Creative Pebble X Plus review: Small speakers, powerful sound

Price When Reviewed

$129.99

Best Prices Today: Creative Pebble X Plus

Creative’s spherical, small Pebble audio system have lengthy been a good selection for individuals who need higher pc sound on the desktop with out having to spend various hundred {dollars}. The new Pebble X raises the bar on ambition, worth, and most significantly, high quality.

Further studying: See our roundup of the best budget computer speakers to find out about competing merchandise.

Creative Pebble X Plus design and options

The Pebble X is available in two variations, one with simply two stereo audio system and the Pebble X Plus, which features a subwoofer. That’s the one I’ve examined right here. The two audio system — spheres with beveled entrance and backside — are bigger than earlier fashions and measure 5.48 inches in diameter. They stand pretty firmly on their flat, rubber-coated underside, however have their middle of gravity a bit manner up so it’s potential to tip them in order that they roll round on the desk.

The underside additionally has a tripod mount if you wish to place them increased than desk stage. But that’s the peak they’re meant to be at — for instance, on both facet of a laptop computer. And the place they sound finest. The tripod may turn out to be useful when you have a really small desk and need to each models facet by facet.

These are costlier audio system than earlier Pebble fashions, costing round $90 for the speaker pair or $130 for the Plus package deal with subwoofer. But there’s nonetheless not an actual premium really feel to the outside. It’s made up of black plastic that appears good from a distance, however has some apparent seams when considered up shut, and has a barely plasticky really feel to it and within the controls on one speaker.

Mattias Inghe

The subwoofer is barely bigger, a 6.24-inch dice. It’s clearly smaller than the subwoofer accessible for the cheaper Pebble, however after I raise it out of the field, it turns into apparent that that is greater than only a large empty field with a speaker ingredient in it. It has stable weight and is clearly extra sturdy than its predecessor.

It additionally feels extra solidly constructed than the satellite tv for pc audio system. It’s a disgrace they don’t have the identical construct high quality. Especially for the reason that subwoofer is supposed to be hidden away, for instance in a nook or behind the pc display, whereas the satellites are designed to be seen, with their ring of RGB diodes throughout. They glow in slowly altering colours by default and may be set through an app or software program to shine in a single colour, change colour patterns, sync with the sound or with different Creative devices.

Setting up and putting in all of it is straightforward. But a bit restricted, because of the truth that the cables connecting the audio system to one another are hard-wired and fairly brief. At most, you possibly can place the audio system 3 toes aside.

The audio system want an influence supply linked to one of many audio system’ two USB-C ports, after which it may be used instantly as a Bluetooth speaker. The different Pebble audio system don’t have this functionality, making the Pebble X a extra versatile selection. Here you possibly can simply join any cell phone, pill, or laptop computer with out messing with extra cables.

Mattias Inghe

Two energy modes

You even have an analog 3.5mm enter for auxiliary audio, and on the facet separate ports for analog headphone and microphone. These are most helpful when you have the Pebble X linked to a pc as an exterior sound card. For that, a cable to the pc is sufficient, it will possibly take the facility from the USB port. But then you’ll not get the utmost energy of steady 30- or as much as 60-watts peak out of the audio system, however solely half. For most sound, you’ll have to plug a separate USB-PD adapter right into a wall socket on the opposite USB-C port.

On the entrance of one of many satellites is a quantity management with a built-in energy button, a button that controls the RGB lighting, and one which switches between enter modes, whether or not you’re taking audio from Bluetooth, USB, or auxiliary. That’s all you get in the way in which of controls. There’s no technique to alter the soundscape.

How does the Creative Pebble X Plus sound?

Okay, okay, sufficient about design, connections, controls, and all the things else. On to the vital stuff: Does this technique sound good? Yep, you get a clear and clear soundstage with glorious element within the treble and midrange.

Mattias Inghe

The Pebble X Plus system sounds finest in entrance of me on my desk and is an excellent increase for a laptop computer or gaming PC. As a Bluetooth speaker, it will possibly fill a small- to medium-sized room with tremendous sound, though it begins to lose high quality above about 80 p.c quantity, however there’s nonetheless sufficient punch within the sound to disappoint few.

When I first examined taking part in music, the subwoofer sounded very hesitant, delivering midrange tones effectively however changing into paper-thin at actually low frequencies. This turned out to be as a result of the truth that it didn’t stand firmly on the desk, the rubber toes below the bass field had a plastic movie on them that didn’t enable it to grip the floor, and the vibrations didn’t go additional into the air.

So don’t miss that while you set them up. Then it sounded significantly better. It’s subsequently a little bit of a disgrace that it’s not potential to connect it extra completely, for instance by screwing it to the underside of the desk. Then it could even be conveniently out of the way in which.

In Creative’s management program for PC there may be an equalizer and different controls for stability and microphone enter, however solely there. It is a Windows program and there’s no equal for Mac. The Creative App for cellphones shouldn’t be practically as feature-rich, the place I may solely management the lighting and improve the firmware.

Mattias Inghe

Sure, there are extra lavish and extra premium audio system than these, however for $130, that is an funding in high quality sound that most individuals can afford, and one which can also be trendy, versatile, and helpful sufficient for many desks. The proven fact that it will possibly double as a good Bluetooth sound system for a medium-sized room can also be clearly a bonus. I don’t care a lot for all of the RGB results, however fortuitously they are often switched off.

This assessment was translated from Swedish to English and initially appeared on pcforalla.se.