Creative Sound Blaster Katana V2 vs JBL Bar 2.0 All-in-one (MK2)

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Only show differences

Better figure, where one is clearly better

Share comparison

Sound Blaster Katana V2 compared with Bar 2.0 All-in-one (MK2)

	CreativeSound Blaster Katana V2	JBLBar 2.0 All-in-one (MK2)
Overview
Released
Released	September 2021	2022
Sound
Type
Type	Soundbar	Soundbar
Channels
Channels	2.1	2.0
Dolby Atmos
Dolby Atmos	No	No
Drivers
Drivers	Two 63 mm midrange drivers and two 19 mm fabric-dome tweeters in the soundbar; one 165 mm driver in the supplied subwoofer.	Two racetrack drivers in a stereo 2.0-channel soundbar; no separate subwoofer or dedicated centre/rear speakers
Amplifiers
Amplifiers	Proprietary multicore DSP controls a tri-amplified system. Maker rates total output up to 126 W RMS and 252 W peak, with 66 W RMS for the soundbar.	80 W maximum total output at 1% THD, 2 × 40 W; maximum, not continuous RMS output
Frequency response
Frequency response	50–20,000 Hz (maker specification; tolerance not stated).	70 Hz–20 kHz, maker specification without a stated tolerance
Audio formats
Audio formats	Dolby Digital decoding over HDMI ARC or optical. USB supports 5.1 input on Windows and high-resolution audio up to 24-bit/96 kHz; physical driver layout is 2.1 rather than five discrete satellite channels.	Dolby Digital with JBL Surround Sound processing; Les Numériques also confirmed Dolby Digital Plus and stereo LPCM, but no DTS, Dolby TrueHD or Dolby Atmos
Room tuning
Room tuning	Creative Acoustic Engine and EQ controls; Scout Mode and headphone SXFI Battle Mode. Super X-Fi headphone personalisation uses a profile generated with the SXFI app.	Smart mode applies preset EQ and JBL Surround Sound; Standard mode available through the remote, with Smart mode re-enabled on power-up. Audio/video sync adjustment; no adjustable bass level or automatic room calibration
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 receiver with SBC codec, A2DP and AVRCP; quoted open-space range up to 10 m.	Bluetooth 4.2; A2DP 1.3 and AVRCP 1.5 profiles
Ports
Ports	HDMI ARC, optical input, USB-C audio, 3.5 mm AUX input, headset/headphone output, SXFI-out, wired subwoofer output and DC power. HDMI is television return audio, not video passthrough.	HDMI ARC connection to the TV, optical input and USB-A for service/updates in the UK. USB music playback is US-only. No HDMI source input or eARC
Streaming
Streaming	Bluetooth music playback 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, Acoustic Engine, mixer, RGB lighting and programmable remote profiles; SXFI app creates the personalised headphone profile. Maker lists Windows, macOS, iOS and Android support with platform requirements.	–
Design
Weight
Weight	1.52 kg (better)	1.6 kg
Controls
Controls	On-bar controls, front display and supplied programmable IR remote; source, volume, power, EQ, bass/treble, Bluetooth pairing and lighting settings.	Top power, volume and source buttons; LED status/volume indicator rather than a text display. Remote with two AAA batteries, HDMI CEC and IR TV remote learning; no built-in voice assistant
Microphones
Microphones	Two built-in beamforming microphones allow calls directly through the soundbar; no built-in voice assistant.	–
Mounting
Mounting	Desk placement or supplied wall-mount brackets and hardware.	Included wall-mount bracket kit and screws
Size
Size	Maker dimensions: soundbar 600 × 95 × 62 mm and 1.52 kg; subwoofer 150 × 367 × 367 mm and 6.4 kg. Top-level weight is soundbar only.	614 × 56 × 90 mm (width × height × depth), 1.6 kg. Packaged weight: 2.6 kg
Colours
Colours	Black	Black
In the box
In the box	Soundbar, wired subwoofer, IR remote, wall-mount brackets and kit, power adapter and regional plugs, optical cable, USB-C to USB-A cable and printed guides.	Soundbar, remote with batteries, region-specific power cables, HDMI cable, wall-mount kit and documentation