Ikea Symfonisk Picture Frame Speaker review

Replace: This evaluate has been amended to mirror the addition of recent paintings designs to the image body vary.

The image body is the third installment within the Symfonisk sequence, the collaboration between flat-pack furnishings big Ikea and sound specialists Sonos.

Very like the 2 Symfonisk audio system that got here earlier than it – one
constructed right into a lamp, the opposite designed to
slot neatly right into a bookshelf – the image body is designed to mix into the house with out trying ostentatiously techy.

The identify is a contact deceptive as a result of by any affordable measure this isn’t an image body – however it’s a speaker designed to appear to be a bit of artwork hanging on the wall.

Regardless of that, sound high quality is spectacular and compatibility with the remainder of the
Sonos ecosystem makes this purchase as both a standalone speaker or an growth to an current Sonos setup.

Design and construct

• Wall-mounted
• Swappable designs
• Can’t show your individual photos

The image body speaker is a slim, rectangular block that measures 41 x 57cm – not fairly wall-filling, however clearly designed to take a distinguished place in a room. Ikea additionally consists of set-up directions for provocatively leaning the body in opposition to one thing as a substitute of mounting it, however I’m actually undecided why you’d, until you’re renting and never allowed to drill holes in partitions.

I’ve already stated that it’s not, strictly talking, an image body. That’s as a result of you may’t mount your individual paintings, images, or prints on it, and are as a substitute restricted to Ikea’s pre-existing vary of designs.

The 2 default choices are a minimalist design of dots and features, out there in both white or black – with the body’s physique colour-matched to your selection. The material prints are replaceable, and at launch Ikea confirmed off a variety of fourteen completely different designs, out there for $22/£30/€30 every, although not all have gone on sale worldwide.

Since launch Ikea has added to the vary with a trio of designs based mostly on well-known artworks: Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, Van Gogh’s Starry Evening, and Gustav Klimt’s The Tree of Life. Every of the three comes with a novel soundtrack from composer Franz Edvard Cedrins, impressed by the unique portray.

The excellent news is that changing or swapping the image is simple – it’s so simple as popping the material mesh out from the physique, because it’s solely held in by light-weight plastic pegs. The unhealthy information is that as a result of the material picture is hooked up to a plastic body, there’s no straightforward technique to adapt this to incorporate your individual paintings – no less than not with out both some severe craftwork or a probable compromise to sound high quality.

If the speaker proves standard sufficient, hopefully Ikea – or a 3rd celebration – will develop the choice to print customized designs onto the material mesh panel, at which level the image body would appear much more interesting. The present ‘tasteful lodge room’ aesthetic isn’t fairly what I’d need in my own residence, however I’d love the choice to mount my very own selection of prints on right here.

The one different factor price noting is that – at 60mm – the body is pretty thick, so will jut out of the wall a little bit. That makes it a little bit extra apparent that that is greater than it appears, however the phantasm nonetheless holds – I’ve had loads of guests bowled over the second music begins taking part in from the paintings.

Setup and set up

• Requires drill and screws
• Digital setup is straightforward
• Energy two audio system from a single energy twine

There are two parts to the setup right here: bodily and digital.

The bodily facet is simple sufficient, however will demand some DIY know-how – and tools. The body comes with a metallic bracket for wall-mounting, however due to its weight – 3.8kg – it will want greater than a nail hammered into the wall.

Correctly securing the bracket would require a drill and screws (not provided), so that you’ll have to be comfy giving {that a} go – and have the proper to, as not all renters are allowed to drill holes within the partitions. Silicone rubber ft will no less than cease your wall getting scratched whereas additionally dampening vibrations from the speaker.

You may suppose that every one the drilling is why Ikea affords the choice to only prop the body up in opposition to a wall as a substitute, however even for this the corporate recommends screw-mounting, presumably to cease the body knocking itself over with vibrations.

The body is designed to be positioned in both panorama or portrait orientations, and has some complete cable routing to maintain leads tidy – although you’ll nonetheless must take care of a dangling energy lead until you drill an additional gap to route it by your wall, or chase out the wall to a socket decrease down and re-plaster. For additional neatness, an inexpensive
extra energy cable will allow you to daisy chain two Symfonisk image frames collectively, each drawing from the identical energy socket.

The excellent news is that if you will get previous the gentle hurdles of getting the factor up on the wall, the digital half of setup is painless. You’ll wish to use the Sonos S2 app, and as soon as signed up it solely takes a few minutes to get the speaker onto your Wi-Fi community (an
Ethernet port can also be included, when you choose, although provides you with an additional cable to fret about), with pairing dealt with by a fast faucet of your cellphone in opposition to the spot on the speaker the place the facility LED is seen.

Sound high quality

• Surprisingly sturdy sound
• Barely skinny bass

This gained’t be top-of-the-line audio system you’ve ever heard, nevertheless it doesn’t have to be. The most effective audio system you’ve ever heard are in all probability massive, cumbersome, and fairly clearly techy – three issues that this isn’t.

I will say that the sound high quality that Sonos has delivered right here is exceptional given the body’s slim type issue. It may’t sustain with the
Sonos Playbase I’ve powering my TV audio, and can possible lag a little bit behind the
Sonos One – however not by a lot.

On the default tuning the bass is pretty skinny, with the propulsive bassline of ‘Out of Sight’ by Run the Jewels falling in need of the pulsating oomph it calls for. The Sonos app’s primary EQ – simply treble and bass sliders – compensates for this considerably, however has its limits.

The speaker’s strengths clearly lie within the greater registers, the place the corporate’s vibrant, crisp sound profile shines by. For those who stick largely to pop and rock you’ll take advantage of this speaker, with punchy vocals slicing by an open, balanced soundscape.

Good options

• Appropriate with Sonos S2 app
• Wi-Fi or Ethernet solely – no Bluetooth or aux
• Not a sensible speaker

Like most Sonos audio system, the Symfonisk makes use of Wi-Fi (or Ethernet) to attach, reasonably than Bluetooth – and there’s no possibility for an aux lead both. You possibly can play most
streaming providers over the speaker by the Sonos app – together with Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and even oddities like Plex, meditation app Calm, and varied on-line radio providers. Spotify Join and AirPlay 2 help make it even simpler to stream.

iPhone and iPad homeowners also can use ‘Truplay’ to tune the speaker to the room it’s in for optimised audio, although sadly there’s no equal function for these of us on the Android facet.

It’s price noting that there aren’t any microphones right here, so this isn’t technically a sensible speaker – although it may be linked to and managed by different good audio system and digital assistants.

Due to the Sonos app you may hyperlink this as much as different Symfonisk and Sonos audio system for multi-room audio, syncing the sound seamlessly throughout your private home. You can too join it to a different Symfonisk image body to create a stereo pair in the identical room.

The app will also be used for the fundamental audio choices talked about above, and to manage the speaker. For those who choose, bodily buttons behind the body’s rim management play/pause and quantity – although these gained’t be a lot assist when you mount the speaker excessive up on a wall.

Value and availability

The image body speaker is obtainable completely from Ikea – both in-store or
on-line. At £179/€179/$199 it’s the costliest Symfonisk but – you possibly can purchase a pair of the
bookshelf audio system for a similar value, whereas the lamp is nearer to the body however nonetheless
runs a little bit cheaper.

Arguably the nearer comparability is that it’s proper up in opposition to the
£199/$199 Sonos One, the core speaker within the firm’s vary. That can ship higher audio high quality than the image body, albeit with out the discreet type issue.

Verdict

The Symfonisk image body is one other certified success for the collaboration between Ikea and Sonos. It may’t fairly match the sound high quality or simplicity of the lamp – nonetheless the perfect product within the vary – however what the 2 firms have pulled off right here is undoubtedly spectacular.

The most important hang-up is the restriction to Ikea’s restricted vary of pre-made image designs, which perversely means it could’t truly exchange a daily image body in your house until you occur to like a few of the prints on provide right here.

If Ikea ever affords the choice to print your individual photos then this will probably be a game-changer – however till then is merely speaker that suffers from wasted potential.