About ten years back, stepping into the music production world, there were just a handful of go-to monitors you could slap on your studio desk. Fast forward to now, the options have exploded, and it’s like a jungle out there. The cool part, though, is there’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ deal with monitors. What’s perfect is what sings to you, and the wave of portable, travel-friendly monitors hitting the market is a godsend for musicians on the move.
iLoud Micro Monitors are increasingly the industry standard for on-the-go studio speakers that we got our hands on to review. Over the past month, we’ve found there’s a lot to love about them, enough to where more than just touring musicians would get a ton of bang for their buck by investing in these speakers. They also aren’t perfect, even for smaller studio speakers.
So buckle up as we plunge into the nitty-gritty of the iLoud Micro Monitors. Let’s figure out if they could be the missing piece in your production puzzle.
What Are The iLoud Micro Monitors?
The iLoud Micro Monitors are compact, high-quality speakers developed by IK Multimedia. These reference speakers are designed for professional playback with sufficient power to fill a small room. They contain low-resonance molded enclosures that facilitate a neutral audio start point for the potent two-way speaker systems. They are equipped with 3″ neodymium drivers that are bass-ported to reproduce frequencies as low as 55Hz and 3/4″ silk dome tweeters for smooth and defined high-end audio detail. Furthermore, these monitors can connect over Bluetooth, allowing wireless audio streaming from devices like laptops and smartphones.
iLoud Micro Monitors are designed to stream professional, reference-quality audio on a budget. They feature adjustable isolation bases that decouple the speakers from the surface they are placed on, such as a desk or bookshelf, and direct the sound upward. The speakers also include three EQ switches to adjust for minor room issues. They are also highly portable and can be conveniently carried in a backpack for on-the-go use. Each iLoud Micro Monitor is built with a 3″ neodymium driver and 3/4″ silk dome tweeter, bringing a vibrant auditory experience to your favorite music.
For versatility, the iLoud Micro Monitors can stream music wirelessly from various devices via Bluetooth, accommodating dynamic playlist creation for continual entertainment. They also include stereo RCA and 1/8″ inputs for older devices, such as turntable systems. They have a power output of 50 watts, delivering an immersive experience in small rooms. With a frequency response of 55Hz-20kHz, the iLoud Micro Monitors can provide a wide range of audio reproduction, ensuring superior sound quality at home or on the move.
Learn More About These Monitors While Supporting Our Team Of Writers Through Our Affiliate Partnership With Sweetwater Here
What We Loved About The iLoud Micro Monitors
The Sound
We will start this review with the obvious and essential quality one would want out of a speaker; its sound was incredibly impressive. We’ve had the opportunity to demo other portable studio monitors before, and they all too often have a justifiable smaller and less round sound. But the iLoud monitors have a warm and powerful tone, mainly attributed to the impressively low-frequency response (down to 55Hz).
The midrange was bright and punchy but not overly or inaccurately so, which made the leads, pads, pianos, and strings we played and mixed with these monitors pop out of the speakers impressively. Once set up correctly in the smaller and ‘less-than-ideal’ listening environment we purposely tested these in, the sound felt all-encompassing, which is a quality we always look for in listening environments and studios.
We ran a couple of reference tracks whose sub bass we trusted through the speakers. While the 55Hz cutoff was undoubtedly noticeable when A/B tested against our actual studio (which uses a KRK sub), it was low enough to feel the sub still and mix accordingly, which is all you need from a set of monitors like this.
The Size
Even by the standards of other portable and on-the-go monitoring systems, the iLoud monitors are small and compact. We’ve seen other reviews knocking the iLoud monitors for being heavy and bulky for their size, but that is not the case. They felt noticeably lighter, albeit only slightly, than the KRK GoAux monitors with a fantastic smaller profile.
Perhaps the other reviews you can find online were comparing these monitors against a pocket-sized Bluetooth speaker or something cause these small and compact monitors were small and easy to bring with us in a gig bag or pack, which makes the above point about the monitors sound packing so much more of a punch that much more impressive!
The Design
Probably the least important standout feature from a technical perspective, but one that any musician will never ignore, is that they look fantastic and professional. Compared to other portable monitors, the slimmer profile and the matte-black enclosure looks sexy and modern and easily fit into a wide range of creative space aesthetics.
From personal experience, I’ve always found that matte-black colorations hide ding and scuffs a bit better than glossier designs, which is a good feature on travel monitors that you’ll be packing, unpacking, and using in more hectic environments than a typical studio monitor setup.
They also have a matte-white finish for an even more hyper-modern look! That’s not our style, but it’s good to know that options exist for those who don’t want the conventional black color scheme that is all too common in the industry.
What We Weren’t Crazy About
Lack Of 1/4″ Inputs
These monitors come with TRS and RCA connectors and also have an option for Bluetooth connectivity. Still, we were saddened to see the lack of a conventional 1/4″ output, making connecting these monitors to an audio interface more complex.
Overall though, it’s far from a dealbreaker.
Whenever you’re producing on the go, the TRS cable directly into your laptop will often be more than enough to get a production-ready sound. We’ve heard of some clever workarounds to reduce the latency of Bluetooth significantly. Still, of all our studio savviness, Bluetooth connectivity is not one of them, and the upwards of 75+ ms delay we experienced when running Ableton through Bluetooth to these monitors made it hard to feel connected to the music I was playing on my MIDI keyboard.
No Carrying Case
An important aspect when investing in pro-quality audio gear is seeing that the developer was mindful of the needs and wants of the customer buying their specific products. And we don’t want to sound like a princess here, as carrying cases can be purchased cheaply on Amazon. Still, it would have been nice to have these monitors ship with a padded carrying case that would allow us to travel with them confidently the moment they hit your doorstep.
That being said, you can snag an IK-branded carrying case for nothing extra, which completely remedies this issue. It’s just important to note that the case didn’t come standard! Check Out The Bag Here
Who Are These Monitors For?
Touring Artists
The hardest part about producing music on the go is confining your creative process into headphones, which have many benefits in their own right but offer a completely different feeling than producing and making music on a dedicated speaker system. If you’re a touring artist who feels like you’re missing creative opportunities because you don’t have a proper listening system and don’t like working on headphones, we cannot recommend these speakers enough.
And we aren’t alone here, as we know massive artists like Anjunabeats’ megastar Ilan Bluestone have produced and mixed some of his favorite records on the road using this same monitoring system.
Students
If you’re a producer heading off to college and worried about producing music in smaller spaces like your dorm room, these monitors are the perfect answer. The low profile means they won’t take up much room on your cramped desk at all; they produce a warm low end that isn’t so overpowering that it bleeds into your RA’s room, and at a flip of a switch, they can turn into Bluetooth speakers so you can manage the music for your friends when they come over to hang.
Plus, they’re affordable for what you get, meaning you get a ton of bang for your buck – which I know is always at the forefront of most college students’ minds.
New Producers
Most blogs and buying guides suggest getting a pair of Yamahas or KRKs for your first set of speakers. While those are tried and tested options for a producer’s first set of monitors, we think that portable monitors like this offer far more quality-of-life features that newer producers don’t take into consideration, such as:
- They’re easy to bring to a friend’s house to collab (…which is never more fun to do than when you’re just starting to learn how to produce)
- They remove the necessity for an interface (…saving you time and money researching the ins and outs of audio interfaces)
- Their smaller profile means that they’re easier to fit into side nooks, bedroom desks, and other less-than-perfect spaces (…which newer producers often are forced to work in)
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, the iLoud Micro Monitors, brought to us by IK Multimedia, serve as high-performance, compact, and versatile speakers that cater to diverse audio requirements. Their design fosters a neutral audio base, ensuring professional-grade sound performance while being budget-friendly. Their small size does not compromise on sound quality, making them ideal for portable use and small space arrangements.
The iLoud Micro Monitors deliver professional audio quality on a budget, with their versatile connectivity options and EQ switches enhancing their utility. Given their size, they pack an impressive audio punch, offering quality and convenience. However, there are some minor points of criticism, such as the absence of a 1/4″ inch output and a carrying case. Despite these, the monitors are primarily well-received.
Given their unique blend of quality, affordability, portability, and performance, the iLoud Micro Monitors can be the perfect audio companion for touring artists, students, and budding producers. Their versatility and superb features can cater to different environments, be it a dorm room, a friend’s house for a collaboration, or on the road. These monitors serve as an excellent testament to how one doesn’t have to compromise on quality for size and convenience.
Learn More About These Monitors While Supporting Our Team Of Writers Through Our Affiliate Partnership With Sweetwater Here
Tech Specs
- Powered:Yes
- Power Configuration:Bi-amped
- Quantity:Pair
- LF Driver Size:3″
- LF Driver Type:Paper Cone
- HF Driver Size:.75″
- HF Driver Type:Silk Dome with Neodymium Magnet
- LF Driver Power Amp:18W RMS
- HF Driver Power Amp:7W RMS
- Total Power:70W Peak, 50W RMS (pair)
- Frequency Response:45Hz-22kHz (-10dB)
- Maximum Peak SPL:104dB SPL
- Input Types:1 x Dual RCA Stereo, 1 x 1/8″ TRS (aux in), 1 x 4-pin Connector (right monitor), Bluetooth (A2DP)
- Output Types:1 x 4-pin Connector (left monitor)
- Enclosure Type:Ported
- Enclosure Material:Black
- Height:7.09″
- Width:3.54″
- Depth:5.31″
- Weight:3.79 lbs. (combined)
Will Vance is a professional music producer who has been involved in the industry for the better part of a decade and has been the managing editor at Magnetic Magazine since mid-2022. In that time period, he has published thousands of articles on music production, industry think pieces and educational articles about the music industry. Over the last decade as a professional music producer, Will Vance has also ran multiple successful and highly respected record labels in the industry, including Where The Heart Is Records as well as having launched a new label with a focus on community through Magnetic Magazine. When not running these labels or producing his own music, Vance is likely writing for other top industry sites like Waves or the Hyperbits Masterclass or working on his upcoming book on mindfulness in music production. On the rare chance he's not thinking about music production, he's probably running a game of Dungeons and Dragons with his friends which he has been the dungeon master for for many years.
