I test a lot of soundbars, which means I know the best soundbars like the back of my hand. Is the Creative Stage Pro one of those best soundbars? Hm. I'm actually so conflicted.
On the one hand, it's a very, very cheap soundbar (and subwoofer), which is a breath of fresh air in the soundbar world. Most home cinema setups can cost you well over $1,000.
On the other hand, you'd have to put up with muffled dialogue in action scenes. Is that a price you're willing to pay? Only you can decide. I'm so conflicted with this one, and here's why.
Enough bass to stock a fishmonger
So the Creative Stage Pro does what few cheap soundbars can: rattle the floors. Thanks to the standalone (wired) subwoofer, this budget home cinema setup will have your downstairs neighbors banging on the door. When I was watching action-heavy movies like "Top Gun: Maverick," I was enthralled by how loud and present the jet engines sounded.
Truly, I didn't expect that level of bass from a $169 soundbar. I honestly don't expect much of $169 soundbars, period. So when the bass hit me like that, I was thrilled.
The Creative Stage Pro was surprisingly great with music, too. I played music from Qobuz, our best streaming service for audiophiles, and the soundbar handled it deftly. Obviously, it performed the best with bass-heavy electronic tracks like 'Flight FM' by Joy Orbison, but it surprised me by handling acoustic and indie well, too.
I know soundbars aren't usually great at playing music, so this was a major plus in my eyes. If you're having a party and don't have a wireless speaker, then you could easily use the Creative Sound Pro in a pinch. If you've got a music streaming app on your smart TV, you wouldn't even have to launch Bluetooth and play from your phone.
However, a prominent low-end means something else isn't as present... treble. And what integral part of movies (usually) falls on the higher end of the frequency range?
Dialogue.
And unfortunately... that's where the Creative Stage Pro stumbles. It's as heartbreaking as when the underdog falls at the last hurdle (or something less cliche).
Eh? What did you say?
Unfortunately, the loud (yet unbalanced) bass means there's one key issue with the Creative Stage Pro. It simply can't strike a balance between the low- and high-end.
That means dialogue suffers. When I was watching "Top Gun: Maverick," I really struggled to hear some scenes. Every time the pilots got into their planes, I was both frustrated and excited. Let me explain.
Excited because I knew the floors would start shaking as soon as the engines roared to life.
Frustrated because I literally couldn't hear anything. The bass overpowered most of the dialogue, and I found myself yearning for subtitles.
If you're the kind of person who puts subtitles on anyway (I know there are a lot of fellow Gen Z who can't watch TV without subs), then this wouldn't be an issue.
Also, when compared to the TV speakers, the Creative Sound Pro provides better sound. So if you want to upgrade from TV speakers, then yes, it's a no-brainer: you should probably get this soundbar. That doesn't mean it's perfect for everyone, though...
Super-budget doesn't always mean super-good-value, except...
When I compare the Creative Stage Pro to other cheap affordable soundbars I've tested, it is far superior. Case in point: the Ultimea Nova S50. This soundbar + subwoofer is around $130 on Amazon U.S., but it sounds pretty darn bad. I would get the Creative Stage Pro over the Ultimea Nova S50 any day.
That doesn't, however, mean that I'd jump at the chance to buy the Creative Stage Pro.
If you really, really need a soundbar now and you can't wait until Black Friday (when premium soundbars will go on sale — trust me), then yeah, the Creative Stage Pro will suffice.
Personally, though, I'd wait until Black Friday to secure the best bang-for-buck soundbar out there. I'd keep my eye out for a Samsung sale — usually its soundbars are discounted around 20% during Black Friday (going off previous years).
My favorite mid-range soundbar is the Samsung Q600F, which has an MSRP of $599. I'd estimate this soundbar would drop to around $480 during Black Friday, which is still a pretty premium price, but totally worth it if you're serious about cinematic sound.
Another option would be getting a cheaper soundbar-and-subwoofer combo, such as the Polk Audio Signa S4. This soundbar + subwoofer has an MSRP of $449, but was $399 when it was first released. Last November, when its MSRP was still $399, the Signa S4 dropped to $250 during Black Friday.
However, as I've mentioned, the MSRP has recently increased to $449. I think we can safely assume the sale price will be more like $300 during this Black Friday, which is a shame.
Still, $300 is incredibly cheap for a soundbar of this caliber. As I've said time and time again, I'd recommend saving up and getting a more premium soundbar, as cheap soundbars simply don't have the gusto to mimic movie theaters.
If you want to spend as little money as possible, I'd recommend the Creative Stage Pro over other super-budget soundbars I've tested. Just know you might have to turn on subtitles — but is that a small price to pay for a soundbar this cheap?
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