At a Look
Professional’s Score
Execs
- Sonos high quality audio
- 360-degree sound
- Takes customary E26/27 bulbs
Cons
- No microphones
- Uncommon design
- Lamp doesn’t protect energy state
Our Verdict
The Symfonisk speaker lamp stays a little bit of an oddity, however for small areas it is a helpful hybrid, and each the aesthetic and the audio have been improved on the primary era.
Worth When Reviewed
$169 (textile shade) | $189 (glass shade)
Finest Costs Right this moment: Ikea Sonos Symfonisk Speaker Lamp 2
Up to date 14 December 2022 – Ikea is including the choice to purchase this as a standing flooring lamp, together with a brand new bamboo lampshade.
The partnership between flatpack furnishings large Ikea and Wi-Fi speaker masters Sonos has been fruitful, if a bit unusual, and nothing typifies that greater than the Symfonisk lamp speaker: a hybrid product that’s concurrently a no brainer and a complete oddity.
I used to be an enormous fan of the unique lamp speaker, nevertheless it clearly had some flaws. That’s why I’m happy to see that the 2 corporations have gone again to offer it one other go, and whereas this second-gen isn’t excellent, it’s by far the Symfonisk speaker that can swimsuit the most individuals.
Design and construct
The primary Symfonisk lamp seemed…distinctive, to say the least. This second model is clearly an in depth relation, however Ikea has pared issues again a bit with a design that ought to swimsuit a couple of extra residing rooms than earlier than.
Accessible in both white or black, it additionally comes with a alternative of lampshades. I’ve been reviewing it with a frosted glass shade that’s harking back to the unique, however you too can go for a double-layered cloth model in the event you want. It’s also possible to mix-and-match a white lamp with a black shade, or vice versa.
Since launch Ikea has additionally introduced a brand new flooring lamp model, which takes the identical speaker however locations it on a tall stand for a extra vertical mild supply – together with a brand new, softer bamboo lampshade. As earlier than, all of the elements are cross-compatible.
The physique of the speaker itself continues to be wrapped in a material mesh, however the flared plastic base from the primary era has been eliminated for a smoother, cylindrical silhouette.
Controls are easier too. The earlier knob – which all the time urged dimmer controls that have been by no means there – has been swapped for a easy push-switch to show the lamp on. Spherical the alternative aspect you’ll discover play/pause and quantity buttons for the speaker.
Retaining these aside was presumably to make it simpler to show the lamp on with out by chance pausing your music, however it’s a little odd having to succeed in behind the speaker to hit a quantity button. Then once more, this can be a wise transfer – with folks prone to management their audio from a cellphone most of the time, there’s one thing to be stated for tucking away buttons that you could be not use usually – however do have to have each on occasion.
Ikea has additionally made the good transfer to change to the widespread E26/27 mild bulb becoming, so that is extra prone to take bulbs that you have already got round – and will probably be simpler to discover a substitute in the event you want one.
You should utilize an everyday mild bulb, or you’ll be able to in fact match the lamp with a appropriate
good bulb – both from
Ikea’s Trådfri vary or from another producer.
It’s price elevating one small annoyance although – if the lamp loses energy (both via an influence minimize or by being unplugged) it gained’t keep in mind its energy state, so any good bulb must be manually reactivated. This shouldn’t come up too usually, so it’s hardly a dealbreaker, however do bear it in thoughts.
Audio efficiency
As soon as once more, audio comes courtesy of American audio firm Sonos, which makes its personal
spectacular vary of Wi-Fi audio system alongside these Ikea collaborations.
Given the scale and worth, you may be hoping that that is secretly a method to purchase the $219/£199
Sonos One for a bit much less – and get a free lamp thrown in in addition.
Sadly that’s not fairly the case – although don’t get too disillusioned. The lamp speaker has its personal customized audio structure – distinct from both the One or the first-gen lamp – and so doesn’t sound fairly the identical as both.
Sonos says it’s prioritised bettering the audio dispersion this time round, so that you simply get correct 360-degree sound wherever the lamp is, and don’t should stress an excessive amount of about placement. That’s a wise precedence for this product – you may be prepared to place a speaker wherever it would sound greatest, however there are most likely just one or two spots in a room the place you wish to stick a lamp.
There are trade-offs to that call. Whereas sound does carry properly, there’s a bit much less readability right here than I’m used to from Sonos audio system. On busy pop and rock tracks it’s all too straightforward for particular person devices to get misplaced within the combine. And whereas there’s loads of bass for day-to-day listening, this isn’t sufficient to drive even a Covid-friendly get together.
To be clear, this isn’t a foul speaker by any means – it’s brilliant and well-balanced, and might flip itself fairly capably to most genres. This can swimsuit all however the fussiest listeners, however audiophiles hoping for peak Sonos must spend a bit extra to get it.
You do not less than get the same old vary of Sonos smarts. You will get the speaker on-line through both Wi-Fi or Ethernet, and setup takes solely a minute or two with the official Sonos app, together with a closing step of pairing the speaker with the app over NFC by touching your cellphone to it.
The app additionally nets you an EQ to tweak the speaker’s sound profile, and naturally choices to hook up with music providers and pair it with different Sonos audio system for multi-room audio (or to pair two of those collectively for stereo sound, in the event you don’t thoughts having two lamps too).
This isn’t a correct good speaker although. There aren’t any microphones, so you’ll be able to’t use this along with the Google Assistant or Alexa instantly, in contrast to another Sonos merchandise which have the digital assistants inbuilt.
For those who’re an Apple person you too can use AirPlay 2 to simply management the speaker out of your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. There’s additionally help for Apple’s TruePlay, which you should utilize to optimise the sound when you have an iOS system at hand.
Worth and availability
At $169/ £185 for the textile model and $189/ £199 for the glass, the Symfonisk is across the similar worth as its predecessor. For a bit bit extra you would get the Sonos One, which delivers barely higher audio and built-in voice controls – however then that isn’t a lamp.
On the time of writing, we don’t know the way a lot the ground lamp model of the sunshine will likely be, and certain gained’t till it goes on sale in January 2023.
Basically, even setting different Sonos audio system apart, you will get a
better-sounding speaker elsewhere for the cash, although I don’t wish to downplay the standard right here an excessive amount of.
The query is: how a lot is a light-weight bulb price to you? Or, to be fairer: how a lot is the space-saving of a mixed speaker and lamp price to you?
Verdict
It doesn’t really feel unfair to say that the Symfonisk lamp stays a little bit of an oddity. How many individuals really want, and even need, a lamp that can be a speaker?
However for small areas it is a helpful hybrid, and the aesthetically fussy may additionally relish the possibility to cover their audio gear inside a much less obtrusive little bit of residence furnishings.
If all you need is a speaker, then you’ll be able to most likely do higher than this – definitely the modest worth leap to the Sonos One is properly price it. However in the event you like the thought of a lamp that’s loud, it is a strong refinement of Ikea’s distinctive imaginative and prescient.