Sonos and IKEA have announced a new yet familiar speaker-furnishing hybrid as part of their ongoing Symfonisk collaboration: the Floor Lamp speaker.
Following on from the partnership's two lamp speakers – the Symfonisk Table Lamp speaker and Symfonisk Table Lamp speaker (Gen 2) – the new Floor Lamp speaker will enable you to bring light and sound to a wider variety of spaces around your home.
Going on the images Sonos has shared, the Symfonisk Floor Lamp speaker appears to use the same speaker base as the 2nd generation Table Lamp, which is mounted on three metal legs attached to a circular plate.
Additionally, the Table Lamp’s glass and fabric shades have been replaced by a new bamboo basket design – we’re personally not the biggest fans of it, but the press release we received says users can swap it for one of the other shades in the range if they prefer.
If you have other Sonos or Symfonisk speakers you can easily incorporate this model into your current setup via the Sonos app, and if you pick up two Floor Lamp speakers you can pair them to create a more immersive soundstage using the Stereo Pair feature.
As this speaker looks very similar to the Table Lamp (Gen 2), we’ve asked an IKEA representative if these speakers can form a Stereo Pair together, or if this audio effect can only be achieved with two Floor Lamp speakers or two Table Lamp speakers.
We’re also waiting to learn how much the Symfonisk Floor Lamp speaker will cost – we'd expect something around $200 / £180 / AU$300 or more based on previous models in the lineup. We do know that it'll launch in all IKEA markets in January 2023.
Analysis: IKEA makes great speakers!?
IKEA and Sonos’ Symfonisk range is certainly one of the stranger collaborations out there, but the unlikely duo has generally succeeded in their vision. Not everyone has the space for dedicated speakers into their home, while others don’t want to ruin their decor with them; these combined audio-furniture creations open up new opportunities by allowing users to kill two birds with one stone – or speaker.
The Table Lamp and Bookshelf speakers are perfect for those with more limited space, while the Picture Frame and this new Floor Lamp speaker are both functional and stylish.
Beyond practical uses, we’ve been really impressed with the Symfonisk lineup so far in terms of audio. The 2nd generation Table Lamp delivered solid trebles and mid-range sounds (though the bass was a tad lacking), while the Symfonisk Picture Frame offered clear and exciting audio that would put many rivals to shame – with the devices earning a four-star and four-and-a-half-star review score respectively. Hopefully, the new Floor Lamp speaker can perform just as well.
We think Sonos’ dedicated speakers – the likes of the Sonos One – offer better audio overall, but if you’re not keen on picking up a more typical speaker then the Symfonisk range could be just what you’re looking for.
Not sure what audio gadget you want to deck your home out with? Check out our picks for the best wireless speaker and best soundbars you can buy today.
Source: TechRadar