When you’re on the lookout for one thing useful so as to add to your own home decor, IKEA is all the time an important selection. The Swedish firm is well-known for its fascinating designs which can be function-first, but additionally lean into some quirky items — and a singular, but useful 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 to your desk or a implausible get together 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 each day use at our dwelling 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 machine. With two totally different colours, varied forms of shades and surprisingly good sound (contemplating it is also, nicely, a lamp), the Symfonisk speaker lamp shouldn’t be solely a nice-looking supply of sunshine — it is also most likely the easiest way to get into the Sonos ecosystem.
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Brighten your day with this musical lamp
The IKEA Symfonisk Desk Lamp Speaker is a singular machine 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, nevertheless it does what it guarantees exceedingly nicely.
- The sound profile could be very enjoyable and satisfying, with high quality to match
- Understated, minimalist design with swappable shades
- It is each a speaker and a lamp
- Weak Android software program assist
- Lacks Chromecast or Bluetooth connectivity
- No built-in sensible features
You should buy the lamp as you’d 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 will get it immediately from IKEA, and the producer affords a number of totally different choices to select from.
The Symfonisk speaker lamp is out there both as a standalone base, or as a set with totally different sorts of shades.
You’ll be able to select between two colours of the bottom — there’s a black and a white possibility. Shades, then again, are way more diversified. There are three totally different types: glass, cloth and bamboo. The primary two types are additionally out there 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 totally different worth factors although. When 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 ground 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 follow
When you’re out there for a lamp with a built-in speaker, it is possible that dwelling design or decor is a heavier consideration than it might be for those who have been trying merely for an important 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 own 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 standard place on a window sill, in order that it might 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 heart 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 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 just 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, reasonably than a “functionality-first” method. The shade consists of two elements — the internal 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 cloth with a visual weave sample, which seems to be 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 permits you to activate the sunshine. On the again there are a couple of 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 trustworthy, I am undecided if I’ve ever used them — you may management playback by way of the Sonos app as nicely, so you do not have to make use of bodily buttons in any respect.
To be able to perform as a lamp, the machine additionally, in fact, wants a bulb. You should utilize any E27 LED bulb that you’ve got readily available, however IKEA doesn’t present one with the machine.
Equipping the lamp with a typical bulb can be a waste of potential. When you set it up with an RGB sensible bulb, you will 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 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 get together.
A bassy base
Once we received 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 anticipate it to sound that nice. My considering was easy — if it is not less than sufficient, I will be completely happy. 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 reasonably a 360-degreee encompass sound.
Sonos and IKEA’s partnership gave delivery to a very compelling product with loads 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 reasonably 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 can swimsuit 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 machine that’s meant to fill the room with sound, it is precisely appropriately.
I’ve to confess, it punches nicely above its measurement with the way it sounds, with full bass and detailed mids. Remember 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 anticipate 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 pals. It is neither too mellow, nor overpowering. The 360-degree sound that the lamp supplies 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 perform of such a speaker. It isn’t a essential listening machine 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 splendid.
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 additionally 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 a large quantity of fascinating options by way of 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 function that allows you to configure the sound of your speaker based mostly on its environment. It takes only a few minutes, nevertheless it makes the sound good to your room. Nonetheless, there comes the primary massive caveat — TruePlay is just out there when utilizing an Apple machine, 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 for those who’re utilizing Android, the Sonos app is the one option to play your music by way of the machine.
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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, similar to dropping all my saved streaming providers, 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 in regards to the app — and this considerations each the iOS and Android variations. The Symfonisk Desk Lamp Speaker would not, sadly, include a light-weight swap 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 sensible dwelling setup.
One final word that might make the entire machine 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 sensible dwelling setup. The flexibility to play your music from the lamp by speaking to the lamp wouldn’t solely be a lot enjoyable — it might make for an important sensible front room speaker.
Verdict: Is IKEA Symfonisk Desk Lamp Speaker essential for music and lighting?
It needs to be stated that sure, yow will discover higher audio system, together with Sonos audio system. You may as well 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 probably the most. It is on each 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 type issue that is not very speaker-like, the Symfonisk lamp would not compromise on sound high quality. Its sound profile is basically nice and matches its type and performance very nicely, with a enjoyable, room-filling sound.
In fact, there are some issues. The trebles are a bit understated, and the Sonos app is mostly not as feature-rich because it might have been, with fairly a couple 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 assist, it might win my private tech product of the yr … 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 suggest the IKEA Symfonisk Desk Lamp Speaker sufficient. It would nonetheless be a distinct segment product, nevertheless it’s a distinct segment that it comfortably mastered.
Sonos Symfonisk Speaker Lamp
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