In the event you’re searching for one thing useful so as to add to your property decor, IKEA is all the time an important selection. The Swedish firm is well-known for its attention-grabbing designs which are function-first, but in addition lean into some quirky items — and a singular, but useful design is one of the simplest ways to explain the IKEA Symfonisk Desk Lamp Speaker. It is a superb mixture of a Sonos-powered speaker with a desk lamp, making for an attention-grabbing centerpiece on your desk or a implausible celebration starter when geared up with an RGB sensible bulb.
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I purchased the Symfonisk desk lamp two years in the past, as a present for my spouse, and it has been in day by day use at our residence ever since. It is unbeatable at creating an important environment, so you may mix moody mild with a little bit of music, creating nice vibes with only one system. With two totally different colours, varied varieties of shades and surprisingly good sound (contemplating it is also, nicely, a lamp), the Symfonisk speaker lamp will not be solely a nice-looking supply of sunshine — it is also in all probability one of the simplest ways to get into the Sonos ecosystem.
Sonos Symfonisk Speaker Lamp
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Brighten your day with this musical lamp
The IKEA Symfonisk Desk Lamp Speaker is a singular system that’s excellent for its area of interest use. It is a great-sounding, Sonos-powered speaker disguised as a completely featured (and, arguably, actually nice-looking) desk lamp. It has its software program quirks, nevertheless it does what it guarantees exceedingly nicely.
- The sound profile could be very enjoyable and pleasurable, with high quality to match
- Understated, minimalist design with swappable shades
- It is each a speaker and a lamp
- Weak Android software program help
- Lacks Chromecast or Bluetooth connectivity
- No built-in sensible features
You should buy the lamp as you’d every other IKEA staple
The second technology Symfonisk Desk Lamp Speaker was launched in November 2021, as a successor to the mushroom-looking first technology. You may get it instantly from IKEA, and the producer affords a number of totally different choices to select from.
The Symfonisk speaker lamp is accessible both as a standalone base, or as a set with totally different sorts of shades.
You possibly can select between two colours of the bottom — there’s a black and a white choice. Shades, alternatively, are way more diverse. There are three totally different types: glass, cloth and bamboo. The primary two types are additionally obtainable in numerous colours, so you may combine and match to create your excellent set.
Buildable items and costs for various types and budgets
The bottom alone prices $190.99, whether or not you select black or white. The shades have two totally different value factors although. In the event you go for a glass or bamboo shade, you will should pay $59, whereas a material shade prices $10 much less — $49.
Now you can additionally get the Symfonisk Lamp in a flooring lamp selection. It is solely obtainable as a set and prices $299.99.
A wise design that is nice in principle, however even higher in observe
In the event you’re available in the market for a lamp with a built-in speaker, it is probably that residence design or decor is a heavier consideration than it could be in case you have been trying merely for an important sounding transportable speaker, for instance.
The two-in-1 speaker and lighting combo is an effective way so as to add a little bit of moody, oblique lighting to your property whereas additionally having some music to additional match the vibe and full your in-home ambiance.
As an aesthetic lounge piece, the IEKA Symfonisk Desk Lamp Speaker is a superb addition to my residence. It has its standard place on a window sill, in order that it could possibly present a little bit of a vibe when watching motion pictures on a settee or when consuming a pleasant dinner. Plus, because it’s within the middle of the lounge, it is also an important spot for its musical capabilities, simply filling the room with my favourite tunes.
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The lamp itself options an understated model that blends properly with my inside model. Plus, with mixing and matching shades, it makes for simple customization. Talking of shades, sadly, the lamp is simply suitable with first-party choices, so you will not have the ability to throw by yourself lampshade.
I opted for the white frosted glass model and assume it provides such an elevated look, somewhat than a “functionality-first” strategy. The shade consists of two components — the inside matte white tube and the outer white frosted globe. It diffuses the sunshine very nicely, making for pleasantly moody and comfortable lighting.
Shifting on to the bottom — it additionally incorporates a extra luxurious design. It is lined in a polyester cloth with a visual weave sample, which seems and feels actually top quality. Moreover, it protects from mud and fingerprints, so you do not have to fret about dusting the lamp each different day for it to look good.
On the entrance of the bottom, there’s a single, small button that means that you can activate the sunshine. On the again there are a number of extra buttons — these are used to manage music playback and quantity. They’ve distinct textures, so you may simply use them with out trying.
Nevertheless, to be sincere, I am unsure if I’ve ever used them — you may management playback via the Sonos app as nicely, so you do not have to make use of bodily buttons in any respect.
To be able to operate as a lamp, the system additionally, after all, wants a bulb. You should use any E27 LED bulb that you’ve got readily available, however IKEA doesn’t present one with the system.
Equipping the lamp with a regular bulb can be a waste of potential. In the event you set it up with an RGB sensible bulb, you will have your self fairly a celebration machine. The lamp won’t solely function your go-to music participant, but in addition present much-needed lighting in your room, and varied colours will work wonders when mixed with becoming music. Take it from me, it is nice each for a pleasant dinner date and a chill celebration.
A bassy base
After we acquired the Symfonisk speaker lamp, I used to be a bit skeptical about its musical prowess. It is a lamp first, I assumed, so I actually should not count on it to sound that nice. My considering was easy — if it is no less than satisfactory, I will be blissful. Think about my shock after we first arrange the lamp and it instantly not solely sounded nice, however stuffed the entire room with booming bass and high-quality decision.
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… the Symfonisk will not be meant to be your typical shelf speaker as it isn’t designed for one-dimensional music, however somewhat a 360-degreee encompass sound.
Sonos and IKEA’s partnership gave beginning to a very compelling product with numerous thought put into it. What’s much more spectacular given the home-decor first design is the Symfonisk will not be meant to be your typical shelf speaker as it isn’t designed for one-dimensional music, however somewhat a 360-degreee encompass sound.
As a substitute, the Symfonisk lamp goes for a 360-degree sound, because of a intelligent waveform magic that IKEA and Sonos got here up with. It actually feels uncanny, however the lamp sounds nice from any nook of the room, and with the power to tune it with TruePlay, you can also make it sound even higher by becoming the sound profile to its environment.
Nevertheless, that’s not the one surprisingly benefit of the Symfonisk Desk Lamp Speaker. It additionally affords a really nice sound profile that can swimsuit its informal makes use of very nicely. The sound curve is a bit bass-heavy, however contemplating what it’s — an informal listening system that’s meant to fill the room with sound, it is precisely correctly.
I’ve to confess, it punches nicely above its measurement with the way it sounds, with full bass and detailed mids. Needless to say the dedication to this bassy profile does end in trebles being a bit muddy, particularly when listening at a better quantity. You also needs to not count on a great deal of very low sub-bass, it’s a smaller-sized speaker.
General, although, it is an important sound profile if you wish to put some music on within the background, or when assembly with some associates. It is neither too mellow, nor overpowering. The 360-degree sound that the lamp offers is a superb pairing right here as nicely.
As soon as once more, you may see the thought that Sonos and IKEA put into the operate of such a speaker. It isn’t a vital listening system meant to be extraordinarily impartial and detailed. As a substitute, it is a enjoyable, informal speaker with roomy, spatial sound that gives a enjoyable however nonetheless high quality sound and simply fills a room.
Sonos software program takes some misses
Sadly, nothing is ideal, and this is applicable to this magnificent lamp as nicely. Whereas I nonetheless imagine that the {hardware} of the Symfonisk speaker lamp is top-notch, it is the software program that makes the expertise a bit lower than superb.
First, although, I will tackle the software program positives. The Symfonisk Desk Lamp Speaker is part of the Sonos ecosystem, so it advantages not solely from the aforementioned implausible sound tuning but in addition entry to the Sonos app.
That implies that the setup is extraordinarily straightforward, as with all different Wi-Fi speaker from the corporate. You additionally get an enormous quantity of attention-grabbing options via the app, with its means to create all types of audio setups, together with multi-room setups, and even the power to create a stereo pair for the Symfonisk lamp speaker.
You additionally get TruePlay, which is a characteristic that permits you to configure the sound of your speaker primarily based on its environment. It takes only a few minutes, nevertheless it makes the sound excellent on your room. Nevertheless, there comes the primary huge caveat — TruePlay is simply obtainable when utilizing an Apple system, so Android customers are out of luck. The identical is true for wi-fi streaming — the Symfonisk lamp helps AirPlay, however Chromecast is nowhere to be discovered. You additionally can not hook up with the lamp through Bluetooth, so in case you’re utilizing Android, the Sonos app is the one technique to play your music via the system.
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General, the Sonos app appears to not solely lack some options on Android, nevertheless it’s additionally not that nicely optimized. I’ve encountered a number of bugs when utilizing the app, comparable to shedding all my saved streaming companies, or difficulties with taking part in or pausing music. My spouse, who makes use of an iPhone, has by no means had these issues.
A missed light-bulb second
Another minor factor concerning the app — and this issues each the iOS and Android variations. The Symfonisk Desk Lamp Speaker does not, sadly, include a lightweight swap constructed into the app, which might not solely simply be a cool characteristic to have however is also extraordinarily handy. It is a bit of a missed alternative, however nothing a wise bulb can not repair.
If IKEA and Sonos went for it and built-in a digital assistant into the lamp, it might actually be a centerpiece of your complete sensible residence setup.
One final notice that might make the entire system even higher — why, oh why, is it not a wise speaker? If IKEA and Sonos went for it and built-in a digital assistant into the lamp, it might actually be a centerpiece of your complete sensible residence setup. The power to play your music from the lamp by speaking to the lamp wouldn’t solely be a lot enjoyable — it could make for an important sensible lounge speaker.
Verdict: Is IKEA Symfonisk Desk Lamp Speaker essential for music and lighting?
It needs to be stated that sure, you could find higher audio system, together with Sonos audio system. You may as well discover lamps that suit your aesthetic higher. Nevertheless, the IKEA Symfonisk Desk Speaker Lamp offers you each of those in a single, and does each of these items rather well, with out fumbling the fundamentals.
My very own IKEA Symfonisk Desk Lamp Speaker might be, after my cellphone and my PC, the tech gadget I take advantage of essentially the most. It is on day by day, generally as only a lamp, generally as only a speaker, generally as each. It is an concept that’s each actually easy and intensely efficient — a staple of IKEA design.
What’s even higher is that whereas utilizing a kind issue that is not very speaker-like, the Symfonisk lamp does not compromise on sound high quality. Its sound profile is actually nice and matches its kind and performance very nicely, with a enjoyable, room-filling sound.
After all, there are some issues. The trebles are a bit understated, and the Sonos app is usually not as feature-rich because it might have been, with fairly a number of bugs and annoyances showing after each replace. There are additionally some missed alternatives: if the Symfonisk lamp had sensible speaker performance and higher Android help, it could win my private tech product of the 12 months … yearly.
That being stated, it is nonetheless a implausible product that has its quirks, nevertheless it takes these quirks and makes them its energy. I can not advocate the IKEA Symfonisk Desk Lamp Speaker sufficient. It’d nonetheless be a distinct segment product, nevertheless it’s a distinct segment that it comfortably mastered.
Sonos Symfonisk Speaker Lamp
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