If you don’t have much space on your desk for a large speaker, you’re usually restricted to small USB powered speakers that don’t sound too good. With the new Creative Pebble Pro speakers, you get can great sound in a small form factor as well as some elements of accent lighting. The Pebble Pro retails for S$89.
Unboxing
In the box, you’ll find the following:
- Creative Pebble Pro speaker units
- User manual
- USB-C to USB-C cable (1.5m)
- USB-C to USB-A cable (1.5m)
- 3.5 mm AUX-in cable (1.2m)
Tech specs
| Size | 123 x 123 x 118 mm / 4.8 x 4.8 x 4.6 inches |
| Cable length | Right to left speaker cable (non-detachable): 1.8m / 5.9 ft USB-C cable to USB-C cable (detachable): 1.5m / 4.92 ft USB-C cable to USB-A cable (detachable): 1.5m / 4.92 ft 3.5 mm AUX-in cable (detachable): 1.2m / 3.94 ft |
| Weight | Left: 365g / 13.4 oz Right: 415g / 14.8 oz |
| Power output | Total System Power: Up to 10W RMS Peak Power: Up to 20W |
| Drivers | 2.25” full-range speaker drivers |
| Bluetooth version | 5.3 |
| Supported audio codec | SBC |
| Ports | Mic-in USB Audio via USB-C, Min. 5V 2A PD Adapter (Min. 30W) 3.5 mm AUX-in Headphones / Headset Port |
Build quality and design
Despite the ‘Pro’ moniker, the Pebble Pro retains its distinguished Pebble look – round shape with exposed drivers angled at 45º. The Pebble Pro sports a new dark green colour which is actually a really nice colour that matches some artificial plants I have in my setup.
Build quality is good. Even though they are small speakers they do have some heft to them weighing in close to 400g each. Buttons feel ok on presses, and the volume knobs are stepped so you know the precise adjustments you are making. One improvement Creative made was the wire length between the left and right speaker unit. It is now 1.8m long so you have more flexibility on how you want to place the Pebble Pro speakers on your desk.
RGB lights
What’s also new in terms of design of the Pebble Pro is the addition of the RGB LED light strips on the bottom of the speakers. It could be a gimmick to some, but if you are a fan of such accent lighting to create a particular a desktop aesthetic then you’re in luck.
You can cycle through a spectrum of colors and customise the light style (Cycle > Pulsate > Solo > Off). You cannot adjust the brightness of the lights, but thankfully I found that the brightness was just right – not too bright to be overly distracting nor too dim to have no impact. Do note that the RGB light customisations are done purely on the onboard controls of the speakers, the Creative App does not support RGB light settings.
Connectivity and ports
There are three ways to connect to the Creative Pebble Pro – (1) USB, (2) 3.5mm AUX, and (3) Bluetooth. There are two USB-C ports on the back of the right speaker unit. If you want to connect to your laptop or PC directly, you have to use the non-red one as that only delivers power.
On the other hand if you’re looking to use it via the 3.5mm AUX-in port, then you’d have to ensure you supply power first via the red USB-C port (you could still power it using the regular USB-C port but why would you).
The last connectivity option is via Bluetooth. The Creative Pebble Pro is equipped with Bluetooth 5.3, which has very impressive range and stability. I did not experience any dropouts or audio-video lag when watching videos from different devices.
Where the ‘Pro’ moniker in the Pebble Pro starts to take shape is in its offering of a 4-pole headset port and a 3-pole microphone port for greater flexibility of use. Both ports are conveniently located on the side for easy access. It is really nice that Creative included a mic port so you can use a dedicated mic to use for better quality calls.
SmartComms Kit
With the addition of the microphone part, Creative was certain to make the microphone experience better by enabling SmartComms Kit on the Pebble Pro. SmartComms is pre-existing software feature on the Creative App which helps to make communication better especially if you’re in a noisy setting.
There are two main features in Creative’s SmartComms Kit – (1) VoiceDetect, and (2) NoiseClean. VoiceDetect helps you mute and unmute yourself automatically, though it does take some use with it to know how settings work for you. NoiseClean is really helpful if you are taking the call in a noisy environment as the NoiseClean-Out helps to reduce background noise. On the other hand, if you hav a hard time understanding what your colleague is saying due to his background noise, NoiseClean-In will help reduce them to let you focus on their vocals.
Sound quality
Apart from RGB lights, added ports, and SmartComms Kit functionality, Pebble Pro also features audio upgrades over the V3 to command its ‘Pro’ name. Creative says the 2.25″ drivers are re-engineered, and feature their BassFlex technology for better bass. Despite the being the same size as the V3, the Pebble Pro has a larger peak power of 20W (vs 16W on the V3).
Pebble Pro delivers excellent sound for a pair of USB-powered speakers. Mids and highs are the prominent frequencies being clear and forward in the mix. Treble is bright without sounding too sharp. The low-mids have a warm and rounder sound to them which gives it more depth when listening to vocals. Bass definitely feels more apparent on the Pebble Pro, you can feel the impact of thumps but do note that this doesn’t means extensive sub-bass extension. Nevertheless, it is impressive bass response coming from a speaker of this size.
I found the bass to be slightly deeper when powering the Pebble Pro via a 30W charger. I feel that adding a subwoofer port would be a cherry on the cake for the Pebble Pro. That way people who want more bass can purchase a subwoofer separately (like the one use on the Pebble Plus).
Conclusion
At S$89, the Pebble Pro commands a S$30 premium over the V3, which is quite steep of a jump considering the V3 sold at S$59. Despite sharing similar appearances, the Pebble Pro actually packs many improvements to justify the price bump. Better audio quality, added headset and mic ports, SmartComms Kit support, longer connecting cable, better Bluetooth and lastly fancy RGB lights. If you’re in the market for small sized desktop speakers, I think the Pebble Pro probably presents the most value for what it’s charging. You can buy the Pebble Pro from their Creative Online Store.