Price When Reviewed

$34.99

Best Prices Today: Stage SE Mini

$34.99

I don’t perceive Creative. Once upon a time, this storied speaker producer made rattling good merchandise, together with sound playing cards, audio system, and even 7.1 programs in your pc. Sure, its merchandise price quite a bit, however then again, Creative was usually related to high quality.

Their new Stage SE Mini is a comparatively cheap soundbar you can place in entrance of your pc or plug instantly into your pill. Is it good? Well…it’s not horrible, however it’s not that good both. And why do we’d like a soundbar in entrance of a pc?

Further studying: The best budget computer speakers: Solid audio for $100 or less

Design & construct

Creative clearly put some thought into the Stage SE Mini’s design. Gone is the black, barely 1988-era high-gloss piano lacquer–you understand, the type of end that absorbs fingerprints like there’s no tomorrow. Instead, they’ve given the brand new Stage SE Mini a duller, rougher floor that feels extra fashionable.

In phrases of appears to be like, there’s not a lot to say. The Stage SE Mini is an rectangular black speaker with a knob on one aspect, plus a small LED to point when it’s on. The dial doubles as a quantity management or for switching on/off. A small button subsequent to the dial helps you to select which audio supply you need to use.

USB, Bluetooth, or 3.5mm enter

The Creative Stage SE Mini requires no set up by any means. The best method to join the speaker is by way of the included USB-C cable. If you’re taking part in media from a cellphone that doesn’t have USB-C ( you, iPhone 14), you should utilize Bluetooth. (Stage Mini SE helps Bluetooth 5.3). If you’ve gotten an iPhone 15 or an iPad, simply plug it into the USB-C port. You also can plug a pair of headphones into it should you want.

You also can join it to a PS5, which I sadly couldn’t check (Xbox FTW!).

Audio efficiency

The Creative Stage SE Mini’s sound is…so-so, relying on what you utilize the speaker for. If you need to take heed to music, it doesn’t sound excellent. If you need to take heed to a podcast, the sound is satisfactory. But shouldn’t a speaker be capable of do each?

The drawback might be within the design. Most soundbars manufactured as we speak, aside from Sonos and people costing north of $1,000, don’t sound good when taking part in music. Whether the issue is that the drivers are too small or that they make use of a so-called “racetrack” design (consider the oval operating monitor in a sports activities area) is an open query. You can also’t alter the sound instantly on the gadget itself, aside from the amount, so it’s important to dig round within the app’s sound settings.

The Stage SE Mini doesn’t have any distinctive bass to talk of, whereas the midrange isn’t very pronounced both. After loads of twiddling with the audio settings in Spotify, I managed to get acceptable sound, though I’d hesitate to name it “good.”

And as common, the Stage SE Mini has a candy spot; should you push the speaker too arduous, it doesn’t sound good in any respect.

Pricing and availability

The Creative Stage SE Mini prices a reasoable $34.99, and it’s available on Amazon and different on-line retailers, in addition to on Creative’s website.

While the Creative Stage SE Mini is actually inexpensive, I might fairly purchase a pair of audio system from the Creative GigaWorks series. That’s not as elegant an answer as a one-piece soundbar just like the Stage SE Mini, and the GigaWorks audio system are pricier in addition. That stated, you’d be getting significantly better sound in your bother.

Specifications

• Manufacturer: Creative
• Model: Stage SE Mini
• Tested: October 2023
• Connections: USB-C, Bluetooth 5.3, 3.5mm
• Size: 410 x 82 x 63 mm
• Power: 24 watts
• Price: $34.99 on Amazon

This translated assessment originally appeared on M3, our sister publication.