iLoud Micro Monitor

Compact monitors for music-makers - $299 manufacturer IK Multimedia, ikmultimedia.com - Features 50W output, RCA/3.5mm inputs, Bluetooth, 3x EQ sliders.

- Michael Astley-brown

Should your experiments with the likes of GarageBand and Logic have moved into more serious music production territory, you may find yourself ditching desktop speakers in favour of a pair of proper monitors. While regular speakers are great for listening to professionally recorded music, they’re not designed for mixing your own. That’s where monitors come in: rather than prettifying music with overemphasized frequencies, they offer an honest, uncolored representation of the sound, which helps to make the finished mix sound great on a range of playback devices, from soundbars to headphones and car stereos.