Page 3 - Subjective Audio Analysis
Reviewing audio devices requires extensively trained ears, lots of experience, and sufficient technical knowledge. Even for the experienced auditioner, it may prove challenging at times to obtain an accurate evaluation of a product without a thoroughly familiar product to use as a simultaneous reference. Furthermore, many self-proclaimed audiophiles are susceptible to biased write-ups due to placebo effects from false advertising. While I am not going to even try to claim that I am the only trustworthy or best evaluator for sound, it is fact that most computer review sites have editors who are insufficiently trained in reviewing audio equipment. Give them anything and all you will read about goes along with the line of "good bass, nice midrange, impressive treble, really clear sound, 10/10". While there are many knowledgeable audio reviewers at various respected online media outlets, they are by far the minority.
As I have mentioned in my past audio reviews, there are no true objective measurements for speaker sound quality. As the evaluator, however, I will put it through a series of subjective tests to try to produce the most objective rating possible. Yes, it sounds like a paradox. On the wired side, tests were conducted primarily on my computer via a USB Type-C cable connected to my ASUS motherboard. For Bluetooth wireless tests, I used an Apple iPhone 15 Pro. After over 100 hours of break-in time -- well above typically required period -- we put the Creative Pebble X Plus to the tests. All tracks on our devices are uncompressed CDs, FLAC, or high bitrate LAME encoded MP3s. I also connected the Creative Pebble X Plus to a 45W USB Type-C adapter to increase its power output. Equalizer and virtualization settings were disabled, unless specifically mentioned in the review.
Before getting into the frequency ranges, I should say the Creative Pebble X Plus is primarily a computer speaker set and should be used in small to medium-sized rooms. Even in my daily usage, I left the volume around 80%, which is a bit higher than I would for other speakers. Furthermore, I would not use Pebble X Plus without the additional USB PD input, as the sound was even quieter without this extra power. Once again, Creative should have just included this with their speakers rather than making users obtain an extra accessory.
Starting at the low end, it should be no surprise the Creative Pebble X Plus was missing a chunk in this region. This is because its frequency response range starts at 45Hz, which is above the 20Hz floor of the human hearing range. As such, we were missing a notable impact on the lower notes and the sub-bass. This was particularly prevalent with bass drum kicks and even some bass guitar riffs. When accounting for what was present, the lacking foundation was countered by a slightly increased upper bass region as it went into the low midrange. There was still groove and kick in this area. For a speaker set of this size, the Creative Pebble X Plus was still decent, even if it was missing the lowest part.
Moving to the midrange, the Pebble X Plus performed admirably in this region. The boost from the lower-bass region made its way here in the lower midrange. Vocalists were clear without sounding dry. It was generally warm and rich sounding, almost to a point where it was slightly too warm. Instruments like the acoustic guitar and piano were reproduced naturally with a good amount of resonance and liveliness. The midrange was present and mostly clean.
At the trebles, the Creative Pebble X Plus maintained its clarity and cleanliness with a bright sound. Instruments like violins and flutes came through clearly and with sharpness. Other percussive elements like high hat crashes and taps were crisp and clean. Sibilance was not as noticeable, as it was not as shrill or piercing, but this could be due to the overall balance of the speakers. The trebles were present until the higher end where they rolled off. Overall, the sound signature is a bit W-like, with separated peaks at the middle bass, the midrange, and the trebles, and slight valleys between these three.
Moving to soundstaging, the Creative Pebble X Plus was not the greatest. In both width and depth, the sound felt close together. I can blame this partly on the size of the drivers and the speaker enclosures, but there still could be improvements. Speaker placement does matter too, and I spread the speakers further apart, but it did not change my overall impressions. This affected the imaging of the sound, as it lacked a natural or real soundscape. With the virtual surround setting applied, it was a bit more open sounding, but it also sounded more unnatural with the delays.
In terms of layering and frequency separation, the Creative Pebble X Plus was able to distinctly separate frequency ranges while maintaining a decent amount of detail. This is in part due to the dip between the frequency peaks. In more complicated music with more layers, the Pebble X Plus did lose a bit of detail and was not always the clearest, but it was passable. Transitions between frequencies had some slightly recessed regions, especially in the transition from the midrange to treble. However, everything still sounded cohesive like it was coming from one source. The sound output was clean, even at maximum volume, without signs of distortion.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Hardware and Software
3. Subjective Audio Analysis
4. Conclusion
