IKEA Symfonisk Picture Frame Speaker: Better Than A Sonos One?

[@deanrichardson5930]

I absolutely love this idea. It doesn’t work for my current apartment. But I hope they keep making and improving on this, because once I get a house, I’d buy a set for each room, provided there was a wider range of pictures. This is absolutely one of the best innovations I’ve seen in years.

[@smarthomesounds]

Sounds good too, some new artwork has just been released on Ikea which is worth checking out.

[@Rem_NL]

you can make it yourself if you feel inclined to do. Roughly 30 dollars for it. There is an excellent video by tech ingredients kzbin.info/www/bejne/sJXOqnp6prpqrqM

[@torqueofthedevil8145]

Its nothing new, PMC were doing it years ago with considerably better quality speakers

[@alexs3187]

I would love to see them do a ceiling light. The wiring is already there for power, make it stereo with similar sound to two lamps!

[@Danne89]

As a swede I just love hearing people try and pronounce the names of IKEA products. :D

[@Torsdagskvallsmys]

Så puttinyttigt då❤️🥰 Lite g#y men det är okey :)

[@ryanthomastew]

The Symfonisk sounded more open with better mid/high frequency response as well as more balanced bass. I am very curious to test this in person. Shocked the Symfonisk was my preferred model based on your samples. Thanks for the video!

[@AndyTanguay]

It's a bummer, you can hear them in our local IKEA. You can hear the shelf one, but not this one. We're THRILLED with the shelf ones we bought.

[@WhiteHartMart]

Really like the sound of the picture frame based on these tests - the One sounds 'boxy' and coloured in comparison to my ears at least.

[@driver288]

This is truly a cool collab between IKEA and SONOS! It’s cool how these products actually are the entry level SONOS speakers and ultimately give away the IKEA dual functionality for FREE, with the same price point of these 2 products and the shelf speakers £99 lowest SONOS Speaker price point. And that all Symfonisk speakers are FULL SONOS speakers.

[@MrVisde]

The One’s sound awesome as a stereo pair with some separation between them. I feel like spacing two of these frames apart could look a bit odd…like, why do I have two framed pictures of the same thing on my walls? I like this as an option, wish there were more variations to the artwork.

[@curiemartin]

There are plenty variations to the artwork. You need to buy those separately

[@jvilla0709]

this means a 7.2 set up can be anywhere rather than just in a movie theater room. (i know sonos doesn't support it but one can only hope they do soon)

[@superlupin23]

Can

[@random-vids112]

why would you need 2 subwoofers though. just asking

[@vegasdestroyer]

I bought 2 of them. They sound fantastic and love the look.

[@jediross]

In the video the sound from the one came across as much fuller than the frame. Was surprised you suggested the frame had better bass.

[@CatDadChris]

Better bass may mean tighter and more focused. The Sonos speaker sounded like it was too boomy.

[@Amantap8]

Better bass doesn't mean heavier deeper bass

[@edgarcmtz]

This would fit exquisitely at my work office to have some background tracks going.

[@smarthomesounds]

That would be a great option.

[@samsonman2000]

Exquisitely... 😂

[@spudart]

Thank you for making a video of this. When I initially saw the images of this product on another site, I assumed this was an interactive e-ink screen where the image could change subtly with the sound. But I'm disappointed that this is a static image. Even though, the print is interchangeable, it would have been much cooler with an e-ink display.

[@ArphelC]

Can they be paired via Bluetooth too? Or just WiFi ? Say I needed to connect them to my tv ?

[@OfficialSLKL]

I think it's such a great speaker. In our home, it hangs on the wall at the separation between the living room and the dining room, which is also attached to the kitchen. Wonderful sound. Especially if you have a nice New York jazz playlist on during dinner. What I didn't like in the beginning was the lack of bass and treble. But luckily I found out that you can easily adjust that in the SONOS app if you press the volume while playing a song. After I set the bass to +10 and the treble to +5, I was a big fan. What a beautiful piece. And the guests don't even know where the sound is coming from 😄🤙🏽

[@torqueofthedevil8145]

conversely they do think you have shit taste in art though

[@ellemnist]

@@torqueofthedevil8145 theres already prints you can replace the picture with

[@ttolst]

A picture frame that you cannot actually put a picture in, and you don't gain any significant sound advantage even though it is much larger than the One. Unless you love the "art" it seems like a pretty bad compromise? It would have been much more interesting if they had pushed the price up a bit and added more or bigger woofers.

[@vondahe]

I’m hoping (like he mentioned) someone will figure out there’s a market for tasteful Symfonisk fronts. The ones you can buy from IKEA are so ugly they make me gag. I can’t help but wonder what passed through the mind of the person who approved the designs. IMO, the nicest one is what you get with the unit.

[@Ralferator]

Thank you for the review. But you should measure them differently. The tabletop is not ideal and reflects the sound. Also the Symfonisk speaker is made to wall mount so will sound the best mounted to a wall.

[@ToxsickNinja]

So if I bought 2 , they can be linked together ?

[@realtalk6340]

Sounds great for hallways and walkways around the house. I think it’s value is in its ability to create an effects and listening experience around the home (I.g. like an angry way).

[@ragnevi]

Is their a tear down for this one somewhere?

[@glassdomedesign]

Can you have four or six of these together with a centre (arc or Sonos one) to create a really compelling surround sound set up?

[@victoriacaldwell]

Considering this as part of a home cinema set up. Is this a terrible idea? Any idea how well they’d integrate with other technology like projectors?

[@ToxsickNinja]

So if I was using my projector , I would link it through Bluetooth on my phone through the app ?

[@Limitbreak228]

Can this be connected to a PC and configured as an output speaker?

[@andrewcastro2530]

i don't have any Sonos products. How would I be able to use this ? Could not find any directions on line. Can you point me the way ?

[@kathywestling455]

I really hoped that design would light up. That would look more like art I think.

[@mr.t4471]

LIstening with Airpods Max the One sounded muffled and too boomy, where the Frame sounded clearer. To me they didn't sound alike at all. Were they played with the same settings?

[@Laptopdog78]

@Mr.T You cannot listen to a speaker through a streaming device with a set of headphones for gods sake!! Why do people continually not understand this?? The only way to hear how something actually sounds is to be in its very presence while it is playing!!

[@mr.t4471]

@@Laptopdog78 I know that, I know it’s a different ball game compared to being there - but I’m not there and I saw the review and wanted to give my feedback from my observations. What people do or do not understand I can’t answer for. If you are not allowed to comment on the review that displays the audio differences why did you take your time to comment mine? Are you just a troll?

[@Laptopdog78]

@@mr.t4471 No I am not a troll, and I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings! However the amount of people that put comments about speakers sounding like garbage when they are using some earphones and watching a video on KZbin is astonishing……..I truly believe that there are people who think that the speakers sound exactly like the sound coming through there phones, tablets, earphones etc!

[@mr.t4471]

@@Laptopdog78 update :) Yesterday I vent to Ikea and a local hifi store. I listend to both The Frame and Sonos One. The Sonos One sounded better and clearer and the bass not as hollow. Quality and feel on Ikea Frame and Bookshelf was not something for me - Sonos is way better, so I’m getting the Sonos 🤘

[@Laptopdog78]

@@mr.t4471 Excellent, not too boomy and muffled then?

[@aryinaamir3473]

Hi Man I have question I will appreciate if you could help me I will appreciate. My first question I am interested to buy IKEA speaker,I have Android phone so is there any way can play My music on IKEA speaker ? My second question is I am looking speaker for My bedroom I want listen to music before sleep I am looking to buy speaker (any Brands) I want super clear sound. What is your recommendation for me? Thanks in advance for your help.

[@robjennings3045]

Can you mount the frame 'upside down' or otherwise can the cable be run upwards easily behind it to hide the power cables on a picture rail in a room?

[@sphinx5151]

Great informative video as always. Would like to see it paired in future video. Overall sounds great, priced reasonably and hopefully size options being discussed/planned for future releases. Don’t care much at all for the artwork so will wait until optional covers available. 😎

[@briancaine9130]

Good review. The one thing I would like is a “flat” plug design for wall power.

[@hubaishi]

This would be amazing for surround sound

[@llamaSHORTS1]

Considering the frame speaker was meant to be hung against the wall - do you think playing it free-standing during the audio testing caused any sound degradation?

[@HopeFullSpiritFlyer1]

hello.. "strange " speaker... i know it's not for, but can we associate this speaker with a smart android TV? thank you.

[@rsolsjo]

Would be great to have a Symfonisk 2 ("sym-FAUX-niss-k") with a rechargable battery and Bluetooth capability. I also wonder how much the sound is impacted by having it mounted on the wall.

[@ivanbogdaue]

I just bought a white one. Sound quality is OK for a background music, Sonos integration is working well although Sonos does not offer my streaming service of my choice (Tidal). However I am very disappointed how cheap white (grey) fabric looks. If Ikea does not speed up with new designs I am going to return it.

[@graemeneale9311]

The Tweeter and the Base Driver appear to be the same diameter and yet mention is made of the fact that one is almost three times larger than the other? I am confused?

[@kevb8828]

Question.... Could you please cover how these speakers would work as surround sound especially for people who have to have there sofas against the wall? As I'm wondering if this could be a perfect solution to my sonos surround sound? As currently i have to have 2 sonos ones directly to the side of me

[@jezusmylord]

Thats cool but how do they compare to the hurr durr six hundos from old mate senny?

[@richardsinger01]

I like the idea of the picture frame speaker, but for me the trailing mains lead really spoils the look. I don’t want to channel the walls and have sockets installed behind the speaker, so for me it’s a no at this time.

[@newdawnfades263]

It’s not safe to channel power cables either. Best bet would be to install a socket behind the frame

[@MrSteve831]

Can they be connected to any Sonos ? I’ve got a play at at the moment and I know they have been discontinued so will they still work or will I have to upgrade to the beam or arc ?

[@smarthomesounds]

Yes they connect to any Sonos product that runs the latest S2 software.

[@juliaryaz1498]

How can I pair it with a regular desktop computer?

[@MEllO3789]

How does it compare to the symfonisk shelf speaker

[@simonbeasley989]

I'd suggest better as the picture frame and One reviewed as fairly similar. I have Sonos One which sounds better than the Symfonisk bookshelf which sound a tad boxy.

[@mauridimeo794]

Little question can we connect the speakers to the TV?

[@woesteloepi.]

Remember......you can only make stereo pairs with 2 of the same type of speakers! So a panel and a shelf speaker can't pair as a stereo set!

[@karthikeyans8922]

I am getting lag when I play KZbin music from M1 Mac thru Airplay. Lag in the sense it starts sounding after 15-20 sec I start hitting the play button. How to fix this issue?

[@michael-4k4000]

this is an interesting product. thanks for the video. I think 2 of these as rear surrounds with an Arc and a subwoofer is a really clean setup. Too bad they don't have some up firing drivers.

[@thomasbyers9153]

What will be cool is if and when either IKEA, or 3rd party, have you upload your own images.

[@Fanfreddy111]

CAn this product use as wireless surround speaker , like 2 pcs for stero ?

[@polaritymakina8440]

What are these like for producing?

[@daliakay4957]

I love the idea of a picture frame and I'm excited to see prettier designs in the future however, the wiring is a huge turn off. The point is to aim for a seamless look. Why don't they make it wireless and rechargable like many speakers are?

[@autobotguy]

This seems nice, but with Sonos disabling older speaker because they don't fit their new eco-system of speakers, it doesn't bode well for product longevity.

[@Vislav]

Looks awesome but I wish it had a battery so there's no wire hanging from the "picture".

[@craigagnew6202]

Does it support Apple Music spatial audio?

[@shanetaylor8000]

Would it link with sonos setup?

[@harveywilliams5821]

Love the idea, but will wait until other artwork is available.

[@munkeemojo]

Paint it

[@ShaneMott]

You had mentioned you could "daisy chain" two-frame speakers together? Can you confirm that and or elaborate on it? Great Video!!

[@justinbrowns1945]

Think about how you place these when you do that....the same power cable is used to daisy chain (optional choice) the second one So still you would be best to just find another wall plug. for the second speaker. Studs in the walls go up and down 16 inches apart so getting from one spot to the other may not be all that easy. My OCD won't allow for cables to be visible because it appears so sloppy when they do show. Pairing remains in the app as how current speakers are setup.

[@smyrna112]

With Sonos you join them together with software.. no wires to daisy chain

[@leebromley1411]

They can be daisy chained so one feeds power to the other. But they can also be paired to create a left and right stereo pair in the app, and also added as 5.1 speakers to the Playbar, Beam, ARC, and Sub.

[@justinbrowns1945]

@@smyrna112 They are refencing power to daisy chain, not the actual configuration. or use of the speaker.

[@downpp2255]

can this be used with an windows laptop?

[@n25992]

How would u compare it to in ceiling Sonos speakers?

[@ZedEx186]

Can one cast audio to it, like from KZbin, etc?

[@laminandrews]

What if we buy an LCD slim TV with the same size and put up this picture on it?

[@random-vids112]

then it wouldn’t sound good lol

[@Activity-or-lack-of]

Could you pair a screen and a one as rear speaker set?

[@DDHDTV]

dang, tbh, that sound demo was really good! man, really got to think about a Sonos, Symfonsik setup next time when setting something up. Must be awesome to have a 5.1/7.1 setup completely cable free and super stealthy

[@angelgonzalez14]

Love the idea. Prefer the idea of the Sonance Invisible Speakers for "blending" in. Understandably a different price bracket haha

[@skut9]

I purchased one of these back in Nov and the sound quality is solid BUT it not having Bluetooth to where I can't play KZbin or other media from my phone is a bit of a hassle. I hope in the near future they come out with a version that features Bluetooth.

[@rodmcmaster3392]

There's an iPhone app to play KZbin to your Sonos.

[@DropThatDelly]

Can’t you just airplay it to the speaker? Lol

[@DropThatDelly]

I do it with my one everyday

Would two of these work as a rear speakers for sonos soundbar?

[@ItsMyOpinionToday]

would mounting this to a wall give you a little better bass response?

[@stevenkippel5636]

I am curious about the sound comparison with the Symfonisk mounted on a wall with the added boundary boundary boost for low end and baffle for mid range.

[@maxflight777]

I am a huge fan of true play ! Yep find (across my home) it works tremendously well.

[@maxflight777]

9cm bass driver ….. don’t let this put you off ! I have one in my man cave / garage (9m by 13m ) it fills the room with sound ! I’m delighted with it !

[@ericjin5879]

How do you connect this one to TV?

[@five_oh_rino]

Thank you for another great review! I had not yet heard about these speakers, and now I'm excited to get one.

[@emilianofisanotti9639]

I really like the idea of the Symfonisk frame, but I own one of the Symfonisk shelves and it’s software is utter garbage and has regular drops despite having put my WiFi on the channels the troubleshooting requires and multiple contacts with the CS from Sonos telling me that it’s probably too far from the router (less than 5 meters away; one wall in the middle)… has anyone bought one of these frames and actually had it work in a “real life” setting?

[@abambac]

I have two symfonisk shelf speakers. I have them in the window, second flor apartment, 15-20 other wifi’s showing up, route 3-4 meters away. No problem 😌 Sorry! 🤷‍♂️

[@alexandrealbergaria6224]

Sonos arc + sub + 2 SYMFONISK bookshelf speaker on the left and right arrangement and this on the back behind the couch? would that ever work or be overkill?

[@alexs3187]

I don’t think you would be able to pair it that way in the Sonos system, with the picture frame as a rear center.

[@aaronegro]

So, if I have a Sonos amp with a pair of floor standing speakers used for tv/cinema sound… could a pair of frames be used for surround using the Sonos app?

[@smarthomesounds]

Hi Aaron, yes absolutely :)

[@aaronegro]

@@smarthomesounds Thank you, I got confused after watching a few reviews, one of them was mentioning it could not. But all clear now :)

[@ibby.hussain_]

Please make a video of the frames as surrounds I do have Sonos ones as surrounds at the moment which I bought off your website with gen 3 sub aswell from you, I like the idea of the frame as speakers looks pretty cool, also looking to get 65 A90j from you when it's back in stock

[@smarthomesounds]

Hi there, thanks for watching! We will look to make a video of the Frames as surrounds if we have enough demand for it. I would tend to say the Ones and Frames offer a similar performance as surrounds as the sound is quite ambient anyway so it would depend mainly on whether you prefer the idea of Frames as surrounds aesthetically. Regarding the 65" A90J, we've got a couple in stock at the moment, ready to order. I hope that helps!

[@thecraftguy21]

Do you have a video on budget friendly surround sounds with a good sound quality ? Thank you

[@rlxpl]

Is it possible to connect the speaker to act as a soundbar for the TV/Xbox setup?

[@random-vids112]

unfortunately you would need a sonos soundbar. these only work as music speakers or surround sound speakers. the sonos ray is good and cheap at the same time and would let you use these as surrounds. plus it is a good center channel for rounding the setup out

[@azieliena6774]

I just bought samsung frame 55 inch. Hopefully i can pair with this if I have money..

[@simonbeasley989]

Great product and great review.

[@Lilljehook]

Is it easy to make it stereo with two?

[@smarthomesounds]

Really easy - all done through the Sonos app.

[@romyaz1713]

why did you test the speaker far from a wall? does that make a difference? theoretically, it should

[@johnnyjohnson5018]

Do you know if it is possible to create a stereo pair with two of these and use them in the same room as the arc without adding surrounds?

[@bigmac1598]

They should make smart speakers in this fashion

[@pcuimac]

All these speakers are fucking horrible.

[@tobystephen2486]

Is it possible to use these on a ceiling for Atmos sound? And on the same subject, seems the average set up is 5.1.2 and sonos do another sub which is where I am at 5.2.2, but sounds so good I want more!! Do they (or will they) support anything further like 7.2.4.? If so please can you tell me what I need to bye? Big fan of your channel thanks to all of you for a great job!

[@smarthomesounds]

Hi Toby, while it is possible to use them as rears in a Dolby Atmos set up, I wouldn't recommend putting them on the ceiling, only because of how peculiar they might look and it might wear on you over time. Currently, Sonos support a maximum of 5.2.2 and we don't have any idea of Sonos roadmap but we'd hope that this will get expanded in the future. Thanks for watching!

[@youaake]

How to connect your tv audio?

[@Mububban23]

Last time I was in Ikea I heard the lamp and was really surprised at the sound quality

[@coccosoids]

Anyone know what those shelves on the back wall are?

[@gareth5000]

You can buy the actuator on amazon for peanuts and stick it on one of your pictures!

[@rysons]

Can you set these up as down firing speakers with the new Sonos beam to create a better atmos setup

[@random-vids112]

probably not because they are meant to be level or at a slight angle.

[@markwalsh2709]

can you create a stereo pair with a couple of the frames?

[@johnlouiegrajo2498]

Yes you can.

[@markwalsh2709]

@@johnlouiegrajo2498 and can you add a sub?

[@PacesIII]

A print shop may be able to make a change for you. There are printable fabrics available for latex printing.

[@JS-ev4xc]

Still prefer IKEA Eneby series (also a collaboration with Sonos) as it operates on BT. No worries of app installation and even can connect to any BT music source including dumb phone.

[@MrJogar3967]

That would be so cool as frame picture if it could slideshow pics!It’s so unfortunate!I wouldn’t mind paying more to see my memories in such different way!!!Enjoying my playlist!But nice piece though!!!

[@herosandwich7940]

Would have been great if you actually tested on a wall. Right where it was intended. On a wall.

[@keirux]

Could you possibly do a more intensive sound comparison? In this test the Ikea sounds much more prominent in the highs but it’s missing a lot on the vocals. The One sounds warmer and realistic. Wondering if this is the case in real life or just how this recording ended up being, but based on this recording alone it seems to differ a lot from the sonos one in the sound quality department

[@smarthomesounds]

Thats a fair comparison when listening live too. What didn't come across so well is the Symfonisk has a deeper bass response. Hope this helps.

[@keirux]

​@@smarthomesounds Thanks for the answer! Do you think using trueplay could improve the sounds signature to make them more comparable? I'd love to see a comparison with trueplay enabled. Seriously considering the Symfosink because of the convience but the lack of warmth and unnatural sound with pronounced highs turns me off

[@vondahe]

I have the Symfonisk picture frame and I agree with your impression. However, once the speaker is mounted on the wall, my non-audiophile ears feel the bass improves significantly. Still doesn’t match Sonos One but very decent.

[@cobraflunkie]

If these we set up as rear surrounds on a wall right behind the couch would it be ok as surround?

[@adyandrey23andrey]

The sound is almost the same as the One. So no issues in using them as surrounds. You can also go for the symfonisk bookshelfs, as they also sound pretty similar. For a pair of surrounds you would save 150$. You can also wall mount them or put them on a stand if you need to.

[@cobraflunkie]

@@adyandrey23andrey thank you for that and given my lack of space around the couch I might have to opt for this setup. Good thing is that IKEA has a great returns policy so if it doesn't work out I should be able to return it.

[@adyandrey23andrey]

@@cobraflunkie exactly, try it out. If you don't like how it sounds, you can return them. But if you like them, then you'll just be happy with it. :)

[@69memnon69]

Cord against the wall is an eyesore.

[@oslogutt80]

well that is for most locations possible so fix...what else to expect??

[@hilltop2536]

Hide in wall!

[@gelphmullet]

I would fish the wire through he wall

[@jasontimothywells9895]

Then shut your eyes mate

[@slc_282]

Relocate your outlet

[@antonwinter630]

really like the concept. can i connect it to a google home ?

[@smarthomesounds]

Hi Anton, yes you can add a Google Home device and then voice control the Symfonisk through that device. Hope that helps!

[@ParadoxEP]

Think they missed a really cool chance to make it assistant capable. Would've sold them just for that alone

[@eugenioalfonsocesterodiaz5373]

Where can I buy this please ?

[@smarthomesounds]

Hi there, this is an IKEA exclusive so please check the IKEA website for the latest pricing and availability in your area.