The collaboration that saw flat-pack furniture firm Ikea and wireless audio experts Sonos light up the Salone del Mobile in 2019 has returned with the second generation of the speaker-packing Symfonisk table lamp.
"Since launching the first Symfonisk table lamp speaker, we learned a lot about how and where they are being used," said Ikea's Stjepan Begic. "For example, a lot of people use the lamp speaker on a nightstand, which led us to create a new, slightly smaller lamp base. We’re now also offering customers more design choices, making the lamp speaker a better fit for their individual homes. By integrating a speaker into a table lamp, we can save space, decrease clutter, and create atmosphere with both light and sound."
The partnership is promising an improved sonic experience from the new model, thanks to a "completely new acoustic architecture" that sees a custom waveguide being employed for improved dispersion.
As before, the lamp/speaker hybrid connects to a music source over Wi-Fi, which should make high-resolution streaming possible, and listeners will have access to more than a hundred streaming services cooked into the Sonos system.
It can be used on its own, or wirelessly connect with other Sonos units (including other members of the Symfonisk range) for a more immersive listening experience.
A broader range of lightbulbs are supported thanks to the addition of an E26/E27 socket, and home owners can now personalize the lamp/speaker by choosing between a freshly designed black or white base (which has lost the saucer-like control area at the bottom), and by opting for a textile or glass lampshade in either black or white.
The Symfonisk table lamp speaker can be had for US$189 complete, or as a base only for $140, while the lampshades come in at $39 for glass and $29 for fabric. Sales are due to start from October in North America and selected markets in Europe, ahead a wider release.
Source: Ikea