000 sells for $1200 on Amazon, which is beyond many people’s budget.

Thankfully, there are plenty of low to mid-range soundbars to choose from, and although the Stage Pro resides in the upper low-end spectrum of devices, it sounds much better than its price suggests.

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As soon as I got the Stage Pro, my immediate thought was, “It’s tiny.” Because of the “Pro” name, I assumed it would be at least times as big as 1000. Sadly, the sound bar is only 21 inches long. You might think that this would prevent it from being produced in sufficient quantities to be usable, but you would be wrong.

I connected the Stage Pro to my TV via the HDMI/eARC port, connected the subwoofer (via the enclosed cable), and plugged both the soundbar and subwoofer into a power outlet. Then I opened Netflix. I’m currently playing “Travelers” on reruns, so I pressed play and sat back to see how this little speaker did.

Needless to say, I was impressed. Now, let me be specific.

What immediately impressed me was the dialogue, which was very clear, crisp and quite loud. Kudos to the creatives, because we all know how much of an issue dialogue can be in modern movies and TV. Stage Pro produced every word spoken with such clarity that you could imagine the characters were standing in the room talking directly to you.

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What a breath of fresh air.

Aside from the clear communication, setup and use was incredibly easy. In fact, I’d say it was the easiest soundbar I’ve ever connected to a TV. Plug it in, turn everything on, and you’re ready to go.

On the remote, you’ll find a button labeled “Super Wide,” which allows you to switch between far and near zones, allowing you to adjust the distance to the source. If you’re watching in a small room, use the Near Field option. If you are in a large room and have enough space between you and the source, select the Far Field option. Believe it or not, sound clarity makes a difference depending on your viewing position.

There’s also a Mode button, which allows you to select between Movie, TV, Audio and Gaming. I recommend you use this feature, as it makes a difference in the sound too.

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As far as bass is concerned, it’s not loud, but it definitely brings out the bottom end of what you’re looking for. This subwoofer is nowhere near the quality of the Bar 1000, but at $170, I don’t expect that. That being said, the sub impressed me, especially for TV.

With the sub cranked up (you can increase the bass and treble on the remote), it gave more depth to the sounds. Other soundbars I’ve tested either don’t include a subwoofer or don’t use it properly, which amounts to hollow-sounding dialogue (a pet peeve of mine). Stage Pro avoids that pitfall and provides rich dialogue and a little low-end “thump” when needed.

ZDNET’s shopping advice

do i recommend it Creative Stage Pro SoundbarIt depends on what you are looking for. If you’re looking for a soundbar that produces sonic boom in the low end, crisp highs, and a massively wide soundstage, the Stage Pro is not for you.

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On the other hand, if you want a cost-effective soundbar that puts the dialogue front and center and tops it up with some rich bass, then this soundbar is perfect for you. Creative Stage Pro This is a cheap soundbar that will make you think you’re listening to something that costs twice the price. Because it’s so easy to set up, anyone can enjoy this baby within minutes of unboxing.

Creative Stage Pro 2.1 Soundbar Technical Specifications

• Frequency Response – 50-20,000 Hz
• Signal-to-noise ratio -> 85 dB
• Power Output – 2 x 20Wrms (L/R), 1 x 40Wrms (All) (Total 80Wrms, 160Wpeak)
• Connectivity – HDMI 2.0, Bluetooth 5.3, USB audio and optical.
• Dimensions – Sub: 4.53 × 10.43 × 16.54 inches, Soundbar 21.65 × 4.41 × 3.18 inches