Anyone ancient enough to remember when PCs tried using a buzzer speaker – the one designed to provide an audible indication of motherboard errors – to play audio in games knows the value of a basic pair of desktop speakers. While we no longer need to plug sound cards into our arcade machines, being able to play music that doesn’t sound like a horde of irate wasps learning to play the kazoo in a sex toy factory is critical in a world where real composers work on games, rather than expressing ourselves through a series of sounds made up by a programmer. There is no disrespect to Jeff Minter here.
Even having a basic pair of desktop speakers can elevate your gaming experience compared to connecting some in-ear headphones via Bluetooth (or, God forbid, using the monitor’s built-in speakers). AND Creative Pebble Pro this is definitely a basic set of desktop speakers.
Buy if…
✅ You need productive stationary speakers: The Creative Pebble Pro may not have many extras, but they are solid, budget desktop speakers that deliver clear dialogue and surprising volume for all types of media, not just games.
Don’t buy if…
❌ Are you satisfied with your headphones: There’s nothing wrong with doubling up and using a few headphones for PC gaming. This kind of saving is commendable, but unless you’re the type of user who listens to the TV with headphones all the time, speakers are more convenient to employ.
It’s actually quite a frigid design, as the 2.25-inch drivers are angled upwards, ensuring that your ears aren’t pointing down at the desktop itself, and there’s a cable that’s over a meter long to connect the two pairs, so you can place them on either side of the screen, even if you’re using one of those monstrous 49-inch ultrawides.
So, although you can connect these speakers to your computer via Bluetooth, it is better not to do so as they only support the SBC codec. This is the default, fallback position, and there are many better codecs such as AAC or AptX. Bluetooth works, but you’ll need to employ a cable to get the best sound from your Creative Pebble Pro speakers.
For this you have a choice. On the back of the right speaker there’s a USB-C input and a 3.5mm aux port (you’ll get cables for both of these), and on the side there’s a 3.5mm jack for headphones and a microphone. You’ll want to employ the USB input as it also provides power to the speakers, although a quirk in its design means that if you do so, audio power will be confined to 20W. Use the second USB-C port to connect a 30W or greater power supply, and you’ll unlock the Pebble Pros’ more powerful 30W mode. This adapter is not included, so you will have to repurpose your ancient tablet charger or other USB PD block.
You can switch inputs using a button on the front of the right speaker, confusingly labeled “Bluetooth,” and there’s also a volume knob and a button to dim the lighting.
The lights are arranged around the base of the speakers and spill over the sides like a coffee stain. It’s not entirely clear what the purpose of the illuminated speakers is – I’d rather Creative left the lighting and added more Bluetooth codecs.
Do you need to know where they are? If so, a lightweight on the volume control may be more practical. It won’t aid you find the inputs on the back if you want to plug in recent ones, but it looks pretty good when you have them on either side of the laptop and the room lighting is dim. You can’t adjust the lighting via the app, it’s all done via buttons on the front, but you can set the lighting to pulsate or stay on constantly, as well as change color by turning the volume knob.
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As a set of 2.0 speakers built into compact frames, we shouldn’t expect much in terms of bass from the Pebble Pro (if you like the shape but want a subwoofer, look at the Pebble Plus), but they do a surprisingly decent job. The sounds of gunshots and engines do get a little thicker in the lower frequencies, but if you’re using them to listen to music, there’s a lack of detail. Mids and highs perform much better, and the speakers reproduce dialogue excellently – something that Creative’s audio processing aims to improve.
The frequency response extends from 80 to 20,000 Hz and, although tiny, they perform well at higher volume levels, although the housing does cause some vibration. They don’t really start to distort until you start working at a sound level more appropriate for a party than a computer game. The speaker angle also works well in situations where you can position them to sit in the most appropriate spot, such as at a desk, rather than wandering around the room.
However, they may lose out compared to other speakers. Creative’s own T30 Wireless speakers from over a decade ago, which have a wider frequency response thanks to bass ports on the top of the case, outperform the Pebble Pro models on lower frequencies, but aren’t as good on voices.
They also have the same basic Bluetooth functionality as the Pebble Pro, which you’d hope Creative would be working on in the meantime. Meanwhile, a JBL Bluetooth speaker in roughly the same price range delivers better results for music, and its cylindrical shape fills space more effectively than the more focused sound of the Pebble Pro.
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So if you’re looking for something that will amplify the sounds and squeaks that Windows 11 makes from time to time, or make your gaming audio surprisingly thunderous in stereo, the Creative Pebble Pro speakers are a good choice for your budget.
However, they must be seen in the context of what they are not. These aren’t some of the best Bluetooth speakers, they don’t fill the room particularly well, and they won’t produce bass that will make you fall off your chair. However, they are an improvement over having no speakers, and perhaps that is the most critical thing.
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