IK Multimedia iLoud Studio-Quality Portable Speaker Hands On Review

I already made an Unboxing Video for the IK Multimedia iLoud Portable Bluetooth Speaker and now that I have had some time to really listen to it in a variety of environments I can give you my feedback using the iLoud "hands on".

First off, lets start with some basic information about what IK Multimedia has to say about the iLoud  Studio-Quality Portable Speaker:

The iLoud is the high-performance, battery-operated portable speaker for musicians and audiophiles. Rated at powerful 40W RMS, the iLoud provides up to five times the volume of comparably-sized speakers. Connect your smartphone, tablet, laptop or MP3 player, and get ready to be blown away. A speaker system needs to sound good at all volumes, and reproduce the music the way it was meant to sound.

IK Multimedia has leveraged its 16-year experience in creating tools for professional recording studios into developing iLoud's two-way, high-definition speaker system, with onboard DSP, digital Class-D amplifier and high-performance enclosure. For the first time, you can enjoy studio-class sound and performance, comparable to professional studio monitors, yet in a surprisingly small and light weight package. iLoud connects via Bluetooth or to the headphone output of your smartphone, tablet or laptop. iLoud is also equipped with an iRig 1/4 inch instrument input with pre-amp, so you can plug in a guitar, bass, keyboard or dynamic mic and jam along to your music using an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad for real-time effects processing.

 Specifications & Features:

• Dimensions: 2.36" h x 6.30" w x 9.84" l, 2.93 pounds
• 40W total power (2x16W low-frequency, 2x4W high frequency).
• Frequency response 50Hz to 20kHz.
• Four Class-D Amplifiers, bi-amped system.
• Two way 2x3” neodymium woofers & 2x3/4” neodymium tweeters.
• High performance bass-reflex port.
• 1/4” iRig® input for connecting guitars and dynamic microphones to iOS devices.
• Bluetooth compatible with A2DP protocol.
• 1/8” stereo analog line input.
• DSP controlled.
• Superior low-frequency extension and sound accuracy.
• Auto Standby.
• Integrated high-performance Li-Ion rechargeable battery.
• Battery duration at maximum volume: up to three hours. Normal usage: up to ten hours.

OK, so now that we got that out of the way, let's talk a bit about how the IK Multimedia iLoud really performs and does it truly live up to it's name...

Is the iLoud Loud? You bet it is, and compared to other similar sized speakers in its class, the iLoud has more than double the power with a 40 Watts of total power so it better be loud! Being loud is nice but how does the iLoud sound at high volume levels? The question should really be, how does it sound at low volume levels because in the case of the iLoud the two are kind of the same. There is no real difference except for the volume level. As long as you are listening to a song that was mixed fairly well you will not get any distortion from the iLoud even when turned up all the way! Now if the song is crazy heavy on the bass, you might just get a bit of bottom end rattle but it's kind of hard to tell it it's the iLoud speaker or other things around it rattling ;)

The iLoud is so loud (when need be) that it can be used in a variety of environments from small rooms, large rooms, patios and even as a portable PA system for smaller gigs.

Getting back to normal listening level volumes, what really makes the iLoud stand out from everyone else making these super popular portable bluetooth speakers, is the fact that IK Multimedia designed the iLoud specifically for musicians and audiophiles. The iLoud is not just made to be a speaker to listen to pre-recorded music but rather as a tool to play musical instruments through, which requires a lot more power, dynamic range and protection from overloading!

 

IK Multimedia also designed the iLoud to have studio quality sound. Meaning the iLoud can be used as a reference monitor for mixing your audio and video projects. I can attest that the iLoud is very flat in nature which means you hear everything as it was intended to sound. Everything can be heard and nothing stands out too much or gets lost in the mix. The iLoud is really a pleasure to listen to even while listening to standard pre-recorded songs. You may even feel like you are listening to a song for the first time since you will hear small details and parts in the music that you may never have heard before.

In terms of size, the IK Multimedia iLoud Portable Speaker is by far not the smallest unit available but if it was any smaller I'm sure it would not sound as full or loud. There are limitations as to how much you can squeek out of a speaker cabinet and its related size! With that said, the iLoud is portable enough to fit in a carry on or even personal item bag for airplane travel and makes other portable gigging speakers look like giants in comparison.

One last item I am not going to spend too much time covering because I personally don't plan to use this feature at least for now... I'm talking about the iRig input for connecting guitars and dynamic microphones to iOS devices. What this feature allows you to do as a musician is plug in an instrument to the 1/4 inch jack, that could be a guitar, a bass, a keyboard, or even a microphone. Once your musical instrument is pugged into the iLoud, it gets routed out of the iLoud using the supplied custom mini jack cable and into your iOS device where you can use a variety of iOS IK Multimedia iRig applications to process the signal and then send it back to the iLoud where everything plays seamlessly and in real time.

So there is one last thing that needs to be discussed and that's the price. The IK Multimedia iLoud is going to be on the high end in terms of price range but amazingly no more than other similar sized high end portable speakers that in my opinion are no match for the iLoud. Depending on where you are located and who you buy the iLoud through, the iLoud will cost you somewhere between $200-$300, but you get every dollars worth in this jaw dropping speaker.

IK Multimedia iLoud Studio Quality Portable Bluetooth Speaker Unboxing

You may be surprised to see an audio product that is not from Kinivo this time around? As much as I like the Kinivo value priced audio equipment I have been reviewing, I wanted something that would satisfy the audiophile side of me even if it came at a significantly higher cost! I actually used to be into music back in the day, I ran a project recording studio and even worked at Tom Lee Music in the Pro Audio and Recording sections.

About 15 years ago I lost most of the hearing in my right ear taken out by a virus and so that kind of put a damper on things literally! Over the years I have gotten pretty used to it and thank goodness I still hear all the high frequencies in my bad ear so I can get by OK.

Back to the IK Multimedia iLoud Studio Quality Portable Bluetooth Speaker Unboxing. This speaker is crazy awesome, it is made for musicians and made to sound like a studio monitor so it is perfect for mixing audio and of course listening to audio. The iLoud is even made to be able to plug in musical instruments for playback once they have been processed via one of the many IK Multimedia iOS applications for guitarists, vocalists, keyboard players and even DJ's.

The IK Multimedia iLoud is not the smallest portable Bluetooth Speaker on the market but it is far from the largest. I would have to say it is the loudest and best all around sounding speaker in it's size class, after all it does have a total of 40 watts of digital power divided into four separate amps, one for each internal speaker.

Anyways, watch my unboxing video to get a quick overview of the IK Multimedia iLoud Studio Quality Portable Bluetooth Speaker and for your convenience I have put some of its main Features below:

Features:

• 40 Watts total musical power — twice as much as speakers of comparable size.
• Superior bass response and sound accuracy.
• Bluetooth and stereo analog line input.
• Battery powered with 10 hours normal usage and auto standby.
• iRig® input for guitars and dynamic mics for iPhone/iPad processing.
• Highly portable — it easily fits in a laptop bag or backpack.
• Ideal for music reproduction and music creation.