Sonos IKEA Symfonisk bookshelf
Yes, it’s quite literally a bookshelf speaker
$99 From IKEA, ikea.com Features AirPlay 2 Needs iOS 11.4 or later
The Sonos IKEA Symfonisk bookshelf speaker is the cheapest Sonos speaker, and can be wall-mounted and hold up to 3kg of books, ornaments, or anything you decide to put on it. But don’t worry, you don’t have to put it together!
As well as being wall–mounted it can also just sit vertically or horizontally, and at the size of a long brick it can be easily tucked away.
It’s typically IKEA in its refined yet distinguished design. Connections at the rear include wired internet, while without the need for any pairing button or such (there’s AirPlay 2, though as usual no Bluetooth) the front is clean except for the play/pause and volume controls.
This was never going to rival the Sonos One for sound quality, but the same character is there. The bookshelf is bold and focused in its delivery, with vocals especially belting out more animated tunes with comparable energy. The balance is generally good as well, though we had to tweak and fine–tune it to take out some bass.
It can do quiet as well. It’s not meant as a slight when we say this speaker would be ideal for background music, simply it can handle hanging back just as much as it enjoys getting involved.
You’re not going to get a better– sounding multi–room speaker with Sonos’s sonic signature for less than three figures — not to mention one that you can use as a floating bookshelf.
THE BOTTOM LINE. We didn’t know what to expect when IKEA and Sonos released a bookshelf that could sing, but it’s impressive.