Pro Micro Monitor - iLoud Micro Monitor Pro + ARC Mic

IK Multimedia's iLoud Micro Monitor Pro are incredibly compact, great sounding (and great looking), loud (95-109dB), flat/neutral, 50Hz to 20kHz sound monitors.

Admittedly, I'm a simple person. I have not spent 100's of hours researching monitors. I'd rather be making music!

But, I have been an electronic music producer for over 30 years and I know what I like. And in my humble opinion, these are stellar micro monitors. Let me explain.

Why iLoud Micro Monitor Pro?

Just over two years ago I reviewed the iLoud Micro Monitors. They were so pleasant to work with that they never left my desk.

Well, that's not entirely true, I've moved a handful of times and they follow me everywhere like irresistible baby kittens. I've used them on countless pro audio and video projects since then, and a few 'just for fun' ones too. There's no doubt that IK Multimedia's latest offering is really good in comparison.

What most intrigued me about the Pro model is the slightly wider frequency response, self-contained PSU, and the ARC Mic for room calibration.

Better Volume Better Sound

At a scant 3 pounds each monitor is capable of generating a massive 50W of sound across a range of 50 Hz to 20 kHz, maxing out at 95-109dB through a 3" woofer and 1" tweeter. Nice!

On spec the Pro and non-Pro model are evenly matched.

Where's the PSU?

No weight games here, each speaker has its own power supply. Just connect a lean, basic cable and that's it, no more black butter-sized bars cluttering up your beautiful studio.

This may sound like a relatively simple thing, and it is, but by internalising the PSU each unit becomes more portable. That opens up possibilities for me.

Now I can get creative with the speakers, placing them in various configurations and spaces. With less heft to hoik around I can move more quickly from concept (hey, let's do a eurorack video in my garden) to just doing it.

DSP and ARC Mic

DSP enables each monitor to sound its best with optimal cross-over, EQ, auto-calibration, bass tuning, and so on.

When you buy the Pro's as a set (or the Immersive Bundle with 11, aka Unobtainium) you get the very handy ARC Mic, useful for calibrating the monitors to your particular room (in 2 minutes). I definitely noticed a difference.

Put them together and you've got optimal sound in any environment. As I said before, the freedom to move your sound stuff wherever is not to be underrated. Don't restrict yourself to a rigid studio desk environment if you don't want to. Move things around, plop your gear in different spaces, have fun.

X-MONITOR

The included X-MONITOR app lets you virtually test out other studio monitors, HiFi systems, and other multimedia setups, or make your own. This is useful if you want to take things up a notch and simulate how your mixes sound on other setups.

Better Bag

My pair didn't come with a bag, which is a real shame because I love kit bags. But there is an available travel bag for when you want to impress your mom, DJ the park meet-up, or if you're heading over to your mate's for a LAN party and refuse to listen to their crap desktop speakers.

Size

They are a touch, and I mean just a wee little bit, bigger than the iLoud Micro Monitors. I appreciate that the power supply is inside each speaker, and would take this tradeoff for not having to lug around the power supply.

I do miss the white colour on the iLoud Micro Monitors, which blends in nicely with my desk, which kept my small desk space feeling tidy and minimal. But they look a heck of a lot better than most rectangular monitors.

Looks

I appreciate that they look as minimal and interesting as they do, without being over the top designey. Previously my studio utilised your standard black box monitors that looked and sounded indistinguishable, to my ears, from others. The iLoud Micro Monitor Pro's are pleasantly distinct.

iLoud Micro Monitor Pro vs iLoud Micro Monitor

Initially, I was a little confused about the differences between the Pro model and the non-Pro model.

The Pro are not a replacement for the non-Pro. For example, if you need Bluetooth, then go for the non-Pro. Given the active / passive configuration, in which both speakers are connected via a proprietary link cable, this is possible. This makes a lot of sense for that market, and it's why the non-Pro model are rated the best general desktop speakers by the likes of me and Wired.

However, if you need even more improved accuracy and possibly immersive use (ie, 11 iLoud Micro Monitor Pro's in one setup) then the Pro is the way to go.

Overall Thoughts

Yammering on about the portability and price can send the wrong impression that you're sacrificing sound quality and features, and that's just not the case here.

They're super portable, yes, they're incredibly well priced in light of the feature set, yes, and they also exceeded my expectations.

As noted, I am quite fond of the built-in PSU. Sometimes I feel like using my eurorack modular synth, other times I feel experimental and rig up some strange noise machines in a weird place for a social media video. The ARC Mic helps me optimise what I'm hearing and producing, no matter where I am.

I'm hard pressed to think of what else I could want? Seriously, producers are experts at overthinking things to death, but at the end of the day what you need is to make music ✅ and to hear it well ✅ and accurately ✅.

I'm so smitten that these Pro models have taken the place of my beloved iLoud Micro Monitors in my studio.

I like the iLoud Micro Monitor Pro's.