INTRODUCTION

    For decades, PC speakers have been the unsung heroes of the desktop setup. Whether you're gaming, streaming, working, or just vibing to your favorite playlist, good speakers can transform your experience from functional to immersive. Yet, for many users, desktop audio has long been a compromise, settling for tinny sound, clunky designs, or overpriced gear that doesn’t quite deliver. Enter the modern wave of compact, high-performance speakers. These aren’t just PC peripherals, they’re statement pieces and leading the charge is Creative with their latest Pebble Nova Premium 2.0 USB-C Speakers with Coaxial Drivers.

    Since its founding in 1981, Creative Technology has been driven by a singular mission: to reimagine the way the world experiences sound. A true pioneer in digital audio innovation, Creative introduced the groundbreaking Sound Blaster®, the invention that gave personal computers the gift of sound — and forever changed the landscape of PC multimedia.

    The Pebble Nova (MF1720) is currently available in two colors (black and white) and is a 2.0 channel stereo system so unlike for example the SteelSeries Arena 7 they don't come with a separate sub-woofer in charge of lows/bass. The good news (always according to Creative) is that thanks to their 2-way coaxial design (1" tweeter, 3" driver - plus a passive radiator) the 45 degree elevated drivers of the Pebble Nova can cover a wide frequency range of 55Hz to 20kHz with a signal to noise ratio (SNR) of 93dB. Each of these two spherical satellites delivers a power output of 25WRMS (100W peak for both) and as for available connectivity we have Bluetooth v5.3 (A2DP / SBC audio codec support), USB-C (built-in DAC, 16-bit/48kHz only), USB-C (PD 65W), 3.5mm aux in, 3.5mm headphones out and 3.5mm microphone ports. Other features include touch controls on top of the main/right speaker, 6 ARGB LEDs in the ring surrounding the base of each satellite and a stand with two different ways of placement (desktop/elevated).

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Creative uses a black box to ship the Pebble Nova in the front of which has a product picture right under what seems to be a galaxy.

Another product picture is located on the left side, this time under the main product features and over the bundle contents.

Moving at the rear of the box we find yet another product picture used to showcase some of the product features.

The speakers are wrapped inside synthetic covers and placed between two pieces of plastic.

Along with the two spherical satellites inside the box you'll also find two stands (2 piece ones), two USB-C cables, 3.5mm aux cable, power adapter with 4 tips and the quick start guide.

THE PEBBLE NOVA

Each of the two spherical satellites weighs 1.89Kg and measures 149.20x150.80x153mm.

What steals the show is the coaxial design of the Pebble Nova that puts the 1-inch tweeter in front of the 3-inch driver.

Here you can see an exposed view of the main Pebble Nova speaker (marketing material).

On top of the main (right) speaker we find an activity LED, power button, volume up/down buttons, Bluetooth button, source selection button and the RGB mode button.

The 3.5mm headphones and microphone jacks are located on the right side of the main speaker.

Both speakers feature bass radiators at the rear that have the company logo printed on them.

Both USB-C ports and the 3.5mm aux port are located at the lower rear of the main speaker.

The bundled stands can be used to keep your Pebble Nova either on the desktop or elevated.

Depending on your desktop layout and chair height you may prefer having them on your desk.

In either case the ARGB ring at the base offers limited illumination and that's something some will like while others won't (short video is available both on YouTube and TikTok).

CREATIVE APP

As usual for complete control over your Creative speakers you should install their software/app.

The initial tab contains most available settings and of course a product picture.

So, from here you can control sound model, adjust the acoustic engine feature, use the equalizer, set the ARGB lighting (8 modes) and use the mixer function.

If you decide to use USB-C connectivity (that's only how the Creative App can be used) with the built-in DAC, the maximum audio quality is set at 16-bit/48kHz.

Finally, from the settings tab you can check both for software and firmware updates and enable/disable audio prompts.

CONCLUSION

    The Pebble Nova are some of the best looking PC speakers I’ve seen to date and that says a lot. It’s not so much about the ARGB lighting which for me doesn’t stand out much, it’s rather the entire design including the coaxial setup of the drivers and their 45 degrees angle. Also, even though they are medium sized speakers they do produce very good volume levels which for 25WRMS per speaker is a very good result. However much like with most products not all is perfect about the Pebble Nova. You see you have three ways to use the Pebble Nova, wired either via USB-C and its built-in DAC, 3.5mm port and an external soundcard/DAC or wirelessly via Bluetooth. If you’re looking for quality since the Pebble Nova only support the SBC audio codec Bluetooth is not the way to go, although I reckon it should be enough for most non-demanding users. The built-in DAC however just didn’t do it for me even though it supports up to 16-bit/48kHz playback (this could also be better). It sounds well and produces clear mids and highs with sufficient lows, but it just didn’t stand out enough, not even when compared to the Katana V2 soundbar again by Creative which I've been using since I reviewed it a while back. Things change however once you plug the Pebble Nova into a separate sound card like the Sound Blaster AE-9 which I have on my simulator setup and so in that scenario these became among the best PC speakers (regardless of channels) I’ve ever used/tested. Mids and highs got crisper and more accurate, vocals became more natural and as for bass, let’s just say the lack of an external sub-woofer didn’t feel like an issue (at least most of the time). To be fair Creative does point out quite a bit that using the Pebble Nova with a separate sound card like their very own X5 will improve their audio performance (they even sell them in a bundle).

    Right now, the Pebble Nova by Creative retail for just USD249.99 inside the USA (Creative US) and for 279.99Euros inside the EU (Creative DE) so they are neither expensive nor cheap.  At the end of the day the Creative Pebble Nova can either be good or great depending on how you use them but since they can be great in terms of audio performance, and they do look quite impressive the Golden Award is in order.

PROS

- Design
- Audio Performance
- ARGB Rings
- Touch Controls
- Wired & Wireless Connectivity (USB C, 3.5mm, Bluetooth)
- Bundled Stands (2 Placements)
- Available In Black & White Colors
- Creative App (Available Settings – USB C Only)

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- SBC Audio Codec Support Only
- Built In DAC Performance