Harish Jonnalagadda is a source.
In the last five years, I've switched between a dozen TVs. The picture quality of the Mi QLED 75 is great, it runs a version of the OS I want, and it has all the options I want.
The audio system has not changed: the Z906 from Logitech. I picked these up over five years ago, and they hold up well for movies, TV shows, and music. I wanted to get the Wharfedale Linton a few years ago, but there isn't enough room to place the floor-standing speakers, so I looked for a decent soundbar to show up.
The Creative's is a soundbar. The Sonic Carrier was the sequel to the 15-driver monster that was the Creative Atmos. It costs five times less than the Sonic Carrier.
Creative's unique SXFI virtualization tech, seven driver units, and a wireless sub are just a few of the things the SXFI Carrier has going for it. If you're looking for a high-end sound system, the soundbar is a good choice, but it's not as good as the options from Sony, Yamaha, and others.
It produces incredible sound that makes your TV shows and movies come to life, with seven dedicated drivers and a wireless sub with a 10-inch driver. You get a high-end soundbar that holds its own against its rivals with a robust build and HDMI 2.1 connection.
The sound is amazing.
The wireless sub has great bass.
It's easy to set up and use.
The HDMI 2.1 connection.
There are six different ways to watch movies, TV shows, and music.
Does a great job with the technology.
There was no integration of Chromecast.
Adding rear surrounds is not possible.
There is limited EQ customization.
Harish Jonnalagadda is a source.
The brand noted that demand exceeded availability in the initial months of the launch of the Carrier in Asian markets. It was launched in North America for a price of $999, and is sold by Creative and a few distributors. It is available for 99,999 in India.
What you'll love is what the Creative SXFI Carrier has to offer.
Harish Jonnalagadda is a source.
Let's start with that name. Sex-fi is the name of Creative's surround sound tech. The 10-inch wireless sub delivers room-shaking bass, and the SXFI Carrier has seven drivers integrated inside of its chassis, which makes it awkward name.
The design is the same as the norm; it is black with a mesh grille around the front, and doesn't call attention to itself. The build quality feels robust, and you'll find a 3.5mm jack at the front and controls at the top for adjusting volume, changing the modes and switch between sources, and power on or off.
The dimensions of 880 x 128 x 76mm and 8lb (3.6 kilogram) make the soundbar portable. I was initially concerned that it wouldn't fit in front of the Mi QLED 75, but it did.
The ease of use is the best part of the Carrier. The package includes all the cables you need to connect the soundbar to your TV, and installation is as easy as plugging the soundbar and wireless sub to wall outlets.
As soon as you plug the sub into the box, it will detect the soundbar and connect to it. Creative's mobile app will let you adjust the sound in your room. You'll be using the bundled remote after you set it up.
Everything you're looking for in a Carrier is available at the SXFI Carrier. You'll get all the benefits of HDMI 2.1, including variable refresh, ALLM, 4K at 120fps, and HDR10+, with two HDMI inputs and an eARC output.
You also get optical, 3.5 in, and a bunch of other things. You can use the soundbar to stream music from your phone, but there's no internet here. In the month that I used the sub, I didn't see any issues with the connection between the sub and the soundbar, but there is an option to connect both via a wired connection over 3.5mm.
Once you start using the soundbar, you will see that Creative worked with Dolby to tune the drivers on the SXFI Carrier. It has a 5.1.2 configuration with two large drivers oriented toward the ceiling, three front-facing tweeters, and two side-mounted drivers that provide a lot of width.
Creative.
The environmental Atmos effect that distinguishes the SXFI Carrier from other soundbars can be achieved by the two primary drivers being angleed. Creative says that it relied on the hybrid two-way acoustic design of the drivers to direct a portion of the frequencies to them so that they can be used for more than omnidirectional sound.
The first soundbar to use this design is the SXFI Carrier. Creative noted that it had to strike a balance between delivering a product with a small design while still offering enough drivers to produce a dynamic sound.
The $5,000 Sonic Carrier has more drivers than the SXFI Carrier, but it is still able to produce a lot of sound. The wireless sub adds a lot of definition, the height channels are ideally suited for Dolby Atmos content, and the drivers on the sides do a good job with surround sound.
The end result is a great sound system for movies and TV shows. The soundtrack of Dune was rendered in accurate detail and added a lot of dimension to the intense battle sequence when it was streamed. The vocals shone through with clarity and timbre, and the wireless sub added a lot of rumble to action scenes.
The sound changes dramatically depending on the mode you choose. It was ideal for movies and TV shows if I set it to the movie mode. The bass is not effusive out of the box, but there is an option to boost the low-end frequencies via the remote, and once you do, there's much more definition.
I use Our Planet when testing new TVs and audio gear, and the SXFI Carrier did a good job of creating an omnidirectional effect. Creative's SXFI has a distinct edge in this area, as the soundbar also holds its own for streaming music. You can use the brand's virtual surround tech to connect a headset to the soundbar, and it works well.
What needs work?
Harish Jonnalagadda is a source.
Creative has delivered here, but there are a few things that are missing. The SXFI Carrier has limited wireless and no wi-fi. If you don't want to rely onBluetooth, you will need to plug in a Chromecast Audio if you want to use it to play music.
The product manager for the SXFI Carrier said that it was a conscious decision to not add a wi-fi receiver. Creative wanted to add the best drivers to the SXFI Carrier, so it decided to reduce the budget for the drivers.
Creative noted that most smart TV brands already have wireless streaming options, and that it wasn't going to offer anything meaningful in this area. It decided to use better driver units instead of the wi-fi receiver.
There is a missing feature. Creative's products offer a lot of customizability when it comes to sound, but because the brand worked with Dolby on tailoring the sound for each of the six modes it offers, it wasn't able to offer EQ customization.
It decided not to offer the ability to add rear surrounds because it would have meant tweaking the balance of each mode.
The competition is for Creative SXFI Carrier.
Daniel Bader is a source.
The Sonos Arc is the obvious choice if you're looking for a high-end soundbar. The Arc and the leader in multi-room audio, Sonos, deliver room-filling sound in a small chassis. It doesn't have a wireless sub, so you don't get the same level of bass and sub-bass detail, but it is easy to set up and use, and has wi-fi.
Should you buy it?
Creative.
You want a package that includes the sound of Dolby Atmos.
You need a wireless sub.
You want sound quality to be among the best.
You need to have internet access.
You want to be able to add rear surrounds.
You're looking to make the EQ your own.
Creative isn't trying to get market share with the Carrier. It knows that the market for a high-end Dolby Atmos soundbar is still in its infancy, but it is able to carve out an early lead by getting in early. It is able to offer a differentiated product by partnering with Dolby on the driver design and audio modes.
The hassle of connecting a device for streaming music is annoying, but it's worth it for the sound quality. The sheer amount of sound that the SXFI Carrier can deliver is what makes it excel here.
Is it worth $1,000? It is a great choice if you want an integrated solution for sound quality. It's not as good as my Z906, but it's much easier to use and set up, and I'm amazed by the sound it produces. If you don't want to shell out a lot of money, you should consider one of the best budget Dolby Atmos soundbars.
The easiest way to get started with a soundbar is with the SXFI Carrier. It has seven dedicated drivers and a wireless sub with a 10-inch driver, which makes it sound great. You get a high-end soundbar that holds its own against its rivals with a robust build and HDMI 2.1 connection.
