Instead, the Creative Stage Air works best at close range. Occasional tests on my TV reminded me that my fully grown Sony soundbar was a better option, but it also costs three times the amount of the Creative Stage Air and comes with its own subwoofer. On a daily basis, I found it was quite respectable for those times that I wanted to stream music via my laptop or iPhone quickly. The Creative Stage Air isn’t going to be the kind of device you buy to show off your audio prowess, but that doesn’t make it a bad investment for those on a budget. Daily Use: Steady Going Yup, those bundled cables are short. Unlike other speakers and headphones, there aren’t any options to tweak or adjust, but then again, this was never going to be an audiophile’s first choice. It’s another moment where you appreciate the price and let it go. However, for anything loud and easy like an expertly recorded pop or rock track, it does the job well enough. I tested it out on a friend’s homegrown album, and it failed to extract the quieter moments particularly well. This isn’t a speaker for listening out for the more subtle nuances of a track. It’s quite bass-heavy to listen to, but the passive radiator helps somewhat to make lower notes more noticeable.ĭon’t expect great trebles or strong clarity though. It has dual 5W drivers inside, so the output isn’t loud, but it does the job when up close. Given the size and price tag attached to the Creative Stage Air, it’s not going to set your ears on fire. Basically, if you know what any of that means, you’re probably already intent on spending a lot more on your speakers than the price of this one. The downside for some here is that it’s Bluetooth 4.2 and only works with the SBC audio codec which isn’t the best of codecs, but it’s not something that most users will notice. Hooking it up to my phone took seconds, and there’s always the option of connecting it to your computer this way too. It’s fairly standard and reassuringly straightforward. Expect that to drop to about 4 hours if you turn up the volume.Īs anything with the word Air in the title suggests, the Creative Stage Air also works via Bluetooth. The battery capacity is 2200mAh, so you’re good to go for a while with Creative reckoning a maximum battery life of about 6 hours. ![]() Then there’s the micro-USB socket that’s there to charge the battery. Still, if you just want to dump a giant pile of music on a flash drive and leave it to play without worrying about somebody staying in Bluetooth range, it’s useful.Īdditionally, there’s the 3.5mm input which comes with that very short cable but is useful for hooking up a multitude of things (even more so if you buy a longer cable). While you can’t expect much from a device with no screen, some basic button-based functionality would be nice. When you plug in a USB drive it just starts playing all the files in the order in which they appear on the flash drive-there’s no ability to skip, go back, or control the music playback with a companion app or anything. ![]() This is one of those things that seems useful but is fairly limited. There’s USB-A for plugging in a flash drive for instant playback. The Creative Stage Air has three physical inputs. Connectivity Options: Not Too Shabby Did we mention that it loves to suck up dust? Jennifer Allen It’s one of those things that would feel like a bigger issue if the Creative Stage Air costs more than it does. ![]() It’d be nice if the buttons were a little easier to distinguish from each other, but when it came to volume control, I mostly stuck with using whichever device I had it hooked up to. One is power, along with Bluetooth connectivity, and volume controls. Expect to need to look closely at what each does as the descriptions are a little awkward to spot, plus it loves to attract dust. Predictably, the glossy finish loves to collect fingerprints but hey, what tech doesn’t? Jennifer Allen There’s a metal grill that covers two dynamic drivers, along with an oversized passive radiator. It won’t set the world alight with its looks, but it’s subtle and easily blends in with your other devices. It’s predominantly plastic with a glossy finish and matte sides. Both of these are only a little over half a foot long so expect to buy longer cables separately if you want to do anything more advanced than just slot it under your PC monitor, such as place it under your TV. There’s the soundbar itself which measures a mere 16 x 3 x 2.75 inches, along with a micro-USB and 3.5mm cable. For the price, you don’t get much in the box.
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