katana

EXPERIENCE GUIDE ®
 Sound BlasterX Katana
Customizable 24-bit Hi-Res
Gaming Under-Monitor Audio System (UMAS)
CONTENTS

Sound BlasterX Katana: An Overview page 3

Get acquainted with the Sound BlasterX Katana’s architecture,
controls and connectivity options.

Key Features page 7

Discover the core elements that make Sound BlasterX Katana the
perfect desktop audio solution for professional gamers.

Experiencing the Sound BlasterX Katana page 10

Discover bit-perfect audio using the Sound BlasterX Katana with your
smartphone, tablet, PC and Mac.

Enhancing Audio Playback page 11

Learn how to easily enhance gaming audio and elevate your
gaming experience with visual displays of light via the fully
customizable Sound Blaster Connect.
katana
Designed to fit perfectly under wide-screens and multi-monitor
displays, the sleek Sound BlasterX Katana is the world’s
first Under-Monitor Audio System (UMAS) that combines
Creative’s award-winning proprietary audio technologies with a
sophisticated tri-amplified 5-driver design and a programmable
Aurora Reactive Lighting System to deliver room-filling,
immersive audio and illuminate your space with spectacular
displays of color inspired by earth’s natural phenomenon.
Sound BlasterX Katana: An Overview

ARCHITECTURE, CONTROLS & CONNECTORS

Power/Bluetooth Button Volume Control

& Indicator • Adjusts the volume level
• Press once to switch ON/OFF
(ON: white indicator)
• Press and hold 3 secs to Source Button
perform Bluetooth pairing • Press to select an audio source
(Connected: blue indicator) (Computer, Bluetooth, AUX,
Optical, USB)
Up-Firing Midbass Drivers
• Up-firing to reduce main unit’s
height Audio/Lighting Preset
• High-powered 2.5” cones driven Button
by powerful Neodymium motor • Cycle through different audio
systems and lighting presets
• High output with great sonic
clarity for precise detailed mids

High-Excursion Tweeters Aurora Reactive

• Special 1.34” inverted aluminum dome Lighting
diaphragms with wide polymer surround • Fully programmable
with outstanding excursion capability LED lighting with up to
• Separately chambered with very low 16.8 million colors
resonant frequency
• Optimized for low crossover frequency
providing seamless driver integration with
Display
• Shows the source and
midbass drivers
current status
• Located on both ends to produce a superior
intrinsic soundstage – unobstructed even
when placed behind a laptop

Sound Bl a ste r X K a ta n a E xp erien ce Gu id e 3

Sound BlasterX Katana: An Overview (cont.)

ARCHITECTURE, CONTROLS & CONNECTORS (cont.)

Headset Jack Line In Jack

• Connect to headset/headphones • Connect to a mobile device
with a 3.5mm 4-pole/3-pole cable or portable media player via
stereo cable
Mic In Jack
• Connect to headset mic connector Optical Jack
or a microphone with a • Connect to a game console or TV
3.5mm plug for voice via optical cable
transmission or recording

USB Flash Drive Port

Subwoofer Out Jack • Play music directly from
• Connect to the Sound BlasterX a USB flash drive
Katana subwoofer unit

Power Supply USB Port for Computer

• Power up the Sound BlasterX • Listen to high-res 24-bit/96kHz
Katana using the supplied digital audio playback from
power adapter PC/Mac

Removable Feet
• Remove the feet to fit the
Sound BlasterX Katana into
a console or wall shelf

Sound Bl a ste r X K a ta n a E xp erien ce Gu id e 4

 ARCHITECTURE, CONTROLS & CONNECTORS (cont.)

Mute Button Power Button

• Mute/unmute • Press to switch ON/OFF

Bass Button Audio Preset Button

• Adjust bass levels • Cycle through audio presets.

Media Control
• Play/pause tracks
• Skip tracks
• Adjust volume/bass levels
Display Button
• Display the
current status

Lighting Preset Button

• Cycle through lighting presets
Source Buttons
• Select an audio source

Battery Compartment

Technical Specifications

• Power output: • Product weight:

- Main unit: 45 W RMS (15 W RMS x 2 Mids - Main unit: 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs)
+ 7.5 W RMS x 2 Tweeters) - Subwoofer: 4.0 kg (8.8 lbs)
- Subwoofer: 30 W RMS
- Total: 75 W RMS / 150 W Peak • Dimensions (W x H x D):
- Main unit: 600 x 60 x 79 mm
• Frequency response: (23.6 x 2.4 x 3.1 in)
- Main unit: 150 ~ 20,000 Hz - Subwoofer: 130 x 333 x 299 mm
- Subwoofer: 20 ~ 150 Hz (5.1 x 13.1 x 11.8 in)

Sound Bl a ste r X K a ta n a E xp erien ce Gu id e 5

Sound BlasterX Katana: An Overview (cont.)

CONNECTIVITY

Computer
Connect to a PC/Mac for up to 24-bit/96kHz high-resolution
digital audio playback. The built-in Sound Blaster sound card/
DAC delivers lossless, crystal-clear and impressive room-filling
sound.

USB Flash Drive

Play your favorite music directly from a USB flash drive in high fidelity. Eliminate
the need to commit your smart device or computer for playback.

Optical
Connect a game console or TV via S/PDIF optical to
experience amplified and enhanced audio for your
games or movies. The on-board Dolby Digital 5.1
decoder also provides true-to-life movies and games.

Bluetooth
Connect your mobile devices via Bluetooth 4.2 and stream high-quality audio
wirelessly without latency.

AUX
Connect portable media players via 3.5mm analog cable for clear,
powerful audio playback.

Microphone
Connect a microphone for clear voice transmissions, broadcasting or recordings.
You can even enhance your voice using the software.

Headset
For private listening or late night gaming sessions, simply connect your favorite
headset.

Sound Bl a ste r X K a ta n a E xp erien ce Gu id e 6

Key Features

SPEAKER TECHNOLOGY

The Sound BlasterX Katana incorporates speaker technology usually found only in active studio monitors,
but is re-engineered now into a much sleeker one-piece form factor (with a dedicated subwoofer) made
for the desktop.

Incorporating BlasterX Acoustic Engine and a Dolby® Digital 5.1 decoder, Sound BlasterX Katana
combines Creative’s renowned audio processing technologies with a sophisticated sound system design.
The slim and slick audio system, crafted with a brushed aluminum finish, packs a whole slew of features
in a neat setup and small footprint to cover all aspects of entertainment. Its simplicity, versatility and
power are truly best in class.

Tri-Amplified Design: Three Amps are Better Than One

PASSIVE DESIGN TRI-AMPLIFIED DESIGN

High Mid Low

Frequency Frequency Frequency
High Low/Mid
Frequency Frequency SUB
R L R L

VS

A A A A

Three amplifiers, one dedicated to high frequency,

one to mids and another to low frequency for
One amplifier drving high, low and mid frequencies improved frequency distribution

Unlike most conventional soundbars that utilize a single amplifier to reproduce the entire audio
spectrum, Sound BlasterX Katana employs three high-performance amplifiers – one dedicated to
driving lows, one for mids, and another solely for high frequencies.

This allows the Sound BlasterX Katana to produce startlingly clear, precise, and well-balanced audio.
Without any compromise on clarity, details and bass, the Sound BlasterX Katana is able to deliver
massive room-filling audio that is non sweet-spot dependant – fully immersing users in the action of a
game or movie, from the whizz of bullets to the rumble of explosions, and even the softest dialog.

Sound Bl a ste r X K a ta n a E xp erien ce Gu id e 7

 Key Features (cont.)

SPEAKER TECHNOLOGY

Sophisticated 5-Driver Design

The Sound BlasterX boasts a sophisticated fully active 5-driver design of 2 up-firing midbass drivers,
2 high-excursion tweeters and a long-throw subwoofer where each driver is individually powered by
a DSP-controlled amplifier.

Audio signals are split into individual frequency bands by the DSP before the right frequencies
are fed to the individual amps and drivers accordingly. This results in distinct, accurate audio
reproduction at every part of the spectrum with very low distortion.

Sleek yet Powerful and Room-Filling

Comprised of a slim main unit and a compact subwoofer, the Sound BlasterX Katana is the most
powerful in its class with a 150W peak power output.

Standing at just 2.5” tall, the ultra-thin main unit offers a low table to bezel height that fits well
below any large multi-display space. Despite its slim profile, the Sound BlasterX Katana pumps
powerful, clean, room-filling audio with precise stereo imaging thanks to the specially designed
driver placement.

The midbass drivers are placed at an up-firing angle to reduce height while the tweeters are
placed on both ends of the main unit to produce a superior intrinsic soundstage.
For far improved driver integration with the midbass drivers, the tweeters
are crossed at a very low frequency to produce a well-balanced sound
regardless of sitting and listening environment. With a generous
width of 23.6”, the main unit delivers an amazingly wide soundstage
that is unobstructed even when placed behind a laptop.

The dedicated subwoofer features a large 5.25” long-throw driver

housed in a specially tuned wooden enclosure. To reduce turbulence,
a port tube with dual flares is built into the slim subwoofer, ensuring
deep and dynamic bass despite its compact size.

Sound Bl a ste r X K a ta n a E xp erien ce Gu id e 8

 TECHNOLOGY INSIDE

Intelligent Processor for Customizable Enhancements

A built-in proprietary Sound Blaster multi-core DSP that is powerful,
flexible and programmable transforms the Sound BlasterX Katana into a
full-fledged external sound card.

Coupled with legendary Sound Blaster technologies, it provides fully customizable hardware-
powered audio restoration, voice processing, 7.1 virtual surround sound and other advanced audio
enhancements for games, movies and music – giving you unprecedented audio realism in real time.

Dolby Digital 5.1 Decoder

The Sound BlasterX Katana is a certified Dolby Digital
decoder, providing crisp, true-to-life 5.1 channel
playback via optical-in. Experience immersive,
mind-blowing games and movies!

Aurora Reactive Lighting System

The Sound BlasterX Katana comes with the Aurora Reactive Lighting System that features
49 programmable RGB LEDs.

Inspired by earth’s natural phenomenon, the Aurora Reactive Lighting System illuminates the
main unit with brilliant displays of color along its entire length with an even coverage from
edge to edge.

Choose from 6 presets or program it with up to 16.8 million colors and different rhythms to
choose from. Build a neat gaming space by linking up other Aurora Reactive Lighting System
products.

Sound Bl a ste r X K a ta n a E xp erien ce Gu id e 9

 Experiencing the Sound BlasterX Katana
Every gamer has a personal preference as to how gaming audio should sound like, and we
acknowledge that. The Sound Blaster Connect software provides no-holds-barred access to an
arsenal of tools to control every aspect of your audio. Its unmatched versatility lets you tweak
individual audio settings to bring out the dynamics unique to each game – the way you want it, to
gain that added advantage. Combining hardware-accelerated processing, top-notch components
and Sound Blaster’s class-leading audio algorithm technologies, the Sound BlasterX Katana offers
incomparable audio customization and built-in audio presets professionally tuned for most of your
playback needs.

Game
Strap up and prep yourself for the greatest adventure of your life! With our
immaculately tuned Game profile, enjoy your game with the most visceral aural
performance you’ve ever heard! Our new Ultra Wide Immersion algorithm enables
the Katana to bring forth a soundscape that is so wide, so natural and so accurate
that plain words cannot describe it completely.

Concert
Relive the emotional memories of your favorite artist’s live performance with the
Concert profile. Hear the painstakingly rendered vocal and band performance like it
was, back in the arena, with booming basslines and echoes permeating through the
thick atmosphere because we believe that great Concert experiences should never
end.

Cinema
Get transported into an alternate reality of incredible cinematography and
breathtaking moving audio with the Cinema profile. With this, we aim to preserve the
original rendition of master audio mixes and then some. Hear every speech, cue and
subtle nuance just the way it should be.

Night
Catching up with your latest flix at 3AM will never be a problem ever again. Start your
visual feast and switch to the Night profile and binge till you can do no more. With
our Smart Volume Management technology and our deep understanding of human
aural perception, we tuned this profile carefully to preserve harmony so that you can
continue eating popcorn and binging on movies all night long.

Sound Bl a ste r X K a ta n a E xp erien ce Gu id e 10

 Enhancing Audio Playback
Sound Blaster Connect for PC
Available for Windows®, the fully customizable Sound Blaster Connect
software gives you complete control over your listening experience with our
professionally tweaked enhancements that intelligently decreases distractions
and enhances game play. You can also tweak the lighting effects of your
BlasterX product to create a fully customized gaming space.

Overview
1

2
3
4
5
6

1 Connected Devices 2 Open/Collapse Menu 3 Dashboard 4 Sound

• Select the device to • Open or collapse the • Quick overview of audio • Modify EQ settings
configure sidebar menu and visual settings • Personalize audio settings
• Customize Dolby Digital 5.1

5 Voice 6 Lighting 7 Settings

• Improve voice clarity • Choose or customize RGB • Change language settings
• Have fun with voice lighting presets to match • Modify SB Connect settings
morph your mood and space • Check software and firmware status
• Restore default settings

Sound Bl a ste r X K a ta n a E xp erien ce Gu id e 11

 Enhancing Audio Playback (cont.)

Dashboard
An overview of all your audio and visual settings. View your current and frequently used settings, or
quickly personalize them.

Current audio/lighting preset

Lighting setting

EQ setting

A selection of pre-configured Audio settings Voice settings

audio/lighting profiles optimized
for most of your playback needs

Sound Bl a ste r X K a ta n a E xp erien ce Gu id e 12

 Sound
Each preset profile can be further customized according to your acoustic preference for music,
games a movies.

1. Equalizer
Select from a plethora of Equalizer presets to match your audio, or enhance the bass or treble to
your liking with our graphic equalizer

Tap to view a
list of preset
EQs.

Simply draw your Slide to adjust the enhancement Slide to adjust the
preferred EQ wave across of bass sounds. More harmonic enhancement of high
the frequency bands or tones will be added the higher notes.
adjust each frequency you go.
filter by sliding the points

Sound Bl a ste r X K a ta n a E xp erien ce Gu id e 13

 Enhancing Audio Playback (cont.)

2. Enhancement
Powered by BlasterX Acoustic Engine, enhance and tweak your auditory experience to perfection
with intelligent controls.

Immersion: Enjoy true-to-life audio with a natural sense of audio depth, spaciousness and
surround effects from your content. Move the slider clockwise to widen the soundstage and increase
immersion.

Crystalizer: Experience audio the way the artist intended by restoring audio details that were
lost due to file compression. Move the slider clockwise to increase the amount of details restored.

Smart Vol: Minimize abrupt volume changes. Choose to normalize volume loudness automatically
according to your playback (Auto), or intelligently reduce loud burst of sounds for those late night
sessions (Night).

Dialog+: Enhance voices in movies, music or games for clearer dialog. Hear the dialog over the
rest of the soundtrack and ambient noise in your listening environment. Move the slider clockwise
to add more focus on vocals.

Sound Bl a ste r X K a ta n a E xp erien ce Gu id e 14

 3. Dolby
For a more satisfying Dolby Digital playback experience, adjust the dynamic range to suit your
listening preference.

Sound Bl a ste r X K a ta n a E xp erien ce Gu id e 15

 Enhancing Audio Playback (cont.)

Voice
Improve your voice quality and inject fun into your in-game chats, broadcasts to Twitch, YouTube and
other social media with voice enhancements.

1. Clarity
Powered by CrystalVoice, you can significantly reduce noise and echoes as you speak in real-time.

2. Voice Morph
Have fun changing your voice to different characters during game play, game casting or recordings.

Select one of the many

Voice Morph options to
enhance your tone or create
interesting accents and
sound like a completely
different person.

Sound Bl a ste r X K a ta n a E xp erien ce Gu id e 16

 Lighting
Choose or customize RGB lighting presets to match your mood and space.

Selected
preset

Select your
favorite color
scheme to match
your gaming space.

Select the direction of the Slide to adjust

Select a lighting preset. Select a motion sequence
light movement. the speed of light
They have been specially for the lighting effect.
tuned to match the movement.
equivalent audio presets.

Sound Bl a ste r X K a ta n a E xp erien ce Gu id e 17

Corporate Headquarters
Creative Technology Ltd, 31 International Business Park, #03-01 Creative Resource, Singapore 609921
Tel: +(65) 6895 4000 Fax: +(65) 6895 4999 Website: www.creative.com
For more details on Sound BlasterX products, visit blasterX.com

© 2016 Creative Labs Pte. Ltd. All rights reserved. Creative, the Creative logo, Sound Blaster and BlasterX logo are trademarks or registered trademarks
of Creative Technology Ltd. in the United States and/or other countries. Manufactured under the license from Dolby Laboratories. Dolby, Dolby Audio and
the double-D symbol are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. The Bluetooth® word mark and logo are owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such
marks by Creative Technology Ltd is under license. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or
other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners and are hereby recognized as such. All specifications are subject to change
without notice. Actual product may differ slightly from images shown. Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent
a commitment on the part of Creative Technology Ltd.

Rev