If you haven’t heard of the Creative Pebble, it is a USB-powered 2.0 speaker that has gotten many positive reviews for the sound it produces at its low price point. So what is the Creative Pebble Plus? It is essentially the Creative Pebble plus a subwoofer, making it a 2.1 speaker (with a cool new feature too). For those wishing the Pebble had more bass, there you have it. The Creative Pebble Plus sells at S$59.
Unboxing
Right out of the box, you’re greeted by the left and right unit of the speakers. And further down the box, you’ll find the new subwoofer which completes the Pebble Plus. Both speakers measures approximately 11.6 x 12.2 x 11.5cm, while the subwoofer measures 15 x 19.5 x 20.2cm.
Tech specs
The Pebble Plus does not merely add a subwoofer. Instead, it also comes with a new feature called High Gain Mode, which is a switch located at the base of the right speaker unit. Previously, the Creative Pebble has a combined RMS of 4.4W. But with the new High Gain Mode, you are able to bump the combined RMS to 8W! Well, this is provided you deliver 5V 2A of power through the USB-A. But this is easily achieved as long as you have new laptop/computers or simply use the USB power adapter that comes with your smartphones.
Also, the new subwoofer that comes with the Pebble Plus will add more bass to whatever tunes you’re playing.
Build quality
Inspired by the zen Japanese rock garden, the Creative Pebble Plus has a round orb-shaped design. The speakers are angled at 45 degrees to provide better sound distribution. The Creative Pebble Plus comes in just one color – black.
The Pebble Plus speakers has a black matte finish on the exterior, but on the interior where the tweeters are found, it has a glossy finish. The speaker features a round tweeter of both unit. For the left unit, you get a “Creative” branding, as for the right unit, you have a volume knob and the power indicator.
At the back, you will find the passive radiators on both sides and the “L”, “R” labels. There is single wire measuring 1.2m coming out from the left speaker to connect with the right speaker. This should provide you with enough length to put each speaker at the ends of your desk. As for the right speaker unit, you will find three other wires coming out: (1) 1.2m long 3.5mm audio jack cable, (2) 1.2m long USB-A cable, (3) 1.8m long RCA to subwoofer cable.
On the bottom of the speakers, you have a rubberised base. And as mentioned previously, you’ll find the High Gain Mode switch on the right speaker unit.
Let’s talk about the “Plus”, which is the new subwoofer. The subwoofer looks really simple, like a black box. All you have is a speaker driver located on the base of the box, heightened by four rubber feet, and the RCA input at the back of the box. The speaker driver is meant to fire downwards to give off those loud thumping bass.
Overall, the speakers have a nice modern, clean minimalist design that I think will look great with any desk setup. You can put the subwoofer on the floor or on the table.
Connectivity
You got three cables to plug in
- USB-A
- 3.5mm audio jack
- RCA to subwoofer
The USB-A is only for powering the speakers (no USB audio), so you always have to plug both the USB-A and 3.5mm audio jack in order to produce any sound. The subwoofer is then connected to the right speaker via the RCA cable.
Turning on the speakers is simply rotating the volume knock clockwise until you feel a click and see the LED indicator turn green. Being USB-powered, you can plug the USB-A to your computer/laptop, and even an USB-A power adapter if you have spares lying around.
But with so many cables, it could mean some messy desk with cables dangling around. If you want to keep it clean, perhaps getting a cable wrap tube can help contain all three wires into one cord tube.
Sound
Given that the Pebble Plus is USB-powered, you can’t expect this speaker to compare to proper desktop speakers such as the Creative T20 II or Bose Companion 2. Usually for speakers, you get what you pay for. But for the Pebble Plus, this is definitely not true. The quality of sound you get is way higher than what you would pay for at this price point.
The 45 degrees speaker placement is a small but great design as the music you listen to feels projected to your ears rather than being blasted at the height of your desk.
I started testing the Pebble Plus by listening to music with just the Pebble alone. I listened to many genres, and one observation came across – rich, crisp and very clear audio. The sound the Pebble alone produces could be described as more mid-treble focused, unlike the Creative Stage Air, where you do get a more balanced sound signature. Bass was also something I missed especially since I had been using the Creative T20 II speakers for many many years already, so I could instantly feel the difference.
I then plugged the RCA cable into the subwoofer, and I was honestly blown away by the difference it makes. The extra bass you get is noticeable, and it really improves the audio experience you’re getting. The whole sound that comes out from the 2.1 speaker just feels more complete. For just $20 more to upgrade to the Pebble Plus, it is a no-brainer to pay that extra for a much better audio experience – like paying $0.60 to upsize your McDonald’s meal. Let me show you some tracks to experience the difference. I recorded the following tracks via my iPhone so they not representative of the audio quality, but hopefully they show you the difference with and without the subwoofer.
The subwoofer was placed on my desk with the speakers throughout the test, and the volume was not adjusted at all (even though it sounded it like it was). So there you have it, the difference is quite distinct right? The extra subwoofer is definitely worth it. Do note that of you place the subwoofer on the desk, you will feel slight bass vibrations.
I also tested the High Gain Mode, and the overall volume did increase slightly and did not cause much audio distortions. So, it’s a great feature to have if you really really want to blast your music very very loud.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for good desktop speakers and don’t want to spend too much, then the Creative Pebble Plus should be on your shortlist. For the amount you are paying, I don’t think there are other USB speakers that can provide the impressive sound that the Pebble Plus has. And if you’re looking for that extra bass, the subwoofer got you covered. You surely have a winner with the Pebble Plus.
Price is definitely the biggest selling point, for the sound you are getting at that price, it’s quite simply a steal for me. For just S$59, you get to enjoy great sounding audio with good clarity and bass all from your trusty USB power source.
The subwoofer is definitely a great add to the already highly rated Pebble speaker, and I can’t see myself using the Pebble now without the subwoofer. Also, can’t find myself picking out much cons either. Much like the Creative Outlier Air, Creative has once again developed yet another product which shows that you can get quality for value prices.
Where to buy
As of now, you can only buy it from the Creative Online Store. But before you click away, here’s how you can save $2 by being a member. First, sign up for a Creative Account. Next, subscribe to their newsletter to get 40 member points. And lastly, redeem those points at checkout for $2 discount.
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