For most of my gaming career, I used either the speakers from whatever TV I had or the headset I was using at the given time. Needless to say, results varied. There were times when I wanted the ease of just turning on the PlayStation and playing whatever game I had on the go, in all its brilliant sound, but the TV never offered anything that would stack up. Other times, the headset just wasn’t something I wanted to wear while I was currently playing. The Katana V2X changed all that simply by being a part of my setup.
The Sound BlasterX Katana V2X Gaming Soundbar is about as easy to use as you can hope for, and the unboxing is no different. In the box, you get the soundbar itself, the subwoofer, a digital optical cable, a USB-A to USB-C cable, the remote control, a power cable, and 2 wall mount brackets. Weighing just over 3 lbs, the soundbar is easy to place and move around, and while the subwoofer is twice as heavy, it doesn’t feel as cumbersome as one might think. Its slim profile makes it fit easily into tight spaces, making it the perfect companion under a desk or beside your TV.
When it comes to sound quality, soundbars are extremely hit-or-miss. I’ve used some that just don’t offer the depth of sound that I was looking for, and some that offered too much. The Katana V2X falls right in the middle of the field with the number of different sound options it affords.
With 5 different sound sources available: auxiliary, Bluetooth, Optical, TV, and USB, the user is spoiled for choice of where they want the sound to come from. I chose to go with Optical for my PlayStation 5, and it really was the best choice for me as the connection was direct to the console, and simple to forget. Sure, I had one extra device to turn on when I wanted to game, but it’s a small price to pay for the sound quality I was getting on the regular now.
“The Sound BlasterX Katana V2X Gaming Soundbar is about as easy to use as you can hope for…”
The Katana V2X Soundbar features 2 tweeters and 2 midrange drivers, delivering some of the most outstanding sound quality I have ever heard. Soon, the music and sounds of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 came bursting through the soundbar, and I quickly found myself turning the master volume down a bit to make it less aggressive, much to my partner’s appreciation.
When it comes to the subwoofer, there are absolutely times when I want it on and times when I want it off, and the Katana V2X offers you the ability to turn down the subwoofer. With a range of -10db to +10db, there is a lot of range available for you to get the exact amount of bass for your given situation. Sometimes I found myself turning it all the way up when playing Gran Turismo 7 simply to hear the rumble of the engine far deeper than my TV could ever provide.
When it comes to controlling the Katana V2X, you have an in-depth option and a basic option at your disposal: the remote control and the physical buttons on the soundbar itself, respectively. Starting with the latter, you get 6 buttons on the top of the soundbar: power, volume +/-, source, mode, and SXFi. All the buttons are self-explanatory, apart from SXFi, which I will touch on in a little while.
“The Katana V2X has exceeded my expectations by having a small physical footprint, impeccable sound quality, ease of use, and range of use.”
The remote offers a wide range of options, allowing users to control volume, subwoofer decibel levels, sound modes, input sources, RGB patterns and RGB brightness. While most of these settings function as simple on or off toggles, the RGB lighting includes several preset patterns. After cycling through the options during initial setup, we settled on one that complements our living room colour scheme and have not changed it since.
As mentioned earlier, the Katana V2X includes a top-mounted button for SXFi, Creative’s headphone integration technology known as Super X-Fi Headphone Holography. Using the feature requires physically connecting wired headphones to the soundbar and transferring a sound profile from a mobile device through the SXFi app. Because of this setup, the feature is best suited for desk use. As I do not own any wired headsets, I was unable to test this function.
Creative has also developed a companion app for the Katana V2X that allows for deeper customization. Through the app, users can access the mixer, assign custom buttons for specific scenarios, adjust RGB lighting settings, and more. The app is available on Android, iOS and Windows and macOS.
For a long time, I was hesitant to use a soundbar in my gaming and television setup, as it felt like an unnecessary addition. That perspective has changed. The Katana V2X exceeded my expectations with its compact footprint, impressive sound quality, ease of use and versatility. My only hesitation is the price. At $399, it sits on the higher end, but the overall performance and feature set outweigh the cost. If the budget allows, it is an easy recommendation for gamers looking to upgrade their audio experience.
