Ikea symfonisk review. IKEA Symfonisk speakers review: Sonos made sure they sound great, but that Scandi 2020-01-26

IKEA Symfonisk speakers review: Sonos made sure they sound great, but that Scandi

With both playing at the same time, the differences are hard to hear and the Symfonisk blended in well, despite the Sonos One selling for £100 more, at £199. It doesn't deliver the power of the Sonos Move or , but the Table Lamp Speaker sounds great for its size and price point. But when I brought it back to my bland studio apartment, it stuck out like a sore thumb. The lamp measures 16 x 9 x 9 inches, and weighs just over 7 pounds. One more thing: This speaker is loud.

Ikea Symfonisk review: table lamp is also a great

Sonos and Ikea are kicking off what has the makings of a long-term partnership in August. Both the table lamp and bookshelf speaker are sonically similar with audio comparable to the entry-level or Wi-Fi speakers. Pocket-lint Though most features the Sonos platform offers transfer to the Symfonisk Table Lamp Speaker, native voice control doesn't. Rotating the dial is a joyless experience, lacking any kind of friction or tactile feedback. We delete comments that violate , which we encourage you to read. Discuss: Ikea Symfonisk Bookshelf Wi-Fi Speaker review: Ikea speaker makes Sonos multiroom magic more affordable Sign in to comment Be respectful, keep it civil and stay on topic. Fortunately, the Symfonisk Bookshelf Speaker looks great, too.

Sonos IKEA Symfonisk bookshelf speaker review

Sonos told us to expect sound quality somewhere near the Sonos One. Naturally, the lamp does have a tougher job of hiding its speaker in plain sight. If you have the , then two Table Lamp Speakers can act as the rear channels. The Symfonisk pronounced sim-fawn-isk bookshelf speaker is a fantastic value. It is a little short though, restricting placement flexibility somewhat. Like the Symfonisk Book Shelf Wi-Fi Speaker, the Table Lamp is mains powered but the lead blends neatly into the design at its rear, like all Sonos speakers.

Sonos IKEA Symfonisk bookshelf speaker review

And sound great it certainly does. Its speakers are understated, with shapes and enclosures that call very little attention to themselves to put the focus where it belongs: The sound. Clicking once will pause or resume music, twice skips forward, and three clicks will go back a track, although the triple-clicks can occasionally fail as demonstrated in the video above. Adjusting the treble upward in my case was perfect for balancing the sound without losing the bass response. Is there a better alternative? The table lamp is made from similarly sturdy plastic, with the base covered in what looks like a knitted tea cosy and topped with a lamp shade of frosted glass.

Sonos Ikea Symfonisk Speaker Review

Both speakers have fairly simple controls, too: there are play, pause and pairing buttons on the front of each device. And, though our personal preference would be the darker option, we actually quite like it. Below the frosted glass shade is where you'll find the speaker. That was always something you could do with, say, a pair of Sonos One speakers, but it always seemed a little… profligate. And no, the lamp won't be to everyone's tastes.

Ikea Symfonisk speaker review: Sonos on the cheap

Pocket-lint This not only means the ability to group the Symfonisk speakers - both the Table Lamp and Book Shelf - with any Sonos speaker for a seamless experience, but it's also possible to play different music to different speakers simultaneously. By being added to the Home app and HomeKit, it can be used in automations such as a wakeup playlist when your lights come on in the morning with your alarm, or controlled via Siri. These are speakers that blend into the home, but don't skimp too much on sound. Neither speaker includes built-in voice control and both lack microphones found on other Sonos speakers, although those omissions could be seen as positives for privacy-focused users. An ideal living room setup One of the best options for this speaker is to be paired with a second to act as remote satellite speakers for a or other Sonos soundbar. To be clear, the Bookshelf is not as powerful or as full-ranged as a or. I would love a version of the table lamp that offered no knob at all, relying on a smart bulb with remote control instead, and a smaller or removed plastic base on the bottom to reduce the footprint.

Ikea Symfonisk Table Lamp Review: Great Audio, Weird

But, these speakers are less than a third of the price and a stereo pair with mounting brackets still costs less than a single HomePod at retail. But right out of the gate, it becomes the most inexpensive Sonos speaker you can get. Since the E12 base is smaller, it will fit in an E14 socket; but a bulb with an E14 base will not fit in the smaller E12 socket. Putting two of them together as a stereo pair can really open up the sound on the bookshelf speakers, though. For Spotify, in particular, most other apps tend to kick users directly out to the Spotify app instead of going through the bother of integrating it properly. It's quick and easy and it makes a worthwhile difference to the sound performance, especially if you have placed the Table Lamp in a slightly obscure position.

Ikea Symfonisk speaker review: Sonos on the cheap

The fact that you can now buy a Sonos speaker that costs just £100? All are connected together and play music as a group and are stellar for movies. The percussion absolutely punched; it sounded like a physical mallet was thudding against the inside of the speaker. Those licking their lips at the prospect of nabbing a Sonos One-style performance at half the price will be disappointed, but there are still many of the hallmarks that make Sonos speakers so great. They won't be sold on Amazon or through Sonos, and the same goes for the mounting hardware. The knob placement for turning the lamp portion on and off is worth noting for two reasons. In the latter scenario, it can be hung on a wall with an optional rail kit and serve as an actual bookshelf.