Ikea will sell affordable Sonos speakers and one is built into a lamp
Ikea's Symfonisk speakers are coming in August and start at $99.
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The Symfonisk range includes a lamp and a wall-mountable bookshelf speaker
A new line of Ikea speakers is called "Symfonisk," because of course it is. And one of them is built into lamp, because why the hell not.
The absurd name has a familiar ring to Ikea regulars but the new speakers could appeal most to audio fans otherwise vary of Ikea. That's because they work with Sonos, one of the best and most popular whole-home Wi-Fi audio systems, and cost less than any current-generation Sonos speaker.
Read more: Best Sonos speakers from $100 and up
The range consists of two products: the Symfonisk table lamp/speaker, which costs $179 or 179 euros (converting to about £135 or AU$250), and the $99 Symfonisk book-shelf speaker.
Both can be controlled through the Sonos app or a voice assistant such as Amazon Alexa (Google Assistant support is forthcoming). Neither Ikea speaker includes a built-in mic, however, so you'll need another speaker, like an Echo Dot or a Sonos One, to control them via voice. The lamp adds AirPlay 2 support and the ability to form a stereo pair.
Ikea designers told CNET that it combined a lamp with a speaker in order to maximize table space. Sonos representatives added that the $180 Symfonisk lamp and the $200 Sonos One should sound similar to one another.
The $99 Symfonisk bookshelf is the most affordable Sonos-compatible product, and it could be particularly attractive to users of the Sonos Beam sound bar as an inexpensive set of rear speakers -- especially given that it comes with a wall-mount bracket.
From Sony 's outrageous $800 LSPX-S1 to the disappointing $40 Sengled Bluetooth globe, lamp-light speakers have a reputation for being a wacky proposition. But if the sonic performance is as good as the companies claim, the Symfonisk could be an exception.
Though Sonos has partnered with other companies on accessories and passive speakers, this is the first time Sonos electronics have appeared in a third-party product.
The speakers will be available in August 2019 through Ikea's stores or on Ikea.com.