Creative Technology, the Singapore-based company which revolutionized the world of entertainment audio with its Sound Blaster Sound Card in the late 1980s, when personal computers had no sound, is launching its affordable, Dolby Atmos-equipped soundbar, Stage 360, in the Indian market.
Stage 360, now available on Flipkart, is an immensely popular piece of sound equipment in the affordable segment. It has taken the surround sound ecosystem by surprise with its performance, which users varyingly describe as 'premium', 'powerful' and 'marvellos'. For the Indian audience, which had been eagerly looking forward to its commercial launch in the country, the wait is finally over.
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Premium Features
Although marketed as an affordable soundbar, Stage 360 is laced with premium features. The first of these, and one which makes it unique, is that the soundbar comes with Dolby Atmos, a premium technology developed by Dolby Laboratories and used for creating lifelike, multichannel surround sound. With Dolby Atmos, one hears sounds move around —just as they would in real life. It creates realistic surround sound and provides an immersive experience to the users. It creates the illusion that you're inside the movie or game you're watching or playing.
"The technology has the ability to deliver precise positional audio for lifelike sound
portrayals, from a Cheyenne attack helicopter hovering over a battlefield in a war movie to intense rain pounding against the roofs of a quiet suburban town in a creepy, horror film," a representative of the company in India told the publication.
Most soundbars in the affordable category in India do not have Dolby Atmos, and it is this fact that makes Stage 360 quite appealing to the Indian market.
Moreover, Stage 360 provides enhanced bass performance thanks to its all-new racetrack-inspired drivers and a long-throw subwoofer with a high-excursion driver.
Connectivity
Apart from being equipped with the best in class technology, the soundbar also provides multiple connectivity options to its users. It comes with the latest wireless connectivity technology, Bluetooth 5.0, which provides a faster, more power-efficient and more reliable wireless connection than other technologies. It also gives users the option of using the HDMI ARC port, HDMI 2.0 port and optical-in port to connect.
"Users can easily set up the soundbar with a single HDMI cable connected straight to your TV's HDMI ARC port, allowing you to reduce cable clutter," the executive added.
Users can connect with Stage 360 on the go, from any part of their home, given its great range. It provides a hassle-free connection for both mobile and stationary users, ensuring a seamless and uninterrupted user experience.
Furthermore, Creative Stage 360 can stream content directly from platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Apple TV+, Disney+, Hotstar, SonyLIV, and HBO Max, among others.
Aesthetics
Stage 360 is also an aesthetically pleasing machine. Creative's minimalist design features ensure that it not only fits your decor but also complements it and the existing equipment you have. If you're looking to upgrade your TV to a soundbar, you would want to make sure that the piece of equipment that you're buying has a modern or contemporary look that fits in with your living room's style. Many existing users of Stage 360 that we talked to said it first with their existing architecture perfectly well.
"One thing to keep in mind when choosing a soundbar for your home is how large it needs to be. If you have a small living room, you might want to get a small soundbar instead of one that's too wide for the space you have. Or, if you want to use it as part of a bigger home theater setup, make sure that the soundbar can fit comfortably within your existing setup," a Creative Technology executive said, adding that Stage 360, given its compact size, would easily fit in with the existing equipment.
Technical Specifications
Because the soundbar is only 56.5 cm/22.2" wide, Stage 360 doesn't occupy valuable living room space. But despite its small size, Stage 360 is capable of delivering powerful sound and performs exceptionally well both in open, crowded areas and closed spaces with few people, which makes it perfect for all types of gatherings, from evening parties with friends to weekend Netflix and chill sleepovers.
The exceptional performance of this elegant sound machine is powered by 115 x 250 x 422 mm/4.5 x 9.8 x 16.6-inch tower-sized subwoofer, which comes with the soundbar.
The subwoofer has a high power output of 60W RMS and a 5.25' high excursion driver. The total system power is up to 120W RMS (Peak 240W).
While the power and optical cables that come along with the soundbar are 1.5 meters long, the subwoofer cable extends up to 2 meters, allowing users to place the subwoofer and the soundbar at some distance.
"You can optimize your listening experience regardless of distance with Creative Stage 360's dual sound placement features. Select near-field placement for setup distance within 3 ft / 1m from your seat placement, such as a desk, or switch to far-field placement via the IR remote control if your setup is beyond 3 feet/1 meter," Creative says.
Creative Technology
The Singaporean company was established in 1981 as a pioneer in audio technology and innovation. Sim Wong Hoo, the creator of the Sound Blaster sound card, founded Creative. The company has made many important innovations in the past. X-Fi Sonic Carrier, a hi-res audio and video delivery system for home entertainment, was released in 2016 and is often referred to as the 'future of audio.'
In 2018, Creative launched a revolutionary technology for headphones called Super X-Fi Headphone Holography. Super X-Fi's is unique as it creates a custom audio profile using artificial intelligence, based on a person's unique anthropometry. The technology uses computational audio to emulate a multi-speaker studio listening experience in headphones, replicating the same original depth, detail, realism, and expansiveness as a studio. Its SXFI CARRIER, based on Super X-Fi® Headphone Holography, is also available in the Indian market. Developed by Creative in association with Dolby Laboratories, the SXFI CARRIER brings some of the best features of the iconic 15.2 Sonic Carrier but at a fraction of the price.
Stage 360, too, has brought prestige to Creative. It was recently named one of the 'best budget soundbars' by Tech Advisor thanks to its excellent audio performance and has also received the highly-regarded Silver award at Cowcotland.
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