SYMFONISK shelf, we tested the IKEA - Sonos alliance

Those of us who love this world of technology for the home have been talking for a long time about how relevant that alliance between IKEA and Sonos, the most popular furniture and decoration company along with one of the most praised firms by the public who enjoy connected and quality sound. Well, we already have among us the first products that are born from these collaborations, We have the SYMFONISK Shelving Unit and the SYMFONISK lamp to test this alliance between IKEA and Sonos with our analysis, are you going to miss it? I doubt it…

As is often the case with such high-quality products, we opted to simultaneously carry out a video analysis of this article that you can see on our YouTube channel and that serves as a header for later reading. As usual, It is better to see it than to read it, so we recommend that before starting this in-depth reading of the analysis, you take advantage of the unboxing and the sound test that we have done to the products SYMFONISK from IKEA and Sonos. Without further ado, we are going to tell you how we found these speakers.

Design and materials: A little Ikea, a lot of Sonos

We start with the first of the products, the shelf and of course, we open this analysis with its design. It is built in PVC and has a textile coating on the front, which covers the speakers, something quite common. It has a size of 23 x 21 x 32 centimeters for a total weight of 3,11 kilograms. It is the first thing that surprises you, and that is it weighs a lot considering that it is plastic, and this for a speaker is a sign of quality. It is something that other speakers from the Sonos firm also share, the weight ensures good drivers inside and a more defined sound without noise and vibrations.

• Colors: White and black
• Makings: Plastic and textile

We have two identical versions in capacities but of different color, we can choose the black version and the white version, something that IKEA has also adopted from the Sonos customs, which serves us all its speakers in these two color ranges. The package also includes the classic instruction books, a proprietary cable for the connection to electricity that comes in identical shades to the speaker and a category 5e ethernet cable in case we need to connect it without WiFi. Little more than talking at the design level, it clearly defends itself and is an alliance between Ikea and Sonos. It can be placed both vertically and horizontally and the three front buttons allow us to handle the music easily and effectively.

Lots of speaker, and little bookshelf

We came across a speaker that I had little hope for, yet Sonos has reminded me again that wherever you put your hand, it makes art. Plugging it in is as easy as ever, however, IKEA In its perennial effort to offer you the products by pieces, it reminds you very quickly that if you want to stick it to the wall, you must purchase any of its supports separately, either the simple hook from € 6 or the complete support (more recommended) for € 14. Price that you must inevitably add to that of the speaker.

We have a shelf that is large for a speaker, but small for a shelf. As an extremely minimalist bedside table it is ideal, but you should forget about placing any lamp, Qi charging base or in short, anything that you want to live on the shelf indefinitely, the reason is that as soon as you spend with the volume of the music, and I tell you that it has a rope for a while, it will end up on the ground at least, not without warning you first a thunderous buzz. Result: It is better that you combine it with other IKEA furniture such as the KALLAX shelves and forget to use it as a shelf for regular use.

Sound and connectivity, courtesy of Sonos

If you have already overcome the trauma of installing it and knowing where you are going to place it, you can relax, now comes the easy part. For those who enjoy Sonos devices and for strangers, it is a pleasure. Simply download your Sonos app from the Google Play Store or iOS App Store and proceed to search for a new speaker. You press the Play button as the application indicates and in less than 10 seconds you have it installed and working, at most, there will be an update pending. Shortly after, you can proceed to room setup so that smart sound reaches everywhere evenly.

• Wireless connection via WiFi (not Bluetooth)
• AirPlay 2
• Synchronization with Spotify
• RJ45 port - Ethernet

As for the sound quality, I am pleasantly surprised considering the price. You quickly realize that it is Sonos because despite offering a sound Very strong at high levels, you hardly appreciate a break in it. Although it is a step below the Sonos One (which by the way, costs twice as much), its 99 euros of price is fully justified by the quality of the sound it emits, not to mention that Sonos allows you to link the speakers with our Spotify, Deezer accounts and much more. This IKEA SYMFONISK model offers us the entire Sonos experience with the simplicity of an IKEA furniture, making available to those who want to spend a little less a series of products that until now were a little more limited.

Editor's opinion and user experience

This SYMFONISK shelf from IKEA and Sonos has become another element of my office, You can hardly offer more for less, and it is that design, materials, guarantee and sound quality for just € 99 it is not so common when we talk about audio. I can't help but recommend this IKEA and Sonos SYMFONISK as a first approach if you appreciate all that a Sonos product can offer you, for half the cost of a Sonos One, now I do not ask another brand to improve it, but to match it. They are available at any IKEA center from 99 euros.