Is that music or art? Both, says Ikea. The new speakers that you can hang on the wall don’t look like speakers at all. But the collaboration with the audio experts from Sonos indicates a strong sound. But one thing is already bothering you.
Ikea is expanding its Symfonisk series with the WiFi speaker, which aims to bridge the gap between audio and art. The Swedish furniture store promises full-bodied : “The smart WiFi speaker combines brilliant, room-filling sound and art.” And that could well succeed. Because: With the Symfonisk bookshelf loudspeaker , Ikea already has a WLAN box on offer for around 100 euros, which was rated “good” (2.2) by Stiftung Warentest. With this, the Sonos One SL in the Ikea housing has secured the title of “price-performance winner” in the WLAN loudspeaker category.
When it comes to good sound, the furniture mogul’s new WiFi loudspeaker should also convince. With interchangeable fronts, it should also match any individual interior. But Ikea can pay for that well. A WLAN speaker in a painting design with a choice of black or white front costs 179 euros. If you want stereo sound in your living room, the price doubles. In addition, Ikea charges between 20 and 30 euros for each front; There are 14 different motifs. But what should look good has a catch.
IKEA DOES NOT GET THIS PROBLEM SOLVED
Whether in the living room or study: The new Symfonisk frame speakers from Ikea and Sonos want to make a visual impression and do not look like speakers at first. If it weren’t for a telltale detail that is a thorn in the side of the great look: the cable. If you hang the speakers on the wall at a height of one and a half meters, a cable dangles down. In the pictures from Ikea it still looks okay. But after unpacking and untangling the cable, it shouldn’t look as straightforward as it does in the advertising. So the cable ruins the look. Chisel a slot in the wall, lay the cable and fill it up again, but only very few buyers will consider it.
THAT IS THE SOLUTION
The fact that speakers need a cable, even if they have “WLAN” in their name, can hardly be avoided. An alternative would have been a battery. But who wants to keep taking their picture off the wall in order to recharge it? So Ikea had no other choice. But: it does exist, “WLAN electricity”.
Xiaomi introduced Mi Air Charge in early 2021. The name says it all. Because it is actually about charging without cables – over the air. Xiaomi specifies a range of several meters and wants to make “the living room really wireless”. Here we show you how it works . A collaboration between Ikea, Sonos and Xiaomi would therefore be desirable for the next loudspeaker.
