It’s been years since I’ve put speakers on my computer, and I’ve never felt the need because I’ve mostly had my headphones on, or more recently, a hookup with a Hi-Fi amp that said, since my recent purchases of old Walkmans and Discmans, I’ve thought Having speakers that are easy to move around might be a good idea. Why can’t I use it on my computer?
When Creative told me about the Pebble Pro, I thought it was an opportunity to test it out. Therefore, I took the opportunity to share with you my opinion about the declared characteristics and the actual presentation of the sound.
Stylish and discreet speakers.
No more angular or cheaply designed PC speakers. The Pebble Pro is round and sober and blends in perfectly with their environment. A side is “cut” to show the tweeter, and this is at 45 degrees, which makes it possible to direct the sound towards our head when placed on a table.
At the back of each satellite is a diaphragm intended only for the bass, allowing them to come out in a different place than the treble and midrange, but also pointing them further back to prevent them from covering all of the sound.
Each satellite is connected by means of a cable, and the length of the latter is quite comfortable, allowing you to transport the speakers far away without major problems to the place of your choice.
The base of each earphone is made of non-slip rubber, and is surrounded by a luminous halo whose color can be adjusted directly on the product without having to go through the software. Obviously this is practical as Creative Pebble Pro can be used on a PC, but also in complete autonomy.
Almost full contact
One of the only reasons I bought a soundbar for the first time in years was so that I could use it in several circumstances: on my computer, but also on my portable devices or Walkman/Discman.
With the Creative Pebble Pro, my needs are met as the connection can be made either in USB (2.0), in Jack 3.5 or in Bluetooth 5.3. Really practical for me who was able to thoroughly test the product.
The main satellite has a control wheel to control the volume or color of the light after pressing the dedicated button. Another button used to pair a bluetooth device.
On the side, there is also a headphone and microphone jack. “Microphone jack? You will tell me. Well, yes, because one of the programs (Windows), called Smartcomms suite, allows you to add a whole range of possibilities for voice discussion with these speakers: activate / deactivate the microphone according to the sound threshold (voice detection), but Also Noise Clean to reduce ambient noise for cleaner discussions with interviewers.Note that this Noise Clean remains most effective under certain specific conditions listed by the manufacturer:
* NoiseClean features work best with constant background noise such as fans, air conditioning, air purifiers, humidifiers, vacuum cleaners, hair dryers, electric shavers, and even lawn mowers. ». Note that noise can be reduced in both directions (incoming sound as well as outgoing sound).
On the back you will find the audio source input connectors: USB 2.0 for that (USB Type-C), but also the auxiliary 3.5 jack. Finally, there is also a USB-C power supply.
These connectors are discreetly placed in clever locations so as not to spoil the overall aesthetics of the Creative Pebble Pro.
Finally, the last and most important thing: How do you power up the speakers? On a PC, it’s very simple: you plug in a USB and hop on, you’re done. To take advantage of more power, it is still recommended to connect it to the mains via the transformer which is not provided. It will allow the Pebble Pro to go to 20W RMS instead of the USB’s 10W RMS. If you’re the type who travels a lot with these speakers, know that they can be powered via an external battery.
And the sound in all of this?
Now that we’ve taken a tour of the product, it’s time to talk about its core: audio.
The maximum output power is 10W RMS (20W RMS if you use the mains adapter not supplied), which is clearly more than enough to listen to your music quietly at home. The signal-to-noise ratio is greater than or equal to 75 dB. But what is the signal-to-noise ratio you might be wondering?
The signal-to-noise ratio expressed in decibels is the difference between the minimum value of the audio signal and the parasitic/background noise value of your audio system. All installations tend to produce this type of noise, which is associated with a whole host of causes such as the noise of operating components for example. So this report shows the signal quality produced by the installation. So 0dB means that the audio signal is equivalent to that of the background noise, which is clearly a disaster scenario. Thus, the higher the signal-to-noise ratio, the higher the signal quality and usability. This also means that quieter sounds will also be more accessible since the noise produced will be very little (or even inaudible) when adjusting the volume to hear that soft.
With a signal-to-noise ratio of 75dB, the Creative Pebble Pro’s sound is very good (sources diverge but above 60dB we can say we’re good).
Regarding the “human” feeling, obviously everything will depend on the quality of the sound source: a bad source will produce a bad sound. But in general, today it is very easy to get good sound quality. The Creative Pebble Pro is able, by separating the bass from the rest of the spectrum, to produce a fairly clear and balanced sound, not too tight despite the small size of the speakers. Basically: it’s good.
For €79.99, the Creative Pebble Pro are simple speakers with a sleek design and available connectors. They will accompany you nicely for both your computer and your mobile devices. At this price, it’s hard to find a winning middle ground.
The material is made from a copy provided by the manufacturer
More information about Creative Pebble Pro is here.
