Well, it’s loud – small, fine monitors for studio and fun
7. October 2024
IK Multimedia iLoud Micro Monitor Pro, Nahfeldmonitore
The IK Multimedia iLoud Micro Monitor Pro are extremely small desktop studio monitors that can be adapted to your own environment using software and the included microphone.
The iLoud series is not a new product, but rather series maintenance has obviously been carried out and so IK Multimedia has expanded the series to include the iLoud Micro Monitor Pro. Although they still look almost the same as their predecessors, they have significantly improved in terms of features, as we will see in a moment.
IKM iLoud Micro Monitor Pro: The first impression
There comes a package with a box inside that contains two more boxes, each protecting one box. This is pure matryoshka feeling. And the two iLoud Micro Monitor Pro are just as small as the smallest matryoshka. And yes, there is another small box in each one. In addition to the power cables, this box contains a USB-C cable and one of the two boxes contains a box from which a small microphone and clamp emerge. But this only happens if you order the monitors as a pair!
iLoud Micro Monitor Pro – Facts & Features
We’ll clarify what’s going on with the microphone later, now let’s take a look at the monitor speakers. They’re really quite small. Anyone who has little space on their desk will definitely appreciate this. We already know from a recent test by our colleague M. Steinwachs that the iLoud monitors still deliver great sound. Of course, the look has changed a little.
The most dramatic change probably concerns the stereo pair. While the predecessor relied on a link cable that connected the “master box” to the “slave box”, here we now have two independent, identical boxes. This has the advantage that, depending on the setup, you could even place a center box or buy two additional boxes for a surround experience.
The small size makes the iLoud Micro Monitor Pro interesting for small home studios or mobile use, but the speaker dwarfs can also be used as additional monitoring in large recording studios. If you want to mount the monitors on tripods when traveling or for reasons of space, you can do so at any time thanks to the thread on the bottom. Otherwise, the two speakers are stable on their own feet. The front foot can be folded out so that the speakers have an ideal angle to the listener, even on the smallest desk.
Here is one of the iLoud Micro Monitor Pro next to an effects pedal and on top of my JBL MK II monitor, which looks huge in comparison
To finally appreciate the non-existent size: The product dimensions are 208 × 153 × 105 mm and each monitor weighs around 1.4 kg. This evokes associations with a kilo of flour and the iLoud Micro Monitor Pro are not much larger. Accordingly, it’s full on the back, because the front includes the 3-inch paper woofer, the 0.75-inch textile dome tweeter and the bass reflex opening. So the 3″ midrange driver and the 1″ tweeter are supposed to deliver the big sound?
In addition to the ports, the back also offers plenty of buttons that need to be pressed and explored. There is space at the bottom left for the included power cable. The input sockets are located above the power connection. A Cinch and an XLR connection are available. Unfortunately there is no jack socket, which displeases my Mackie Big Knob.
Most audio interfaces also use jacks as main outs, so I unfortunately have to note the lack of a jack socket as a negative. The volume control works in the range from minus infinity to +6 dB.
The right side offers space for the speaker controls, which consist of four buttons. A USB-C socket and the power switch complete the back. We’ll take a closer look at the speaker controls in a moment.
The IK Multimedia iLoud Micro Monitor Pro features a bi-amping design with 50W RMS total power per box.
The working modes of the IKM iLoud Micro Monitor Pro
The Mode button can be used to switch between desk filter, flat and custom calibration. The Desk Filter sets an attenuation filter to compensate for the typical acoustic effect when placing the monitors on a console or desk. Such placement usually results in an increase in the lower midrange.
The Desk switch activates two bell-shaped filters with the following properties:
- Bell 1: 250 Hz, -3 dB
- Bell 2: 1,200 Hz, +4 dB
Custom calibration can also be carried out here using the included ARC-MEMS microphone.
- HF Filter: The HF button controls the high frequency level with a shelf EQ set to 8 kHz. The level can be set to +2 dB, 0 dB or -2 dB.
- LF Filter: The LF button controls the level of low frequencies with a shelf EQ set to a frequency of 100 Hz. This filter controls the proximity effect of side walls and ceilings.
The iLoud Micro Monitor Pro boxes in the home studio
The two iLoud Micro Monitor Pros are installed in my daily work area, which is dominated by a pair of Presonus Eris Pro 6s when it comes to monitoring. When recording guitars, I like to switch to my JBL 3 MK II because they produce a slightly more unbalanced sound that is more conducive to the feeling on the guitar, but these are not used here in the test.
Group picture with old lady
When it comes to cabling, the exact problem I have is that I would have to have a jack-RCA or jack-XLR adapter cable to connect my Mackie Big Knob, which manages the monitors. I don’t have it with me so I have to use the XLR cables from the Presonus monitors. But this has the positive side effect that I can try out the iLoud boxes with the subwoofer of the Presonus system.
A first test is carried out with all modes in neutral. I’m really amazed at what these dwarves are “shouting” at me. The small iLoud Micros don’t need to shy away from a direct comparison with the Presonus Eris Pro 6. The playback behavior is somewhat more pronounced in the high mids, the range around 2.5 to 3.5 kHz is noticeably louder in direct comparison, overall the iLoud monitors sound “thicker”, not as tidy and “sterile” as the Presonus, without However, unpleasant to dye.
Using the different modes, the playback behavior can now be adjusted depending on the environment and personal listening habits. But how does the pair of speakers behave when I have them measured using the microphone supplied? To do this I have to download the X-Monitor software from the manufacturer’s homepage.
iLoud Micro Monitor Pro – die X-Monitor Software
The monitors are each connected to the computer using a USB cable, and the included ARC microphone is then first connected to one of the two boxes. The software guides you through the process, the placement of the microphone is described and then you get started. The software sends a measurement signal into the room at a total of four positions on the microphone. You then repeat the whole thing with the second box and then you get the result displayed graphically.
Green: The measurement results before calibration, red and yellow the measurement after
The result is absolutely amazing, the playback is now almost linear, in the blind test I can’t distinguish it from my Presonus monitors. It is also possible to load different profiles from monitors from well-known third-party providers and to virtually equip the iLoud Micro Monitor Pro boxes, which sometimes has a serious impact on the sound. So if you know what your reference audios should sound like, you can find yourself in an ingenious playground here.
What is particularly interesting is the ability to listen to the audio with profiles from everyday applications such as a TV or smartphone, without having to touch any cables or buttons.
You can check out the simulated smartphone with its limited and sometimes poor playback properties here
If I now bring the subwoofer of my Eris system into play, the blast is complete! The transfer frequency is 80 Hz and when I load a deep house or ambient track from my beloved Café Del Mar playlist, goosebumps are inevitable. Given the fact that the pair of monitors costs 599 euros, while I easily paid 100 euros more for the pair of my Eris Pro 6, the IK Multimedia iLoud Micro Monitor Pro boxes make serious competitors in the field of mid-priced monitoring monitors.
