IKEA x teenage engineering FREKVENS speakers unboxing and quick review

[@snerttt]

Picked up one of the big ones without sub for £25 on sale, really good sound for the price!

[@JoeBleeps]

Yeah it's a steal at that price, I was tempted to go and get more!

[@snerttt]

@@JoeBleeps I also got the battery on ebay, it lasts a very long time on a single charge!

[@JoeBleeps]

@@snerttt well done! I haven't found the battery yet but it's always in my shed so I can plug it in

[@pmbear]

I am chuffed that you said OP ZED, mate. Spot on.

[@JoeBleeps]

Haha! It wouldn't even enter my head to say oh pee zee 😂🤣

[@pmbear]

Joe Bleeps great unboxing, I don’t understand why here in Montreal they have the lights but not the speakers yet...

[@JoeBleeps]

@@pmbear the different stuff seems to be showing up at different times in different places!

[@pmbear]

@@JoeBleeps haha I am good, went in there today found a speaker and a pair of crazy epilepsy-inducing strobe lights... the sound is not bad on that box (10x20)

[@JoeBleeps]

@@pmbear excellent!

[@Neoklis128]

I'm rewatching your video in anticipation of getting mine! I think i'll try and make some sort of mount for the top to attach my korg kaosillator. I'll have to find some plugs for the stoppers on the top.

[@Neoklis128]

Great colour match that yellow! I might have to pick one up soon

[@JoeBleeps]

I was surprised how torn I felt; the red looked so amazing with that very dark grey. I wish they came with a set of each rather than having to choose.

[@hovermotion]

Cool.....TE make some unique kit..

[@samuelgaumann1534]

It looks to me like you should be able to unplug the powercable from the wallplug to daisy-chain them. just a guess.

[@Al-yo7vz]

exactly the video I needed

[@JoeBleeps]

That's so great to hear! Thank you for watching!

[@LogiForce86]

3:10 Stating that it is a stereo input to a mono speaker is especially important when playing songs that have instruments panned to one side in the mix. For example if a rhythm guitar is panned to the right and the device would only listen to the left channel as a result you will be missing out fundamental instruments in the song.

[@JoeBleeps]

You're right, of course. And that's a good point, it is indeed a stereo input and the circuit will merge the two signals to one. Wow, can you imagine how many speakers would be returned if it only played one channel?! It was just when I was reviewing the footage I felt the need to remind that it's a mono speaker is all.

[@LogiForce86]

@@JoeBleeps You would be surprised how many people would not even notice the difference without anything to compare it to. So while for sure there would be some returns it doesn't necessarily have to be as many as we might expect. Not everyone is critical on their audio after all, just like for some people are critical on how their car drives when they buy it when for others it's just a tool to get from A to B.

[@JoeBleeps]

@@LogiForce86 as I make my own music which includes stereo and pan effects, it drives me mad when I play at a venue that only has one channel working on the pa system! All my songs sound "broken" - again, as you say a lot of people may not notice. No problems with this speaker in that respect anyway 😊

[@danssalvagerebuilds6638]

Literally just bought the 6x10 it sounds pretty good for such a small speaker.

[@JoeBleeps]

I agree and friends have said the same! Quite surprising in the best way

[@bailie85db]

Most importantly how did the larger speaker sound? Is it a quality speaker? I see you can get a sub woofer attachment for it that would boost the sound even more

[@JoeBleeps]

It's a really good quality speaker and surprisingly loud! The one with the sub must be crazy loud!

[@bailie85db]

Thanks for the quick reply 👍 i seen these speakers yesterday in ikea Belfast, loved the concept of the modules and the fact you can add to this. Seen a display they had with the tripod stand so that you can attach all the lighting and speaker modules which looked cool. Im thinking of buying some of this but i wish it wasn't a limited run cause this would be cool to build up over the years cause it can get expensive if you tried to buy it all in one go. Already seeing silly prices on ebay from the state's

[@JoeBleeps]

@@bailie85db take heart in the thought that a lot of those ebay prices are chances, they aren't sold items for the most part. I agree it would be a brilliant range to build up over time. I think the best target user here is anyone running parties, gatherings, discos, small gigs etc. But the modular aspect brings a nice versatility so it can be used by an old man in a shed too 😉

[@JohnnyMotel99]

check oluf gadgets on YT

[@JKDz63]

Are you living in the UK? looking to pick up some of these and haven't heard anything about when they'd be hitting uk stores

[@denz8261]

went to Ikea today. they are in stock

[@JoeBleeps]

Yes I'm in the UK. I got these a couple of weeks ago, the official launch is 7th February I think but stock has been popping up in stores early

[@JKDz63]

@@JoeBleeps sweet thank you!

[@elshuffles]

good work Joe

[@JoeBleeps]

Thank you! Got another video incoming soon, with the led light from the same range!

[@arcanusluvalus1388]

im missing both ac in/ac out cords from my yellow and red 10x20s. Everyone else is saying the same. Maybe a product misprint, or ikea and teenage made a huge mistake and forgot to pack these up properly. Let me know what you think on this matter, im working with eBay sellers and third party cord companies to find a solution because I feel as if the cord not being in the box is essential to the modular systems functionality/ will be venturing to the nearest ikea, might have to buy lights and just swap the cords from those to the speakers unfortunately that doesn't really help me too much since ill still be down two cords. I did a lot of box comparisons and to my findings it seems as if the ac in and out cord was supposed to be included in all frekvens electronic products.

[@arcanusluvalus1388]

matches the sketches on the outside of the box with similar items and there is proof that the lights and 10x20 speaker share the same cord sketch on the box.

[@JoeBleeps]

I agree that this was the case on both of the 10x20 units I've seen. I think it's a misprint on the box perhaps. The lights do indeed come with the daisy chain cable so they can be linked to the speakers, however it's a shame each unit in the range doesn't come with one.

[@McFly.]

awesome video! thank you for the detailed review!

[@JoeBleeps]

Thanks!

[@brr8190]

Actually stating that that is a stereo input is not dumb as you usually get stereo output from phones and protable players and the stereo to mono conversion happens inside the box. If it would be a mono input, and you have a stereo output form the source, you would get just one channel.

[@JoeBleeps]

Very true of course. I just felt a bit pretentious saying that when it's going into a mono speaker haha! Force of habit

[@Deniki666]

Didn't think Ikea would have something so nice

[@DevilChowder]

Thank you for this video. Our Module didnt come with the daisy chain either! I think this is a fault on IKEA's end

[@JoeBleeps]

Most definitely. The good news is that the modular lighting (hoping to do a video soon) at least came with the daisy chain so that can be added to the speaker unit at least.

[@dre145]

does it turn off after 15 minutes automaticly without any music playing? like the eneby

[@JoeBleeps]

Oooh I don't know! I'll try it next time I'm in my shed

[@snerttt]

Yes

I would mount the strap on the side to get a wider grip.

[@JoeBleeps]

Yeah lots of options! Would be nice of it came with a longer strap as well as the short one so it would go on the longer side easily

[@shrimpdynamics4003]

im pretty bummed out that you cant skip or go back a song on the small speaker, its not hard to program it in im pretty sure they just forgot to do it wtf

[@rollerxcore]

I love the yellow too, its a shame you dont get a choice of color dial, adding to the more modular feel and customisation of it. Im soooo on the fence after this video. they do look really cool, but price wise im not sure i can justify them, especially as i already have speakers.... but these are yellow!!!

[@JoeBleeps]

The smaller one is a no brainer but for the other two, I agree £65 and £129 deserves more careful consideration. Depending on availability and how limited the release is, I'd suspect if the resellers get hold of them the prices may get driven up to silly levels. I hope stocks are plenty and that doesn't happen!

[@mattsephton]

The Swedish pronounce it IK-EE-A 😎

[@JoeBleeps]

Hard to change a habit of a lifetime 😅

[@mattsephton]

Joe Bleeps especially when we're from up north!

[@JoeBleeps]

@@mattsephton aye. (kea)

[@bytesabre]

I didn’t get the link cable in my one either

[@JoeBleeps]

I'm glad it wasn't just me but that's going to disappoint or at least confuse a lot of people

[@bytesabre]

Joe Bleeps not being clear about needing to buy the battery is gonna annoy a lot of people. In my case I was bothering the guy trying to set the frekvens display up, asking if the big one was wireless or just mains powered and he stopped what he was doing to help figure this out so props to Reading IKEA for the top customer service. Also I took their last battery so that might also annoy some folks...

[@JoeBleeps]

@@bytesabre I'm sorry I thought I was clear in my video that the battery was separate? Or do you mean Ikea weren't clear about it? Either way, the staff in Warrington were very helpful too but clearly hadn't been given any information about the products.

[@bytesabre]

Joe Bleeps yeah you were very clear, and I can’t fault that, but the box it comes in/the shop display didn’t say anything at all about needing it, so lots of people are going to take them home wondering why it won’t turn on without the mains plugged in, read the manual, and go back to Ikea in frustration to get the battery

[@JoeBleeps]

@@bytesabre very true. As I said in the video it's surprising how minimal all the information and instruction is in general. Not typical of Ikea

[@clintbeastwood3311]

Dope!

[@JoeBleeps]

Thank you!

[@gorry123]

It's too expensive for an average teenager and requires just too much tampering just to play music from a mobile via bluetooth on a party. You can buy a proper complete JBL bluetooth speaker for the price of just one module, which is mono BTW. Plus I found it messy to setup and carry around with all these cables on its back. Portability-wise, regular JBL speakers also pack better due to their more backpack friendly shapes. IMO this will be a flop unless they substantially lower the prices.

[@JoeBleeps]

I had similar thoughts about those aspects and that sort of market. Especially with having to stump up for a £15 battery if you want it to be portable. I really can't tell if it will be a flop with the mass market or if its cult status/limited availability will make it sought after. Its almost like tossing a coin. For my needs, it's perfect.

[@catbat06]

yea this isn't for teenagers, the name is more a joke

[@JoeBleeps]

@@catbat06 I've had that name in my head for so long I'd never even made a connection to teenagers haha! Still an interesting point though, it will be interesting to see who this stuff appeals to. I overheard a (young) Ikea employee complaining to his colleague about how bad it all was! "the worst thing they've ever done" lol

[@catbat06]

@@JoeBleeps as with all of their stuff, it's for adults with a a taste for lo-fi aesthetic and a willingness to pay for that design. It's like punk luxury.

[@JoeBleeps]

@@catbat06 absolutely

[@JuanSanchez-rb4qu]

How the sound quality on these speakers? specially the big one. Also can you sync two to have stereo? over bt or it has to be wired? As for copyright strikes I recommend you use copyleft music like NCS, its better than nothing

[@JoeBleeps]

I found the sound quality to be pretty good, certainly louder than expected. It's all subjective though, some people in these comments seem less impressed. As for the stereo option I'm not sure; as I said the instructions are somewhat vague. I suspect it's just the single speaker. You can connect via aux input or Bluetooth.

[@JuanSanchez-rb4qu]

@@JoeBleeps Thanks, so I take its loud but not noisy/cranky right? as for stereo its weird that with all the modding in these things they forgot something as basic as allowing users to make a stereo setup

[@JoeBleeps]

@@JuanSanchez-rb4qu yeah that's right, loud but stable. And maybe there is a stereo link option? But you're right, for a modular system it seems an obvious option.

[@gorry123]

As for the sound quality, IMO it was good, the sound was on the warm side, balancing on a border of being muddy. This to say, I still prefer my JBL Xtreme because it sounds clearer, packs more highs and bass and is stereo. I am not sure why - even if this is a modular design - IKEA is so insistent on making their speakers mono.

[@JoeBleeps]

@@gorry123 I agree, it would have been nice to have two with a channel each

[@dariusmoldovan6202]

They look like McDonald's toys 😂