Creative Sound Blaster Katana SE vs JBL Bar 2.1 Deep Bass (MK2)

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Sound Blaster Katana SE compared with Bar 2.1 Deep Bass (MK2)

	CreativeSound Blaster Katana SE	JBLBar 2.1 Deep Bass (MK2)
Overview
Released
Released	May 2023	2022
Sound
Type
Type	Soundbar	Soundbar
Channels
Channels	5.1 virtual	2.1
Dolby Atmos
Dolby Atmos	No	No
Drivers
Drivers	Four active drivers: midrange and tweeter pairs, each independently powered in a one-piece enclosure; no separate subwoofer.	Four racetrack drivers and two 1-inch tweeters in the soundbar; 6.5-inch wireless subwoofer. No dedicated centre or rear speakers
Amplifiers
Amplifiers	Bi-amplified four-driver design controlled by a multicore DSP; maker rates total system power up to 90 W RMS and 180 W peak.	300 W maximum total output at 1% THD: 2 × 50 W soundbar and 200 W subwoofer; maximum, not continuous RMS output
Frequency response
Frequency response	55–20,000 Hz (maker specification; tolerance not stated).	40 Hz–20 kHz, maker specification without a stated tolerance
Audio formats
Audio formats	Dolby Digital decoding over HDMI ARC or optical; 5.1 USB input on supported Windows, Mac and PlayStation platforms, with virtual surround from the single soundbar. USB high-resolution audio is supported up to 24-bit/96 kHz on supported sources.	Dolby Digital with JBL Surround Sound processing; no Dolby Atmos or DTS:X
Room tuning
Room tuning	Creative Acoustic Engine, EQ and Scout Mode; SXFI Battle and personalised Super X-Fi processing for headphones. Personalisation uses the SXFI app.	Smart mode applies preset EQ and JBL Surround Sound, with Standard mode available through the remote. Low, middle and high subwoofer levels and audio/video sync adjustment; Smart mode resets on power-up
Connections
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	No	No
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	Yes	Yes
AirPlay
AirPlay	No	No
HDMI eARC
HDMI eARC	No	No
Voice assistants
Voice assistants	None	None
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.0, SBC codec, A2DP and AVRCP; maker quotes up to 10 m open-space range.	Bluetooth 4.2; A2DP 1.3 and AVRCP 1.5 profiles
Ports
Ports	HDMI ARC, USB-C audio, optical input, 3.5 mm AUX input, headphone/headset output, SXFI-out and DC power; no HDMI video passthrough.	One HDMI 1.4 source input, one HDMI ARC output to the TV, optical input and USB-A for service/updates in the UK. USB music playback is US-only. No eARC; manual warns Apple TV 4K HDMI 2.0 formats are unsupported
Streaming
Streaming	Bluetooth audio from compatible devices; no Wi-Fi or AirPlay receiver.	Bluetooth stereo streaming; no Wi-Fi, AirPlay or network streaming services
App
App	Creative app for EQ, processing, mixer, controls and RGB lighting; SXFI app creates the headphone personalisation profile.	–
Design
Weight
Weight	2.67 kg	2.14 kg (better)
Controls
Controls	Soundbar controls, front display and supplied IR remote, with RGB lighting and selectable audio modes.	Top power, volume and source buttons, front status display and remote with two AAA batteries. HDMI CEC and IR TV remote learning; no built-in voice assistant
Microphones
Microphones	Dual front beamforming microphones for calls; no built-in voice assistant.	–
Mounting
Mounting	Tabletop placement or wall mounting beneath a television.	Included wall-mount bracket kit and screws
Size
Size	Maker lists 650 × 109 × 78 mm; soundbar weight 2.67 kg.	Soundbar: 965 × 56 × 85 mm (width × height × depth), 2.14 kg. Subwoofer: 5.61 kg; maker UK page and manual print 240 × 240 × 379 mm under width × height × depth, despite the pictured taller cabinet. Packaged weight: 10.32 kg
Colours
Colours	Black	Black
In the box
In the box	Soundbar, IR remote, power adapter and regional plugs, USB-C to USB-A cable, optical cable, wall-mount hardware and printed documentation.	Soundbar, wireless subwoofer, remote with batteries, region-specific power cords, HDMI cable, wall-mount kit and documentation