Setup, Design & Observations
Compared to other speaker systems, the Sound BlasterX Katana is fairly easy to setup as it is only two items that need to be positioned. Though the soundbar itself is easy to place under a monitor on a desktop, you will need to find a suitable location for the subwoofer. Should you wish to mount the soundbar on the wall beneath your screen, keep the subwoofer cable length in mind.

You can connect to the Katana in a multitude of ways, including Bluetooth with your mobile or tablet, though it is a shame it doesn't feature NFC. You can also connect via the 3.5mm Aux IN to pretty much anything. The addition of the optical in as well as having a built in Dolby Digital 5.1 decoder means that you can connect directly to a TV or games console. For many using the PC USB port will be a likely option too. Finally, you can connect a USB Flash drive with stored music for instant playback (Supports MP3, WMA, FLAC and WAV). Though, I would have preferred that they used a microSD slot over a USB port, mostly because if people have this mounted on the wall, plugging in and removing a USB stick seems like it would be a fair amount of hassle, while feeling around for a little push in slot, at least to me, seems more reasonable.

The overall aesthetic of the Katana system is elegant, the soundbar itself is totally keeping it classy, while the subwoofer is finished off in a lush matte texture. When we start looking at the construction and features, there is a lot about the Katana that is reminiscent of the Roar wireless speakers. Its monocoque frame crammed with technology, but scaled up for a different purpose. Considering the pricing of the katana, it certainly feels like you are getting your money's worth.


Multimedia
On powering up pay attention to the volume level. By default ours was set to 15 which is a reasonable volume level for moderate/low activity (maximum is 50), however, each increase is fairly linear, and by 50, the volume level is more suited for a small function hall rather than a small room. For those that like to listen to things loud, you will be pleased to know that there was no noticeable distortion, and the level of bass, mids and treble was spot on, each are crystal clear with none fighting to be heard. The Bass is strong and prominent, and though it doesn't overwhelm the other frequencies, some may prefer it to be at a lower level by default, though fortunately you can crank the bass up or down to preference using the remote.

After listening to music for a fair while, I decided to test out the various default SBX effects, and WOW, what a difference it made over the neutral, flat setting. The audio opened up and filled the room with sharper, more precise sounds that bounced around the whole room. Considering how compact the Katana is, it was at this point I realised that this is on another level to everything we have looked at previously.

Using the 7.1 surround mode (set in Windows audio options), Gears of War 4 was eerily awesome to play. The directional audio was surprisingly good as you can hear teammates movement around you clearly, (or an enemy coming to execute you while you are down). Gunshots felt huge and powerful, wind flares sounded scary and headshot pops, as always are totally satisfying. Changing to SBX mode to cinema for better voice emphasis, the LED lighting toned itself down to a non-offensive warm orange tone. There is even a nighttime mode that allows for good night time listening with a slightly nerfed bass for lower sound transmission (through walls). Connecting your PS4 or Xbox One via optical too is a fantastic way to get the most out of your console gaming experience too.

If all else fails and you need to be quiet, you can then connect your gaming headset to the dedicated port. The Katana will then act as an external soundcard which you can then enjoy the benefits of the integrated DSP via your headset. If you connect via 4pole, you will not need to use the additional microphone port, where as the stand alone microphone port can be used either for a headset, or for voice transmission or recording alone (it prioritises the dedicated microphone port over the headset 4pole microphone).

Microphone
Though it doesn't have a built in microphone I felt it was worth mentioning that voice recording via the headset/microphone is very reasonable, and as it has built-in noise reduction for clear, static free conversation. The headset port may not be as important for console gamers as PC gamers (because consoles are likely to connect their headsets via the gamepad), but having this extra function including the use of voice recording or even as a PA system enables people to get creative in the use of the Katana sound system.