By: Aaron Lai
November 29, 2024
I recently returned from South Korea, and I have to say it was an eye-opening experience. While there were difficulties during the vacation, I really enjoyed the various places we visited along with a different culture altogether. The most obvious difference was, of course the language, as everyone spoke Korean. Days before the trip, I kept trying to practice specific phrases, such as "sorry", "excuse me", "thank you", and "hello". Of the various cities we visited, everyone was kind in helping us, even if they knew we were not native Koreans. In fact, the only time I felt not safe in Korea was basically when no one was around, and we chose a dubious pathway to walk from one attraction to the next. Even then, fear was more in our mind than reality. My traveling friend oversaw finding all the food places to eat, and I can easily say I tried way more than I expected in both quantity and variety. We visited some chain restaurants as well as a place that looked like it was someone's living room. I also really liked the overall culture of the citizens. It was an interesting blend of rushed and relaxed. This is just a view as a foreigner rather than someone who lives there, but there is a certain charm to it. In an analogous way, Creative recently sent us their Pebble X Plus, a set of computer speakers in a 2.1 configuration. Its shape and look may give it a cute or charming aspect, but is it balanced by its performance? Let us read on to find out!
Today's review unit of the Creative Pebble X Plus arrived from a logistics company called Kerry Logistics, located in Lachine, Quebec, Canada. Interestingly, the shipping container also labels the origins as the Canadian offices of Creative Labs. This box was also shipped via their own internal shipping and arrived in excellent condition to our offices here in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. There were no holes or dents to be concerned about on the outside. Inside, we have a bit of packing paper to protect the contents inside. In addition to the Pebble X Plus, we also received the Sound Blaster GS3, which I will be reviewing in the coming weeks.
Both retail containers of the Creative computer speakers are black in color, and they are similarly designed. The front shows the Creative logo with the product name underneath. To the right, we have the Pebble X Plus in an illuminated pattern with the two tweeters and subwoofer scaled down. It is a long box, especially given it is made up of three components, but this is just how Creative has packaged their product. Around the back, we have a bit of information about the box contents and regulatory information. Otherwise, the retail container is clean.
Before we continue, I have grabbed the specifications from the manufacturer's website for your viewing pleasure:
Speaker Configuration: Speakers with Subwoofer, 2.1 system
Connector Type:
- Bluetooth®
- Mic-in
- PD Adapter (Min. 30W)
- 3.5 mm AUX-in
- USB Power (USB-C, up to 5V 3A)
- Headphones Port
Operating Temperature: 0—45°C
Recommended Usage: Work & Study
Dimensions:
- Subwoofer: 156.4 x 156 x 158.5 mm / 6.16 x 6.14 x 6.24 inches
- Left: 139.5 x 145 x 136 mm / 5.49 x 5.71 x 5.35 inches
- Right: 139.5 x 145 x 136 mm / 5.49 x 5.71 x 5.35 inches
Weight:
- Left: 575g / 1.27 lbs
- Right: 575g / 1.27 lbs
- Subwoofer: 1700g
Cable Length (End-to-end):
- USB-C to USB-C Cable: 1.5m / 4.92 ft
- 3.5mm Stereo Cable: 1.2m / 3.94 ft
- Right to Left Speaker Cable: 1.2m / 3.94 ft
Charging Type:
- USB-C Input (Audio and Power): Up to 5V 3A
- USB PD Input (Power Only): Up to 15V 2A
Drivers Configuration:
- Speaker: Dual 2.75″ Full range Speaker Drivers
- Subwoofer: 3.5″ Flat-cap Subwoofer Driver with Dual Passive Radiators
Channels: 2.1
Frequency Response: 45–20,000 Hz
Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR): > 93 dB
Power Output:
- When connected to PC USB-C port: Up to 15W RMS and 30W Peak
- When connected to USB-PD Power Adapter: Up to 30W RMS and 60W Peak
- Support USB-PD 3.0
- Subwoofer: 1 x 15W RMS (With Power Adapter)
Bluetooth® Version: 5.3
Profiles: A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile)
Operating Frequency: 2402–2480 MHz
Operating Range: Up to 10m / 33 ft
Wireless Codecs: SBC
Technology: Sound Blaster Acoustic Engine, BassFlex, EQ, Dialog+
Controls
- RGB Lighting: Yes
- Volume: Yes
- Bluetooth Pairing: Yes
Color: Black
RGB: Up to 16.8 million colors
Supported Platforms: Windows PC, Mac, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Mobile (via Bluetooth®), PS4
Out of the box, the Creative Pebble X Plus is packaged in four separate items. First, we have a white cardboard box with a large hole on one side. This holds the subwoofer unit of the Pebble X Plus. Next, we have two similar sized white foam bags, which are connected to each other via a cable. These are the two tweeters. There is a plastic resealable bag that holds all the necessary cables. In this case, this includes two USB Type-C to Type-C cables measuring 1.5m in length and a 3.5mm audio cable that is 1.2m long. Finally, not pictured here is a quick start guide showing all the functions and capabilities of the Creative Pebble X Plus.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Hardware and Software
3. Subjective Audio Analysis
4. Conclusion
