In case you’re on the lookout for one thing purposeful so as to add to your private home decor, IKEA is all the time a fantastic selection. The Swedish firm is well-known for its attention-grabbing designs which can be function-first, but additionally lean into some quirky items — and a novel, but purposeful design is the easiest way to explain the IKEA Symfonisk Desk Lamp Speaker. It is a wonderful mixture of a Sonos-powered speaker with a desk lamp, making for an eye catching centerpiece on your desk or a incredible social gathering starter when outfitted with an RGB good 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 dwelling ever since. It is unbeatable at creating a fantastic environment, so you may mix moody mild with a little bit of music, creating nice vibes with only one system. With two completely different colours, numerous forms of shades and surprisingly good sound (contemplating it is also, properly, a lamp), the Symfonisk speaker lamp shouldn’t be solely a nice-looking supply of sunshine — it is also in all probability the easiest way 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 novel system that’s good 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, however it does what it guarantees exceedingly properly.
- The sound profile could be very enjoyable and pleasing, 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 good features
You should purchase the lamp as you’ll some 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 straight from IKEA, and the producer provides a number of completely different choices to select from.
The Symfonisk speaker lamp is on the market both as a standalone base, or as a set with completely different sorts of shades.
You possibly can select between two colours of the bottom — there’s a black and a white possibility. Shades, alternatively, are far more assorted. There are three completely different types: glass, material and bamboo. The primary two types are additionally accessible in numerous colours, so you may combine and match to create your good 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 completely different value factors although. In case you go for a glass or bamboo shade, you may must pay $59, whereas a material shade prices $10 much less — $49.
Now you can additionally get the Symfonisk Lamp in a ground lamp selection. It is solely accessible as a set and prices $299.99.
A sensible design that is nice in principle, however even higher in observe
In case you’re available in the market for a lamp with a built-in speaker, it is doubtless that dwelling design or decor is a heavier consideration than it will be in case you have been trying merely for a fantastic sounding moveable 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 private home whereas additionally having some music to additional match the vibe and full your in-home ambiance.
As an aesthetic front room piece, the IEKA Symfonisk Desk Lamp Speaker is a good addition to my dwelling. It has its ordinary place on a window sill, in order that it will probably present a little bit of a vibe when watching films on a settee or when consuming a pleasant dinner. Plus, because it’s within the middle of the lounge, it is also a fantastic 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 straightforward customization. Talking of shades, sadly, the lamp is barely 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 suppose it provides such an elevated look, quite 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 properly, making for pleasantly moody and delicate lighting.
Shifting on to the bottom — it additionally incorporates a extra luxurious design. It is lined in a polyester material with a visual weave sample, which appears and feels actually prime 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 just a few extra buttons — these are used to regulate music playback and quantity. They’ve distinct textures, so you may simply use them with out trying.
Nonetheless, to be sincere, I am undecided if I’ve ever used them — you may management playback by way of the Sonos app as properly, so you do not have to make use of bodily buttons in any respect.
With a view to perform as a lamp, the system additionally, in fact, wants a bulb. You need to use any E27 LED bulb that you’ve available, however IKEA doesn’t present one with the system.
Equipping the lamp with a regular bulb could be a waste of potential. In case you set it up with an RGB good bulb, you may have your self fairly a celebration machine. The lamp is not going to solely function your go-to music participant, but additionally present much-needed lighting in your room, and numerous 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 social gathering.
A bassy base
Once we acquired the Symfonisk speaker lamp, I used to be a bit skeptical about its musical prowess. It is a lamp first, I believed, 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 joyful. 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 shouldn’t be meant to be your typical shelf speaker as it isn’t designed for one-dimensional music, however quite a 360-degreee encompass sound.
Sonos and IKEA’s partnership gave start to a extremely compelling product with a variety of thought put into it. What’s much more spectacular given the home-decor first design is the Symfonisk shouldn’t be meant to be your typical shelf speaker as it isn’t designed for one-dimensional music, however quite 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 flexibility to tune it with TruePlay, you can also make it sound even higher by becoming the sound profile to its environment.
Nonetheless, that’s not the one surprisingly advantage of the Symfonisk Desk Lamp Speaker. It additionally provides a really nice sound profile that may swimsuit its informal makes use of very properly. 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 accurately.
I’ve to confess, it punches properly above its measurement with the way it sounds, with full bass and detailed mids. Take into account that the dedication to this bassy profile does end in trebles being a bit muddy, particularly when listening at the next quantity. You also needs to not count on a great deal of very low sub-bass, it’s a smaller-sized speaker.
Total, although, it is a fantastic sound profile if you wish to put some music on within the background, or when assembly with some mates. It is neither too mellow, nor overpowering. The 360-degree sound that the lamp supplies is a superb pairing right here as properly.
As soon as once more, you may see the thought that Sonos and IKEA put into the perform of such a speaker. It isn’t a essential 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 properly. Whereas I nonetheless consider that the {hardware} of the Symfonisk speaker lamp is top-notch, it is the software program that makes the expertise a bit lower than best.
First, although, I will deal with the software program positives. The Symfonisk Desk Lamp Speaker is part of the Sonos ecosystem, so it advantages not solely from the aforementioned incredible sound tuning but additionally entry to the Sonos app.
That signifies that the setup is extraordinarily simple, as with all different Wi-Fi speaker from the corporate. You additionally get a large quantity of attention-grabbing options by way of the app, with its skill to create all kinds of audio setups, together with multi-room setups, and even the flexibility to create a stereo pair for the Symfonisk lamp speaker.
You additionally get TruePlay, which is a function that permits you to configure the sound of your speaker based mostly on its environment. It takes only a few minutes, however it makes the sound good on your room. Nonetheless, there comes the primary huge caveat — TruePlay is barely accessible 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 connect with the lamp through Bluetooth, so in case you’re utilizing Android, the Sonos app is the one technique to play your music by way of the system.
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Total, the Sonos app appears to not solely lack some options on Android, however it’s additionally not that properly optimized. I’ve encountered a number of bugs when utilizing the app, resembling dropping all my saved streaming companies, or difficulties with enjoying or pausing music. My spouse, who makes use of an iPhone, has by no means had these issues.
A missed light-bulb second
Yet one more minor factor concerning the app — and this issues each the iOS and Android variations. The Symfonisk Desk Lamp Speaker would not, sadly, include a light-weight change constructed into the app, which might not solely simply be a cool function to have however may be extraordinarily handy. It is a bit of a missed alternative, however nothing a sensible 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 entire good dwelling setup.
One final be aware that might make the entire system even higher — why, oh why, is it not a sensible 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 entire good dwelling setup. The power to play your music from the lamp by speaking to the lamp wouldn’t solely be a lot enjoyable — it will make for a fantastic good front room speaker.
Verdict: Is IKEA Symfonisk Desk Lamp Speaker essential for music and lighting?
It must be mentioned that sure, yow will discover higher audio system, together with Sonos audio system. You may also discover lamps that suit your aesthetic higher. Nonetheless, the IKEA Symfonisk Desk Speaker Lamp offers you each of those in a single, and does each of this stuff 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 exploit probably the most. It is on day by day, typically as only a lamp, typically as only a speaker, typically 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 type issue that is not very speaker-like, the Symfonisk lamp would not compromise on sound high quality. Its sound profile is de facto nice and matches its type and performance very properly, with a enjoyable, room-filling sound.
In fact, 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 just a few bugs and annoyances showing after each replace. There are additionally some missed alternatives: if the Symfonisk lamp had good speaker performance and higher Android help, it will win my private tech product of the 12 months … yearly.
That being mentioned, it is nonetheless a incredible product that has its quirks, however it takes these quirks and makes them its power. I can not suggest the IKEA Symfonisk Desk Lamp Speaker sufficient. It would nonetheless be a distinct segment product, however it’s a distinct segment that it comfortably mastered.
Sonos Symfonisk Speaker Lamp
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