IKEA and Sonos team up again, building a floor lamp speaker this time
IKEA and Sonos collaborated three years ago to build a table lamp with an embedded speaker. Embedding a Wi-Fi speaker inside a lamp isn’t as nutty a proposition as it might sound—we were quite pleased with the result. Now, the two companies have collaborated to build the Symfonisk floor lamp speaker.
The new device looks very similar to the second-generation Symfonisk table lamp speaker, but this one is mounted to a tripod-style stand with a circular weighted base. It comes with a bamboo lamp shade, but you can personalize it with glass or textile alternatives that start at $39 each.
As with all the other speakers in the Symfonisk line, this one can be incorporated into a Sonos multi-room speaker system alongside other Sonos or Symfonisk speakers and controlled with the Sonos app. Buyers will also be able to control the speaker using IKEA’s Dirigera smart home hub. While Symfonisk speakers are not full-fledged smart speakers, they can be controlled with Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant.
As with any Sonos speaker, the new IKEA Symfonisk floor lamp speaker can be controlled at the device itself or via Wi-Fi connectivity.
IKEA
Sonos compatibility also includes Sonos’ Trueplay speaker-tuning software (although that depends on your having an iOS device) and support for Apple’s AirPlay 2 protocol. And Sonos speakers are unparalleled in their support for subscription music services, ranging from Apple Music, Amazon Music Unlimited, and Spotify, to Qobuz and Tidal. Sonos Radio (free) and Sonos Radio HD (paid, but higher resolution and commercial-free) are also excellent.
Any Symfonisk speaker can be paired with a Sonos subwoofer for bass reinforcement, and a pair of them can be used with a Sonos soundbar for home-theater surround sound. Incorporating speakers into floor lamps is a very smart idea, since it not only eliminates the need to have a pair of tables on which to set surround speakers, it’s an improvement over hanging speakers on the walls with unsightly power cords dangling from them.
IKEA says its new Symfonisk floor lamp speaker will be available to purchase in January, 2023 for $259.99, a $30 premium over the table lamp version.
