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Best portable studio monitors

Hello again,
since I travel quite a lot, I’m thinking about getting a pair of small studio monitors. Maybe you have something worth attention to recommend? But not smth crazy expensive 😁

Comments

  • edited March 2019

    Studio monitors and portable don’t really go hand on hand.

    IK multimédia iLoud is probably the closest you will come.
    https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/iloudmm/

    A good pair of mixing headphone may get you better result.

  • More or less exactly what I was going to say, including the iLoud.

    @ecou said:
    Studio monitors and portable don’t really go hand on hand.

    IK multimédia iLoud is probably the closest you will come.
    https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/iloudmm/

    A good pair of mixing headphone may get you better result.

  • +1 for the iLoud.

  • @asia said:
    Hello again,
    since I travel quite a lot, I’m thinking about getting a pair of small studio monitors. Maybe you have something worth attention to recommend? But not smth crazy expensive 😁

    One month ago I went with the iloud Micro Monitor and I couldn’t be happier with my decision. 😊

    Before buying them I’ve startet this thread, maybe it will be interesting for you...

    https://forum.audiob.us/discussion/31282/iloud-micro-monitor-speakers-any-experiences-or-recommendations/p1

  • They used to say you can't mix properly on headphones but that's all changed in recent years. But having said that, purchasing decent headphones with a quality headphone amplifier isn't cheap. And on top of this you'll want to factor in Sonarworks calibration software (for mastering sessions on your desktop PC and laptop).

    https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/sonarworks-reference-4-standalone

    I use Sennheizer HD-650's with a Graham Slee Voyager headphone amplifier and find the combination to be very close to my calibrated studio monitors - sE Munro Egg 150‘s a high end $3k system. When judged on that basis the headphone setup is not only portable and socially acceptable to ones neighbours! It’s relatively good value for money too. When I originally invested in my headphone setup, I was dubious that it would translate music intended for club sound systems well, but they translate bass heavy music really well. As for the mids and highs they’re even more revealing than my studio monitors.

    I’m not suggesting you get the exact same products as me as headphones are a personal thing but you can expect to pay cira $5-600 for all three products combined (mid-high products, at the high end you can spend far more).

    If you purchase your headphones from Sonarworks, they’ll provide an individual calabration profile not just for the model, but for the specific headphones they send you (they even go so far as calabrating the left and right cans seperately).

    If you’re looking to save money on anything, the headphone amplifier is something that you could buy at a later date, but high end headphones use high impedance values and mobile devices headphone sockets/circuitry isn’t really up to the task. This Digital Trends article is decent at explaing the value of headphone amplifiers/DACs without blinding you with Hi Fi snake oil.

    https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/what-is-a-headphone-amp/

    Whether you need all this expense really comes down to whether your making music for commercial release or not. If you intend your music to be commercially available, your monitering setup is the weakest link in the chain.

  • What’s your definition of portable? Mine is to fit in a back pack.

    If your is a bi more flexible this Mackie CR3 would be a great addition.
    https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/CR5BT--mackie-cr5bt-5-inch-multimedia-monitors-with-bluetooth

  • I have the Mackie CR3's for my desktop monitors and the iLoud for incidental stuff. Both excellent products for the cost.

    I would hazard the iLoud Micro Monitors to be the go to solution to your request based on what others here have said about them.

  • @ecou said:
    What’s your definition of portable? Mine is to fit in a back pack.

    If your is a bi more flexible this Mackie CR3 would be a great addition.
    https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/CR5BT--mackie-cr5bt-5-inch-multimedia-monitors-with-bluetooth

    You must have a monster backpack :o

  • If you like bass and find the iLoud still too large and too expensive, check this comparison:

    My personal fav is the JBL Charge 2+ (make sure you don't get the chinese clone!)

  • @rs2000 said:

    @ecou said:
    What’s your definition of portable? Mine is to fit in a back pack.

    If your is a bi more flexible this Mackie CR3 would be a great addition.
    https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/CR5BT--mackie-cr5bt-5-inch-multimedia-monitors-with-bluetooth

    You must have a monster backpack :o

    I don’t say those fit in a backpack lol. I said if his definition of portable is more flexible than those could fit the bill.

  • @ecou said:

    @rs2000 said:

    @ecou said:
    What’s your definition of portable? Mine is to fit in a back pack.

    If your is a bi more flexible this Mackie CR3 would be a great addition.
    https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/CR5BT--mackie-cr5bt-5-inch-multimedia-monitors-with-bluetooth

    You must have a monster backpack :o

    I don’t say those fit in a backpack lol. I said if his definition of portable is more flexible than those could fit the bill.

    You're right, all he said is "small studio monitors".

  • @rs2000 said:
    If you like bass and find the iLoud still too large and too expensive, check this comparison:

    My personal fav is the JBL Charge 2+ (make sure you don't get the chinese clone!)

    If I need it ultra portable I use the soundlink mini since 2015. The went with me to India and South Asia. Love this little thing for the very small footprint, weight and the sound is huge for this small size! 👍

    Together with a good headphone this combo is ideal for travelling... 🎶 😊

  • edited March 2019

    @chandroji said:

    @rs2000 said:
    If you like bass and find the iLoud still too large and too expensive, check this comparison:

    My personal fav is the JBL Charge 2+ (make sure you don't get the chinese clone!)

    If I need it ultra portable I use the soundlink mini since 2015. The went with me to India and South Asia. Love this little thing for the very small footprint, weight and the sound is huge for this small size! 👍

    Together with a good headphone this combo is ideal for travelling... 🎶 😊

    That's what I call portable 😃👍🏼
    BTW, how often are you still using your OP-1 compared to (which?) iPad app?

  • +1 for the BOSE!
    I have this too and I love it. Its an amazing speaker for that money and the headphone jack comes in handy. But I am saving for iLoud too. @chandroji looks like I am not the only one who is desperately lusting for a dedicated music room? Looks you are setting it up and putting it away from time to time!?!? ;) My destiny right now too. Jealous of all those cool studio owners here

  • Thanks for all recommends! I think I'll go with Bose then. Hope it would be enough for my needs :)

  • Report back after you get it, I've been eyeing that as well.

  • I own the Bose Soundlink Mini and it's my favorite on-the-go solution for iOS musicking. Amazingly rich sound given the footprint.

  • I also own a Bose Soundlink Mini. I actually won it in a raffle my previous employer made around 3 years ago. I have a story to tell about it. When we were hit by Hurricane Maria (I'm from Puerto Rico) and we didn't have power I actually used the Bose for everything. I have a Casio Privia digital piano that is battery-powered so I put in 8 AA batreries and had my Soundlink Mini and ipad mini 2 charged by the power generator. I was able to at least play for a couple of hours some days in the midst of the horrible situation. So I can tell you, it's extremely convenient and it sounds great.

  • The Bose certainly looks like it’s perfect for on the go music making. The iLouds need mains power so are not portable speakers. They’re more ‘move-around-able’ than portable but are great for small setups.

    The iLoud micro monitors are perfect for when you want monitors to give you a pretty good feel for a mix and don’t have a permanent setup and lack space.

    I like having proper stereo speakers when making music (or good headphones).

    But when you need battery power they’re obviously not the choice.

  • The big iLoud does run on battery though.

  • @mistercharlie said:
    The big iLoud does run on battery though.

    I’d personally prefer either iLoud to the Bose. I had one of those sound link things on holiday once (belongs to my brother in law) and it was Ok but I think Bose have a certain sound to them I didn’t really care for. Perfectly fine little box though. Nowhere near as bad as Beats though.

    I was given a pair of Beats headphones for Xmas one year. They’re dreadful for creating as the mids are just mud. They literally hide instruments that you can hear as clear as day on every other speaker or headphones.

    The iLoud micros are pretty good. I have a pair and they’re perfect for when you don’t have a permanent set up. My big powered monitors were great when I had a dedicated space but kids stole that and the big monitors are in storage. :-/

    The iLouds don’t make me feel like I’m missing too much. I like them. And they’re proper stereo. I like having a nice stereo soundscape you just can’t get with the all in ones.

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