I expected SuperWide to make dialogue harder to understand, but the Stage Pro delivers exceptional voice clarity in both far and near modes, even in Music and Movie modes. I found the additional upper mids and treble boost in Vocal mode unnecessary.
As a music speaker, the Stage Pro is geared toward lower volumes and short distances. Not that it can’t get loud – it can get absurdly loud – it just doesn’t sound good at these levels. The screams in the treble start to creep in at around 50 percent and by the time you get to 75 percent it sounds like noise.
You’ll get the best fidelity in classic stereo mode, but even in this mode I had to lower the treble setting to its lowest setting to compensate for the heavily boosted highs. Music in both SuperWide modes can be a mixed experience. Midrange definition is partially sacrificed (that dilution of detail I described earlier), causing an overemphasis of the treble. On some tracks, like Sabriba Carpenter’s “Taste,” this leaves a gulf between the bass notes and the vocals. Some songs fare better. Jon Batiste’s “We Are,” with its gospel-infused chorus, actually benefited from both the wide soundstage and vocal tuning, but it was an outlier.
The soundbar sits on rubber feet that tilt the unit upwards slightly to direct the speakers toward your head when you’re seated. For my combination of desk, seat, and body heights, it wasn’t enough. I ended up sticking an AA battery under each leg to get a more aggressive angle. While I don’t recommend this particular hack, I encourage you to find a solution that does the same thing. When you’re sitting close, Near and Far SuperWide modes will sound much better if you get the angle right.
A solid bar
Photography: Simon Cohen
Using the Stage Pro with a 32-inch TV in our bedroom was a different experience. Unlike the bed, our TV is not centered in the room. On my wife’s side, the viewing angle is off by about 10 degrees; For my part, it’s more like 30. We can tilt the TV slightly to compensate, but the small electric fireplace that serves as a speaker stand doesn’t offer us the same level of flexibility for the soundbar. When I use our usual speaker, a Sonos Beam, I don’t notice it at all. However, with the Stage Pro in Far mode, my wife’s side was clearly in the correct position, while mine had a less immersive experience. Switching to Near mode increased this gap.
As an experiment, I installed the Stage Pro in our largest TV room. The soundbar surprised me, especially in Far SuperWide mode, with expansive sound that sounded like it was coming from a much larger speaker. Unfortunately, the subwoofer couldn’t move enough air to match the main bar, and the bass performance was too weak to be enjoyable. Lesson learned: the Stage Pro prefers a smaller stage.
For the price, the Creative Stage Pro is a fun and versatile speaker system that excels at delivering immersive, cinematic sound, with excellent dialogue clarity. Its SuperWide processing isn’t all hype, but you’ll only appreciate the effect over short distances with the speakers aimed directly at your listening position. Don’t ask it to fill more than a small bedroom or office, and you won’t be disappointed.
