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Product Description

Sound BlasterX Katana

The Sound BlasterX Katana is as much of a deadly weapon as its namesake. It fits right under your monitor with a slimness that's unmatched by other gaming “sound bars”, and is powered by the award winning multi-core audio DSP making it the world's first true Under Monitor Audio System (UMAS).

The Katana gives you an immersive audio experience for your games and movies with the BlasterX Acoustic Engine and Dolby Digital 5.1 Decoder. This audio system embodies the perfect combination of our most powerful 24-bit high resolution DAC and sophisticated 5-driver system. Equipped with a plethora of connectivity options, you can trust the Katana to be one of the most versatile and most powerful speakers to ever grace your desktop.

SO SLEEK, YET SO POWERFUL

The Katana can be effortlessly tucked right under your monitors and TV. With a slim profile shorter than 60mm, this Under Monitor Audio System is drastically superior in form and function to ordinary “gaming soundbars” and is perfect for all setups.

LIGHT UP YOUR SETUP

The Katana incorporates the Aurora Reactive lighting system, where its base is lined with 49 programmable LED lights from edge to edge. With the accompanying free Sound Blaster Connect software, you can choose from up to 16.8 million colours and fully customize your ambience lighting effects to create your own unique profile that elevates your visual experiences

POWERFUL AUDIO, FLEXIBLE CONNECTIVITY

The Katana houses a 5-driver design - two up-firing midbass drivers and two high-excursion tweeters in the soundbar, and one long-throw driver in its subwoofer. Each driver is individually chambered and powered by a DSP-controlled amplifier to deliver ultra-precise audio.

In a league of its own, the Katana is enhanced by our proprietary multi-core Digital Signal Processor (DSP) to deliver superb audio performance - two dedicated to driving mids, another two dedicated to deliver the high frequencies, and one dedicated to churn out heart-pounding bass. The result? You’ll be able to hear all the details that other speakers fail to deliver.

Together with its game-changing tri-amplified design with a total output of 75RMS/150W, the Katana truly is most powerful in its class.

#SetupGoals are now achievable with the Katana. Comes equipped with comprehensive connectivity connections, the Katana is versatile and compatible with many multimedia devices.

Product guides and documents

User Manual (PDF)

What's in the box

Sound BlasterX Katana

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Product information

Product Dimensions

8.1 x 26.7 x 19.7 inches

Item Weight

17.6 pounds

Manufacturer

Creative

ASIN

B01M5G07KF

Item model number

51MF8245AA000

Customer Reviews

699 ratings

4.6 out of 5 stars

Best Sellers Rank

#33,516 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
#221 in Home Audio Sound Bars

Is Discontinued By Manufacturer

No

Date First Available

November 18, 2016

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5 star		77%
4 star		14%
3 star		4%
2 star		2%
1 star		3%

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dj mullikin

Good overall soundbar for price.

Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2022

Verified Purchase

I loved this soundbar and subwoofer at first. Then after less than 2 weeks it started making this cracking/popping sound coming out of the soundbar. Luckily this has only happened once. I turned it off and then once turned back on it was back to being perfect. Will update if issue happens again.

Helpful

M.J.

Feels like I'm sitting in a recording studio

Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2022

Verified Purchase

I work at my home desk all day and listen to music most of the day. I've been using various bluetooth speakers, but switching to this was a huge upgrade. I'm not an audiophile, but what a difference - it just sounds like a professional studio sound. It was $250 at the time I purchased it, and I feel like I got my moneys worth.

Helpful

Armand

The BEST Small Soundbar you'll find

Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2020

Verified Purchase

I really wanted to upgrade my old sound system and needed a small soundbar that would fit under my 32 inch monitor with really good sound quality for every scenario (music, movies, gaming). I also wanted to hear dialogue more clearly and more balanced sound overall. I researched almost every soundbar out there and found this one to be the best out of all of them not just for it's size but also it's features and overall sound quality for the price and it absolutely delivered in every category.

Now this sound bar is a couple of years old now so don't expect the latest and greatest audio technology (Dolby Atmos and DTS:X). Finding a soundbar with either of these two technologies costs alot more and none of them were in a compact size like this soundbar. Maybe in another 10 years we'll start seeing more of these and in a compact size.

I compared the following soundbar models to this one:
1. Yamaha YAS 108/109 - Doesn't have a subwoofer and was too long/big. Doesn't have an equalizer to tweak. 109 model just adds Alexa and charges more? Has software problems.
2. Yamaha YAS 208/209 - Pretty much the same as the above but has a subwoofer and better sound quality. Sound apparently cuts out sometimes. 209 just adds Alexa and charges more.
3. Sonos Playbar and Beam - Way too expensive and it comes with way too many features I don't need. I didnt want a smart soundbar with Alexa or Chromecast. Neither comes with a subwoofer unless you buy it separately which adds a lot to the price.
4. Bose Solo 500 or Bose Solo 5 - Reviews claim the sound quality isn't as good as the above soundbars.
5. Roku Soundbar - This one I was close to getting but apparently it doesn't have as good sound quality as the others.

There were others I looked at as well but they all seemed to have some kind of problem or was too big for my desk.

Back to this soundbar, it has great software from Creative. Includes an equalizer, 3 levels of making dialogue more clear and man did this deliver. I no longer need to use subtitles. Can make it so you don't encounter sudden loud sounds so you make all sounds more balanced. A crystalizer which made music sound more clear. I can hear every detail/instrument in a soundtrack very clearly now. There's also some things you can set to make your microphone more clear or morph your voice but I didn't try it. As an added bonus you get a light show that you can customize beneath the soundbar and man does it look good even during the day.

Some additional details, the soundbar automatically goes into stand by maybe after 20 minutes or so if it doesn't pick up a sound. It takes about a second to wake up when you use it again. Only issues I encountered were that once you connect headphones it takes over all the sound and the plug is in the back so it's hard to connect your headphones to it everytime. I get some pops and static here and there. Might be due to interference from the USB connection. I'll play around with it and update if I manage to get rid of it. I updated all the firmware and got the latest software version and drivers. The subwoofer is a little too tall to fit under my desk. I had to lay it down horizontally to fit.

Overall, this is the best soundbar I could find to fit all my requirements. I highly recommend it even with it's minor flaws. You'll thank me when you can hear every word of dialogue and crystal clear audio overall. 😁

One person found this helpful

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CEH

Sound Blaster Connect software very buggy

Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2022

Verified Purchase

Sound and quality is very good. The software to configure and modify the sound settings is very buggy and crashes a lot (windows 10). The app for the iPhone is a bit more stable. The only reason for not giving it 5 stars was the buggy software.

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Justin OConner

Amazing premise, poor execution for the price

Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2017

Verified Purchase

I bought this awesome, but sadly flawed device as a replacement for my sprawling set of 7.1 surround PC speakers. I was quickly able to free up a ton of desk space and cable clutter by switching to the Katana, but I ran into some problems along the way that really soured my experience with it. Let's break it down into its core features:

SOUND QUALITY: The sound quality is highly dependent on your preferences and willingness to tweak the settings. The device comes with several presets for equalization and features (like "Cinema", "Gaming", and "Concert" modes) and only the "Gaming" and "Concert" presets are worth anything to my ears. Even then, the decent-sized subwoofer goes under-utilized until you crank up the bass manually using the Creative software (or the remote the Katana comes with). Until you crank up the volume, though, nothing will have much "punch" to it. When you do, the Katana does a surprisingly good job of filling the space around you with vibrant sound despite being little more than a sound bar.

CONNECTIVITY: Unfortunately, the Katana is pretty much unusable via USB. This disappointed me greatly since I was hoping to further reduce cable clutter by connecting it into my monitor's USB hub. It comes with a very short USB cable that seems custom-made for this purpose (along with a longer one). However, at least on my PC, the device is INCREDIBLY loud over USB. I have to keep the volume level around 4 (out of a max of 50!) or else it becomes too loud for normal listening. I haven't tried it over other connectivity options, like optical or good old-fashioned 3.5mm audio cable, but I imagine they won't be vulnerable to this issue. Over USB, the device synchronizes its volume level to your PC's, so there's no way to adjust one to accommodate for the other. Another serious issue is the stand-by mode. After a few seconds of no sound, the Katana will go to sleep. The LED lightshow will continue, but you can hear an audible pop a few times as it settles into sleep. Once in stand-by mode, it takes a second to wake up, which often leaves short sounds (like Facebook messages) sounding like pops instead of chimes/jingles. I spoke with Creative customer support: there is no way to disable the stand-by mode.

CONVENIENCE: One of the biggest selling points, to me, was the ability to plop this thing beneath my monitor and not have to fiddle with arranging my speakers the right way or tripping over excess cables behind my desk. If your monitor's stand is short enough, you'll be able to slot the Katana right underneath it. It has feet which stand the soundbar up by about half an inch, so you can pretty easily slide it on top of the monitor stand. You don't lose much desk space (assuming you have a widescreen monitor), and you get cool LED colors on the surface of your desk. In my case, however, the monitor stand was just slightly too tall for the Katana to stand above it. I had to prop the legs up on some small wooden blocks to get it to stand high enough to rest comfortably above my monitor stand.

COOL FACTOR: This is a soundbar that emits colorful LED light underneath itself (and slightly forward). You're either going to love it or hate it. To its credit, some of the LED effects are very subtle and kind of relaxing. Or, if you like that sort of thing, you can do a full rainbow wave like all those fancy RGB mechanical keyboards. The LEDs transition colors smoothly and the effects are well done. You can navigate through the preset effects using the remote or the Creative software. There's not a ton of customization available in either place, but you should be able to make it match your RGB colors if you've got a theme going.

SUMMARY: Honestly, for the price of the Sound BlasterX Katana, I expected a lot more. I expected a sound quality that would at least rival my $150 full-sized soundbar on my TV--at higher volumes, and after some tweaking, it can. I expected it to work flawlessly over USB, but it doesn't. I would have liked a few more customization options for the RGB patterns and colors. The lack of adjustable feet is a huge oversight. The inability to turn off the stand-by mode would have been a deal-breaker for me had I known it beforehand. I can't tell you how annoying it is for the speaker to pop a few times as it goes to sleep, and then pop again as it wakes back up once I play some kind of sound. However, you're going to be hard-pressed to find a competitor in this space that beats Creative's offering in the Katana. If your desk space is at a premium and you like the RGB lighting, you might be willing to overlook some of these issues and pick up an admittedly cool and useful speaker with some serious blemishes.

13 people found this helpful

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Jay Wan

Excellent sound but unfortunately...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 5, 2021

Verified Purchase

These sound great and go insanely loud! Probs the best gaming focused soundbar on the market except the new one they just released!

However i had to return mine due to the RGB failing after just 5 days of use. Completely burnt out and wouldn't switch on anymore, gutted!

One person found this helpful

Francis Chabot

A good PC speaker that justify its value with features more than sound quality.

Reviewed in Canada on November 20, 2020

Verified Purchase

I've been looking for a PC speaker for a while. I use a headset most of the time and i have a good one. But i often wish i would have some good speakers to not have my headset on my head all the time. Tried many PC speakers over the years and for the most part they all sounded like crap or were good at 2.0 sound only or had good 5.1 sound with weak stereo sound and many many cables.

After watching many reviews i decided to give the Katana a try despite the price. Considering how small the speaker is i was ready to be disappointed by low quality sound coming from tin cans. Overall i must say the sound quality is nice. Obviously i still listen to music with my headset but the Katana surprised me by being a good enough stereo speaker while offering good fake surround sound in games and movies. It's surprising how loud it can get without the sound being distorted too much. I usually set it to 10/50 over that and it gets loud.

I would say though the sound quality while surprisingly y good for a speaker this size doesn't justify the price. Sound quality wise it really is a 150$ to 200$ CAD speaker. But if you add the features then the price kind of make more sense. It's a one of a kind speaker. It comes with its own sound card so you don't have to deal with on board sound card. You plug it via USB and voilà. The drivers are better than most on board sound card crappy drivers.

The LED are nice and are configurable. The speaker will also retain the LED configuration for each mode of listening. You can turn off the LED while in the night mode and have the LED displaying any light when in gaming mode and have a different setting for concert mode and the speaker will retain the different settings for each mode. It comes with a remote and all the feature are on the remote. It's also very small and doesn't take much room on the desk. Overall i would say it's worth the 300$ CAD i paid for it. It looks great, sound more than good enough and not having to deal with on board audio sound card and their outdated bad drivers is a big plus. Probably the best PC speaker i ever owned.

2 people found this helpful

Evert Prak

top soundbar van creative

Reviewed in the Netherlands on September 6, 2022

Verified Purchase

Weer een top product van onze al oude creative. ik gebruik creative al sinds 1998 en berbaas me telkens over de kwaliteit prachtig. Ik vind dit een top uitvinding makkelijk onder de monitor veel instellingen en vooral een top geluid zuiver mooie hoge tonen en een erg goede bas zowel tijdens het gamen als het luisteren van muziek klinkt het erg goed Ik heb het in windows in gesteld op 24 bits en 96 kHZ . Het ruimtelijk bereik is ook goed en geeft echt diepte tijdens het gamen. ik heb het aangesloten via USB en optical rechtstreek naar mijn versterker zodat als ik muziek afspeel via mijn versterker het geluid ook via Katana gaat. Bluetooth naar mijn koptelefoon of versterker werkt ook perfect. Dit is waarom ik hou van de produckten van Creative sound blaster al jaren.

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ET

Very decent sound but not multi-channel

Reviewed in Singapore on January 4, 2021

Verified Purchase

Coming from a Samsung soundbar (came with TV) and the previous Creative Stage soundbar, this is definitely an upgrade. Even though this is marketed as a gaming soundbar, I'm using it as TV speakers with a listening distance of about 1.5meters.

The mids are way fuller so dialog is louder & clearer. You can actually use this for music playback and it would sound decent enough.

However, don't expect HiFi sound or "multi-channel support" to project sound to the back of your head especially if you're using this for watching TV from your sofa.

Using this as a gaming soundbar may give you a sense of surround due to the up-firing speakers but I wouldn't call it convincing.

That said, this is a really versatile speaker that can be used in all kinds of scenarios with better than average sound. And it is smaller than I expected judging from reviews and the HUGE box it came in.

CRUMCRUM

Soundbar 10 na 10

Reviewed in Poland on August 22, 2022

Verified Purchase

Fajny wygląd, szczotkowane aluminium dobrze się przenetuje. Ledy rgb są bardzo wyraźnie i mocne (u siebie musiałem ściągnąć trochę z mocy bo były wręcz za jasne) - wszystko można ustawić za pomocą aplikacji na desktopa. Wbudowane kilka presetow dźwiękowych, które są całkiem nieźle. Oczywiście każdy może ustawić wszystko pod siebie.
Dzwiek: i tutaj zdziwienie, gra po prostu dobrze. (To nadal soundbar stworzony z myślą i graniu i korzystaniu z komputera) czyste dźwięki naprawdę super, gładkie i przyjemne dla ucha bez uciążliwych dźwięków. Woofer po ustawieniu naprawdę potrafi zejść nisko wiwc wszelkie trzęsienia czy wybuchy maja odpowiedni efekt podczas gier.
Muzyka też brzmi nieźle, ale najbardziej zadziwiła mnie scena jaka się słyszy, jest naprawdę szeroko.
Nie mam do czego się doczepić tak naprawdę, ale jest wart pieniędzy za które jest sprzedawany. Taki trochę zloty środek jak nie masz miejsca na pełnoprawne głośniki i nie zawzze chcesz grac w słuchawkach.

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Brand	Creative
Model Name	Sound BlasterX Katana
Speaker Type	Wireless, Subwoofer, Surround, Soundbar
Connectivity Technology	Bluetooth, AUX-in, USB FlashDrive, Headset out, USB Audio, Mic-in, Optical-in
Special Feature	Hi Res Audio

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Sound BlasterX Katana Multi-Channel Surround Gaming and Entertainment Soundbar - Hardware Processing, Supports Dolby Digital 5.1 Decoding, Bluetooth-Enabled, for PC, Mac, PS4, and Other Consoles

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Product Description

Sound BlasterX Katana

SO SLEEK, YET SO POWERFUL

LIGHT UP YOUR SETUP

POWERFUL AUDIO, FLEXIBLE CONNECTIVITY

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