The 12 Days of Techmas 2025
Welcome to the 2025 edition of the 12 Days of Techmas! For the next 12 days, I will post a bitesize review of some of the best tech that I’ve used throughout the year. You’ll read about many products, from LED facemasks, gaming gear to Christmas lights and everything in between. We’d like to wish all of our readers and fans a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year.
Day 1 – Creative Stage Pro
At around £130 in the UK, the Creative Stage Pro is a real step up from your built-in TV speakers and will upgrade your TV audio without breaking the bank.
It is simple to set up and offers plenty of connection options: HDMI ARC (with CEC so your TV remote works), optical-in, AUX, USB-C, and Bluetooth 5.3.
The Creative Stage Pro looks pretty sleek in a matte black finish with bronze/gold accents at the ends, and its relatively small size means it fits perfectly under a monitor or TV. The subwoofer is slim enough to tuck away without taking up too much of your space.
The Stage Pro has built-in Dolby Audio and Dolby Digital Plus decoding, so it can process and play back audio encoded in those formats. In practical terms, this means that you’re getting clearer dialogue and a more cinematic sound from compatible content on platforms like Netflix.
The “SuperWide” mode is my favourite feature. You can pick Near or Far, depending on whether you’re close up at a desk or sitting farther away on the couch. Creative uses some digital magic to make the soundstage feel much wider than the speakers actually are, making gaming and watching movies feel far more immersive. The subwoofer also really stands out. It’s not as powerful as a high-end system, but compared to your TV’s built-in speakers, you’ll notice more bass and presence.
A downside for me was the lack of an App, which means that there is no way to update the firmware or tweak the EQ settings. Speaking of EQ settings, the available options are Movie, Music, Vocal, and Gaming. The only one missing for me is a live sports mode.
If you want a simple way to make TV shows, games, and music sound bigger and clearer without spending much and getting complicated, the Creative Stage Pro is a strong choice. It’s not going to compete with the more expensive systems, but for everyday living room or desk setups, it punches well above its price.
If you’re looking for a new soundbar and want to find out more, you can visit the Creative website.
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