At first we would like to thank Creative for offering us a sample of their Stage Air V2 Compact USB Soundbar for testing and reviewing.

 

 

 

About Creative:

 

“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.

 

Creative is now well recognized as a global leader for product innovation in the audio and PDE segments, offering consumers a complete, high quality digital entertainment experience through Creative's hardware, software applications and services. Finding the perfect balance between form and function, Creative strives for every product to be a sensory feast for the eyes and ears.

 

Today, Creative is spearheading new product categories with its groundbreaking Sound BlasterAxx audio enhancement devices and solutions, highly-acclaimed Creative D5xm Signature Series of modular Bluetooth wireless speakers, Aurvana premium headsets, Sound Blaster wireless gaming headsets, and cross-platform Sound Blaster Recon3D for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC or Mac.

 

These products and solutions are marketed to consumers and system integrators through a worldwide distribution network that includes traditional marketing channels, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and the Internet.

 

Moving forward, Creative's mission is to expand its leadership role in the lifestyle Personal Digital Entertainment market, using groundbreaking technology and leading-edge designs for not just the technically-savvy consumers, but for everyone who enjoys entertainment. With strong focus on user-friendly interface, multiple features and cool industrial designs, the Creative brand is synonymous with lifestyle Personal Digital Entertainment.

 

Creative's global corporate headquarters is located in Singapore, in the heart of the Asia-Pacific region. It has regional business units in the US (Milpitas, California), Europe (Dublin, Ireland) and Asia (Singapore).

 

Creative is a public listed company on the main board of the Singapore Exchange (SGX) since June 1994.”

 

Widely Compatible

Designed for versatile use, the Creative Stage Air V2 comes with both wired and wireless playback capabilities, so setting up is a breeze.

Connect via Cable

Simply connect the Creative Stage Air V2 to your PC, and gaming consoles such as the PS4 and PS5 via the included USB-C to USB-A cable and enjoy high-quality digital audio!

It also has a 3.5mm AUX-in jack that allows for universal compatibility across other analog audio devices such as tablets and Nintendo Switch.

Or Play Wirelessly

Pair the soundbar to your mobile devices via Bluetooth to stream your favorite tunes or to set the mood as you relax with a good album.

The Creative Stage Air V2 also comes with a built-in rechargeable battery that supports up to 6 hours of play time, so you don’t have to be tethered to a fixed power source.

Fits Anywhere

With the Creative Stage Air V2, you won't have trouble placing it anywhere, even on your desktop! Measuring at just 410 x 94 x 75 mm / 16.1 x 3.7 x 2.9 inches, the soundbar is compact enough to fit effortlessly under your monitor to minimize clutter.

Simple Control

The playback and volume control buttons are conveniently located on the side of the soundbar with LEDs that indicate device status on its front panel.

And Fuss-Free Setup

Setting up the Creative Stage Air V2 is straightforward with the USB-C port or 3.5mm jack input port at the back of the soundbar, so you can keep the wire neatly packed away.

Give your Audio a Boost

An easy fix for muffled, low-quality sound that usually comes with your computer's built-in speakers, Creative Stage Air V2 instantly enhances your audio with two improved custom-tuned full range drivers and an oversized radiator.

In simpler terms, this means impressive high-quality sound with better clarity and impactful bass. It's perfect for all media types too—movies, games, and music alike.

 

Speaker Configuration: One-piece, 2.0 system, Soundbar, Computer Speakers

Connector Type: USB-in, Bluetooth®, Aux-in, Battery

Operating Temperature: 0 - 45°C

Recommended Usage: Movies / Music, Gaming, Wireless Streaming, Portable

Type: 2200 mAh

Battery Life: up to 6 hours

Frequency Response: 80–20,000 Hz

Color: Black

Power Output: 2 x 5W, Total System Peak power: 20W

Charging Type: USB-C

Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR): ≥ 75 dB

Bluetooth Operating Frequency: 2402–2480 MHz

Operating Range for Bluetooth Devices: Up to 10 meters / 33 ft, (Measured in open space. Walls and structures may affect range of device.)

Bluetooth Profile: AVRCP (Bluetooth Remote Control), A2DP (Wireless Stereo Bluetooth)

Supported Codecs: SBC

 

System requirements

USB Audio

PC or Mac: Available USB-A port, USB 2.0

PS4 / PS5: Available USB-A port, USB 2.0

Bluetooth Audio

iOS: iPhones / iPads running with Bluetooth for wireless audio streaming.

Android: Phones / Tablets with Bluetooth for wireless audio streaming.

Analog Audio: Supports 3.5 mm input from audio devices.

 

Package Contents

1 x Creative Stage Air V2

1 x USB-A to USB-C Cable 1.2m

1 x 3.5 mm Stereo to Stereo Cable 1.2m

1 x Quick Start Leaflet

1 x Worldwide Warranty Leaflet

1 x Compliance Leaflet

 

Warranty

2-year Limited Hardware Warranty (EU Countries)

1-year Limited Hardware Warranty (Non-EU Countries)

 

Successful products in Creative’s portfolio do often come back after a while with newer revision, the Stage Air V2 portable USB/wireless soundbar making no exception. For the new model, we do have support for an improved Bluetooth version (4.2 to 5.3), an upgrade with USB-C interface for future proofing but also newer drivers.

 

The soundbar has arrived inside a medium-sized cardboard enclosure, showing some of the main highlights right on the frontal area, but also a photo of the product in operation:

 

 

 

Moving on, we will learn of the Creative’s office addresses, the supported standards but also the serial numbers:

 

 

 

The product main features are explained in more detail, in multiple languages:

 

 

 

On the side, we will note the inside contents, shown as drawings:

 

 

 

The technical specifications are available on the opposite side:

 

 

 

After unsealing the box, we will note that the bundle and the soundbar are carefully protected inside transparent plastic bags:

 

 

 

We will receive two 1.2m cables as the hardware bundle:

 

 

 

One of it is the USB-A to USB-C, for charging purposes of the internal 2200mAh battery but also for connecting the soundbar to supported devices while using its internal sound card (PC/laptop, PS5, PS4 or the Nintendo Switch in docked mode):

 

 

 

The second cable is a 3.5mm Stereo to Stereo cable for connecting to analog audio sources:

 

 

 

The documentation is composed of the Quick Start Guide, the Safety and Regulatory information leaflet, but also the Limited Warranty leaflet:

 

 

 

The documentation will show the user the main product interfaces but also how to connect with each compatible device:

 

 

 

The Stage Air V2 is quite compact at about 410 x 94 x 75mm and comes with a plastic chassis in piano black color. While the shiny surface does look good, it is a magnet for dust and lint so it must be cleaned frequently:

 

 

 

In the front, the soundbar incorporates two 5W full-range drivers but also a passive radiator for helping with the low frequencies. These are covered by a black metallic mesh:

 

 

 

A nice Creative logo is present on the left:

 

 

 

On the right side of the soundbar we will note the controls, which have multiple functions:

 

 

 

 

The left side panel is similar, minus the controls:

 

 

 

In the back of the soundbar, we will note the same piano black surface:

 

 

 

A sticker can be spotted here as well, with the product power rating, but also its serial number:

 

 

 

Nearby we do have the 3.5mm jack interface, but also the USB-C interface with the battery charge status LED:

 

 

 

 

On the bottom, the Stage Air V2 comes with two rubber feet:

 

 

 

The LED in the front which signals the current operating mode is non-intrusive:

 

 

 

 

After connecting the soundbar to our test laptop, we listened to multiple YouTube clips such as movie trailers, music or video blogs and noted that it is a huge step-up versus the integrated speakers of most portable computers. The bass is quite rich, the voices are rendered clearly and can be easily used instead of a set of dedicated speakers for your computer. In case of desktops, the supplied cable could be a bit short, so you’ll need to source your own connectivity cables. Due to the limited soundstage, it is recommended to keep the product close to us to get the best experience.

 

The Stage Air V2 can be easily used as a portable speaker as well due to its integrated Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity option; however, in terms of CODECs it does only come with SBC integration, which is not offering the absolute best quality but is the standard solution for entry-level products as this one

 

One of the great points of this product is ease of use thanks to the included side buttons, while the included battery can allow up to 6 hours of continuous use (depending on factors such as volume etc.).

 

The Creative Air V2 can be found online for just about 49.79 Euros, which is a good value for what we are getting.

 

Creative Stage Air V2 Compact USB Soundbar is Recommended for:

 

 

 

We would like to thank again to Creative for making this review possible!