Test: Creative Pebble Nova – Small Spheres, Big Ambitions

These fancy desktop speakers look great and sound amazing. The Creative Pebble Nova delivers a powerful 100W of sound through a special speaker system. Creative wants to win over sound lovers with this premium offering, but the price might make you pause.

In the past, Creative used to be known for Sound Blaster sound cards. Now they make many different products. Over time, their Pebble speakers have become popular for desks. As a result, they’re valued for being small, stylish, and good-sounding.

With the Creative Pebble Nova, Creative moves into the high-end speaker market. These small spheres cost €279.99. Compared to older models, the Creative Pebble Nova performs better and is built with finer materials.

We tested the Creative Pebble Nova carefully. Therefore, we can tell you if they’re worth the high price.

What we liked

Great sound from small speakers

The Creative Pebble Nova sounds powerful and clear for its size. Each speaker has a 3-inch woofer and a 1-inch tweeter. Additionally, they have bass boosters in the back. Together, these parts create sound from 55 to 20,000 Hz.

Power-wise, these speakers are impressive. The Creative Pebble Nova delivers 50W total during normal use. When using the included power adapter, however, they can reach 100W at peak. As a result, you get loud volumes without sound problems.

The range of sounds is excellent. Furthermore, the bass is deep and tight. This quality stands out in electronic music and games. In fact, few speakers this small have such good bass without a separate bass box.

Smart and good-looking design

The Creative Pebble Nova looks good and sounds better because of its shape. Specifically, the round design now comes with better finishes. You can choose black or white with nice textures. Each speaker is about 6 inches tall and weighs 4.2 pounds. Consequently, this weight shows they’re well-built.

Unlike flat speakers, the Creative Pebble Nova speakers tilt at a 45-degree angle for a reason. This angle points the sound at your ears when you sit at your desk. Both speakers come with metal bases and height-adjustable stands. Therefore, they can fit on different desks easily.

Touch controls on the main speaker make daily use simple. For instance, you can change volume, switch inputs, and turn lights on or off. Colored lights indicate which input you’re using. Green means AUX, while blue means Bluetooth, and purple means USB. As a result of these thoughtful details, using the Creative Pebble Nova feels effortless.

Many ways to connect

The Creative Pebble Nova offers lots of connection options. Hence, they work with almost any device you own. USB-C serves as the main connection. Not only does it send high-quality sound, but it also powers the speakers. Meanwhile, Bluetooth 5.3 lets you play music from phones, tablets, or computers. Impressively, it works well even from across the room.

For older devices, a standard audio jack provides support. The included power adapter helps get the most from the speakers. Thanks to this versatility, you can use the Creative Pebble Nova with a PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, or even a record player.

When using USB, the Creative app adds more features to your Creative Pebble Nova. First, it gives you sound effects like virtual surround sound. Second, you can make bass stronger or voices clearer. Finally, you can change the colored lights with millions of options. In addition, sound presets for games and music help optimize for different uses.

What we’re not sure we liked

The price seems too high

The Creative Pebble Nova sits awkwardly in the market. At €279.99, they cost much more than other Pebble speakers. In contrast, the Pebble X Plus offers a system with a bass box for half the price. Yet it sounds nearly as good.

This pricing puts them against bookshelf speakers and studio monitors. Most competitors offer more for similar prices. The Nova seems caught between markets. For example, are they for music lovers? Gamers? Media professionals?

Despite trying to please everyone, they don’t shine in any one area. Furthermore, the Creative Pebble Nova lacks features you’d expect at this price. Neither Hi-Res Audio nor advanced Bluetooth is included. Consequently, many other options offer better features for less money. Even loyal Creative fans might question the value.

Only really good for desktop use

The Creative Pebble Nova works well on a desk but struggles elsewhere. Specifically, the tilted speakers aim sound at someone sitting down. While perfect for computer use, this design creates problems in other settings.

In larger rooms, the sound doesn’t spread evenly. As a result, people in different spots will hear different sound quality. This limitation is unfortunate because these speakers could otherwise work well in living rooms.

Given their weight of over 4 pounds each, combined with the directional sound design, the Creative Pebble Nova only performs best for someone sitting directly in front. However, speakers at this price should be more flexible. In comparison, other speakers in this price range fill rooms better with sound.

Unnecessary lights on a classy product

The colored lights clash with the Nova’s sophisticated design. Although the glow at the base of each speaker can be turned off, it feels out of place on a premium product.

Most audio enthusiasts would agree it looks somewhat cheap next to the overall design.

While some gamers might appreciate adding these to a setup with other illuminated gear, premium speakers rarely need decorative lights. Therefore, the Creative Pebble Nova would look better with a simpler design matching its high-end goals.

This feature reveals Creative’s mixed signals about their product. In other words, is it for serious sound fans or gamers? Consequently, this mixed message might confuse shoppers looking for quality speakers.

What we liked less

High notes sometimes sound flat

Despite good overall sound, the Creative Pebble Nova struggles with high tones. Initially, treble sounds dull with the default settings. Many testers noticed this issue during evaluation.

This weakness becomes clear when playing strings, cymbals, or women’s voices. As a result, these sounds lack brightness and detail. Furthermore, small details in music sound muffled. For instance, the echo in concert halls or a singer’s breath doesn’t come through clearly. In comparison, other speakers at this price reveal these details better.

The warm sound profile is good for long listening sessions. It prevents ear fatigue but isn’t accurate enough for pure sound enthusiasts.

Fortunately, the Creative app can fix this with its sound settings. You can boost high tones to add sparkle to your Creative Pebble Nova. Nevertheless, speakers at this price should sound great out of the box. In contrast, many rivals offer better sound balance from the start.

They take up lots of desk space

The size of the Creative Pebble Nova may be problematic if you have a small desk. With each speaker weighing about 4 pounds and standing 6 inches tall, they occupy significant space. Additionally, the stands make them even taller.

Their bulky size results from quality construction and premium components. Inside, you’ll find special speakers, powerful amps, and bass boosters. However, this creates a trade-off in terms of desk space. Therefore, if you have a small desk or lots of gear, finding room might be challenging.

In comparison, older Pebble models were much smaller, which makes these new ones seem enormous.

Final thoughts

The Creative Pebble Nova delivers rich sound from a compact design. Additionally, their solid build, numerous connections, and strong power make them good high-end desk speakers.

However, their high price puts them against tough rivals with high expectations. Moreover, the weak high tones and desk-focused design limit the versatility of the Creative Pebble Nova. Their large size may also be a problem for small desks.

Music fans who listen at their desk will find the Creative Pebble Nova a good investment. For instance, they offer warm sound and good bass without a separate bass box. Meanwhile, gamers will enjoy the immersive sound, though music playback slightly outperforms gaming audio.

Through its app, Creative adds useful gaming features to the Creative Pebble Nova. Therefore, budget shoppers should look at cheaper Pebble models or other systems before spending this much.

In conclusion, these small sound spheres impress technically but raise questions about their price point. The Creative Pebble Nova demonstrates how the Pebble line has evolved and showcases Creative’s expertise. Nevertheless, a lower price would help them reach more customers.

This review was conducted by Myrhdin with a product from the manufacturer. Importantly, no money changed hands between the reviewer and the maker or its representatives. You can read more about our take on review process here.