At a look

Expert’s Rating

Pros

• Compact design
• Good sound high quality for the cash
• RGB results, if
• Support for a lot of audio sources

Cons

• Fixed, brief cables
• Limited management from cellular
• No software program for Mac

Our Verdict

With aux and Bluetooth as options to USB, that is extra than simply a pc speaker. The Pebble X Plus generally is a full audio resolution in your bed room, scholar dorm room, or dwelling workplace. It sounds surprisingly good with out costing an excessive amount of. Better management from the cellular app would have been good, however in any other case there’s not a lot to complain about.

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 many who need higher pc sound on the desktop with out having to spend quite a lot of hundred {dollars}. The new Pebble X raises the bar on ambition, value, 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 heart of gravity slightly manner up so it’s potential to tip them so that they roll round on the desk.

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

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 once I carry it out of the field, it turns into apparent that that is greater than only a large empty field with a speaker aspect in it. It has strong 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 will be set by way of 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 easy. But slightly restricted, due to the truth that the cables connecting the audio system to one another are hard-wired and fairly brief. At most, you may place the audio system 3 toes aside.

The audio system want an influence supply related 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 alternative. Here you may 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 aspect separate ports for analog headphone and microphone. These are most helpful if in case you have the Pebble X related to a pc as an exterior sound card. For that, a cable to the pc is sufficient, it may 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 must 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 best way of controls. There’s no solution to regulate the soundscape.

How does the Creative Pebble X Plus sound?

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

Mattias Inghe

The Pebble X Plus system sounds greatest in entrance of me on my desk and is an excellent increase for a laptop computer or gaming PC. As a Bluetooth speaker, it may possibly fill a small- to medium-sized room with wonderful 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 enjoying music, the subwoofer sounded very hesitant, delivering midrange tones nicely however changing into paper-thin at actually low frequencies. This turned out to be because 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 permit 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 a lot better. It’s due to this fact 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 best way.

In Creative’s management program for PC there’s an equalizer and different controls for steadiness and microphone enter, however solely there. It is a Windows program and there’s no equal for Mac. The Creative App for cell phones just isn’t almost 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 fashionable, versatile, and helpful sufficient for many desks. The indisputable fact that it may possibly double as an honest 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 thankfully they are often switched off.

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