‘A compelling case for spending more’: I’ve spent two weeks testing Creative’s mid-range and premium computer speakers and there’s a clear winner

Black Creative Pebble Nova computer speakers — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Creative is a legacy brand, and I'd wager that you probably owned a pair of Creative computer speakers back in the day. While I didn't own Creative ones, personally, I've heard from several coworkers that they used to, and that the sound quality was nothing to write home about. Well, guess what? Creative has turned a new leaf, and its speakers are excellent now.

I've spent the last couple of weeks testing Creative's latest gear: the super cheap Pebble Pro, the mid-range Pebble X Plus, and the premium Pebble Nova. All three vary in price but their features are pretty much the same. When I was testing the Pebble X Plus, it got me thinking, "Why wouldn't you just spend the extra on the Pebble Nova?"

I know, I know, the Pebble Nova costs a lot more than the Pebble X Plus, but I fully believe that it's worth spending the money for one reason: the balanced sound profile.

The Pebble X Plus are good but they seriously struggle with balancing instruments and different layers, while the Pebble Nova produce a well-balanced and nuanced sound.

If you're still unconvinced, let me break it down for you.

You're in treble now

Creative Pebble X Plus computer speakers — Creative Pebble X Plus. (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

There are two reasons why you might choose the Creative Pebble X Plus. One, they're cheap, retailing for $119 / £99 at Amazon. Two, they're accompanied by a compact subwoofer. The subwoofer is a welcome addition, as it puts all of its energy into producing powerful bass, leaving the speakers to handle the treble, rhythm, timbre, and other musical elements. You'd think that, then, the Pebble X Plus would sound absolutely amazing, but you'd be wrong.

While the bass doesn't give you much to complain about, and lead vocals have plenty of room to shine and be front and center, the same can't be said for everything else. In my testing, I found that the speakers got overwhelmed very easily, which resulted in the different instruments and vocals sounding muddled, like they were mushed together.

The biggest problem, however, is that the Pebble X Plus push the treble, percussion and backing vocals into the background.

Creative Pebble X Plus subwoofer — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

This, to me, is extremely surprising and disappointing. The subwoofer is there to do the heavy lifting of producing the bass, leaving the speakers to do their job of just reproducing a balanced sound profile. The speakers feel and sound confused, especially when it comes to layered voices in tracks like 'Labour' by Paris Paloma and layered instruments in 'Comfortably Numb' by Pink Floyd.

And that's where the Pebble Nova come in, with their bountiful bass, refined mids, crisp and bright treble, and all-round superb sound profile. They're ideal for music, watching movies, playing video games, and even listening to podcasts and spoken word. You name it, they can make it sound downright fantastic.

That's the reason why I'm not entirely convinced by the Pebble X Plus, and it's worth spending more on the Pebble Nova, especially if you're an audiophile.

Eye-catching sci-fi design

Creative Pebble Nova computer speakers — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

There's another area in which the Creative Pebble Nova take the cake, and that's the design department. If you're a "Star Wars" fan or just like sci-fi movies, the Pebble Nova will be right up your alley. The Pebble Nova look like they belong on the set of "The Mandalorian," as their mesh grille design makes them look like droids.

Sitting atop two metal stands, the Pebble Nova look like planets, or the Death Star, floating above your table. RGB rings located on the bottom of each speaker light up in various colors to make your space look ambient or feel cozy when you're sitting at your desk in the dark.

This isn't to say the Pebble X Plus don't look great — they do — but there isn't anything striking about them, unlike the Pebble Nova which could definitely win a couple of design awards, in my opinion

Is it still worth buying the Pebble X Plus?

Just because one thing in a comparison piece is good doesn't automatically mean the other is bad — and if you want to buy the Creative Pebble X Plus, there are a few good reasons you can.

Firstly, they're much cheaper than the Creative Pebble Nova. Secondly, though their treble and overall sound is unpolished, they'll certainly please fans of bass-heavy tracks. That's thanks to the subwoofer — and these speakers are also the cheapest way to get a 2.1 channel sound system.

If you really, really want a subwoofer that's compact and doesn't take up too much space on your desk, then the Pebble X Plus will more than satisfy you. This is also the set of computer speakers I'd recommend for casual listeners and for those who don't care much about nuanced sound — A.K.A. not audiophiles.

Audiophiles should consider the Pebble Nova instead. For details on the sound quality, don't forget to read my full Creative Pebble Nova and Creative Pebble X Plus reviews.

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Nikita is a Senior Writer on the Reviews team at Tom's Guide. She's a lifelong gaming and photography enthusiast, always on the lookout for the latest tech. Having worked as a Sub Editor and Writer for Canon EMEA, she has interviewed photographers from all over the world and working in different genres. When she’s not working, Nikita can usually be found sinking hours into RPGs on her PS5, flying a drone (she's a licensed drone pilot), at a concert, or watching F1. Her work has appeared in several publications including Motor Sport Magazine, NME, Marriott Bonvoy, The Independent, and Metro. You can follow her photography account on Instagram here.

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