Creative Pebble Plus 2.1 USB Desktop Speakers

Value For Money:Got it on 11.11 sale, super worth the price for simple PC speakersPerformance:3.5/5. No regrets getting the subwoofer for more bass.Best Feature(s):Simple set up, just plug in and playSound seemed a tiny bit distorted right after setting up but i'm not super particular about audio quality. Might also have to do with my room acoustics and untrained ears. Subwoofer doesnt take up a lot of space on my desk but vibration from it (esp w bass-heavy songs/audio files) can take a bit getting used to. Might get isolation pads to cut the vibration. Lots of wires so need to do some cable management. Overall a good buy, exactly what I wanted.

Decent computer speakers for the price

If your computer doesn't come with a speaker system (as with a Mac mini, or a standard desktop PC) these are a solid choice for ~$40. They offer pleasing-enough sound for listening to music as you're working at the computer, or if you just want some music in the room. But make no mistake: These are clearly computer speakers. The system doesn't sound big, and volume is only moderate, even if you plug the system's USB connector into a USB power supply (which you must provide). The system's USB connector is only for power, so you can also plug it into your computer. But if you do that, you don't get the greater volume or richer sound that you get with the extra power of a USB power supply. The subwoofer does help add some oomph, but it can also sometimes be a bit ... MoreIf your computer doesn't come with a speaker system (as with a Mac mini, or a standard desktop PC) these are a solid choice for ~$40. They offer pleasing-enough sound for listening to music as you're working at the computer, or if you just want some music in the room. But make no mistake: These are clearly computer speakers. The system doesn't sound big, and volume is only moderate, even if you plug the system's USB connector into a USB power supply (which you must provide). The system's USB connector is only for power, so you can also plug it into your computer. But if you do that, you don't get the greater volume or richer sound that you get with the extra power of a USB power supply. The subwoofer does help add some oomph, but it can also sometimes be a bit boomy. A subwoofer volume control would have been helpful. But again: $40. For that price, it's a decent buy.

Decent with a good EQ

I needed some cheap speakers for my home office setup, and I purchased these with Lenovo rewards, so I was limited to around $50. I have been recording/mixing for 20 years and have some nice monitors for my home studio that cost 10x the price of these, so I tempered my expectations. My initial impression was that these are terrible. I have no idea who designed the freq response for this set, but they should lose their job. The sound is thin, has scooped mids, and is way too bright. Just a terrible sonic profile. As big as the speakers are, the sub handles almost all the bass, and it just bumbles around. The speakers have only one knob, a volume control. I think a simple bass/treble adjustment knob would go a long way, and a crossover for the sub would be a huge ... MoreI needed some cheap speakers for my home office setup, and I purchased these with Lenovo rewards, so I was limited to around $50. I have been recording/mixing for 20 years and have some nice monitors for my home studio that cost 10x the price of these, so I tempered my expectations. My initial impression was that these are terrible. I have no idea who designed the freq response for this set, but they should lose their job. The sound is thin, has scooped mids, and is way too bright. Just a terrible sonic profile. As big as the speakers are, the sub handles almost all the bass, and it just bumbles around. The speakers have only one knob, a volume control. I think a simple bass/treble adjustment knob would go a long way, and a crossover for the sub would be a huge step. All that being said, I downloaded an EQ (MaxxAudio Pro) and tweaked for about 30 minutes. I slept on it, then tweaked again the next day, finally landing on the settings in the attached screenshot. These settings make these speakers not only listenable, but somewhat enjoyable. If you buy these speakers, please spend some time with an EQ to get the most out of them (and remember to deprecate, not boost). Without this EQ, I could recommend them. I blame Creative for this because they could have easily tuned this set a lot better, and instead, this is a pretty garbage product without an EQ. No idea on the longevity of the set, but hoping to get a few years out of them. I didn't listen to any other $50 set, so maybe this is the sound quality you get for $50 nowadays.

Good for a Small Office

Nice value for the money. The sound is okay, and the subwoofer helps round it out a bit. These speakers are nothing exceptional in terms of high quality sound or output, but for my small home office, I don't need high output. For the price, I really can't complain about the sound quality. They do the job well enough.I was disappointed to discover that an standard headphone jack was still needed for sound to be played through the speakers. The product description did not make this clear so I bought for a computer that did not have a functioning soundcard. Still found a way to make it work, but it proved to be a lot more hassle.So just to clarify what the description did not, YOU WILL NEED BOTH A HEADPHONE OUTPUT FOR SOUND AND A USB PORT FOR POWER FOR THESE ... MoreNice value for the money. The sound is okay, and the subwoofer helps round it out a bit. These speakers are nothing exceptional in terms of high quality sound or output, but for my small home office, I don't need high output. For the price, I really can't complain about the sound quality. They do the job well enough.I was disappointed to discover that an standard headphone jack was still needed for sound to be played through the speakers. The product description did not make this clear so I bought for a computer that did not have a functioning soundcard. Still found a way to make it work, but it proved to be a lot more hassle.So just to clarify what the description did not, YOU WILL NEED BOTH A HEADPHONE OUTPUT FOR SOUND AND A USB PORT FOR POWER FOR THESE SPEAKERS TO WORK.

Perfect bdget gaming,small room, dorm room, office

Excellent for budget gaming and small spaces. The subwoofer is weak, tiny, and weighs maybe 2lbs but it is perfect to add just enough extra oomph to the speakers giving them extra depth.Don't expect any thumping unless you really crank it up. The speakers are very well made and feel solid because of its wide base. Won't tip over like some other taller speakers which I had a big problem before.The high and low gain switch is a nice touch. Also keep in mind that if you plug the USB into a 2.1a USB wall plug or USB 3.0 it will double the power output to 16w in total. The wires can be a bit longer but it's actually much better(long enough)than some I've encountered before.The mids and highs are great. It just lacks some bass but what can you expect from a USB ... MoreExcellent for budget gaming and small spaces. The subwoofer is weak, tiny, and weighs maybe 2lbs but it is perfect to add just enough extra oomph to the speakers giving them extra depth.Don't expect any thumping unless you really crank it up. The speakers are very well made and feel solid because of its wide base. Won't tip over like some other taller speakers which I had a big problem before.The high and low gain switch is a nice touch. Also keep in mind that if you plug the USB into a 2.1a USB wall plug or USB 3.0 it will double the power output to 16w in total. The wires can be a bit longer but it's actually much better(long enough)than some I've encountered before.The mids and highs are great. It just lacks some bass but what can you expect from a USB powered speaker set.This is my 3rd set of Creative speakers. Both previous models lasted about 5-6 years each. But with a ton of consistent usage. Keep in mind both of them were entry level 2.1 speakers as well. It's usually one of the speakers that blow out.I'm satisfied. Looks good, sounds great, cheap, and small.

Wires too short

Not as good as the Boston speakers that I replaced with the creative pebble plus 2.1 speakers, The main problem is the wires are too short which meant I had to renovate my corner computer desk so that the hard drive and speakers would hook up. My Boston's hooked in on the back of the harddrive on the floor with a long cable, everything could be concealed and my desk was more functional looking. Now the hard drive is beside the monitor on the desk with wires coming out of the front USB port and headphone jack, not perfect but it works. When time and money permitting I will change this out to a more accommodating system.