Creative Pebble X Plus speaker system
Laptop speakers don’t always deliver stellar audio. Desktop PC speakers are even worse. The solution is to add a desktop speaker system to take over audio duty from those built-ins. And with Bluetooth wireless onboard, desktop PC audio systems often take on the role of wireless music streamers as well. Here’s my hands-on review of an interesting option that offers 2.1 audio, RGB lighting and some style for about $130, the Creative Pebble X Plus speaker system.
Setup
One of the first things that struck me when cracking open the box was the cables. The Pebble X Plus offers Bluetooth wireless connectivity, but the speaker system itself is wired. This means an integrated 4-foot cable that connects the two speakers and the subwoofer, a pair of USB-C cables and a 3.5mm AUX cable.
That is a lot of cables and there is no USB-C power adapter included
Not all of these will be required for every setup, but connect to a PC and it is possible that you will need them all. There are two spherical Pebble X speakers, each about 5.35-inches in diameter and weighing about a pound and a quarter, plus a cube subwoofer that’s just over 6-inches square and weighs a bit under four pounds.
I was primarily interested in seeing how this system would perform with music, so I had a fairly simple setup. Plug the speakers into the subwoofer, then use one of the USB-C cables to connect the main speaker to a USB power adapter. Creative doesn’t include that power adapter, so you’ll need to have one handy with a minimum 30W power output. Or, you can plug a USB-C cable directly into your computer’s USB-C port (it supports USB audio), but doing so means less power than a standalone power adapter and the system’s music power output will also drop–from 30W to 15W. The speakers have dual USB-C ports, so you can connect directly to your PC with one for audio, but use the other to connect to a USB power adapter to still get that full 30W output.
The main speaker has onboard controls and inputs, and both Pebble X speakers are equipped with RGB … [+]
On the speaker is a 3.5mm AUX input, so you can connect a source like a turntable to the system, there is a headphone jack and, of course, there is Bluetooth wireless connectivity.
Once everything is plugged in and powered up, there are on-speaker controls for power, volume, source and RGB lighting. For more comprehensive controls that take full advantage of the system’s capabilities (including custom RGB lighting effects and audio options), download the Creative mobile app.
Creative Pebble X Plus Key Specs:
- 2.1 wired speaker system
- Dual 2.75-inch full range drivers, 3.5-inch flat cap subwoofer driver with dual passive radiators
- Up to 60W peak power when connected to USB power adapter
- Frequency response 45-20,000Hz
- Bluetooth 5.3 (SDC codec), 3.5mm AUX input, USB-C, headphone output
- Sound Blaster Acoustic Engine, BassFlex, EQ, Dialog+
- On-speaker volume, power and RGB lighting controls
- Includes 2 x USB-C to USB-C cable, 3.5mm AUX cable (USB power adapter not included)
- MSRP: $129.99
Hands On
Once the minor–and one-time–inconvenience of connecting everything is complete, the Pebble X Plus is pretty easy to live with. Everything you need to operate the basics of the system is on the left speaker. I’m a sucker for RGB lighting, so playing with the different lighting effects was fun.
What about the sound? Well, the Pebble X Plus speaker system offers 2.1 channel audio, but it’s designed for desktop use. That means the maximum distance between left and right speakers is about four feet, which is a bit low for full stereo effect. That being said, it will certainly offer more separation than a portable wireless speaker, which is stuck at mono output (although more expensive options may have a DSP and driver arrangement for simulated stereo).
The round speakers are equipped with 2.75-inch full range drivers that are angled up by 45 degrees to project audio. The subwoofer has a 3.5-inch driver upfront and passive radiators on either side. The result is audio that is more expansive than a single speaker can output, with some actual low end to it. Not a lot, but for music that subwoofer does add some thump. With up to 30W RMS on tap (60W peak), it can put out some serious volume as well. I streamed music from my phone for a few hours and it was easy to forget that this is really a desktop PC speaker setup and not a dedicated audio system. Note that its Bluetooth only supports the SBC codec, where more expensive systems typically offer AAC and/or AptX for superior wireless audio performance.
The Pebble X Plus speaker system is not going to give a quality stereo system a run for its money. However, as a compact 2.1 desktop speaker system for your PC and streaming Bluetooth music that costs $130? This system fills that role quite nicely.
Creative Pebble X speaker system delivers 2.1 audio with multiple connectivity options (including … [+]
Creative Pebble X Plus Recommendation
Given its price, relatively compact size, respectable audio output and RGB lighting, the Creative Pebble X Plus is a great choice as a desktop PC audio system. It could also be used as an affordable wireless music system or even connected to a turntable. Just be prepared to hide some cables, don’t expect AAC/AptX wireless audio quality and don’t forget that 30W USB-C power adapter.
If you want to save a few dollars (and some space) and extra bass oomph isn’t important to you, Creative also sells the Pebble X speakers as a pair without the subwoofer for $89.99 and the company also offers more budget-friendly Pebble style speakers for as low as $25.
Disclosure: Creative provided Pebble speakers for evaluation purposes but had no input into this review.
