If you happen to’re in search of one thing purposeful so as to add to your house decor, IKEA is all the time an incredible alternative. The Swedish firm is well-known for its fascinating designs which can be function-first, but in addition lean into some quirky items — and a singular, but purposeful design is one of the simplest ways 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 celebration starter when geared up 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 house ever since. It is unbeatable at creating an incredible environment, so you possibly can mix moody mild with a little bit of music, creating nice vibes with only one system. With two completely different colours, varied sorts of shades and surprisingly good sound (contemplating it is also, nicely, a lamp), the Symfonisk speaker lamp is just not 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 totally featured (and, arguably, actually nice-looking) desk lamp. It has its software program quirks, but it surely does what it guarantees exceedingly nicely.
- The sound profile could be very enjoyable and fulfilling, 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 capabilities
You should purchase the lamp as you’d every other IKEA staple
The second era Symfonisk Desk Lamp Speaker was launched in November 2021, as a successor to the mushroom-looking first era. You will get it straight from IKEA, and the producer affords a number of completely different choices to select from.
The Symfonisk speaker lamp is out there both as a standalone base, or as a set with completely different sorts of shades.
You’ll be able to select between two colours of the bottom — there’s a black and a white choice. Shades, however, are far more different. There are three completely different types: glass, material and bamboo. The primary two types are additionally out there in numerous colours, so you possibly can 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 completely different worth factors although. If you happen to go for a glass or bamboo shade, you will must pay $59, whereas a cloth shade prices $10 much less — $49.
Now you can additionally get the Symfonisk Lamp in a flooring lamp selection. It is solely out there as a set and prices $299.99.
A wise design that is nice in principle, however even higher in observe
If you happen to’re available in the market for a lamp with a built-in speaker, it is doubtless that house design or decor is a heavier consideration than it could be in case you have been trying merely for an incredible sounding moveable speaker, for instance.
The two-in-1 speaker and lighting combo is a good way so as to add a little bit of moody, oblique lighting to your house 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 house. It has its regular place on a window sill, in order that it may 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 heart of the lounge, it is also an incredible spot for its musical capabilities, simply filling the room with my favourite tunes.
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The lamp itself options an understated type that blends properly with my inside type. Plus, with mixing and matching shades, it makes for simple customization. Talking of shades, sadly, the lamp is simply appropriate with first-party choices, so you will not be capable to throw by yourself lampshade.
I opted for the white frosted glass model and suppose it provides such an elevated look, relatively than a “functionality-first” strategy. The shade consists of two components — the interior matte white tube and the outer white frosted globe. It diffuses the sunshine very nicely, making for pleasantly moody and mushy lighting.
Transferring on to the bottom — it additionally contains a extra luxurious design. It is coated in a polyester material with a visual weave sample, which appears 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 possibly can simply use them with out trying.
Nonetheless, to be sincere, I am unsure if I’ve ever used them — you possibly can management playback via the Sonos app as nicely, so you do not have to make use of bodily buttons in any respect.
With a purpose to operate as a lamp, the system additionally, in fact, wants a bulb. You should utilize any E27 LED bulb that you’ve got available, however IKEA doesn’t present one with the system.
Equipping the lamp with a regular bulb can be a waste of potential. If you happen to set it up with an RGB good bulb, you will have your self fairly a celebration machine. The lamp is not going to 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 believed, so I actually should not count on it to sound that nice. My considering was easy — if it is not less than satisfactory, I will be completely satisfied. Think about my shock once 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 is just not meant to be your typical shelf speaker as it isn’t designed for one-dimensional music, however relatively a 360-degreee encompass sound.
Sonos and IKEA’s partnership gave delivery to a extremely compelling product with quite a lot of thought put into it. What’s much more spectacular given the home-decor first design is the Symfonisk is just not meant to be your typical shelf speaker as it isn’t designed for one-dimensional music, however relatively 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 may 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 affords a really nice sound profile that may go well with its informal makes use of very nicely. The sound curve is a bit bass-heavy, however contemplating what it’s — an off-the-cuff listening system that’s meant to fill the room with sound, it is precisely accurately.
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 the next quantity. You must also not count on a great deal of very low sub-bass, it’s a smaller-sized speaker.
Total, although, it is an incredible 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 wonderful pairing right here as nicely.
As soon as once more, you possibly can see the thought that Sonos and IKEA put into the operate of such a speaker. It is not a important 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 preferrred.
First, although, I will handle 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 in addition entry to the Sonos app.
That signifies that the setup is extraordinarily straightforward, as with every different Wi-Fi speaker from the corporate. You additionally get a large quantity of fascinating options via the app, with its potential 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 function that allows you to configure the sound of your speaker based mostly on its environment. It takes just some minutes, but it surely makes the sound excellent on your room. Nonetheless, there comes the primary massive caveat — TruePlay is simply out there 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 by way of Bluetooth, so in case you’re utilizing Android, the Sonos app is the one method to play your music via the system.
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Total, the Sonos app appears to not solely lack some options on Android, but it surely’s additionally not that nicely optimized. I’ve encountered a number of bugs when utilizing the app, equivalent 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
Yet another minor factor in regards to 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 function to have however may be extraordinarily handy. It’s kind of 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 may actually be a centerpiece of your complete good house setup.
One final notice that may 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 may actually be a centerpiece of your complete good house 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 incredible good front room speaker.
Verdict: Is IKEA Symfonisk Desk Lamp Speaker vital for music and lighting?
It needs to be mentioned that sure, you could find higher audio system, together with Sonos audio system. You can even 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 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 very 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 suits 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 may 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 good speaker performance and higher Android help, it could win my private tech product of the 12 months … yearly.
That being mentioned, it is nonetheless a incredible product that has its quirks, but it surely takes these quirks and makes them its energy. I can not advocate the IKEA Symfonisk Desk Lamp Speaker sufficient. It would nonetheless be a distinct segment product, but it surely’s a distinct segment that it comfortably mastered.
Sonos Symfonisk Speaker Lamp
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