iLoud Micro vs. iLoud MTM - how much of an upgrade?

The Lounge Other Gear
#1

I acquired a pair of iLoud Micro recently, which made my (untreated) room issues much more noticeable when using my Yamaha HS80s. (well, to be fare I do have a big bass trap, but that’s about it)

I’ve hear/read mixed things about the iLoud MTMs, and was hoping to find some impressions here - specially if you have/had the Micros as well.

I know many of you would advice me to keep my Yamahas, but to be honest before having my Micros I was mixing with headphones most of the time. Also, even being much smaller, I feel like my iLoud mixes translate better.

What I like about the Micros:

  • Being able to mix at very low volumes, having them very close to me (almost like outer-headphones).
  • Portability + being able to move them around the desk so easily.

What I would expect from MTMs:

  • Bigger, better stereo image.
  • Being able to hear lower frequencies than on the Micros (I’m not expecting them to go as low as my HS80s of course, but for the very deep low end I might reach for my headphones).
  • Better overall sound, in part due to the room correction.

A couple of things to have in mind:

  • No, I can’t afford Genelecs. :slight_smile:
  • I mainly do music as a hobby - I do record and release music (less often that I would like to, because I’m a compulsive starter) but I don’t do mastering for a living or anything like it.
  • The iLoud Micros made me realize that I probably enjoy mixing at low volumes with clarity than the other way around.
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#2

I thought about this too. But I use my micros in the living room also for listening to music via Bluetooth. Unfortunately they ditched the BT connectivity in the mtm

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#3

tbh I don’t care for the bluetooth - haven’t used it yet.
Also, I would most definitely keep the Micros - I paid good price for them and they’re great. I would instead get rid of my Yamahas… I could always buy them back if I ever get the chance to have a properly treated/big enough room.

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#4

I’m curious about this, I’ve just moved in to a new apartment where I think my Event 2020 are going to be too big for the room and I don’t want to be “that guy” playing music too loud, so considering something smaller.

I can get the iLoud Micro for £230ish vs the MTM for £600… feels like maybe I should just try the Micro at that price, unless the MTM are drastically better? What did you end up with?

Similar to you I’m just making music for fun, and I have pretty good headphones (Neumann NDH20) for more critical listening.

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#5

Go for the micros. I have a pair of those and a pair of Neumann kh80 plus sub. I am always blown away by the micros. They really can do a lot for their price and size. Don‘t give 600 for the bigger ones. In that case keep the money and wait till you can get kh80 neumanns. But There may be no need for that.

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Which monitors do you use?
#6

Awesome, thanks for the advice! At that price it seems silly not to try them (especially as it’s Amazon, so no hassle with returns)… like you mention, I was eyeing up the KH80 but as we just moved house money is somewhat tight right now, so they might be one for the future :slight_smile:

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#7

MTM are not just another monitors, but a complete solution for insufficiently/poorly treated rooms.
you get MTM with rference mic and calibation software. this is what makes them special.

i don’t have any experience with Micro – but i love my MTMs. their DSP voodoo appears to be effective.

overall sound is very good. surprisingly good, as said all my mates who use to work with higher tier monitors.

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#8

They are just too expensive. The Neumanns kh80 can do the same with an optional measurement set and their dsp but for a couple of dollars more they are in a different ballpark. This is not to say the mtms are bad in any way, they are just not the bargain the micros are.

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#9

Genelec 8020DPM are about the same price as MTM if you search for a good deal. There’s no calibration stuff, but they’re very good are it’s really easy to get a good mix with them.

I had various other monitors before them like M-Audio BX8, Fostex PM0.4 and when I heard the sound of Genelec in a studio it was really day and night. Now I bought the 8020 for my small untreated room, and I don’t even feel the need to correct the acoustic space as my mixes with them already translate very well. Go in a shop if you can and hear the difference for yourself.

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#10

Yeah it seems that once you go into the £6-700 range there are a lot of great options, I’m not really in a place to investigate them right now (or to spend that much TBH!), whereas it seems that for just over £200, not much competes with the Micros and I think they will certainly fulfil a need for now until I really want.

#11

I have the eris E5s for my small desktop setup and they have been fine as budget options but I’ve always been tempted by the micros because of their size

#12

I own them and like them quite a bit. I don’t have a reference from the Micro, and I’ve never had good monitors of my own (used to use some cheap m-audio desktops my friend donated to me), but I think they sound really great for the price. Good bass response and fairly transparent from what I can tell.

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#13

Thanks for the input! I’m quite excited/interested to try them out and see how they sound. Years back I bought the Event 2020 thinking I needed big speakers for the bass, but TBH they’ve probably always been too big for the rooms I use them in and the volume I need… it sounds like DSP technology has enabled IK to do some magic in terms of bass extension, something you also notice with the consumer portable Bluetooth speakers having an impressive sound for such a tiny thing.

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#14

I agree. I was a bit skeptical at first, but they really do sound great. I like the look, but the comparison to 90’s desktop CPU speakers is apt. :sweat_smile:

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#15

Hehe yeah, not too worried about the looks but they do remind me of the ones that used to come with Gateway 2000 computers etc! 90s retro is “in” right now though, right?!

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#16

Haha I suppose so. Time to whip out the JNCOs!

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#17

Please report back if you get them!
Interested in hearing about your experience.

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#18

They should be with me tomorrow so I’ll let you know my thoughts for sure!

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#19

I guess you’re either in love with them or already returned them! :nerd_face:

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#20

Ahaha actually neither, I haven’t had much of a chance to put them through their paces for various reasons, but I’m pretty impressed from the couple of brief listens I’ve had! They seem very detailed, good stereo image, impressive bass for the size. I’ve just listened to a couple of tracks and not tried any producing yet so can’t comment on accuracy. Definitely think they are a keeper considering the price I got them for (£215)

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