At first we would like to thank Creative for offering us a sample of their Pebble V2 Minimalistic 2.0 USB Speakers for testing and reviewing.

 

 

 

About Creative:

 

“Creative is the worldwide leader in digital entertainment products. Founded in Singapore in 1981, Creative started with the vision that multimedia would revolutionize the way people interact with their PCs.

 

Famous for its Sound Blaster sound cards and for launching the multimedia revolution, Creative is now driving digital entertainment with cutting-edge audio solutions, premium wireless speakers, high performance earphone products and portable media devices. The company's innovative hardware, proprietary technology, applications and services enable consumers to experience high-quality digital entertainment - anytime, anywhere.

 

Since launching the phenomenally successful Sound Blaster sound cards and setting the de-facto standard for PC audio in 1989, Creative has been able to leverage on its leading-edge audio technology, a huge user base of 400 million, and strong brand name to expand into the exciting lifestyle Personal Digital Entertainment (PDE) market.

 

Creative is now well recognized as a global leader for product innovation in the audio and PDE segments, offering consumers a complete, high quality digital entertainment experience through Creative's hardware, software applications and services. Finding the perfect balance between form and function, Creative strives for every product to be a sensory feast for the eyes and ears.

 

Today, Creative is spearheading new product categories with its groundbreaking Sound BlasterAxx audio enhancement devices and solutions, highly-acclaimed Creative D5xm Signature Series of modular Bluetooth wireless speakers, Aurvana premium headsets, Sound Blaster wireless gaming headsets, and cross-platform Sound Blaster Recon3D for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC or Mac.

 

These products and solutions are marketed to consumers and system integrators through a worldwide distribution network that includes traditional marketing channels, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and the Internet.

 

Moving forward, Creative's mission is to expand its leadership role in the lifestyle Personal Digital Entertainment market, using groundbreaking technology and leading-edge designs for not just the technically-savvy consumers, but for everyone who enjoys entertainment. With strong focus on user-friendly interface, multiple features and cool industrial designs, the Creative brand is synonymous with lifestyle Personal Digital Entertainment.

 

Creative's global corporate headquarters is located in Singapore, in the heart of the Asia-Pacific region. It has regional business units in the US (Milpitas, California), Europe (Dublin, Ireland) and Asia (Singapore).

 

Creative is a public listed company on the main board of the Singapore Exchange (SGX) since June 1994.”

 

Product Features:

 

Perfect for the Minimalist

 

Pebble V2 features a small footprint with a clean and modern design that blends naturally into any minimalist's offices, homes, workspaces and battlestation setup. Enjoy the best of both worlds - great looks and great audio performance with the Pebble V2.

 

USB-C Connectivity

 

Powered entirely via USB-C with a standard 3.5 mm jack for audio, enjoy improved sound quality at higher power output without distortion.

 

As for the cable length, we've heard you! Pebble V2 now has a longer cable connecting the right to left satellite speakers without sacrificing audio quality for the best audio experience.

 

If your device already features a USB Type-C port, simply plug the USB-C cable to the Type-C port and the 3.5 mm connector to the AUX-in port.

 

For those with USB Type-A devices, fret not! We've included a USB-C to USB-A converter so you can get started immediately. All you need to do it to plug the converter onto the USB-C cable first before inserting it to the USB Type-A port, and the 3.5 mm connector to the AUX-in port.

 

Built-in Gain Switch

 

When plugged in to a 10W USB-C or USB-A port, the built-in gain switch in Pebble V2 activates high gain mode for amplified audio, firing acoustics power of 8W RMS and peak power of up to 16W. Up to 2 times more powerful than Pebble, listen to your favorite tunes or binge-watch the latest series at louder volume levels without ruining the audio punch.

 

Small but Mighty

 

Despite its small footprint, Pebble V2 has an improved built-in 2″ full-range drivers and passive radiators, Pebble V2 gives you richer and louder audio with enhanced bass reproduction for the ultimate music enjoyment!

 

Elevated for Better Audio

 

Pebble V2 retains the same 45° elevated drivers that are specifically angled, so audio is directed to your ears, placing you in the sweet spot for an immersive personal listening experience.

 

 

Product Specifications:

 

 

 

In this review we will not look upon a high-end piece of equipment from Creative, but an offering which can be more placed in the entry-level segment, at a very affordable price: Pebble V2 Minimalistic USB-C speakers. This particular product is meant to be used with a wide range of devices since it does feature analog interface, while the power can be supplied from an USB port (Type C or A, thanks to the included adapter). The set of speakers is shipped inside a very compact cardboard packaging, that highlights the main features right in front:

 

 

 

On the side of the box, Creative does highlight the product interfaces, but also the L/H gain switch, for gaining up to 8W RMS when having the system plugged in a 10W USB port. Also here we will learn of the box contents:

 

 

 

The opposite side will show the speakers in more detail:

 

 

 

The product features are also explained in more detail, in the back, in multiple languages:

 

 

 

After lifting the top box cover, we will get to see that the speakers are separately wrapped in bubble bags, while in the middle we do have an additional layer of cardboard as separation:

 

 

 

Let’s remove all of these from the box and see what we’ve got:

 

 

 

As we have been accustomed before with entry-level products from Creative, despite the low sell price, the build quality is maintained:

 

 

 

The left speaker comes with a 2’’ full-range driver, while the entire chassis is made from textured plastic:

 

 

 

In the back, we will spot a small passive radiator, that helps with the middle and low frequencies:

 

 

 

 

In order to avoid movement of the speakers while in operation, we will get to see a circular rubber foot on the bottom of each satellite:

 

 

 

The right satellite features pretty much the same design, but we will also find here the volume control wheel, along with a small LED:

 

 

 

The mentioned LED will light up green if we are using the speakers in low gain mode and blue in high gain mode:

 

 

 

 

As the previous versions of the Pebble speakers, the 45 degree elevation is maintained for the drivers, for a more immersive listening experience:

 

 

 

As we have mentioned before, the speakers pick up signal from 3.5mm Stereo interface, and the power is supplied via an USB Type-C port; versus the previous versions that featured a 1.2m cable between the speakers, now we are dealing with a 1.35m cable, which is a big improvement if you are aiming to use these with up to 50’’ displays:

 

 

 

If you are aiming to use the set with a TV, most of it are still using USB Type A ports, so the inclusion of the USB Type C to Type A adapter is quite welcome:

 

 

 

 

 

Some documentation is also shipped with the product, some of it in Chinese:

 

 

 

We did test the speaker on both our desktop PC but also on our 50’’ Sony TV, since it does not require any extra software to get it running; the mids and highs are very well rendered thanks to the tiny 2.0 drivers and the passive radiator but do not expect punchy bass as found with more mainstream and high-end offerings. The volume is easy to control thanks to the interface on the right satellite but you can as well control it from the sound source as well (while leaving the control wheel in a fixed position). The black textured color does make the product fit with quite a few setups (even in the living room), while the small size is a benefit if we are working on a smaller desk. Not a lot of setup is required either for getting it up and running and can be moved from one sound source to another in just a few minutes.

 

The increased cable length allows the user to use the product with even larger TVs and also helps with Stereo channel separation (instead of using a portable speaker with multiple drivers, that has the left/right channels too close together).

 

 

 

The product can be found online for just about 25 Euros, a good price for what we are getting.

Creative Pebble V2 Minimalistic 2.0 USB Speakers is Recommended for:

 

 

We would like to thank again to Creative for making this review possible!