New sub from Ik Multimedia

[Ktacos]

Fingers crossed here… I did it on a Mac to begin with, maybe that’s why I got lucky. For a company that got its start through software products they are surprisingly bad at software (and documentation). TONEX users know what I mean…

Using their software in the past is more than enough reason for me to avoid any of their hardware.

 

[RobL]

Some additional thoughts after running the sub for a few weeks now:

• It has raised my noise floor considerably and introduced some high frequency interference, even with using all balanced connections (XLR). As I was running my Adams on full blast (a habit dating back to having an interface with weak line outputs), this had become quite annoying. My remedy: I turned the monitors back down to 0 dB and subtracted that amount of gain from the sub... now I'm back to "normal" amounts of close up Tweeter hiss (and still have enough volume headroom thanks to the adjustable output level of my Babyface).
• So there is only one thing left, that annoys the shit out of me: The constantly blinking LEDs in the back and front, when this thing is on standby. How would anybody ever think that this is a good idea? It's a sub... it lives under my desk... no, I don't want to constantly crawl on the floor to turn this thing on and off (especially since there is no signal pass through when it's turned off). So I'm thinking about putting tape over these lights.. this shit triggers me.

BUT... having a perfectly integrated sub in an all around calibrated environment is still so absolutely worth having to deal with these annoyances.

The LED’s can be turned off, dimmed or colour changed in ARC X if you desire.

 

[toumpouris]

Hi!

I am really interested in this sub but in stereo configuration.
Anyone knows if you can connect two subs, and the software can recognise and process them?

Thanks

 

[Glen20]

Hi!

I am really interested in this sub but in stereo configuration.
Anyone knows if you can connect two subs, and the software can recognise and process them?

Thanks

No. And not planned at this stage was ik multimedia answer to this question on another site.

 

[Glen20]

Peter IK on GSpace also said "ability to connect multiple ILoud Sub may be added in future updates". and that they don't announce upcoming features until they are ready for release.
Last week's Arc x immersive software release only allows 1 iloud sub at this stage.

Fyi I am very pleased with mine (My first sub, and used for single person listening), paired with 8030cs. I cannot hear the direction of the sub, but I can feel the direction if I stand in front of it. It rattles my keys if I leave them on the table that is 4m away from it if I turn it up to" let's get the party started" mode which is higher than "background listening < < documentary watching < active listening mode.

 

[h2opt]

Fyi I am very pleased with mine (My first sub, and used for single person listening), paired with 8030cs. I cannot hear the direction of the sub, but I can feel the direction if I stand in front of it. It rattles my keys if I leave them on the table that is 4m away from it if I turn it up to" let's get the party started" mode which is higher than "background listening < < documentary watching < active listening mode.

I am thinking to get this set up 8030's with iLoud Sub after buying a pair of faulty kh-120 ii recently
Do you produce mix or master? have you ever had neumanns to compare?

 

[Glen20]

I am thinking to get this set up 8030's with iLoud Sub after buying a pair of faulty kh-120 ii recently
Do you produce mix or master? have you ever had neumanns to compare?

Hi h2opt. Sorry I have no experience with Neumanns. I can DJ poorly on a good day No music production experience. and if I did and my opinion was worth listening to. I wouldn't be a guy who is using 2 of the cheapest entry level products in combos with one that has been recently released.

I choose the iloud as non GLM sub was out of stock at time and more expensive, and going GLM would have meant I would also have probably upgraded to 8331s at a total cost of 9 to 10 times that of the just the iloud taking shipping and tax into account at the time.

What I didn't appreciate from researching the 8030 on here was 8030 are very well built, solid 5kg each, have metal grills and have taken some minor to moderate spills with no damage caused. I would have expected damage to happen to if they were not metal enclosures with metal grills that all the cheaper alternatives seem to be (The neumanns look robust too with their grills and are aprox 10% more expensive than the 8030c here.) With these products, because of the high price performance ratio, (including the neumanns (if you buy new and not damaged) it is not going to be a bad purchase. If this system is an upgrade in price for you (it was for me) you will not be disappointed as the quality was a massive jump for $$$. and adding the iloud was a massive jump too.

A wee warning for others is. As with all speakers they must be placed at an optimal hight to your ears for peak performance.
Do not place directly on a desk. They need stands. And stands that don't have the tray extending in front of the speaker. 3 non Genelec table stand options for 8030c seem to be (in the southern hemisphere):
A concrete block sitting on a cork tile with either layers of cork or mdf/wood/ply glued to the top to get the correct hight. or a GRAVITY SP 3102 style stand with the top tray removed and replace with mdf/ply that doesn't stick out. or 3, The GRAVITY SP 3102 C B may also work with no modification at first glance.
.
Another of my learnings. The difference in quality of music file and components is now noticeable.
Please excuse the language, but crap in crap out applies to the 8030cs. low quality mp3s sound low quality.
Low quality dj gear (that includes any Pioneer DJ or AlphaTheta DJ gear that is not in their premium priced category) used with the 8030s has a noticeable decrease in sound quality.

A really handy feature of the iloud sub is the multiple inputs that I can leave always connected if I want to.(which I do) it means I never have to change channels via my dac or remote or my channel switcher unless I want to play pure vinyl outside of my dj setup or a cd player or old music server, which I don't tend to
I run a usb cable from my laptop to it for general listening,
XLR inputs to a Dourk mc103 pro channel switcher between DJ set up /DAC preamp, music server / analog setup (which I leave on dj setup.)
Bluetooth for my phone (or laptop) if I want to play and change music further away than my usb cable length,
Regards
G

 

[Flaesh]

i wish they had a larger sub option.

Why not get a 100-200-liter box with a 15-18" driver? And connect the IK electronics to it.

 

[apoplous]

Peter IK on GSpace also said "ability to connect multiple ILoud Sub may be added in future updates". and that they don't announce upcoming features until they are ready for release.
Last week's Arc x immersive software release only allows 1 iloud sub at this stage.

Fyi I am very pleased with mine (My first sub, and used for single person listening), paired with 8030cs. I cannot hear the direction of the sub, but I can feel the direction if I stand in front of it. It rattles my keys if I leave them on the table that is 4m away from it if I turn it up to" let's get the party started" mode which is higher than "background listening < < documentary watching < active listening mode.

Nice to hear. I also have 8030c, and planning to buy a sub sometime. 7050c would be first choice, but iloud sub with room correction and sub/speakers alignment at half the price, is so tempting. Do you find it blending perfectly with 8030c?

 

[Nico10]

Nice to hear. I also have 8030c, and planning to buy a sub sometime. 7050c would be first choice, but iloud sub with room correction and sub/speakers alignment at half the price, is so tempting. Do you find it blending perfectly with 8030c?

Today I bought the Iloud sub. I'm currently using it with the Iloud micro speakers. I previously owned the Genelec 8030 and 7050. While I couldn't compare them in the same environment or at the same time, I have some idea of their performance.
The micro speakers were very limited in SPL, as they only go down to around 50Hz. I thought the same would happen with the sub, since it only goes down to 25Hz with a 6" driver.

But unlike the micro speakers, the sub has a bit more pressure (I haven't measured it yet, but it's definitely noticeable).
Perhaps the 8030s would fall a little short if you need high SPL or the room is large. However, according to Genelec, the 7050 generates 103dB, and according to Iloud ,the maximum SPL at 40Hz is 106dB peak.

The advantage of the Iloud is its size (if that matters), as it's very small. And the equalization, which in this case does make a difference...And clearly the price.

 

[Nico10]

Has anyone else experienced their subwoofer being very sensitive to 0dB? I have micro monitors, and with the equalizer, the sub is at -14dB and the monitors at +8dB. I have to run the equalizer again, but leaving the sub's gain below 0dB.

 

[Nico10]

Some observations on Sub + Arc X

1. There's a 22 dB difference between the subwoofer and the monitor micro. The microphone is approximately 60 cm from the monitors and 1.2 m from the subwoofer. All gain is set to 0.
So I had to lower the subwoofer's gain, which left the monitors at 2 dB and the subwoofer at -5 dB.

2. I measured with the ARC-X using the microphone that came with the subwoofer, and then with the REW and the Dayton UMM6 microphone. Measuring the subwoofer in near-field, I got the following results: Sub: Violet; Passive Radiator: Green

3. This is from the listening position

4. This is the Arc-X vs. Rew measurement at the listening position.

Final considerations:
In my opinion, the Arc x makes the system too bright. I measured to confirm with the rewind and noticed an increase of 2 or 3 dB starting around 5kHz. So I edited the last filter (6) and lowered it to my liking.
I used the Studio target, but with the aforementioned edits, resulting in a custom setting.
There's noticeable cancellation around 300/400Hz, which means I have to slightly reposition the iLoud Micro speakers (it's not really relevant, but I'll mention it).
I left the Rew with psychoacoustic smoothing.
The iLoud Micro speakers were dropping to 50Hz, but their SPL was very limited. Now, with the sub, crossing over at 80Hz, I have more sound pressure, and the iLoud Micro speakers sound considerably better.

As the manufacturer mentions, the sub drops to 25Hz, and for close listening, the SPL isn't too bad. The Arc X, aside from the fact that it makes the system sound too bright in my opinion, works well. I don't hear any "weird things" like I often do with parametric EQ, crossovers, delays, etc.

 

[Puddingbuks]

@Nico10 so this sub is a good deal, you get great results. That bass frequency response is very nice!

 

[Nico10]

@Nico10 so this sub is a good deal, you get great results. That bass frequency response is very nice!

Yes, given its size, its low-frequency response and SPL are impressive (A few years ago I think it was very difficult to achieve something like this.). However, it's a "toy" compared to the subs you have in your signature. Those are serious subwoofers.

 

[Puddingbuks]

Yes, given its size, its low-frequency response and SPL are impressive (A few years ago I think it was very difficult to achieve something like this.). However, it's a "toy" compared to the subs you have in your signature. Those are serious subwoofers.

But when you have small monitors, you will get more headroom, room correction and deeper bass in an affordable package.

 

[dr_Evil]

Hello,
Have You any idea how to protect the speaker ? Installing no grille was hazardous idea, I am afraid, that sub might meet the fate of villains in Enter the Dragon.