Creative Pebble Nova Speakers Review

Creative’s Pebble speakers have always been an easy recommendation for me. If friends or family are looking for a small, yet substantial sound for their PC or laptop setup, then I’ll point to the often-on-sale Pebble. With the Pebble Nova, Creative is moving away from the low-key size and design, pushing this new edition into the spotlight in a big way. However, with bigger ambitions and a bigger price comes new competition. Here’s how the Pebble Nova stacked up during my real-world testing for review.

Getting set up 

Out of the box, the sizable Pebble Nova feels markedly more premium than Creative’s more budget options. I was worried materials would be one aspect where the company skimped, but the Nova looks and feels solid, which is reassuring given the bump up in price. 

Getting connected is simple enough, with three different options available: USB, Bluetooth 5.3, or 3.5 mm. It’s good to see support for the older standard, though obviously most buyers will be opting for that USB connection for wired or Bluetooth for wireless. 

That Pebble charm

As a Pebble product, the Nova still retains that default optimal 45-degree angle that aims audio right at the user’s ears. With this more premium setup, however, users are getting a 1” tweeter paired with a 3” subwoofer, stepping things up in a significant way. 

The default sound is impressive, especially when you’re coming from the more budget Pebble offerings. Bass is particularly pleasant, without being overbearing. This is often a concern for 2.0 setups without a dedicated sub, but I think Creative has done well here. As the Pebble is likely to be used at desk setups, often at normal listening volumes, I’m happy to confirm that the sweet spot of 40-60% volume sounds great. 

Can it get loud?

Crank it up louder, and the sound is solid, but some control is lost. I tested this while watching movies and gaming at my desk and the Pebble Nova held up well. For those who want a pair of speakers that deliver excellent sound at those more mid volumes during work hours, that can then be cranked up for entertainment, Creative has come up with a solution that does well. 

Using the Creative app, it’s possible to tweak the EQ to personal tastes. It works well enough, though I feel the stock sound is tuned well enough and it’s what I ultimately settled with using during the review period. 

The downsides

While Creative has made big strides with its Pebble Nova, there is an obvious downside to going with a bigger design. Users will need to consider desk space and clearance for the two bigger speakers. They can also look quite imposing next to a smaller laptop, which smaller Pebble speakers avoid. 

Another nitpick is the RGB lighting which, while it’s nice that the feature exists, it’s very subtle. On the bright side, it’s not distracting, but it’s also not eye-catching when you want it to be.

Disclosure: Review sample provided by Creative.