The $129.99 Creative Pebble X Plus speaker system offers all of what makes the $59.99 Pebble Pro a success: detailed stereo sound, entertaining LEDs, and a wide range of audio inputs. Spending the extra money gets you slightly more powerful components and a separate subwoofer that moderately boosts the low-end power, but without adding any real sub-bass rumble. Further, the various connection cables are a pain to manage, and you’re still stuck with only the SBC Bluetooth codec for wireless playback. Overall, it’s not as strong a value as the regular Pebble Pro, which remains our Editors’ Choice for affordable computer speakers.Design: Wires, Wires, EverywhereThe Pebble X Plus system consists of two spherical speakers that each measure 5.5 by 5.4 by 5.2 inches and weigh 1.3 pounds. They sport a plastic, eggshell-like sheen and a black finish. Geometric cutouts cover an array of LEDs.
(Credit: Tim Gideon)
The system’s cubic sub, which lacks any LEDs, measures 6.2 by 6.3 by 6.5 inches and weighs 3.75 pounds. It’s compact enough to fit on desktops (and won’t cause any vibration issues), though you can place it elsewhere thanks to a long hardwired cable that connects it to the right speaker. The cable that connects the left and right satellites is also hardwired. An included USB-C cable connects the right speaker to your computer and provides power (plugging in is necessary even if you intend to use the speakers for Bluetooth audio). Unless you make a concerted effort to keep the cables in check, the fully wired Pebble X Plus system appears to sit upon a bed of squid ink pasta.
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Aside from serving as the main hub for the system, the right speaker includes a power/volume control on the front. Pressing it for a few seconds turns the speakers on or off, though simply connecting the USB-C cable to your computer will also power it up. A short press mutes or unmutes the system. Turning the knob up or down unmutes the audio as well. A status LED indicator is to the left of the knob, while Bluetooth and LED buttons are to the right. Pressing the latter cycles through various lighting modes or turns them off. The back houses recessed 3.5mm headphone and mic jacks.
Both the left and right units have 2.7-inch dynamic drivers that are angled upward to project audio toward your ears from a typical desktop height. Meanwhile, the sub has a 3.5-inch driver and dual passive radiators that fire out the left and right sides of its enclosure. Altogether, the system pumps out 15W of power and covers a frequency range of 45Hz to 20kHz.Aside from the USB-C cable, the system includes a 3.5mm audio cable for the aux input and a second USB-C cable for the USB-C PD port that enables 30W playback. Creative doesn’t include a compatible charger but sells one for $19.99.As for connectivity, the Pebble X Plus offers Bluetooth 5.3 and supports just the SBC codec. That’s not ideal, though Bluetooth playback is not the primary reason to get this system.App and Lighting: Basic, But EffectiveThe Creative app (available for Android, iOS, and Windows) lets you control the system’s lights, download firmware updates, and create a Creative account, but there’s no EQ or any music controls. The good news is that the app should immediately detect the speaker system once you launch it.
(Credit: Creative/PCMag)
To access the lighting features, look below the image of your speakers. Here, the app shows a Lighting tile that you can toggle or completely remove (via the Edit button). Tap the tile to see a menu with six adjustable lighting presets. You can select color options from across the entire spectrum or multiple colors for a rainbow-like effect. Motion (Aurora, Chasers, Cycle, Glowing, Morph, Peak Meter, Static, and Wave), brightness, and speed adjustments are also available. I found the default preset, Chasers, to work quite well, but the other options are worth exploring.The LED effects look nice but can be a bit difficult to see if the speakers are angled directly toward you; after all, the lights are mostly on the sides of the enclosures. The LEDs aren’t dim at maximum brightness, though the semi-opaque plastic covering of the speakers certainly diffuses them a bit. Colors still look relatively faithful to what you select.
(Credit: Tim Gideon)
Sound: Slightly Sculpted With Little Sub-BassI tried playing music through the speakers over a Bluetooth connection and can confirm the SBC-only audio sounds decent enough, but the results below concern testing over a USB-C connection to a Mac Studio.On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” the system delivers respectable low-frequency response. Just keep in mind that the subwoofer’s driver is only slightly larger than those of the satellites. I hear some rich bass depth, but you need to look at more expensive systems with larger subs if you seek real thump, such as the $299.95 Harman Kardon SoundSticks 4. The Pebble X Plus can’t reproduce the sub-bass at the 34-second mark of Kendrick Lamar’s “Loyalty.” I don’t expect a system this compact and affordable to reach that low, but it’s worth noting because of Creative’s marketing. The sub adds a bit of body to the drum loop, but there’s no real rumble here. The various vocals come across with appreciable high-mid clarity.
(Credit: Tim Gideon)
The drums on Bill Callahan’s “Drover,” a track with far less deep bass, get a subtle boost but retain a natural tone. The tape hiss steps forward in the mix, revealing some higher-frequency sculpting. Callahan’s baritone vocals get plenty of low-mid richness and additional higher-frequency detail. This sound signature won’t appeal to purists, though the speakers don’t veer too far toward the highs or lows overall. On orchestral tracks, like the opening scene from John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary, the system sounds bright with slightly forward lower-register instrumentation. The sub does its best to push the low moments in the recording forward, but the satellites own the spotlight by delivering the higher-register brass, strings, and vocals with some extra brightness. Verdict: You’re Better Off With the Pebble ProThe Creative Pebble X Plus speaker system produces respectable sound and supports an entertaining array of LED effects for a reasonable price of $129.99. That said, its subwoofer can’t produce the deep lows we expect, and the multitude of wires makes for a messy setup. Ultimately, the Pebble X Plus doesn’t quite reach the heights of the Pebble Pro, which offers a comparable audio and lightning experience and has fewer wires for less than half the price.
The Bottom Line
The Creative Pebble X Plus 2.1 speaker system has colorful LED lights and produces sculpted sound over a wired or wireless connection, though it struggles to produce any real sub-bass depth.
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