I love that when you go off on a little tangent and give advice or stories, it's always either super useful or very interesting (such as not blowing your left ear out!) Thanks for the video 😊
Hi Warren! Don’t know if you’re still reading the comments, but I’ve watched dozens of your vids and can’t believe I missed this one until now. I bought a set of these iLoud Micro Monitors about 3 years ago and now I feel like I couldn’t possibly get by without them. I’ve tried an assortment of monitors in my studio including higher end Presonus, M-Audios, Adams, and now I have a set of Tannoy Gold 5s connected to a JBL sub, and my iLouds are still my go-to monitors. The only other speakers I might trade these for would be the iLoud MTMs. The iLoud Micro Monitors speak the truth when mixing more than any other speaker I’ve ever owned.
They're amazing aren't they? I have some pretty high end speakers in my studio but took a pair of these away with my for some work I was doing on a film and I couldn't believe how good they sounded. Loved them! So tiny too, really portable.
Agreed. They put mid priced speakers to shame. They image so well in the near field due to a narrow baffle. You can mix on these no worries. Day in day out. The power of dsp
I stumbled on this when I was shopping around for small speakers to use in my home studio along with my JBL LSR 305s. This video convinced me to pull the trigger. I also bought a Mackie Big Knob Passive and the combination has improved my setup immensely. Big thank you.
Great timing! Was about to buy some new small monitors for my desk. I hadn't heard of these before, so that was interesting. Thanks for all the videos, Warren! You rock!
As a producer who used to mix/produce on Yamaha HS5's and 50's, I actually got these iLoud's, and I don't regret selling those babies one bit! The sound is actually incredible on these, it's unbelievable how these things thump! Saves so much space for my DAW, too!
I currently have krks rokits and was debating on whether I should get a pair of Yamahas for a second reference pair but then I came across these and the iloud MTM and idk what to do. Any thoughts??
How long do you own and use them if I may ask? I'm deciding on buying Micros but I read online that many people complain about how quickly they die and have to return them and ask for a refund/replacement... as well as that hiss noise and bass port noise everyone talks about. I want a longer term solution regarding monitors and do you think these boys can fulfill that? Thanks
Lovin my new iLoud Micro's great sound.. I have a small space and these work very well at such near locations. able to get wide sound and accurate balance with a very small footprint.
The IKs sound a bit clearer to me. Like, I could hear the kick drums in particular way easier than I could with the Genelecs. Pretty cool - but, I don't know if I'd pick these over the Kali LP6 monitors, these days. They're the same price, after all.
'Just dropping by 4 years later, 'love Warren's vids! One thing I noticed - at 7:58 Warren shows us the EQ settings on the back of the iLoud speakers and the topmost offers "Flat" vs. "Desk" and it is set to Flat. But the speakers are sitting on the desk - so I wondered how switching that EQ to "Desk" would have changed the sound. Anyway, even listening to them through Warren's wireless lavalier mic, the difference was night and day between the Genelecs and the iLouds. Thank you Warren - you rock!
setting it to desk boosts the midrange by +3.5db, which is very noticeable. I'm using them on a computer desk and all the eq's set to flat sound great, not fatiguing at all.
I was so busy asking questions about monitoring and spidf quality I did not say that I've had these speakers and they sound great. I have the Focal Solo 6be for my main all around monitors and the iLounds for low level monitors and a small single speaker radio for low quality sounds hooked up to A,B,C. I Really like the iLounds and use them more than I thought I would. I would totally buy them again even if they were $100 or so more. Warrens thoughts on these seem to be spot on as usual.
I just bought these and loved them instantly was so surprised how good they sound. I already got my best mix of the year on them and they are replacing my main monitors (the original Mackin HR824)
Regardless of what brand one uses, it's still depends on your ear - your final reference. If you (your ears) are already used to one brand/model and have many projects done with it and they are good, then that means they are good. Jumping from one brand to another will sometimes confuse your mix, and will therefore will affect your projects. My advice is, if you would like to try other brands don't immediately replace what you already have been using. Try to slowly adapt to it. Still best, yet a bit lengthy process, is to try your final mix using different types of platform/players, like headphones, different player speakers, etc.. Remember people will listen to your music using different players, and most of them won't be using a monitor type like the one you use.
Thanks for the review. Breaking Genelecs is almost impossible. I have a pair of 1030A almost 20 years old. They have been abused massively. And still working. Amazing for editing and jamming. In my personal opinion the 1030A's are less suited for actual mixing. The current generation of Genelec are very good to work on. There are a lot of factors why a certain set of monitors will fit or not fit a specific situation. It looks like the IK Multimedia iLoud are a good low budget alternative. They might or might not last for 20 years but for the price tag they do the job very well.
I have a pair of the Micros to augment my Kali IN-5's and every time I use them I cannot believe the sound that's coming out of them, the bottom end for a speaker that size is just plain ridiculous. 😎
I'm really surprised that the ilouds have such a tight low end and I can hear the verb/delay trails and I can understand the vocals in them much better than the gens.
Hey Warren, I reckon a great video for you to do with all this recent monitor lark would be an advisory on how to set the levels of desk monitors in relation to dB - listening volumes etc!
These would be really good to see how the mix sounds on the ubiquitous Bose hi-fi speakers and Bluetooth jogging headsets. IK did a good job with these.
the size and weight of these (and the price) makes them perfect for an experiment I've been wanting to try: mounting speakers to each side of a monitor, that's mounted to a VESA arm. Not sure how it will turn out aesthetically or sonically, but they'll receive both power and audio from a USB hub that's built into my montor, so no cables! everything floating above the desk and repositionable to accommodate whatever gear I have on my desk
Recently came across your channel and loving the content. Quick question on these monitors: they only have RCA unbalanced and 1/8" stereo unbalanced inputs. How do you recommend connecting them to an audio interface with 1/4" balanced outputs for monitors (e.g. Scarlett 2i2)? Are there any cons to using unbalanced mono TS cables out of the audio interface's balanced outputs to iLoud MM RCA inputs? Thanks!
@@accentontheoff No, I never got an answer. I remember seeing other videos where people just connected them with mono TS-to-RCA cables, didn't say anything about it, and they worked just fine. Probably an unbalanced signal, but not a significant thing to worry about? I ended up getting other monitors but I've continued to hear great things about the iLouds.
I've discovered over the years that if you mix on a pair of Genelecs and reference another pair of speakers. They beat out the Genelecs means the Genelecs are doing their job, making other reference speakers shine. I mixed a song with my Yamaha HS8 and referenced the mix on a pair of M Audio BX8, and when cross-referenced, the BX8 made the mix sound better. Once again, the default Yamaha HS8 did what needed to be done to make other speakers or monitors shine in the real world!
Nice review! Great value for the money I think! I mainly use headphones for mixing (Shure SPH840 reference headphones), I know them really well and it works for me and they are really detailed. Of course in a later stage I use my monitors (actually cheap behringer truths, but I think they sound fine for me). Then of course the car, the HiFi set in the livingroom, the sound system at work etc... Lately I noticed however that I rarely have to tweak anything just by using the headphones and behringers.
I’ve listened to lots of speakers, but as my first high end speakers, I’m a fan of Genelec, because I know them and really understand their field depth. So, when I listen to Adams, for example, I feel like I could work with them and get used to them but I just prefer they way Genelecs translate the music. And It looks like in a certain way the same happens for you!! :)
you can hear the difference even through your camera mic - the low end is very pronounced on the Genelecs - I don't mind a bright(er) sounding speaker for edit work, brighter helps details at lower listening levels. $300 sounds like a great price, too.
That is uprising to me, since by measurement, they're prety much the flattest monitors out there... maybe since many other monitors have just a bit scooped mids or a bit louder bass, the Genelecs come across as "harsh" even if they just output exactly what's in the mix? :) I was in this one live event last summer as volunteer worker, helping one of the engineer with setting up the main PA etc. (huge... huge PA) and I asked what they're going to do with it, and they said they want it to be as flat as possible since the event has besides concerts, music composing competitions. So any sort of curve would just destroy someone else hard work when mixing it. During the few concerts the event had I noticed them using dynamic EQ on the main out, and it was cutting mid range... a lot! So i asked them about it... and they told me, that since their PA is so flat, most of the music would have way too much mid range, it sounds harsh so they use that to ease it. I came into conclusion, that maybe that's exactly why Genelecs are considered harsh... since they're almost completely flat across. And it's a matter of getting used to it. :D
Hi Mtaalas thanks for the comment! I've owned 6 pairs of Genelecs! I love them! I've never found them to be harsh. Models like the 1032 and 1031 are practically industry standards out here! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing many thanks Warren
Greetings from Indonesia, Warren! I really love your videos since i found them helping me out on my mixes. My question, what do you think about having these speakers on mixing and mastering duty? Is it good for that kind of job? Will appreciate your answer.
Hi Warren are you still using/enjoying the iloud monitors, I see them on a couple of your recent videos. Thinking about purchasing them for my small home studio for mixing purposes.
Have you reviewed the Kali LP-UNF as well? I'm only going to use them for listening--classical, jazz, watching films. THANK YOU! Great review. I always lusted after Genelecs, but for my use, too costly.
been watching a lot of monitor reviews.. just realized genelec sounds good on my iloud right now.. yamaha also sounds good upon listening demos on my iloud.. so i dont know what im doing actually
I like them. Definitely can hear more thickness in the attack on guitar on the Genelecs. More crisp top end to monitor with the i loud. $300? Nice grab for a quick reference monitor
For main studio monitors : Neumanns KH120. For rough-and-ready bluetooth monitors : iLoud. Of course Genelec are good, especially visually - the enclosure design, but their EQ is a bit weird - and that's what matters. Those who rate Genelec I can understand, but try Neumann - no really!! - Neumann are flat *and* punchy full, they'll surprise you. Anyway, yes the iLouds are great, nothing can touch them at the 2x size and 2x price, at 4x the price, get Neumann.
Got 'em, use 'em, love 'em. But this is going to be the nicest criticism/backhanded compliment I can give them. I actually feel they're better in the home than the studio.
I love the part that is sped up while unboxing them. Or did you have to slow down the video instead? When I get a new piece of gear? I work as fast as the sped up part lol. Mix on Mr Huart!
@M P I've since bought a pair of iLoud MTMs & I have totally forgotten about my wanting for NS10s (which I've owned before) or Auratones (which I've also owned before). The iLoud MTMs are very very good.
I have a pair of Adam A7X's with the matching 10" Sub, a pair of Avantone Cube Speakers, and a 1990s Sony Boom Box ... with a cassette... I'm in a small treated room with bass traps in the corners and acoustic tiles on the walls and ceilings. I shit you not it's the Sony Boom Box that I have had and listened to so much music on over the years that has helped my mixes. Much like listening in a car. It is not going to last forever. I wonder if these would be good as small consumer reference speakers to check mixes with.
Hi Warren, for 300$ what reference monitors would you recommend? The iLouds are currently regarded as a good choice by many people, but is there something better in the same price range? The size of the speakers is not an issue, I'm only concearned with audio quality. I would really appreciate your feedback on this. Thank you.
I was divided between the iLouds and the LSR305s for a while but I endend up ordering the iLouds due to space constraints: They arrive tomorrow. The LSR seem great speakers though.
Just found your channel after I bought a pair of the iLouds. I'm not an audio engineer. I wanted to find a nice speaker system for my laptop. It came down to the iLouds vs Audioengine A2+. I think the iLouds were the right choice!
Lol. Was right choice. I just replaced a pair of a2s with the ilouds, and the difference is night and day in favour of the ilouds. Can't think of a single area where the Audioengines better the micro monitors. I loved my A2s for 10 years but that affair is over. I only hope the ilouds last as long as the A2s. That is my only concern. Time will tell on reliability
I've just got a pair, and am generally pretty happy with them apart from one thing, which it would be great if anyone else who has a pair could test... Sweeping a test tone around 50hz at moderate volume is producing a sound very far from what it should be - not normal distortion, but an extra noisy/comb-filtery vibration sound, which is more prominent than the actual signal... not sure how well I'm describing it, but it's not subtle. I first noticed it when listening to music (the first track of Alva Noto's Transform - admittedly, quite test-tone like music). With a test tone generator I find that as the frequency drops below 50hz, the sound quickly gets quiet which is fine and to be expected. It all seems to sound reasonably fine above that frequency as well, but around 50-60hz there is a very prominent problem. I suspect it may be a bit of a bug in the DSP, where something that should just be heavily attenuated ends up driving the speaker in a way that it can't handle at all well.
This is a known issue with the speakers. The problem stems from port turbulence, which actually can be fixed by plugging the ports. Search youtube for a video called "iK iLoud Micro Monitor port noise" and see how its fixed
@@futurebeats898 the 50hz thing is still there but generally doesn't bother me too much. I still don't understand why the internal DSP doesn't filter the signal to avoid that artefact, but I suppose there's no perfect filter etc. I also have another issue where sometimes they sound completely broken (really quiet, only a few high frequencies coming through at all) when I first switch them on, but switching off and on again always seems to fix that. There's also a bit of a noise floor which is sometimes annoying if I'm doing something quiet / subtle. Overall, though, they do sound really impressive for what they are and I'm pretty happy with them I think... But starting to understand why people have multiple sets of monitors etc.
Hi i noticed you had the iloud speakers on your desk, but there is a setting on the back of the speaker just for that reason DESK! give it a try and you will find more exciting sounds
Thank You for all work and videos. I have two Questions. I have these and Focal solo 6be and a very small 1 speaker radio, all going through a presonus monitor station v2 so I can A,B, and C. I'm using a Dig 003 for an interface. Mostly use Spidf ins from Burl Bomber A/D from channel strips Neve/UA. Getting great sounds and using Roland td-30kv/superior drummer 3 for Drums and Helix for gtrs/bass to channel strips analog to Burl to 003 spidf. Question #1 For monitoring do you think I'm loosing a lot of detail by going from the analog outs on a 003 to Monitor station to speakers? Mostly the details going to Focals. #2 Also am I loosing fidelity by using a spidf in 003? I love the 003 to work on so I don't want to give it up and then have to deal with software upgrades and everything. I've spent a lot on get great mics. channel strips. A/D converter so just wondering your thoughts.
A general answer to this. In my opinion room acoustics and monitor placement make a world of difference. The best quick wins are usually in this area. Taking away early reflections and eliminating standing waves. Reducing background noise will improve dynamic range and therefore give a better listening experience. You probably already did this. Next up are indeed converters and also important is clocking. Do some listening tests with a good wordclock and be amazed by the difference. For instance the Grimm Audio CC1 is just amazing. It is an instant upgrade of you existing converters. Don't forget interconnects. Quality of cables and connectors. Use gold plated connectors where ever possible and proper shielded low capacity cable. Making improvements here will also do a lot. Last but not least is power supply. Implementing a true star point grounding system will improve your sound. Get rid of noticeable and seemingly unnoticeable noise and disturbances. If you have the money you could get a power isolation transformer installed with center tap. Create a balanced power supply for the whole studio. You need to consult a certified electrician for this because working with line voltages is dangerous. Question is, how far do you want to go down the rabbit hole? I would say one step at a time.
Thank You so much for the reply. I thought the reply was from Warren but I still appreciate your feedback Frankhe78. I'm using Burl Bomber A/D converters to the spidf in on the 003. Burl Bomber is supposed to be one of the best converters out there. Doesn't that mean the 003 is not doing any conversions? That's what I was thinking so the 003 is only transferring the digital information from the Burl by spidf. Not sure about quality of the spidf if there are any differences. Is the 003 still converting even after the Burl A/D spidf out to in on 003? Also I'm using 2 Furman Power conditioners and voltage regulator. Does that overcome the true point grounding system?Thank You
Hi marc8vino, I am indeed not Warren. I will still try to answer your specific question anyway. Regarding the S/PDIF connection I'm not worried. The digital connections of S/PDIF and AES3 (AES/EBU) are electrically compatible and therefore 'practically' the same. Besides some protocol extensions that you will not be needing. AES3 is the obvious choice for a robust and long distance connection. Because it uses a balanced shielded twisted pair cable. Versus the consumer graded unbalanced coaxial S/PDIF. But if your are using a proper coaxial cable with a length not exceeding a couple of feet / meters between the Burl Bomber and the Digi 003. If both devices are practically siting on the same desk and share a common electrical ground. Then I am not expecting any problems with the S/PDIF connection. You A/D should be fine. Burl has a very specific sound that works very well with certain music genres. Do I understand it correctly that your D/A is from the Digi 003? The analog audio then passes through the PreSonus Monitor Station and ends up at your Focal monitors? Every node can be a potential weak link in one way or the other. If you for instance take the Monitor Station out of the equation. Connect your monitors directly to the Main output of the Digi 003 and use the monitor control on the front of the interface to adjust the level. Is that by the way the correct way of connecting it? Do some A/B testing. If possible blind testing would be the best. Find somebody to plug the cables without you knowing what is connected and do some listening tests. Is the sound quality without the PreSonus in the chain the same or better? Do you have the feeling there is more definition in the sound or is there no difference? If you truly feel a difference then you should replace the PreSonus Monitor Station for something better. For instance the Crookwood C2 or C3 or the Dangerous Music Monitor ST or something of that kind. Yes that is a lot o money for a monitor controller. If you end up at that level then that is money well spend. But before you go there you should indeed look into replacing the Digi 003. And before you do that you could look into the wordclock story. Find out if you can borrow a good wordclock generator from a friend or a shop / dealer. It might improve the performance of your converters without the need of buying actual new converters. Disclaimer, a proper wordclock generator like the Grimm Audio CC1 might cost the same as or more then a converter upgrade. If you feel your system can perform better then you could consider replacing the Digi 003. If all equipment is powered from the two Furman units and both Furman units are connected to the same ground than that should be fine. One thing you could do is putting all equipment with switch mode power supplies on one Furman unit and all linear power supplies on the other Furman unit. It might make a difference. A rule of thumb that might help to find out what kind of power supply a device has is the following. If the label on the device shows 100-240 Volt and it is auto sensing, aka there is no way to manually select the voltage then you are probably looking at a switch mode power supply. If the device has way of selecting the voltage. Either by a switch or by turning the fuse block or (according to the user manual) patching an internal cabe then you are probably looking at a linear power supply. This rule of tumb will work for probably 95% of the cases. A long and verbose answer to a simple question :)
Thank You. Frankhe78, Yes the spidf if only a few feet. Sounds like you are saying spidf has the same quality digital transfer as anything else as long as it does not travel far. So I'm not losing anything by using them. I only use Mogami Platinum or Gold to be safe on everything. The Burl Bomber is not like the other Burl equipment that is very colored. I'm not sure if you are familiar with the Bomber A/D. It seems to just have a clear sound and that unit has the main clock. Do I need a word clock generator if the Burl is my master? I don't think so but I might be missing something. Would it really make a difference replacing the 003 if I'm not using the converters or pres? Just using it to transfer digital information spidf to get everything on SSD. The computer is really fast with fast Processors, SSD's and 128G Memory. I'm recording Vox through Manley/Nuemann etc. mics, Neve Shelford/UA channel strips, to Burl Bomber A/D out spidf to the in spidf on 003. Drums are Midi Roland td-30kv/superior drummer MIDI. Gtrs/Bass are Helix analog out to Shelford channels (x2 stereo) analog out to Burl then Spidt to 003. So unless I'm missing something else I'm not using the 003 except to mix and get the digital info onto SSD. If another interface would help in some way then I would definitely look into it. I don't understand how it would help with my work flow above. The 003 is old and not a fast interface but I'm only using it to mix and spidf. So much to learn so I'm just not 100% sure. The Furman's work great but I'll look into connecting all linears on one. For Monitoring I have gone straight to monitors and could not hear a difference from going through the presonus. I don't think 003 or presonus have great D/A outs for monitoring so I'm think of going out spidf to something else that I can A,B,C 3 sets of monitors. I'm not sure how much it would make a difference. Sounds Great already but I don't know what I can't hear....if there's a better way. As Warren always says it's not the equipment so I'm probably way over thinking these little details. I need to get back to making music but I do like to get the Best sounds if I can. Thank You Again for the feedback and Thanks again Warren for all this.
Pardon, Warren ... to me it seems that the video titles are in opposition to the real loudspeakers. When the titles are indicating the IK Multimedia, you are listening to the Genelec and viceversa 09:55 and also 10:59 ... do I wrong? :o
Hey Warren! I love your channel and appreciate the video. Unfortunately I did not find this review to be too informative. The idea behind these speakers is that they are ultra accurate and mixes that you do with them will translate well to other playback systems. Your comparison with the Genelecs was nice but I'd love to hear your thoughts after mixing a few songs using just the Micro Monitors. THAT is the review video I was hoping for, not a basic overview (which is what dealers like Sweetwater do).
i wish you test the filter from iloud. a comparison with lf and hf filter is veary interesting, that bring the sound near to the genelec. thx for video.
Hi Jens, I think that would be great! However I'd like a little more of iLoud in the Genelec! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren
I know it's impossible to judge based on a lavalier recording through RUclips, but do the IK iLoud's have a pronounced phase issue at the crossover frequency? There's something phasey about the iLoud mids in this video whereas the Genelecs don't. I have a very humble project studio, but I feel a need for extra sets of speakers since I have so many synths and I do a lot of sound design on them and have exactly the problem you were describing of getting blasted in one ear.
That's a bit surprising, to call Genelecs "mid rangey". I have a pair of the next size up 8020b's, and they're pretty much flat across. I've heard a lot of people call Genele's "overly harsh", but I came to the conclusion, that since they're (at least by measurement) one of the flattest monitors out there in frequency response, maybe the flat mid-range comes out as "harsh" since usually mid range is just a bit scooped by design, even on studio monitors. Maybe even the smallest ones are flat, but since they're missing the bass response, they sound even more mid-rangey? :)
Hi Mtaalas yes indeed, the next size up to these sound very different! I've owned many Genelecs! If you've watched any of my videos you'll see how much I love them! These ones do not have quite the brightness you'd expect from a smaller monitor, they do have a great low mid range and I've enjoyed them for many years! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing many thanks Warren
Thanks ever so much the insight! I love being able to fire them up and listen! Learn the hard way, that's me! Thanks ever so much for watching! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren
I would have really appreciated a comparison where the Genelecs had some bass cut and the iLoud had the treble cut.. as, just like the three bears, one was to dark and one was too bright and wondered if either/both would end up "just right"..lol
Could you mix with these if you have to… maybe if u are in a Hotel with your good audio interface … I mean, they don't displace a lot of air and you could possibly neglect the acoustics in the room a bit... maybe?
The 6110a monitors are the go. Excellent non fatiguing editing/playback monitors. The IK monitor set sound like a 300 dollar monitor set up, very wobbly translation below 150hz whereas the Genelecs display to 80ish Hz quite well and that's a huge plus for a tiny box. In all honesty, a decent well made used stereo boombox like a Pure Evoke or old Sony off eBay would be as good or better cost effective alternative to the IK,imho. Excellent demonstration mate ✌️
@@LordFingers1 a boom box provides the mixer with the information needed to make decisions about translation in consumer products. You don't actually want "good" sounding speakers, you want flat sounding. Most pro's use some type of consumer grade appliances to check translation, yes
If you ever have another client that says your speakers are out of balance L-R and you are sure your system is ok. Have them turn around and listen with their back to the speakers. The source of the problem should immediately become apparent. :)
The first thing that comes to mind is - if the "monitors weight nothing" , how can you turn them up and put any serious bass thru them and NOT have the float away or vibrate off the desk? Next seems like the MTMs with the added speaker would be a better option.
Thanks Warren for another "marvelous" review - and a very useful one for me indeed since I've worked with those "little baby" Genelec's for quite a long time (those weren't mine so I don't have 'em anymore... ooooooh...). Therefore, I'm looking for a suitable replacement as, well um, ''editing monitors". And it seems those iLouds could do the job if I got you right. And pretty inexpensive, so.... Even better cause I'll win the giveaway, right? Lol! Have a nice day :-D
Moving into an apartment soon and I produce music. Mostly on headphones which is great but when I have guests over to sing etc I need some speakers and don't want big Yamaha HS7's blasting through my neighbours walls - do you recon these could help? Contain a small enough sound in the room with adjustable bass if needed?
These would be some great speakers for me, I work with video and audio a bit, but also use my PC for music and movies, now I use some very old satellite speakers with a very big but old and bad amplifier stacked up behind a monitor vertically taking up a lot of space :P I've been looking at PreSonus monitors and their 10" Temblor subwoofer, but it's a lot more than I can afford right now. These iLoud monitors cost the equivalent of 370USD in Norway, so it's a bit more than over in the US :)
To be honest, I'd go with the Genelecs. The IK monitors sound great with mixes you're demoing but that's probably mostly because you mixed those songs on the Genelecs and other monitors. You're right...the IK's are more HiFi-ish which is probably good for referencing but not for mixing. I think they would do well if they're marketed as a reference speakers for comparison not as a replacement of your "all-pupose" speakers. For that price, I'd get a pair of HS5s or HS50Ms instead. I use a pair of HS50Ms because they have the lowcut filter that was removed in the HS5s. I use the 50Ms for checking how my mix sounds because the 50Ms with an 80Hz cutoff represents almost all computer speakers in the market. First I mix in mono on a pair of mixcubes, then go to the HS50Ms, then to a pair of HS8's. Then to the HS8's with a sub, then to a Klipsch Pro Media 2.1. Jumping around from speakers to speakers, I can get a mix to sound right WITHOUT using a reference song. Obviously, I also use several pairs of headphones for triple checking. Thanks for sharing.
Setting might be off here. The Flat setting is used if you place these on poles. Desk setting should be used here ( since they're on your desk ), if I read my manual correctly.
Thanks for the video. Can I use these to get full range and flat response while practicing my guitar using Scarlett 2i2 and VST plugins like Scuffham S Gear etc.?
Any thoughts on the portable IK Multimedia i loud speaker (not the mini)? I realise that is not as good when it comes to placement. But I like the portability and battery power. I am think mainly for get a reference from something besides headphones when recording. But maybe something like an old boom box could work as well.. (seems the connectivity migth not work as I thought on that, there is no line in I think)
its really weird you have the tweeters on the inside of those mini genelecs. Being that close together, Id switch them to the outside to give me a little more stereo field.
I would love your help - Im looking for something to run my Nord piano 3 through for my bedroom piano set up. I also want something that i can listen to classical music with when i go to sleep, and for when i start making unorthodox electronic music. Are these iLouds the speakers for me ? Great video.
I love that when you go off on a little tangent and give advice or stories, it's always either super useful or very interesting (such as not blowing your left ear out!) Thanks for the video 😊
Thank you my friend!! Haha yes I love my tangents, I'm glad I'm not alone! Haha Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren
yay my 2 favorites on music production advices
Hi Warren! Don’t know if you’re still reading the comments, but I’ve watched dozens of your vids and can’t believe I missed this one until now. I bought a set of these iLoud Micro Monitors about 3 years ago and now I feel like I couldn’t possibly get by without them. I’ve tried an assortment of monitors in my studio including higher end Presonus, M-Audios, Adams, and now I have a set of Tannoy Gold 5s connected to a JBL sub, and my iLouds are still my go-to monitors. The only other speakers I might trade these for would be the iLoud MTMs. The iLoud Micro Monitors speak the truth when mixing more than any other speaker I’ve ever owned.
they are really extremely extraordinarily honest and ... you love them immediately ... good choice for cheap
They're amazing aren't they? I have some pretty high end speakers in my studio but took a pair of these away with my for some work I was doing on a film and I couldn't believe how good they sounded. Loved them! So tiny too, really portable.
Agreed. They put mid priced speakers to shame. They image so well in the near field due to a narrow baffle. You can mix on these no worries. Day in day out. The power of dsp
I stumbled on this when I was shopping around for small speakers to use in my home studio along with my JBL LSR 305s. This video convinced me to pull the trigger. I also bought a Mackie Big Knob Passive and the combination has improved my setup immensely. Big thank you.
Same!
Great timing! Was about to buy some new small monitors for my desk. I hadn't heard of these before, so that was interesting. Thanks for all the videos, Warren! You rock!
That's wonderful to hear! I'm so glad to be able to help! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren You Rock!
As a producer who used to mix/produce on Yamaha HS5's and 50's, I actually got these iLoud's, and I don't regret selling those babies one bit! The sound is actually incredible on these, it's unbelievable how these things thump! Saves so much space for my DAW, too!
I currently have krks rokits and was debating on whether I should get a pair of Yamahas for a second reference pair but then I came across these and the iloud MTM and idk what to do.
Any thoughts??
How long do you own and use them if I may ask? I'm deciding on buying Micros but I read online that many people complain about how quickly they die and have to return them and ask for a refund/replacement... as well as that hiss noise and bass port noise everyone talks about. I want a longer term solution regarding monitors and do you think these boys can fulfill that? Thanks
Lovin my new iLoud Micro's great sound.. I have a small space and these work very well at such near locations. able to get wide sound and accurate balance with a very small footprint.
The IKs sound a bit clearer to me. Like, I could hear the kick drums in particular way easier than I could with the Genelecs. Pretty cool - but, I don't know if I'd pick these over the Kali LP6 monitors, these days. They're the same price, after all.
'Just dropping by 4 years later, 'love Warren's vids! One thing I noticed - at 7:58 Warren shows us the EQ settings on the back of the iLoud speakers and the topmost offers "Flat" vs. "Desk" and it is set to Flat. But the speakers are sitting on the desk - so I wondered how switching that EQ to "Desk" would have changed the sound. Anyway, even listening to them through Warren's wireless lavalier mic, the difference was night and day between the Genelecs and the iLouds. Thank you Warren - you rock!
setting it to desk boosts the midrange by +3.5db, which is very noticeable. I'm using them on a computer desk and all the eq's set to flat sound great, not fatiguing at all.
@@extraglutenplz3758 Thanks for your reply! GTK! 👍
I was so busy asking questions about monitoring and spidf quality I did not say that I've had these speakers and they sound great. I have the Focal Solo 6be for my main all around monitors and the iLounds for low level monitors and a small single speaker radio for low quality sounds hooked up to A,B,C. I Really like the iLounds and use them more than I thought I would. I would totally buy them again even if they were $100 or so more. Warrens thoughts on these seem to be spot on as usual.
I just bought these and loved them instantly was so surprised how good they sound. I already got my best mix of the year on them and they are replacing my main monitors (the original Mackin HR824)
Regardless of what brand one uses, it's still depends on your ear - your final reference. If you (your ears) are already used to one brand/model and have many projects done with it and they are good, then that means they are good. Jumping from one brand to another will sometimes confuse your mix, and will therefore will affect your projects. My advice is, if you would like to try other brands don't immediately replace what you already have been using. Try to slowly adapt to it.
Still best, yet a bit lengthy process, is to try your final mix using different types of platform/players, like headphones, different player speakers, etc.. Remember people will listen to your music using different players, and most of them won't be using a monitor type like the one you use.
I still have mine. Purchased in 2018. Still use them as my Stereo TV setup.. Still working fine.. 🙂
Thanks for the review.
Breaking Genelecs is almost impossible. I have a pair of 1030A almost 20 years old. They have been abused massively. And still working. Amazing for editing and jamming. In my personal opinion the 1030A's are less suited for actual mixing.
The current generation of Genelec are very good to work on. There are a lot of factors why a certain set of monitors will fit or not fit a specific situation. It looks like the IK Multimedia iLoud are a good low budget alternative. They might or might not last for 20 years but for the price tag they do the job very well.
Thanks ever so much for watching! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren
Thanks for your video. Even when listening from the phone, iloud sounds clearer, I mean more detail.
Thanks ever so much for sharing
I was really impressed at
1. How flat the response was
2. That they reproduced as low as they do
3. Price
Are you using a Neve Pre as a monitor stand?
Hi Unders yes, agreed! They are all those things! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing many thanks Warren
Based on what we hear through your mic the IKs seem like the better option. The clarity is fantastic.
Fantastic! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren
Please do more monitor reviews Warren.
I have a pair of the Micros to augment my Kali IN-5's and every time I use them I cannot believe the sound that's coming out of them, the bottom end for a speaker that size is just plain ridiculous. 😎
I'm really surprised that the ilouds have such a tight low end and I can hear the verb/delay trails and I can understand the vocals in them much better than the gens.
Hey Warren, I reckon a great video for you to do with all this recent monitor lark would be an advisory on how to set the levels of desk monitors in relation to dB - listening volumes etc!
9:50 the body don't lie haha, thank you warren you grooving convinced me
Haha thanks ever so much
IK make good stuff. The iRig acoustic guitar mic is a favourite product of mine. Competes with externally recording a guitar with expensive mics.
Yes indeed! I'm going to try the iRig very soon! Wonderful! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren
These would be really good to see how the mix sounds on the ubiquitous Bose hi-fi speakers and Bluetooth jogging headsets. IK did a good job with these.
the size and weight of these (and the price) makes them perfect for an experiment I've been wanting to try: mounting speakers to each side of a monitor, that's mounted to a VESA arm.
Not sure how it will turn out aesthetically or sonically, but they'll receive both power and audio from a USB hub that's built into my montor, so no cables! everything floating above the desk and repositionable to accommodate whatever gear I have on my desk
Recently came across your channel and loving the content. Quick question on these monitors: they only have RCA unbalanced and 1/8" stereo unbalanced inputs. How do you recommend connecting them to an audio interface with 1/4" balanced outputs for monitors (e.g. Scarlett 2i2)? Are there any cons to using unbalanced mono TS cables out of the audio interface's balanced outputs to iLoud MM RCA inputs? Thanks!
I have the same question. Did you find an answer. Thanks.
@@accentontheoff No, I never got an answer. I remember seeing other videos where people just connected them with mono TS-to-RCA cables, didn't say anything about it, and they worked just fine. Probably an unbalanced signal, but not a significant thing to worry about? I ended up getting other monitors but I've continued to hear great things about the iLouds.
@@carlos_a.f. Ok thanks for the reply. Cheers :)
Thank you for making this review.... It helps a lot!!
Thanks ever so much my friend!
I've discovered over the years that if you mix on a pair of Genelecs and reference another pair of speakers. They beat out the Genelecs means the Genelecs are doing their job, making other reference speakers shine. I mixed a song with my Yamaha HS8 and referenced the mix on a pair of M Audio BX8, and when cross-referenced, the BX8 made the mix sound better. Once again, the default Yamaha HS8 did what needed to be done to make other speakers or monitors shine in the real world!
That is a very good point. I always felt the iLouds sounded better than the Genelecs in virtually all comparisons, but what you say makes sense.
Are these monitors good for mixing in general? thanks!
and lets say compared to yamaha hs7's
Nice review! Great value for the money I think!
I mainly use headphones for mixing (Shure SPH840 reference headphones), I know them really well and it works for me and they are really detailed.
Of course in a later stage I use my monitors (actually cheap behringer truths, but I think they sound fine for me).
Then of course the car, the HiFi set in the livingroom, the sound system at work etc... Lately I noticed however that I rarely have to tweak anything just by using the headphones and behringers.
Thanks for watching! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren
Hey Warren ! Super interesting vid and review ! 💪 I have one question : What is your model of Genelecs exactly called ? All the best, Piet
I’ve listened to lots of speakers, but as my first high end speakers, I’m a fan of Genelec, because I know them and really understand their field depth.
So, when I listen to Adams, for example, I feel like I could work with them and get used to them but I just prefer they way Genelecs translate the music. And It looks like in a certain way the same happens for you!! :)
you can hear the difference even through your camera mic - the low end is very pronounced on the Genelecs - I don't mind a bright(er) sounding speaker for edit work, brighter helps details at lower listening levels. $300 sounds like a great price, too.
That is uprising to me, since by measurement, they're prety much the flattest monitors out there... maybe since many other monitors have just a bit scooped mids or a bit louder bass, the Genelecs come across as "harsh" even if they just output exactly what's in the mix? :)
I was in this one live event last summer as volunteer worker, helping one of the engineer with setting up the main PA etc. (huge... huge PA) and I asked what they're going to do with it, and they said they want it to be as flat as possible since the event has besides concerts, music composing competitions. So any sort of curve would just destroy someone else hard work when mixing it.
During the few concerts the event had I noticed them using dynamic EQ on the main out, and it was cutting mid range... a lot! So i asked them about it... and they told me, that since their PA is so flat, most of the music would have way too much mid range, it sounds harsh so they use that to ease it.
I came into conclusion, that maybe that's exactly why Genelecs are considered harsh... since they're almost completely flat across. And it's a matter of getting used to it. :D
Hi Frederick Thorne agreed! Wonderful for the price! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing many thanks Warren
Hi Mtaalas thanks for the comment! I've owned 6 pairs of Genelecs! I love them! I've never found them to be harsh. Models like the 1032 and 1031 are practically industry standards out here! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing many thanks Warren
7:25 what song?
Are you gonna review the MTM monitors that IK released? would be awesome :-)
Great vid thanks :-)
+1
+2
Greetings from Indonesia, Warren! I really love your videos since i found them helping me out on my mixes.
My question, what do you think about having these speakers on mixing and mastering duty? Is it good for that kind of job? Will appreciate your answer.
Great video! Maybe for the hell of it, try mixing out of those little monitors and see what kind of results you get.
Hi Kevin Tran great idea!! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing many thanks Warren
Hi Warren are you still using/enjoying the iloud monitors, I see them on a couple of your recent videos. Thinking about purchasing them for my small home studio for mixing purposes.
Have you reviewed the Kali LP-UNF as well? I'm only going to use them for listening--classical, jazz, watching films. THANK YOU! Great review. I always lusted after Genelecs, but for my use, too costly.
been watching a lot of monitor reviews.. just realized genelec sounds good on my iloud right now.. yamaha also sounds good upon listening demos on my iloud.. so i dont know what im doing actually
I like them. Definitely can hear more thickness in the attack on guitar on the Genelecs. More crisp top end to monitor with the i loud. $300? Nice grab for a quick reference monitor
Yes, both are amazing!!
For main studio monitors :
Neumanns KH120.
For rough-and-ready bluetooth monitors :
iLoud.
Of course Genelec are good, especially visually - the enclosure design, but their EQ is a bit weird - and that's what matters.
Those who rate Genelec I can understand, but try Neumann - no really!! - Neumann are flat *and* punchy full, they'll surprise you.
Anyway, yes the iLouds are great, nothing can touch them at the 2x size and 2x price,
at 4x the price, get Neumann.
Got 'em, use 'em, love 'em. But this is going to be the nicest criticism/backhanded compliment I can give them. I actually feel they're better in the home than the studio.
How do you mean?
I love the part that is sped up while unboxing them. Or did you have to slow down the video instead? When I get a new piece of gear? I work as fast as the sped up part lol. Mix on Mr Huart!
Haha thanks! Yes, they sped it up when editing...or did I just do it really fast? I guess we will never know? Haha
Are these a good substitute to the Auratone 5Cs? Certainly a lot less money (as the amp is included).
@M P I've since bought a pair of iLoud MTMs & I have totally forgotten about my wanting for NS10s (which I've owned before) or Auratones (which I've also owned before). The iLoud MTMs are very very good.
I have a pair of Adam A7X's with the matching 10" Sub, a pair of Avantone Cube Speakers, and a 1990s Sony Boom Box ... with a cassette... I'm in a small treated room with bass traps in the corners and acoustic tiles on the walls and ceilings. I shit you not it's the Sony Boom Box that I have had and listened to so much music on over the years that has helped my mixes. Much like listening in a car. It is not going to last forever. I wonder if these would be good as small consumer reference speakers to check mixes with.
Win win, I love IK Multimedia products! I surely hope I win a pair. Many thanks Warren!
Good luck to you! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren
Hi Warren, for 300$ what reference monitors would you recommend?
The iLouds are currently regarded as a good choice by many people, but is there something better in the same price range?
The size of the speakers is not an issue, I'm only concearned with audio quality.
I would really appreciate your feedback on this.
Thank you.
André Silva hi man. Check ou JBL LSR305.
I was divided between the iLouds and the LSR305s for a while but I endend up ordering the iLouds due to space constraints:
They arrive tomorrow.
The LSR seem great speakers though.
Enjoy :)
Just found your channel after I bought a pair of the iLouds. I'm not an audio engineer. I wanted to find a nice speaker system for my laptop. It came down to the iLouds vs Audioengine A2+. I think the iLouds were the right choice!
Lol. Was right choice. I just replaced a pair of a2s with the ilouds, and the difference is night and day in favour of the ilouds. Can't think of a single area where the Audioengines better the micro monitors.
I loved my A2s for 10 years but that affair is over. I only hope the ilouds last as long as the A2s. That is my only concern. Time will tell on reliability
I've just got a pair, and am generally pretty happy with them apart from one thing, which it would be great if anyone else who has a pair could test... Sweeping a test tone around 50hz at moderate volume is producing a sound very far from what it should be - not normal distortion, but an extra noisy/comb-filtery vibration sound, which is more prominent than the actual signal... not sure how well I'm describing it, but it's not subtle. I first noticed it when listening to music (the first track of Alva Noto's Transform - admittedly, quite test-tone like music).
With a test tone generator I find that as the frequency drops below 50hz, the sound quickly gets quiet which is fine and to be expected. It all seems to sound reasonably fine above that frequency as well, but around 50-60hz there is a very prominent problem. I suspect it may be a bit of a bug in the DSP, where something that should just be heavily attenuated ends up driving the speaker in a way that it can't handle at all well.
This is a known issue with the speakers. The problem stems from port turbulence, which actually can be fixed by plugging the ports. Search youtube for a video called "iK iLoud Micro Monitor port noise" and see how its fixed
@@jonjensen8985 interesting, thanks for responding.
@@xinaesthetic I don't have a Pair but a TS to RCA cable as mentioned above will be fine
@@xinaesthetic hows the situation? Did you fixed it?
@@futurebeats898 the 50hz thing is still there but generally doesn't bother me too much. I still don't understand why the internal DSP doesn't filter the signal to avoid that artefact, but I suppose there's no perfect filter etc.
I also have another issue where sometimes they sound completely broken (really quiet, only a few high frequencies coming through at all) when I first switch them on, but switching off and on again always seems to fix that. There's also a bit of a noise floor which is sometimes annoying if I'm doing something quiet / subtle.
Overall, though, they do sound really impressive for what they are and I'm pretty happy with them I think... But starting to understand why people have multiple sets of monitors etc.
Hi i noticed you had the iloud speakers on your desk, but there is a setting on the back of the speaker just for that reason DESK! give it a try and you will find more exciting sounds
Thank You for all work and videos. I have two Questions. I have these and Focal solo 6be and a very small 1 speaker radio, all going through a presonus monitor station v2 so I can A,B, and C. I'm using a Dig 003 for an interface. Mostly use Spidf ins from Burl Bomber A/D from channel strips Neve/UA. Getting great sounds and using Roland td-30kv/superior drummer 3 for Drums and Helix for gtrs/bass to channel strips analog to Burl to 003 spidf. Question #1 For monitoring do you think I'm loosing a lot of detail by going from the analog outs on a 003 to Monitor station to speakers? Mostly the details going to Focals. #2 Also am I loosing fidelity by using a spidf in 003? I love the 003 to work on so I don't want to give it up and then have to deal with software upgrades and everything. I've spent a lot on get great mics. channel strips. A/D converter so just wondering your thoughts.
A general answer to this. In my opinion room acoustics and monitor placement make a world of difference. The best quick wins are usually in this area. Taking away early reflections and eliminating standing waves. Reducing background noise will improve dynamic range and therefore give a better listening experience. You probably already did this.
Next up are indeed converters and also important is clocking. Do some listening tests with a good wordclock and be amazed by the difference. For instance the Grimm Audio CC1 is just amazing. It is an instant upgrade of you existing converters. Don't forget interconnects. Quality of cables and connectors. Use gold plated connectors where ever possible and proper shielded low capacity cable. Making improvements here will also do a lot.
Last but not least is power supply. Implementing a true star point grounding system will improve your sound. Get rid of noticeable and seemingly unnoticeable noise and disturbances. If you have the money you could get a power isolation transformer installed with center tap. Create a balanced power supply for the whole studio. You need to consult a certified electrician for this because working with line voltages is dangerous.
Question is, how far do you want to go down the rabbit hole? I would say one step at a time.
Thank You so much for the reply. I thought the reply was from Warren but I still appreciate your feedback Frankhe78. I'm using Burl Bomber A/D converters to the spidf in on the 003. Burl Bomber is supposed to be one of the best converters out there. Doesn't that mean the 003 is not doing any conversions? That's what I was thinking so the 003 is only transferring the digital information from the Burl by spidf. Not sure about quality of the spidf if there are any differences. Is the 003 still converting even after the Burl A/D spidf out to in on 003? Also I'm using 2 Furman Power conditioners and voltage regulator. Does that overcome the true point grounding system?Thank You
Hi marc8vino, I am indeed not Warren. I will still try to answer your specific question anyway.
Regarding the S/PDIF connection I'm not worried. The digital connections of S/PDIF and AES3 (AES/EBU) are electrically compatible and therefore 'practically' the same. Besides some protocol extensions that you will not be needing. AES3 is the obvious choice for a robust and long distance connection. Because it uses a balanced shielded twisted pair cable. Versus the consumer graded unbalanced coaxial S/PDIF. But if your are using a proper coaxial cable with a length not exceeding a couple of feet / meters between the Burl Bomber and the Digi 003. If both devices are practically siting on the same desk and share a common electrical ground. Then I am not expecting any problems with the S/PDIF connection. You A/D should be fine. Burl has a very specific sound that works very well with certain music genres.
Do I understand it correctly that your D/A is from the Digi 003? The analog audio then passes through the PreSonus Monitor Station and ends up at your Focal monitors? Every node can be a potential weak link in one way or the other.
If you for instance take the Monitor Station out of the equation. Connect your monitors directly to the Main output of the Digi 003 and use the monitor control on the front of the interface to adjust the level. Is that by the way the correct way of connecting it? Do some A/B testing. If possible blind testing would be the best. Find somebody to plug the cables without you knowing what is connected and do some listening tests. Is the sound quality without the PreSonus in the chain the same or better? Do you have the feeling there is more definition in the sound or is there no difference? If you truly feel a difference then you should replace the PreSonus Monitor Station for something better. For instance the Crookwood C2 or C3 or the Dangerous Music Monitor ST or something of that kind. Yes that is a lot o money for a monitor controller. If you end up at that level then that is money well spend. But before you go there you should indeed look into replacing the Digi 003. And before you do that you could look into the wordclock story. Find out if you can borrow a good wordclock generator from a friend or a shop / dealer. It might improve the performance of your converters without the need of buying actual new converters. Disclaimer, a proper wordclock generator like the Grimm Audio CC1 might cost the same as or more then a converter upgrade. If you feel your system can perform better then you could consider replacing the Digi 003.
If all equipment is powered from the two Furman units and both Furman units are connected to the same ground than that should be fine. One thing you could do is putting all equipment with switch mode power supplies on one Furman unit and all linear power supplies on the other Furman unit. It might make a difference. A rule of thumb that might help to find out what kind of power supply a device has is the following. If the label on the device shows 100-240 Volt and it is auto sensing, aka there is no way to manually select the voltage then you are probably looking at a switch mode power supply. If the device has way of selecting the voltage. Either by a switch or by turning the fuse block or (according to the user manual) patching an internal cabe then you are probably looking at a linear power supply. This rule of tumb will work for probably 95% of the cases.
A long and verbose answer to a simple question :)
@Frankhe78 Thank you so much for answering! Burl makes great stuff! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren
Thank You. Frankhe78, Yes the spidf if only a few feet. Sounds like you are saying spidf has the same quality digital transfer as anything else as long as it does not travel far. So I'm not losing anything by using them. I only use Mogami Platinum or Gold to be safe on everything.
The Burl Bomber is not like the other Burl equipment that is very colored. I'm not sure if you are familiar with the Bomber A/D. It seems to just have a clear sound and that unit has the main clock. Do I need a word clock generator if the Burl is my master? I don't think so but I might be missing something.
Would it really make a difference replacing the 003 if I'm not using the converters or pres? Just using it to transfer digital information spidf to get everything on SSD. The computer is really fast with fast Processors, SSD's and 128G Memory. I'm recording Vox through Manley/Nuemann etc. mics, Neve Shelford/UA channel strips, to Burl Bomber A/D out spidf to the in spidf on 003. Drums are Midi Roland td-30kv/superior drummer MIDI. Gtrs/Bass are Helix analog out to Shelford channels (x2 stereo) analog out to Burl then Spidt to 003. So unless I'm missing something else I'm not using the 003 except to mix and get the digital info onto SSD. If another interface would help in some way then I would definitely look into it. I don't understand how it would help with my work flow above. The 003 is old and not a fast interface but I'm only using it to mix and spidf. So much to learn so I'm just not 100% sure.
The Furman's work great but I'll look into connecting all linears on one.
For Monitoring I have gone straight to monitors and could not hear a difference from going through the presonus. I don't think 003 or presonus have great D/A outs for monitoring so I'm think of going out spidf to something else that I can A,B,C 3 sets of monitors. I'm not sure how much it would make a difference. Sounds Great already but I don't know what I can't hear....if there's a better way.
As Warren always says it's not the equipment so I'm probably way over thinking these little details. I need to get back to making music but I do like to get the Best sounds if I can.
Thank You Again for the feedback and Thanks again Warren for all this.
Pardon, Warren ... to me it seems that the video titles are in opposition to the real loudspeakers.
When the titles are indicating the IK Multimedia, you are listening to the Genelec and viceversa 09:55
and also 10:59 ... do I wrong? :o
Hoping for a review for the new new iLoud MTM, thanks, cheers. :)
Hey Warren! I love your channel and appreciate the video. Unfortunately I did not find this review to be too informative. The idea behind these speakers is that they are ultra accurate and mixes that you do with them will translate well to other playback systems. Your comparison with the Genelecs was nice but I'd love to hear your thoughts after mixing a few songs using just the Micro Monitors. THAT is the review video I was hoping for, not a basic overview (which is what dealers like Sweetwater do).
i wish you test the filter from iloud. a comparison with lf and hf filter is veary interesting, that bring the sound near to the genelec. thx for video.
Hi Jens, I think that would be great! However I'd like a little more of iLoud in the Genelec! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren
Thanks for the review...wish list..:)
For editing and that price point , you can try the Vanatoo T0 .Thanks for the video.
in my opinion....I can cleary ear the boxie sound of the iLoud, the genelec have a lot more bass detail.... im using AKG712 with sonarworks
I know it's impossible to judge based on a lavalier recording through RUclips, but do the IK iLoud's have a pronounced phase issue at the crossover frequency? There's something phasey about the iLoud mids in this video whereas the Genelecs don't.
I have a very humble project studio, but I feel a need for extra sets of speakers since I have so many synths and I do a lot of sound design on them and have exactly the problem you were describing of getting blasted in one ear.
That's a bit surprising, to call Genelecs "mid rangey". I have a pair of the next size up 8020b's, and they're pretty much flat across. I've heard a lot of people call Genele's "overly harsh", but I came to the conclusion, that since they're (at least by measurement) one of the flattest monitors out there in frequency response, maybe the flat mid-range comes out as "harsh" since usually mid range is just a bit scooped by design, even on studio monitors. Maybe even the smallest ones are flat, but since they're missing the bass response, they sound even more mid-rangey? :)
Hi Mtaalas yes indeed, the next size up to these sound very different! I've owned many Genelecs! If you've watched any of my videos you'll see how much I love them! These ones do not have quite the brightness you'd expect from a smaller monitor, they do have a great low mid range and I've enjoyed them for many years! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing many thanks Warren
Hi Warren was wondering what connection you feel would make them sound their best. RCA or 1/8”?
2TS - 2RCA or 2TS - TRS 1/8"? What's better for id4mk2 - iloud? 🤔🤕😎
It would be great to win the IK Multimedia iLoud Micro Monitors ~ May you have a marvellous day Warren. Peace, Love & MUSIC B-)
I use event tr6s, and I have two second listening options: Yamaha hs5 or iloud micro, which one would you recommend? Excellent video as always👍🏼
Hi, what is your opinion on Edifier R1850DB compared to iloud micro for studio reference?
Nice video, but any idea how they perform against the 4" Pioneer DM40s with Bluetooth powered monitors that are half the price?
Rock on .
PS: I just peeked into the iLoud manual - the power LED going red is, and i quote, *clipping* (not limiting). Just as an aside...
Thanks ever so much the insight! I love being able to fire them up and listen! Learn the hard way, that's me! Thanks ever so much for watching! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren
Hey Warren, are these the 8010s or 8020s? Tks!
what a great song! who they are? the first song
I would have really appreciated a comparison where the Genelecs had some bass cut and the iLoud had the treble cut.. as, just like the three bears, one was to dark and one was too bright and wondered if either/both would end up "just right"..lol
May of just been me but I heard a tad more lows as well in the IK Multimedia's
My favourite producer reviewing my monitors!!
Are you guys also getting some his in this speakers, even if there is no input? Is there any way to fix it?
Is it possible to mix a full Mix on the mini Genelecs? In a Small Room.
Could you mix with these if you have to… maybe if u are in a Hotel with your good audio interface … I mean, they don't displace a lot of air and you could possibly neglect the acoustics in the room a bit... maybe?
The 6110a monitors are the go. Excellent non fatiguing editing/playback monitors. The IK monitor set sound like a 300 dollar monitor set up, very wobbly translation below 150hz whereas the Genelecs display to 80ish Hz quite well and that's a huge plus for a tiny box. In all honesty, a decent well made used stereo boombox like a Pure Evoke or old Sony off eBay would be as good or better cost effective alternative to the IK,imho. Excellent demonstration mate ✌️
A boom box sounds as good? Hmmm……
@@LordFingers1 a boom box provides the mixer with the information needed to make decisions about translation in consumer products. You don't actually want "good" sounding speakers, you want flat sounding. Most pro's use some type of consumer grade appliances to check translation, yes
Genelecs are for pros! But I don't say you can't mix on other monitors.
If you ever have another client that says your speakers are out of balance L-R and you are sure your system is ok. Have them turn around and listen with their back to the speakers. The source of the problem should immediately become apparent. :)
The first thing that comes to mind is - if the "monitors weight nothing" , how can you turn them up and put any serious bass thru them and NOT have the float away or vibrate off the desk? Next seems like the MTMs with the added speaker would be a better option.
Thanks Warren for another "marvelous" review - and a very useful one for me indeed since I've worked with those "little baby" Genelec's for quite a long time (those weren't mine so I don't have 'em anymore... ooooooh...). Therefore, I'm looking for a suitable replacement as, well um, ''editing monitors". And it seems those iLouds could do the job if I got you right. And pretty inexpensive, so.... Even better cause I'll win the giveaway, right? Lol! Have a nice day :-D
Good luck and thanks for watching! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren
Add a sine wave generator; 60Hz -12dB ... @+-70dB SPl... You may hear a hum from the reflex port...
Hey warren, do you find that these acoustic stands make too much difference while listening to the material?
Hi Diogo Sarcinelli great question! I will have to let you know how I get in with them! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing many thanks Warren
Moving into an apartment soon and I produce music. Mostly on headphones which is great but when I have guests over to sing etc I need some speakers and don't want big Yamaha HS7's blasting through my neighbours walls - do you recon these could help? Contain a small enough sound in the room with adjustable bass if needed?
These would be some great speakers for me, I work with video and audio a bit, but also use my PC for music and movies, now I use some very old satellite speakers with a very big but old and bad amplifier stacked up behind a monitor vertically taking up a lot of space :P I've been looking at PreSonus monitors and their 10" Temblor subwoofer, but it's a lot more than I can afford right now. These iLoud monitors cost the equivalent of 370USD in Norway, so it's a bit more than over in the US :)
If you try them out, I hope you like them! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren
So cool!! Would be great to have a pair!
Thanks for watching! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren
Very exciting monitors!
To be honest, I'd go with the Genelecs. The IK monitors sound great with mixes you're demoing but that's probably mostly because you mixed those songs on the Genelecs and other monitors. You're right...the IK's are more HiFi-ish which is probably good for referencing but not for mixing. I think they would do well if they're marketed as a reference speakers for comparison not as a replacement of your "all-pupose" speakers. For that price, I'd get a pair of HS5s or HS50Ms instead. I use a pair of HS50Ms because they have the lowcut filter that was removed in the HS5s. I use the 50Ms for checking how my mix sounds because the 50Ms with an 80Hz cutoff represents almost all computer speakers in the market. First I mix in mono on a pair of mixcubes, then go to the HS50Ms, then to a pair of HS8's. Then to the HS8's with a sub, then to a Klipsch Pro Media 2.1. Jumping around from speakers to speakers, I can get a mix to sound right WITHOUT using a reference song. Obviously, I also use several pairs of headphones for triple checking.
Thanks for sharing.
Who else here is listening to this review on their iLoud Micro ? haha
I don't know, they sound a lot like the JBL computer speakers I'm listening through.
For a moment when I clicked the thumbnail I thought it was Tobuscus
Setting might be off here. The Flat setting is used if you place these on poles. Desk setting should be used here ( since they're on your desk ), if I read my manual correctly.
Thanks for the video. Can I use these to get full range and flat response while practicing my guitar using Scarlett 2i2 and VST plugins like Scuffham S Gear etc.?
Have you reviewed the iLoud MTMs?
stil stuck between these and the genelecs stil leaning towards the genelecs
Any thoughts on the portable IK Multimedia i loud speaker (not the mini)? I realise that is not as good when it comes to placement. But I like the portability and battery power. I am think mainly for get a reference from something besides headphones when recording. But maybe something like an old boom box could work as well..
(seems the connectivity migth not work as I thought on that, there is no line in I think)
its really weird you have the tweeters on the inside of those mini genelecs. Being that close together, Id switch them to the outside to give me a little more stereo field.
Is the test after some running-in? How do smaller Alesis monitors rate in comparison?
I would love your help - Im looking for something to run my Nord piano 3 through for my bedroom piano set up. I also want something that i can listen to classical music with when i go to sleep, and for when i start making unorthodox electronic music. Are these iLouds the speakers for me ? Great video.
Who's the artist for the first song?? And what's the title?