SYMFONISK lamp and speaker from IKEA and Sonos, less is more [review]

We return with the product of IKEA x Sonos that we had yet to analyze, we spoke as is logical about the lamp, and it is that recently we were testing and analyzing the IKEA x Sonos SYMFONISK speaker bookshelf that left us with a very good taste in our mouths, will this other product from the SYMFONISK range be up to par?

So that you can weigh your purchase and know all its characteristics, We invite you to our analysis of the Table Lamp + WiFi Speaker that arises from the collaboration of IKEA and Sonos, is it worth it? Of course we are facing a very striking product.

As always, We recommend that you go through the video that heads this article, a first look where you can see these products from the SYMFONISK range of IKEA in operation, as well as the unboxing and our first impressions, and it is always much easier to see it than to read it. However, now we are going to proceed as always with the more technical characteristics that you want to know about this IKEA SYMFONISK WiFi lamp and speaker that you do not want to miss.

Design and materials: not too big?

The box is just… huge. You can never imagine how big it is until you have it in front of you, we find a complex product of 34 x 28 x 48 cm that ends up offering a total weight of 5,17 Kg nothing more and nothing less. Much of the blame lies with its huge base that looks like a plate, and the glass top, which covers the bulb inside the lamp. As with other similar products, this glass has been hand-blown and we have a bleached semi-translucent glass. This time we have the same range of colors as on the shelf SYMPHONY, that is, we can opt for the classic black and white that usually accompanies Sonos products.

• Material: Plastic and glass
• Colors: White and black
• Size: 34 x 28 x 48
• Weight: 5,17 Kg

Both the loudspeaker, cylindrical and covered by a textile material that is easy to put on and take off, and the base, are made of plastic without further ado. The glass top is packaged separately from the rest of the lamp and is installed using a classic screw mechanism. Inside we find the standard lamp holder. I sincerely understand that using a freestanding bulb makes for a more durable product, however It is rare that they have not opted for an integrated LED lighting. At the base we have the three multimedia control buttons, the rear part has the RJ45 connection and the side part has a classic switch to turn the bulb on and off. At first glance, the lamp has an extravagant design, but without a doubt its weakest point is its exaggerated size and weight, which make it incompatible with many bedside tables, even from IKEA itself.

Connectivity and sound quality

As you would expect from a Sonos product, we have a connection RJ45 for when we do not opt ​​for WiFi. As soon as we download the Sonos application we start a simple configuration that does not take us more than three minutes, this is where it begins to be noticed that we are dealing with a Sonos product. To make this speaker work we must use a WiFi connection, and Sonos has always worked with this technology instead of Bluetooth to offer superior performance and quality. Once linked to our sonos app available in the Google Play Store and in the iOS App Store, we can connect different music services such as Deezer, Spotify or Apple Music, We must forget about Alexa and other virtual assistants, something present in other Sonos devices.

This lamp + speaker does not have a microphone, so we also forget about any free hands. Sound quality is what you would expect from a product that is very similar in size and weight to the Sonos One. It offers power and audio addressability (via true play of Sonos) quite good, it does not lose quality in high volumes, but for this we must make sure to use a good surface, I do not recommend floating tables or unstable surfaces at all. That said, it shows enough to completely fill any room in the house such as bedrooms and offices, offering a sound a little below the quality expected in a Sonos One, but according to the price we pay for this lamp.

Lights and shadows of this product

I'm going to start by analyzing the aspects that I liked the least, the main one is that its design is extravagant, far from the minimalism that IKEA and even more so Sonos usually offer in this type of product, of course the SYMFONISK lamp is not made for all tastes, or for all homes. It also has some details that seem poorly finished, such as the textile covering of the speaker, although you find others more flattering such as the non-stick base, however, I think opting for a lighter and more compact product, as well as adding a courtesy light bulb (remember that not only does it not include the bulb, but it is also thin cap) in a product of almost € 200 it would not have been more. Nor does it allow us to regulate the intensity or the tone of it, it could be a great smart lamp, but no.

It has many other remarkable things, and it is that it has an independent light bulb that makes it more durable, as well as the sound quality and total integration with Sonos products and AirPlay 2 that allows us to set up a very nice stereo and multiroom system.

Editor's opinion

 

I found the SYMFONISK lamp from IKEA a great idea, that seems to have stayed halfway. With a simple intensity selector, an included bulb and a somewhat more compact size they would have made an almost round product, however, unlike the SYMFONISK shelf, it does not seem like a product that can be placed in almost any home. We found a speaker and a lamp that are together but not jumbled, that offers spectacular sound but is not too attractively priced either. Without a doubt as an approach to the Sonos world and space solution it is interesting, but personally I find the bookshelf more attractive. You can buy this lamp at any IKEA center from 179 euros.