Logically, the system also has a huge subwoofer for bass sounds that provides up to 200W of RMS power, and that is integrated into a large resonance box that, between the diameter of the woofer and the space of said box, will surely make that everything around it vibrates when we put it at maximum power.
The system has two HDMI outputs (2.1, HDCP 2.3 and eARC), and supports passthrough with resolution up to 8K at 30 Hz (this means that even if you connect an image system such as a game console to use this sound system with it, the image passes through up to the mentioned resolution without problem). It also has a TOSLINK optical input and two stereo auxiliary analog inputs via 3.5mm minijacks. Similarly, it has audio from USB-C and from Bluetooth 5.0.
To highlight the fact that we are dealing with a very, very large sound system, and that fortunately or unfortunately it will not have a place in many environments: imagine having to place an 88 cm long sound bar on the desk, accompanied of a subwoofer of almost 13 Kg of weight and considerable dimensions… for this reason, the Creative SXFI Carrier is designed for environments where there are no space problems, such as a living room.
Unboxing and external analysis
Given the enormous dimensions of the Creative SXFI Carrier, we have been forced to dispense with showing you the packaging in which it comes. However, it is not something relevant since it does not come in a box with the typical photographs and characteristics on its faces, but it comes in a huge hard cardboard box and neutral color that does not even tell us what is inside. So, we are going to show you the product directly.
As always, before seeing the device itself, we will see the accessories that come. In this case, Creative includes an instruction manual, a remote control, the power supply, a minijack stereo cable, an HDMI cable and four power cables (one for the subwoofer and one for the sound bar, and with an American plug and European, that’s why there are 4).
The subwoofer plugs directly into the wall outlet, so its power supply is internal. However, the soundbar does require an external power supply, and the one supplied by Creative is rated at 96 watts.
Let’s start by looking at the subwoofer, and remember that it has exaggeratedly large dimensions. It is made with a polished black painted wooden soundboard that guarantees good audio quality, with a huge covered perforation on the side and a notable air intake in one of the thin areas.
On the back of the subwoofer we find the connections: power connector, reset button, USB 2.0 (used for maintenance, to update firmware and others), and an auxiliary input minijack. Remember that, in this case, the subwoofer is wireless and we do not need to connect it to the sound bar.
Seen the subwoofer, let’s see the sound bar. As we said before, it also has considerable dimensions, and it is that from end to end it measures 880 mm in length.
In the central area we can see a small grid behind which one of the tweeters is hidden, and on the top the corresponding buttons to be able to control their functions; however, these buttons are scarce because it is designed to be controlled using the included remote control. Also in this area there is a screen that will show us information, such as the volume level or the selected audio input.
We can see, in the metal grilles on the sides, how they have a certain shape to denote that under them are some of the speakers that it contains inside. In fact, at a certain angle we can see the inclination of the middle speakers responsible for the Dolby Atmos sound.
If we go to the back and bottom, we see some huge rubber inserts that will help the cabinet in which we place the bar not vibrate too much, although it is true that as we can see it also has two hooks to be able to hang it with hooks from one wall.
This is where we have the contingent of connections, including the USB-C input, two HDMI inputs, one HDMI output, one optical S/PDIF input, stereo auxiliary input and stereo auxiliary output, plus, of course, the input of the power connector.
Having seen the device, it is time to mount and connect it and check how it works.
Testing the Creative SXFI Carrier
In our case, and since we don’t have a desk big enough to accommodate this Creative SXFI Carrier for use with the PC, we decided that the best way to test it was in the living room, so that we can use it both directly with the TV as with a PS4 Pro game console.
In the following image you can see how it looks compared to a 55-inch TV, and given the size of the subwoofer we had no choice but to put it on the floor, next to the cabinet.
The connection method is very simple: for the TV only, we have to use the HDMI eARC of the TV and connect it to the sound bar; for the console, you have to connect the HDMI output of the console to the sound bar, and the HDMI output of the bar, to the TV, although it is true that we could also have directly connected the optical cable from the console to the bar of sound and ready to have had one (remember that Creative does not include it).
In any case, the connection and installation is quite simple, although it is true that we will have a bit of a mess of cables with the HDMI and the two plugs that we need to service the system.
And now the good stuff begins: the sound provided by this Creative SXFI Carrier is spectacular, one of those that leaves you speechless. We didn’t want to try it at maximum volume because even when it was less than half full, the furniture was already vibrating, which is bad, although we also tell you that for a room of about 28 square meters like the one in which we tried it, with 25% of the volume It was already more than enough for the audio to surround the entire room at a level comparable to that of a movie theater.
The Dolby Atmos system works excellently, and watching a simple movie through Netflix caused the sound effects to almost make us turn our heads thinking that something was coming towards us: the feeling of immersion is honestly sublime. In general, the audio quality is more than excellent, as it could not be otherwise in the case of a sound system of the price and range that we have in hand.
Conclusion and verdict
With the SXFI Carrier, Creative has sublimated the audio quality that an ordinary person can aspire to have in their living room or hobby room, with masterful surround sound with Dolby Atmos and a sound quality that few manufacturers can aspire to. . We cannot fault the audio quality or the features of the device at all, and it is certainly a piece of equipment to keep in mind for all those sound connoisseurs who want to have the best of the best in their living room.
Of course, we say “in your living room” because due to the weight and size of the device, we will not be able to place it in many places without running into problems, and in fact it would be quite uncomfortable to have a device on the PC table. However, it is not that the almost 1,000 Euros that it costs are enough for everyone to buy one.
For all these reasons, we believe that this Creative SXFI Carrier deserves our Gold award, as well as our recommendation for its performance, meaning the immense audio quality it provides.
