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In the market for studio speakers? Well, then you might want to check out the new iLoud Precisions from IK Multimedia.
Between the fantastic sound quality, built-in speaker correction, & complementary X-Monitor app, these speakers are fan-freaking-tastic.
After purchasing and living with the iLoud Precision MTMs from IK Multimedia for the last 6 months, I wanted to take a moment to share how much I love these speakers.
I ordered a pair of the iLoud Precision MTMs back in September of last year. IK had just announced the iLoud Precision series and were making some seriously bold claims about them.
Claims like:
- Perfect time alignment
- Ultra-flat +1/-1 dB from 45 Hz to 30 kHz (?!)
- Extended range down to 36 Hz
- Built-in speaker calibration
- Audio performance that beats monitors three times their price (?!?!)
Now I’m certainly no authority on the subject of studio speakers. But these claims caught my attention. Mainly for 2 reasons:
- The speaker correction software I was using to tune my system to my room introduced hundreds of milliseconds of latency all the time. Meaning I had to bypass or quit the speaker correction anytime I needed to record or film.
- Despite my efforts to outfit my space with acoustic treatment, constantly tweaking speaker placement, and owning a 4-way system (3-way monitors + subwoofer + software = $4700 USD), the low-end continued to be a moving target.
Now I’m not saying #2 is entirely the fault of my old setup. No doubt there was probably some user error somewhere. But with all those moving parts, I just felt there had to be an easier and more streamlined way to work.
Upon arrival and setting up the iLoud Precisions, I listened to all sorts of music that afternoon.
And seriously, I hadn’t had that much fun listening to music in a long time. The imaging and transient details are bananas!
Mixing on the iLoud Precisions dramatically sped up as well. Far less bouncing between listening on studio speakers and double-checking on my iPhone. Between the:
- Fantastic sound and stereo imaging
- Built-in and latency-free ARC speaker correction
- X-Monitor app and remote for direct access to speaker controls
- The Precision line’s ability to emulate other speaker models
The iLoud Precisions have truly transformed and streamlined my workflow.
Now my speakers are tuned 100% of the time. Whether I’m recording, mixing, filming, mastering, etc. Because the ARC filters are stored inside the speakers. Not in a separate app living on the Mac.
Of course I would be remiss to not mention that the iLoud Precisions are on the pricier end. And I 100% understand that not everyone may have the budget or even desire for speakers that cost $899 – $1199 per speaker.
BUT – for me, a guy on the internet claiming to know a lot about stuff like audio and music, etc. It’s crucial to me that I can trust what I’m hearing – no matter what. And the circumstances of my old setup had too many conditions to negotiate and contend with.
Now? I can say I’m very confident and quite happy 🙂
Interested to learn more about the iLoud Precisions from IK Multimedia? Click here to go to IK’s website.
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