Gone are the days where you need multiple speakers to get surround sound. A soundbar with Dolby Atmos could lend you the same experience. Admittedly, it won’t able to replace the goodness of multiple speakers but it is good enough for smaller spaces.
Having said that, if you are in the market for a reasonably priced Dolby Atmos soundbar that does not take up a lot of console real estate, you may want to check out the Creative Stage 360 2.1 Soundbar.
The Creative Stage 360 2.1 Soundbar is not just a 2.1 soundbar; it is a 2.1 soundbar that promised to deliver Dolby Atmos 5.1.2 experience.
The soundbar offers up to 60W RMS, pumped out through Creative Technology’s redesigned, custom-tuned “racetrack” drivers while low-frequency thumping is delivered through an accompanying long-throw subwoofer with a peak output of 120W RMS.
All told, this small package offers a total peak power of up to 240W which is pretty impressive.
Completing the packaging is a comprehensive I/Os that include an HDMI ARC, a pair of HDMI 2.0 ports, an optical-in port, and Bluetooth 5.0 for wireless audio streaming.
Actually, those are not it. Apparently, with this soundbar, you can choose between far-field and near-field listening.
The only thing is, it is not quite compact height-wise. It looks like it towers, soundbar speaks, at 88 mm or 3.4 inches.
That is going to be an issue with a TV that is on a stand because, I don’t believe an average TV will be tall enough clear the soundbar, and hence, it could be blocking the IR of the TV.
But remote line-of-sight isn’t an issue if the TV is using a Bluetooth remote. Then again, it’d be blocking part of the lower screen which, for a person with multiple OCDs like me, may not be able to accept.
Anyhoo, that’s just me, the weirdo. For the rest who are sold, you may pick up the Creative Stage 360 2.1 Soundbar with Dolby Atmos from us.creative.com for US$229.99.
Images: Creative Technology [US].
