IK Multimedia iLoud Review – The Ultimate Portable Monitoring Speakers?

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On the face of it, this popular micro monitor speaker set has a lot going for it, with IK Multimedia claiming that it features the ‘smallest footprint of any reference quality studio monitor system.’ Sounds promising! So, does it deliver a true high-end sound on the road or is it guilty of cutting corners? Let’s take a closer look.

Design

The biggest positive of the iLoud is the fact that they are so compact, measuring just over 7” tall by round 4” wide (and 5” deep). Cramming such a high-end sound into such small boxes has to be applauded. The plastic build is also very worthy of praise – it’s robust, durable and very practical. They feel like they could survive pretty much anything a sweaty studio or club could throw at them.

Aesthetically, there is nothing much to get excited about with these speakers as the design is a little boring, with a simple black (although a white version does exist) plastic casing. Meanwhile, the plain iLoud branding on the side doesn’t really enhance the feeling of quality. These days, anything with ‘i’ before the name looks a little like an Apple copycat.

Still, they come with a few other worthwhile design features, such as the integrated isolation base – which allows you to adjust the angle of inclination to find the sweet spot – and an integrated mic stand thread so you can mount it on a regular mic stand, with no additional accessories.

Features

The iLoud is loaded with a 3/4” silk dome tweeter (neodymium magnet), with a 3” high-rigidity custom composite woofer. In terms of specs, this translates to a hefty power of 50W RMS and a great frequency response of 45Hz to 22kHz.

All the controls are located on the back of the speakers, with a volume rotary knob, Bluetooth pairing button and a selection of EQ controls. One of these allows you to switch between either a free field or desktop setup. As for connections, these are very flexible, featuring both 1/8” stereo mini-jack and RCA inputs, as well as a handy wireless Bluetooth connection.

Performance

So far, the iLoud has shown a solid build with plenty of innovative features. How does it sound? Awesome! In fact, it is bang on par with others in the sub-$300 category, which is very commendable for such a small footprint.

The iLoud promised a high-end sound and it delivers, with great definition and sonic accuracy, while the bass response is unbelievable for the size – thanks in part to the high-performance bass-reflex port. Ultimately, it all boils down to a high-end sound at a mid-range price, and makes critical listening on the go a much easier task.

Conclusion

Down to the performance alone, the iLoud would be a very good set of monitoring speakers. However, when you throw in the portability, connectivity and versatility, all for under $300, you realize the true value of these speakers. Perfect for small studio setups or for a producer who is always on the move.

For more info about the IK Multimedia iLoud, click here.
For more Studio Monitors Under $300, click here.