Sonos and Ikea joined forces to create the Symfonisk range of speakers, which includes the Book Shelf Wi-Fi Speaker and the Table Lamp Speaker.

Both offer functional designs, great sound quality and good value for money, but which is the right one for you? We've compared the two Symfonisk speakers to help you figure out which one you should buy and what the differences are between them.

What's the same between the Sonos Ikea Symfonisk speakers?

  • Software
  • Features
  • Wi-Fi, mains powered
  • Black and white colour options

The Sonos Ikea Symfonisk speakers both run on the Sonos app, offering all the Sonos features. Once setup, the way they are controlled and the features they offer are identical to each other and other Sonos speakers. This includes compatibility with over 80 music streaming services, the ability to tune them according to their surroundings using Sonos' Trueplay software, stereo pairing and the ability to adjust things like EQ levels.

Neither the Sonos Ikea Symfonisk Book Shelf Wi-Fi Speaker or the Sonos Ikea Symfonisk Table Lamp Speaker have Bluetooth on board, but they both offer AirPlay 2 compatibility, like newer Sonos speakers, and they can both be controlled via Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, if you have an Alexa or Google Assistant device. In a nutshell, you won't notice a difference in terms of software features no matter which Symfonisk speaker you choose.

Both speakers are mains powered, like other Sonos speakers and both come in black or white colour options, again like many of the newer Sonos speakers, including the Sonos One, Beam and Playbase.

What's different between the Sonos Ikea Symfonisk speakers?

Design

  • One doubles as a lamp
  • One doubles as a shelf

A pretty obvious difference between the two speakers is design. Both are speakers, but the Sonos Ikea Symfonisk Book Shelf Wi-Fi Speaker doubles up as a bookshelf, while the Sonos Ikea Symfonisk Table Lamp Speaker doubles up as a lamp, as you may have guessed from their names.

The Symfonisk Table Lamp Speaker is the larger of the two speakers and very practical for those who want a speaker and a light in one. Using a smart light, such as Ikea's Trådfri is a good idea to get a few more features.

The Symfonisk Book Shelf Wi-Fi Speaker meanwhile, is more versatile in terms of placement in that it can be positioned horizontally, vertically or hung on the wall or on Ikea's Kungfors rails, offering plenty of flexibility. The wall-mounting kit is sold separately, as are the hooks and rails. As a shelf, the Book Shelf Wi-Fi speaker can handle up to 3kg.

Size

  • Table Lamp Speaker is larger
  • Both have 150mm power cords

The Symfonisk Table Lamp Speaker measures 216 x 216 x 401mm. The Symfonisk Book Shelf Wi-Fi Speaker measures 100 x 150 x 310mm.

Both have a cord length of 150mm - which is a little short in our experience.

Sound architecture

  • Table Lamp Speaker has more power

The Table Lamp Speaker is the more powerful of the two Symfonisk speakers. It comes with the same architecture as the Sonos Play:1, meaning two Class-D digital amplifiers, one tweeter and one mid-range woofer. The sound it delivers is excellent for its price with good range, good volume and punchy bass.

The Book Shelf Wi-Fi Speaker is cheaper and a little less powerful than the Table Lamp speaker, but it still delivers in the sound department. Under its hood is one Class-D amplifier, one tweeter and one mid-woofer so it misses out on the extra Class-D amplifier compared to the Table Lamp Speaker.

Price

  • Table Lamp Speaker is more £50 more

The Symfonisk Table Lamp Speaker costs £150, while the Symfonisk Book Shelf Wi-Fi Speaker costs £99.

Conclusion: Which Sonos Ikea Symfonisk speaker should you buy?

Both Sonos Ikea Symfonisk speakers impressed us. They both offer excellent value for money, great designs, great sound quality for their price and the same features.

If you want a lamp and a speaker in one, the Sonos Ikea Symfonisk Table Lamp speaker is a no brainer, though we would suggest using a smart bulb to get that little bit more out of it.

If you aren't bothered about a lamp, then the Sonos Ikea Symfonisk Book Shelf Wi-Fi Speaker is the Symfonisk speaker we would recommend. It doesn't offer as much power as the Table Lamp Speaker, but it is more versatile in terms of placement, allowing it to blend in to your home better and it still delivers plenty of punch for its sub-£100 price point.