Looks can be deceiving.

The dinky Creative Stage Pro may look relatively harmless, but it has a performance that exceeds its small size.

We have only just reviewed the Stage Pro, but it is already available at a discount; the soundbar and subwoofer combination is available for £113 at Amazon.

We tested the Stage Pro at £130 only at the start of the month, so you’re already saving 13 per cent. That’s an incredibly low price for a soundbar, putting it in the truly budget category alongside the likes of the Sony HT-SF150.

best budget soundbars list, with the 2.1 system as our favourite compact choice given its dimensions of 8 x 55 x 11cm (hwd) for the soundbar and a slender subwoofer that comes in at 42 x 12 x 27cm.

One of the biggest selling points for the versatile Creative Stage Pro is its ability to work effectively as a desktop gaming system and a full-on home theatre setup, with corresponding listening modes to match.

Near Field Mode, as you would expect, is calibrated to suit up-close listening, such as when at a desktop, whereas Far Field Mode provides a wider sound for watching TV and movies from the sofa.

In testing, however, we found the Far Field setting to lack scale. For us, the best compromise is to use the Near Field Mode with the Movie setting on. Overall, though, we found the Stage Pro’s sound quality to be a rather pleasant surprise.

“Starting with the 4K Blu-ray of Blade Runner 2049 via our Oppo UDP-203 disc player, we find that the Stage Pro delivers a surprisingly cinematic sound despite its small footprint,” our Creative Stage Pro review reads.

“The challenging bass section towards the start of chapter two is handled with surprising oomph, and while it isn’t the most defined bass that we’ve ever experienced, it remains controlled, tonally balanced and, most importantly, doesn’t distort even at higher volumes.”

Voices also offer impressive detail and emotion thanks to the bar’s solid handling of low-level dynamics, while an explosion during Thunderbolts sounds appropriately crisp.

Connections include HDMI ARC, optical, USB Type-C, and 3.5mm auxiliary inputs, as well as Bluetooth 5.3 support. There is no support for wi-fi streaming through the likes of Tidal and Spotify, however, which is a shame as music is one of the Stage Pro’s greatest strengths, with a truly engaging and enjoyable music experience on offer.

If you have a smaller room or are looking for a desktop setup, the Creative Stage Pro is cheap, cheerful, and better than it has any right to be. For £113 at Amazon, this is a hugely affordable option for a surprisingly good soundbar.

MORE:

Read our review of the Sony HT-SF150

Also consider the Sharp HT-SB700

Read our Sonos Ray review