The IKEA Sonos collaboration is something you can now find locally, as Australian availability for the budget Sonos speakers becomes a reality.
Australia may not be on the release list for every gadget first, but there are quite a few we see quickly. Apple’s iPhone, new TVs, and gaming systems are high up there, and occasionally sound gear, as well.
In fact this week we’re seeing one of those examples come to Australia only a couple of months after the US saw it, giving Americans a bit of a head start to play, with Australians not far behind.
We’re talking about the collaboration between Sonos and IKEA, a concept that has resulted in speakers called the “Symfonisk”, which are part-speaker, part-furniture.
Worked on with Sonos, the IKEA Symfonisk speakers actually work inside the Sonos ecosystem, meaning if you have a Sonos speaker or set of speakers already, the IKEA Symfonisk can slot right in and use the same network, streaming music to these and synchronising with other Sonos speakers.
They’re a little different from other Sonos speakers, though, and can do two jobs rather than just one as a speaker.
There’s the IKEA Symfonisk WiFi Bookshelf Speaker which is a speaker that can be slotted into a bookshelf or even mounted on a wall as a tiny bookshelf, and there’s also the Symfonisk Table Lamp WiFi Speaker which is both a speaker and a lamp.
Back when we first previewed the speakers earlier in the year, we found the Symfonisk Table Lamp sounded similar to the Sonos Play:1, which is no longer part of the available Sonos line-up, replaced by the Sonos One with voice control and the Sonos One SL, a $269 Sonos One without the microphones.
Essentially, the Sonos One SL is a Play:1, and the IKEA Symfonisk Table Lamp WiFi Speaker appears to be very similar to the One SL, but with a lightbulb socket.
On the other hand, the IKEA Symfonisk Bookshelf Speaker is smaller, offering a brighter sound.
The price is definitely strong for both of these, however, getting the entrance to the Sonos ecosystem even lower, with the Symfonisk Bookshelf Speaker available for $149, while the Symfonisk Lamp Speaker is $269 locally.
You can find them now in IKEA stores locally, alongside some accessories, including a $10 speaker hook, a $20 wall bracket, and a $20 remote to let you control the speakers outside of an app.
