I spent a week with the budget-friendly Creative Pebble Pro and was impressed by its solid sound and petite form factor | Tech Radar

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I spent a week with the budget-friendly Creative Pebble Pro and was impressed by its solid sound and petite form factor

There might not be a better option for under a hundred bucks

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Despite the RGB lighting, the Creative Pebble Pro is pretty limited in terms of features. Thankfully, it’s compact, sounds good for the price, and that price is very low for a set of computer speakers.

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For budget computer speakers, the Creative Pebble Pro punch way above their weight with decent sound and an attractive, petite design. I would even say they belong among the best computer speakers in their price range. You won’t find anything at the Pebble Pro’s price point nearly as good, not to mention most of the alternatives at this price point are other entries in Creative’s Pebble lineup of speakers.

There are some expected compromises, of course, and once you start looking at options above $100 / £100, the competition looks more interesting. The Creative Pebble Pro does come with some features, notably Bluetooth connectivity and RGB lighting, plus they can be powered directly off a computer. But any support for high-res codecs, Dolby or DTS anything, or even EQ controls, are just not here. That said, you would have to look at the best gaming headsets under a hundred bucks to find those kinds of features at the same price point.

While the Creative Pebble Pro isn’t as small as an actual pebble, the speakers are fairly petite, at a little over four and a half inches tall. As the name suggests, they’re spherical, though they have a flat, angled face oriented toward the listener’s ears to compensate for their short stature.

Since they’re so small, there’s only room for one 2.25-inch driver per speaker, so Creative supplements it with a bass port on the back to help fill out the low end. There's also an opaque ring that lines the bottom and lights up when the speakers are turned on.

The right speaker is a little heavier, at the hefty weight of 415 grams (versus 365g for the left) because it’s the one with the power amp inside, as well as controls and ports. The controls consist of a pressable dial, a source button indicated by a Bluetooth symbol, and a button for the RGB lighting. Each control can be used for a variety of functions, so short presses and long presses garner different results. For instance, pressing down on the volume dial mutes the mic input when using the headset port.

Speaking of, the ports are situated in two places near the base of the right speaker. The aforementioned headset input and headphone are on the side, while two USB-C ports and an Aux port are on the back next to the non-detachable cable (which I would consider more of an issue if these speakers weren’t so cheap).

You might be wondering why there are two USB-C ports. Even if you’re not, there’s a reason. One of them functions only for power delivery and doesn’t actually transmit audio. When using this port plugged into a power adapter (not included, though you can use any spare one), the Creative Pebble Pro has a power rating of 15 watts RMS. When just powering the speakers via the other USB-C, which does transmit audio, the speaker system has a more limited power rating of 5 watts RMS.

Frankly, I couldn’t hear much of a difference between using the Creative Pebble Pro in the 5 or 15 watt mode, but it’s really not a big difference in power. Because of that, I typically just powered the speakers directly off a computer.

As far as the sound quality itself, I was impressed considering the price. They didn’t blow me away and they probably won’t blow you away, either, but at seventy bucks, they’re a good and affordable upgrade over laptop speakers.

Having tested these speakers with all sorts of media, I’ve found there to be two takeaways. The first is, of course, that I found them surprisingly decent-sounding with a strong mid-range performance and clear, if slightly dull, high-end. The second is that there’s very little in the way of bass. I almost wish there was a sub-out instead of one of the headphones jacks to bring back some low-end.

You’re not going to feel explosions, whether it’s in films or when playing games due to the limited bass. But, the audio is clear with decent sound imaging, as long as you position the speakers properly. I’m able to easily place where an audio element is in the sound stage, whether it’s a fighter jet flying by or enemy combatants yelling in the distance.

The last thing I’ll mention on the sound front is the fact that the speakers do tend to distort a little bit when turned all the way up on the 15W mode, so these are best used at regular volume levels. If you want really loud speakers for whatever reason, these are not it.

Though I consider the Creative Pebble Pro to be light on features (there are no EQ controls or app), they do at least offer the basics. Bluetooth Connectivity is on hand so that you can either connect your computer wirelessly or switch inputs to stream from your phone. During testing, I had no issues with connectivity or differences in sound quality since the speakers use the newish but not newest Bluetooth 5.3 standard.

The speakers also work with the Smartcomms Kit (requiring an additional download) to automatically mute or unmute your voice as well as introduce background noise cancellation when talking.

Probably the more notable and unique feature here, though, is the inclusion of RGB lighting. Since there’s no app, various presses on the controls are used to turn on and off, as well as cycle through and fine-tune the RGB lighting. The amount of effects and colors are somewhat limited compared to other RGB-enabled devices I’ve tested, but they do offer a nice ambient effect to a computer setup. And, as with everything else with these speakers, the RGB lighting looks good for the price.

Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

While the Creative Pebble Pro is a solid pair of speakers, the one place that they really shine over the competition is in price. In fact, at

In fact, the only real issue regarding their price is that they don’t come with a power adapter, which goes for an extra

Also worth keeping in mind is that the green colorway is only available in the US, while the black and white ones are available everywhere.

Now, the Creative Pebble Pro aren’t the only cheap speakers out there. Edifier has become a recognizable name in the more affordable end of the speaker market and something like the Edifier MR4 are a worthy upgrade. They don’t have RGB lighting, but they sound better. And though their price tag of

The Logitech Z407 is also a wonderful option in the more affordable range, with a going rate of

You’ll be hard pressed to find a decent set of new computer speakers for less. Plus, these sound pretty decent.

You’ll be hard pressed to find a decent set of new computer speakers for less. Plus, these sound pretty decent.

While there can be a tangle of wires, this system is fairly discreet thanks to its diminutive size.

While there can be a tangle of wires, this system is fairly discreet thanks to its diminutive size.

The sound quality punches above its weight considering the price tag, but it does lack in the low end and is a bit on the dull side.

The sound quality punches above its weight considering the price tag, but it does lack in the low end and is a bit on the dull side.

The very attractive price tag is made even more attractive by the fact that the Creative Pebble Pro are a decent pair of computer speakers.

The very attractive price tag is made even more attractive by the fact that the Creative Pebble Pro are a decent pair of computer speakers.

You’re on a budget The price tag on the Creative Pebble Pro is only matched by other Creative Pebble speakers. If you’re looking for decent sound under a hundred bucks, these speakers are an attractive option.

You want RGB lighting It might be a bit limited, but the addition of the RGB lighting for some ambiance is a nice touch that budget gamers especially will appreciate.

You’re looking for the best sound possible The Creative Pebble Pro sound good for the price, but if you’re will to spend a little more (well, at least double), you’ll find plenty of options with more robust sound.

You want a lot of features These speakers have Bluetooth, USB-C connectivity, and RGB lighting. But you won’t find EQ controls, optical connectivity, or support for high-res codecs or any kind of spatial audio or surround sound.

The powered Edifier MR4 sound great for the price (and have a fairly affordable price tag) and come with a decent amount of inputs, punching well above their weight. Of course, being a budget-friendly model, there are some compromises such as limited bass and too-subtle EQ controls.

The Logitech Z407 are not as cheap as the Creative Pebble Pro (they cost almost double), but they’re still affordable, especially when considering the fact that they come with a subwoofer and wireless puck. Plus, the sound quality is very good. Considering they’ve been around for a little while, there’s no USB-C on hand. Instead, you’re stuck with micro-USB for a wired digital connection.

Listened to different genres of music, shows and movies, and games

Tested the RGB lighting and various forms of connectivity

I spent a week testing the Creative Pebble Pro 2.0 Computer Speaker System including using them with all sorts of media, from shows and movies to music and computer games. I played around with the RGB lighting as well as the different inputs.

I’ve spent the last few years reviewing audio equipment and have spent even longer using my critical ear as a listener and musician to understand what does and doesn’t sound good.

James Holland loves checking out gadgets of all sorts, whether it's audio equipment, laptops, or vacuums (especially of the robot variety), and does so for a number of Future Publications including Tech Radar, Top Ten Reviews, Homes & Gardens, and T3. He's built up an expertise for in-depth reviewing over the last four years. When he's not putting in the work on the latest tech, he loves to travel, play music, and eat questionable food.

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Key Takeaways

• News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets

• Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more

• Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards

• I spent a week with the budget-friendly Creative Pebble Pro and was impressed by its solid sound and petite form factor

• There might not be a better option for under a hundred bucks