Review on Enhanced Sound BlasterX Katana Multi-Channel Surround Gaming and Entertainment Soundbar - Hardware Processing, Dolby Digital 5.1 Decoding Support, Bluetooth-Enabled - Ideal for PC, Mac, PS4, and More Consoles by Chiyo Ogawa ᠌

Name: Enhanced Sound BlasterX Katana Multi-Channel Surround Gaming and Entertainment Soundbar - Hardware Processing, Dolby Digital 5.1 Decoding Support, Bluetooth-Enabled - Ideal for PC, Mac, PS4, and More Consoles
Item: Enhanced Sound BlasterX Katana Multi-Channel Surround Gaming and Entertainment Soundbar - Hardware Processing, Dolby Digital 5.1 Decoding Support, Bluetooth-Enabled - Ideal for PC, Mac, PS4, and More Consoles
Rating: 5

October 08, 2022

The quality exceeds all expectations, I recommend to buy.

I was looking for speakers for a compact workplace at home (a laptop and a separate monitor in the corner of the room) so that I can watch movies with good quality sound.
The table is small, so the only possible place to place speakers is under the monitor.
And one more thing: they write about all good speakers that their sound very much depends on the connection method. And I understood that I couldn’t get a very high-quality signal from the line-out of my laptop.
It's the same story with soundbars: almost all of them are designed for use with a TV, not with a computer. Moreover, it is clear that using a Bluetooth connection means knowingly losing sound quality. And to connect via optics or a high-quality analog signal, you would have to buy an external sound card.

As a result, after a long search, I found Katana - and I am very pleased. Sound and ease of use.

The soundbar fits perfectly under the monitor (to raise it a little higher, I put two boxes of DVDs under the legs :) ), the subwoofer fits perfectly below the right of the legs.

The task was solved: now watching a movie is a pleasure.

Pros

1. A unique product - high-quality acoustics with a built-in advanced sound card. And almost the only product on the market that can be connected to a laptop via USB. That is, there are many good speakers, but they all need a high-quality signal (preferably in optics). And on my laptop there is only a standard line-out. That is, other speakers would have to buy an external sound card. And greatly complicate the whole structure. 2. Really good sound. Even classical music sounds very good. Not to mention the movies - the movies are pretty good. 3. Compactness (a soundbar 1 meter long would simply not fit into my "working corner"). "Sound Picture" is perfect for the computer space. The subwoofer is also small. 4. Convenient software and settings via computer. Particularly pleased with the "night" mode, which significantly reduces the bass. 5. Everything is neat and well made. The soundbar has a stylish and durable metal case. 6. Very simple and clear connection. 7. There is a control panel (it can also come in handy).

Cons

1. The headphone output is made at the back and cannot be reached there. I tried to solve the problem with an extension cable, but it did not help: the device recognizes that something is connected to the headphone output, and resets the sound from the speakers (the speakers turn off). 2. Still expensive. But I console myself that it is cheaper than buying separately a good external sound card and high-quality acoustics.