Expert Rating
Pros
- compact design
- Good sound quality for the money
- RGB effect if interested
- Support for multiple audio sources
Shortcoming
- stable, short cables
- Limited control from mobile
- no software for mac
our decision
With aux and Bluetooth as an option for USB, it’s much more than just a computer speaker. The Pebble X Plus can be a perfect audio solution for your bedroom, student dorm room or home office. It looks surprisingly good without costing too much. Better controls from the mobile app would have been nice, but otherwise there’s not much to complain about.
price when reviewed
$129.99
Today’s Best Price: Creative Pebble X Plus
Creative’s round, small Pebble speakers have long been a good choice for people who want better computer sound on a desktop without spending more than a few hundred dollars. The new Pebble
Further reading: Check out our roundup of the best budget computer speakers to learn about competing products.
Creative Pebble X Plus design and features
The Pebble This is what I tested here. The two speakers – circular on the front and bottom – are larger than the previous model and measure 5.48 inches in diameter. They stand quite firmly on their flat, rubber-coated bottom, but their center of gravity is slightly up, so it’s possible to tilt them so they can move around on the table.
There’s also a tripod mount on the bottom if you want to keep them higher than table level. But they should be at the same height – for example, on either side of the laptop. And where they look best. A tripod can come in handy if you have a very small table and want to keep both units side by side.
These are more expensive speakers than previous Pebble models, costing about $90 for the speaker pair or $130 for the Plus package with a subwoofer. But the exterior still doesn’t have a real premium feel. It’s made of black plastic that looks good from a distance, but up close it has some obvious seams, and the controls on it and one speaker have a slightly plastic feel to them.
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The subwoofer is slightly larger, a 6.24-inch cube. It’s obviously smaller than the subwoofers available for the cheaper Pebble, but when I take it out of the box, it becomes clear that it’s much more than a big empty box containing a speaker element. It has a solid weight and is clearly sturdier than its predecessor.
It feels more sturdily built than satellite speakers. It’s a shame that their build quality isn’t the same. Especially since the subwoofer has to be hidden away, for example in a corner or behind a computer screen, whereas satellites are designed to be visible with a ring of RGB diodes around them. They glow slowly changing colors by default and can be set to glow in one color, change color patterns, sync with sound, or with other creative gadgets through an app or software.
It’s all simple to set up and install. But a bit limited, due to the fact that the cables connecting the speakers to each other are hard-wired and quite short. At most, you can place the speaker at a distance of 3 feet.
The speaker requires a power source connected to one of the speaker’s two USB-C ports, and can then be used directly as a Bluetooth speaker. Other Pebble speakers don’t have this capability, making the Pebble Here you can easily connect any mobile phone, tablet or laptop without messing with extra cables.
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two power modes
You also have an analog 3.5mm input for auxiliary audio, and separate ports for analog headphones and a microphone. These are most useful if you have the Pebble For that, a cable to the computer is enough, it can take power from the USB port. But then you won’t get a consistent 30- or 60-watt maximum power from the speaker, but only half that. For most sound, you’ll need to plug a separate USB-PD adapter into a wall socket over another USB-C port.
On the front of one of the satellites is a volume control with a built-in power button, a button that controls the RGB lighting, and one that switches between input modes, whether you’re taking audio from Bluetooth, USB, or auxiliary. . That’s all you get in the way of control. There’s no way to adjust the soundscape.
How does the Creative Pebble X Plus sound?
Okay, okay, enough about the design, connections, controls and everything else. On to the important stuff: Does this system sound good? Yes, you get a clean and clear soundstage with excellent detail in the treble and midrange.
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The Pebble As a Bluetooth speaker, it can fill a small to medium-sized room with great sound, although it starts to lose quality above about 80 percent volume, but the sound is still high enough to disappoint some people. There is enough power.
When I first tested playing music, the subwoofer seemed very hesitant, delivering midrange tones well but going really paper-thin at low frequencies. This was due to the fact that it did not stand firmly on the table, there was a plastic film on the rubber feet under the base box that did not allow it to grip the surface, and vibrations could not be transmitted. Air.
So don’t miss it when you set them. It seemed much better then. So it’s a bit of a shame that it’s not possible to attach it more permanently, for example by screwing it to the underside of the desk. Then this too will easily move out of the way.
Creative’s control program for PC has an equalizer and other controls for balance and microphone input, but only there. This is a Windows program and has no counterpart for Mac. The Creative app for mobile phones isn’t nearly as feature-rich, where I can only control the lighting and upgrade the firmware.
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Sure, there are grander and more premium speakers than these, but for $130, it’s an investment in quality sound that most people can afford, and one that’s stylish, versatile, and convenient enough for most desks. The fact that it can double as a good Bluetooth sound system for a medium-sized room is also obviously a bonus. I don’t care much for all the RGB effects, but luckily they can be turned off.
Specifications
Product Name:Creative Pebble X Plus
productive: creative
audio format:2:1.
Power: 30 watts rms, 60 watts peak
relationship: USB-C data, USB-C PD, 3.5mm aux, 3.5mm headphone, 3.5mm microphone
2 x 3.5mm Audio In, 1x 3.5mm Headphone, DC In, Control Pod In
wireless:Bluetooth with A2DP
Power Supply: USB-C or USB-C with PD (PD adapter is not included)
Size (per speaker): 13.92 x 13.65 x 13.18 cm
Size(subwoofer): 15.6 x 15.64 x 15.85 cm
price:$129.99 from Creative
This review was translated from Swedish to English and originally published on pcforalla.se.