When I was younger and I used my family’s shared computer, I remember having orb-shaped speakers that didn’t sound particularly great, but it’s all I knew, so they were awesome to my ears as a 10-year-old. The Creative Pebble Pro are reminiscent of that era, with modern touches like RGB lighting, and they sound much better than the computer speakers I had as a child.

The Pebble Pro are the cheapest, good-sounding speakers you can buy. Not only do they look cute and premium, but they also pack powerful bass and bright treble in a compact package. They’re perfect if desk space is at a premium, and feature plenty of connectivity options, including USB-C wired playback.

If you don’t mind the lack of customizable EQ, these could be the best computer speakers for you. Read my full Creative Pebble Pro to find out more.

Creative Pebble Pro review: Specs

Creative Pebble Pro review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A pair of computer speakers for those on a budget
• Who is it for? Anyone who needs tiny speakers that don’t take up much space
• How much does it cost? Only $69 / £55!
• What do we like? The small size, powerful bass, lovely RGB lighting, and array of connectivity options
• What don’t we like? The lack of a proper companion app and EQ customization

Creative Pebble Pro review: Price & availability

The Creative Pebble Pro are a pair of computer speakers, one of many in Creative’s extensive lineup, which includes super cheap ones, like the Creative Pebble SE ($27), and expensive ones, like the Creative Pebble Nova ($279). The Pebble Pro are mid-range speakers, retailing for just $69 / £55 at Amazon.

Yes, they’re very cheap. In fact, the Pebble Pro are the most inexpensive computer speakers I’ve tested yet. There aren’t many tiny speakers that cost so little. The closest competition I can think of are the Edifier G2000 Pro ($149), sci-fi looking space-saving speakers with RGB lighting, but they still cost double the Pebble Pro. There’s also the egg-shaped SteelSeries Arena 3 ($129), but I’d recommend the Pebble Pro over them as they sound much better and more refined — despite that lower price.

Creative Pebble Pro review: Design & controls

• Orb-shaped design is cute and practical
• RGB lighting lights up your desk
• Straightforward, tactile controls

The Creative Pebble Pro are really lovable speakers, thanks to how cute they look. They sport a minimalist, orb-shaped design, and are available in black, green or white. I tested the black model with gold accents, and I think they look quite premium, and don’t feel out of place on my otherwise dark desk setup.

If you’re short on desk space, the Pebble Pro are perfect for you. Each speaker measures just 4.84 x 4.84 x 4.65 inches. For context, a standard 12oz Coca-Cola can in the U.S. is 4.83 inches tall! The speakers weigh 1.76lbs together, which sounds lightweight and as though they’d be prone to getting knocked about. Located on each speaker’s bottom are rubber feet which keep the Pebble Pro from sliding here and there.

In comparison to the Edifier G2000 Pro (3.52lbs) and the SteelSeries Arena 3 (4.72lbs), the Pebble Pro are both lighter and more compact. They also sport customizable RGB lighting, which emanates from two rings at the bottom of the speakers to light up your desk. It’s not like the jet engine-esque lighting on the G2000 Pro, but it’s still a nice touch — and it’s more than what you get on the Arena 3 (which is nothing).

Keeping in line with the minimalist design are the Pebble Pro’s straightforward controls. The dial for controlling the volume, and the buttons for swapping between wired and Bluetooth as well as customizing the RGB lighting are located on the left channel. They’re easy to reach and give tactile feedback when pressed. Adjusting the RGB lighting is easy too, as this is done via a combination of pressing the RGB button and turning the volume dial.

Creative Pebble Pro review: Connectivity

• Simple plug-and-play interface
• Bluetooth 5.3 wireless and USB-C wired playback
• Headphones and mic ports too

There are a few different connectivity options available on the Creative Pebble Pro. First things first: setting them up. They feature a simple plug-and-play interface so all you need to do is either plug them into your Windows or macOS machine directly via the USB-C PD port (peak power of 20W), or into a wall socket to power them.

I’d recommend — and Creative does too — doing the latter using a 30W USB adapter to “enjoy astounding acoustics power of up to 30W RMS in total and 60W peak.” This, basically, means that you’ll be maximizing the speakers’ full acoustic capabilities. The former will be very useful if you want to take the speakers on the go. A hotel room, for example. Or an Airbnb.

Once you’ve got everything set up, you can then connect the speakers to your macOS, Windows, Android or iOS device via Bluetooth 5.3. Wired playback is also an option, either via a USB-C cable or 3.5mm aux. You also get two dedicated ports for plugging in headphones or an external microphone.

Having a headphones port means you can quickly swap between room-filling sound and private listening without ducking under your desk or unplugging cables. And being able to plug in an external mic is a boon, too, especially if you stream on, say, Twitch or YouTube, and want your viewers to be able to listen to you loud and clear. Even the pricier SteelSeries Arena 3 and the Edifier G2000 Pro don’t have these.

Creative Pebble Pro review: Sound quality

• Bright and crisp treble
• Powerful bass for the small size
• Clear Dialog audio processing works well for vocals

I’ll be honest: I wasn’t expecting much from the Creative Pebble Pro’s sound quality, given that these speakers are tiny and cost less than $70. But sometimes (not always), I enjoy being proven wrong, and that’s exactly what they did when I plugged them in and listened to my favorite tunes. It would be unfair to expect best-in-class sound from them, and they don’t sound as refined or powerful as premium speakers, like the Edifier QR65 ($499), but they’re still very good.

Firstly, the speakers are angled at 45° so sound travels directly to your ears, giving you a more immersive experience. The Pebble Pro are fitted with two 2.25-inch full-range drivers with passive radiators. While these are the same as the ones on the Creative Pebble V3 ($39), Creative says that they have been redesigned to deliver louder, clearer audio performance with “3.5x richer and deeper bass performance.” That’s great because in our Pebble V3 review, we noted that the bass was lacking, and this isn’t the case with the Pebble Pro.

To test the speakers, I listened to tunes I’m familiar with via a USB-C wired connection, on Qobuz, which is the best music streaming service for hi-res audio. I kicked things off by listening to ‘Brush Me Like A Horse’ by JJerome87 (Alt-J’s frontman’s solo project). Joe Newman’s elastic and nasal vocals sounded crisp and clear, with plenty of character to them. His voice is rich in the upper-mid frequencies and through the Pebble Pro, it never sounded shrill, and I could even appreciate those pesky easily missable details, such as the sharp intake of breath before he sings the song’s title.

Moving to ‘Just Two Girls’ by Wolf Alice, this track showcased the Pebble Pro’s wide soundstage. The ‘s’ and ‘t’ sounds (the sibilance) in certain lyrics didn’t sound shrill either, and it was very clear, just as the artist intended. Creative says that the speakers utilize Clear Dialog audio processing to ensure the vocals sound natural while being discernible, and ‘Just Two Girls’ shows just that.

The treble and percussion in ‘Just Two Girls’ didn’t bite either, as the acoustic guitar strums and light synth flourishes sounded crisp through the speakers. Similarly, the percussion’s hi-hats in ‘So Young’ by Portugal The Man sounded prominent with a metallic sizzle, and the cymbals shushing against each other between hits felt distinct.

Finally, to test the bass, I listened to ‘Papercut’ by Linkin Park, and the bass packed a punch here. The driving bassline worked in tandem with the snappy kickdrum to deliver a well-rounded listening experience, and it never once felt like the two were out of sync. The bass didn’t feel booming either, which is excellent. It’s also worth noting that I didn’t experience any distortion when listening at high volumes either. Distortion became a problem only past the 80% volume mark, which is commendable.

Listen along to my review with the Creative Pebble Pro testing playlist:

Creative Pebble Pro review: App

• There is a companion app
• But the companion app does very little
• No customizable EQ

One of my biggest gripes with the Creative Pebble Pro is the lack of a proper companion app. You can download the Creative App on a Windows machine, and all it enables you to do is update the speakers’ firmware and test the left and right channels. And that’s about it. I would have really appreciated being able to adjust the equalizer or choose an EQ preset to tailor the sound to my liking.

There’s also the Creative SmartComms Kit which is (kinda) useful if you plug a microphone into the Pebble Pro’s 3.5mm mic port. It then allows you to make some adjustments to the mic, such as automatically muting the mic during a call, or reducing background noise. Again, I would have preferred EQ customization instead — or both! You’ll have to spend a lot more on the likes of the Edifier G2000 Pro or the SteelSeries Arena 3 if you want more customization capabilities.

Creative Pebble Pro review: Verdict

Few computer speakers are as cheap as the Creative Pebble Pro — these cost less than $70, after all! The Pebble Pro are a great money-saving as well as space-saving solution, given that they’re compact and lightweight, so they don’t take up much room. RGB lighting lights up your desk in a gamer-y hue, and the speakers themselves look cute and minimalist.

One of the biggest selling points of the Pebble Pro is the powerful sound quality. Even though the speakers are small, they boast meaty bass, bright vocals and detailed percussion. While you miss out on customizable EQ and a companion app, for the asking price of only $69, it’s hard to fault the Pebble Pro.