Creative Pebble V3 USB Speakers Review
Small Presence, Big Impact
Recently, my Redragon speakers have been having some issues. It was time for a new pair of speakers, and I decided to go for the Pebble V3 as they had good reviews and are pretty affordable, especially when they go on sale. I was also intrigued by the Bluetooth capabilities these speakers have. Though I was surprised (and disappointed) by some features the Pebble V3s offer, I think they’re overall a great pair of affordable speakers.
Purchase Price: $39.99
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The pebble lineup consists of the Creative Pebble, the Pro, the X, the X Plus, and the V3
Connectivity
Unlike the speakers I’ve used in the past, these connect via USB only rather than using audio jacks. They also have Bluetooth capabilities, which is a nice feature, but it wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for. It’s my fault for not reading the product listing closely, but I had assumed that these speakers could be used both wired and wirelessly, but that is not the case. These speakers do not have any internal battery and must be powered via the USB cable. So, while you can still connect another device, like your smartphone, to these speakers, they still have to be plugged into a power source. Because these speakers don’t work wirelessly as I had thought, I don’t find the Bluetooth feature that useful, but I could see others enjoying it. If I weren’t too lazy to pull these out from the back of my PC, I could see myself plugging them in in the kitchen and streaming music to them through my phone while I mop the floor or wash the dishes.
I’m not sure if this is because these speakers are USB, but they do take a moment to turn on. Like most other speakers, you simply turn the nob on the front to turn them on and off. After turning the nob to turn them on, it takes a good 30 seconds for my computer to recognize these speakers and for them to play sound, despite the fact that they’re always plugged into the back of my PC. It’s not the end of the world, but I do find it a bit strange and inconvenient since I’ve never had to wait for my PC to register any other speakers or headphones that I have plugged in.
Volume
The gain switch on the rear of the Pebble
When I first got these speakers, I was a little worried about whether or not the volume would get loud enough. I felt like my old Reddragon speakers were louder. While that may be true, the Pebble V3 speakers are still plenty loud for my needs. I usually turn the volume nob to max on the speakers and then adjust my PC’s volume separately using the volume wheel on my keyboard. Though you can of course adjust the volume directly using the nob, I just find that this works the best for me. These speakers also have a gain switch on the back, so if you feel like they’re not loud enough and could use a boost, you can flip that switch over. I’ve been using them without the gain boost, though, and I’ve never particularly felt like I needed it.
Sound Quality
For how cheap these are, the sound quality is surprisingly good. I’ll admit that I am no audiophile, but when I compare these to my old Redragon speakers, they honestly blow them out of the water, especially for music. They produce a crisp, clear sound, and they even have a little bit of bass. In fact, when I first got them, I was actually a little annoyed by it because if I turned my music too loud, I could feel the bass vibrating through my desk. I’ve since gotten used to them, and I don’t at all feel like the bass is too intense. I also don’t listen to a lot of music that has a lot of bass in it, so this simply isn’t an issue for me. If you like loud music and songs with heavy bass, though, be aware that you’re probably going to feel it with these, at least a little. They’re small speakers, so it’s not like they can set your entire room abuzz with bass, but you’ll at least feel it in your desk. Overall, I really like how these speakers sound, and I think they’re a fantastic option for someone who wants affordable speakers that don’t sound like crap.
final thoughts
If you’re in the market for a new pair of speakers and you want something compact and affordable, I think the Pebble V3 speakers are worth a try. They offer solid sound quality for the price, they’re easy to set up, and you can connect other devices to them via Bluetooth. They don’t have any fancy bells and whistles like RGB, and they honestly aren’t that aesthetically pleasing, but they get the job done, and they do it well.
These Redragon GS510 Waltz RGB speakers come in at an incredibly low price tag of $29.99. Can speakers at this price point deliver quality sound, or would it be better to spend a bit extra?