Michal Ždanský After a series of portable JBL speakers, this time we'll take a slight detour and look at table speakers for a change. Pebbles are classic 2.0 computer speakers with basic connectivity supplemented by USB playback.
Personally, I've never really gravitated towards small desktop speakers. For a desktop computer, I preferred large multi-channel boxes with a subwoofer, while for a laptop I preferred to reach for a portable boombox type JBL Flip, as I often move the computer and constantly moving two reprobeds connected by a cable is not the right thing to do. In addition, small speakers are often characterized by average to poor sound. In this respect, however, there is nothing to be afraid of with Pebbles, as JBL once again confirms that it can produce sound, no matter what kind of speakers it is.
First to the hardware itself. Pebbles have a rather unusual shape resembling a dynamo for loudspeakers. The front part is occupied by a metal grille, the rest of the chassis is made of plastic, with imitation metal on the sides. There are not many control elements on the body of the boxes. Everything is solved by a disk on the left speaker side, which can be turned to control the volume and press it to turn the speaker off or on, while the blue indicator diode informs about the power-on status.
Pebbles is produced in three color variations, grey-white, orange-grey and black with orange elements. Our test piece is a combination of orange and gray. Here, the orange together with the plastic finish looks a bit like a toy and slightly spoils the impression of the otherwise good-looking speakers.
The speakers are connected to each other with a 3,5mm jack cable, and the power supply is provided by a USB cable that just needs to be connected to the computer. In addition to power supply, USB is also used for audio transmission. On a Mac, just change the sound output in Preferences, unfortunately the change does not happen automatically. Since the transmission is digital, the volume control is directly connected to the system volume, so you can also control it with the multimedia keys on the MacBook.
A great feature is the ability to connect any device via a 3,5mm jack (the cable is included in the package). When the cable is plugged in, Pebbles will automatically change the audio input. It should be remembered that these are active speakers and if you want to use Pebbles only with an iPhone or an iPad, you have to connect the USB cable anyway, even if it is to the network via the charger of the iOS device.
Sound
Since the Pebbles are small desktop speakers, I didn't have very high expectations. However, JBL believes in good sound, and this also applies to these relatively cheap boxes. The sound is surprisingly balanced, it has enough bass, which is taken care of by the passive bassflex on the back of both reprobeds, the middle frequencies are not piercing, as is the case with small reprobeds, and the highs are also sufficient.
In the given size and price range, these are some of the best-sounding reprobeds I've had the chance to try. The sound doesn't break even at maximum volume, but it should be noted that they are not as loud as I would have expected. Although the volume is sufficient for watching a movie or listening to music while working, you won't liven up the party too much with them. The lower volume thus remains one of the few criticisms of JBL Pebbles.
Pebbles are sound-excellent 2.0 speakers that you can buy at a fairly affordable price 1 400 $ (49 EUR). They have an unusual, but elegant appearance, and their greatest advantage is their excellent sound, which makes them easily stand out in the flood of desktop speakers.
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advantages:
[Checklist]
- Great sound
- Unusual design
- 3,5mm jack input
- System volume control
[/checklist][/one_half]
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Disadvantages:
[bad list]
- Cheap looking plastic
- Lower volume
- Absence of network adapter
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We thank the store for lending the product Always.cz.
However, they are quite ugly in terms of design.
I also like the design, it looks like an accessory in the flood of black speakers and the orange one is quite unconventional, why not for e.g. a child's room, especially for the price :)... I have older headphones from JBL, so I would trust the sound, as well as they write in the review.