The IKEA/SONOS Symfonisk picture frame sounds terrible...right? WRONG.

[@UKDagnar]

The last review I watched was for a £17,000 amp, now you look at a £179 speaker and for both you approach from a positive angle of where they work best and how good a job they do. No sneering at the cheapo speaker. This is why I sub to your channel, the positive outlook on all audio for all commers.

[@dilbyjones]

Im glad I'm learning not to be an audio snob the temptation is real.

[@MarkoKolman]

+1 on this! @DarkoAudio is super legit dude. Much respect.

[@cheriesonline]

A fellow audiophile who will admit that speakers can be situational!? You continue to impress. That being said I am so glad that you reviewed this because I was considering one for my kitchen. There is a wall between my kitchen and my hifi setup in the living area and I wasn't keen on drilling holes in the wall for speakers. I'm not sure where I could put speakers either so this seems like a brilliant solution.

[@DarkoAudio]

**PLEASE READ CAREFULLY** 1) Want more info? The show notes are here: darko.audio/2021/09/a-very-short-film-about-the-ikea-sonos-symfonisk-picture-frame/ 2) Polite comments that advance the conversation are most welcome (but no URLs, please) 3) All comments are moderated by a third party

[@Robert.Dickson]

As a Sonos owner, I have a stereo pair in the living room and a single speaker in the bedroom. It’s good to see someone like yourself looking at this gear and not looking down your nose at it. I have a relatively small flat and, as much as I would like to have a proper hifi setup, I’m limited for space and my Mrs can never work a hifi. That’s where Sonos steps in and gives us a decent sound, relative to the price point.

[@whollymindless]

It's Sonos. It's "pleasant" and it generally just works. Sometimes you don't want to fiddle with it.

[@johnnixon2504]

I have their lamp in my daughter’s bedroom. Love it. Super easy to use and sounds fine. Oh and it makes light 🤣

[@adyandrey23andrey]

Definitely! They have a full enough sound that you can happily listen to music to. They can also be used as rears in a Sonos home theater, which is great.

[@RadThings]

I love your content. When your videos come out I’m like a kid in a candy shop rushing to watch the next review.

[@philippebertrand3820]

What I like about your channel is that your can be objectively enthousiastic about a 10k Mola Mola dac and a modest IKEA loudspeaker.

[@TimeBreakPictures]

Ah you are also watching Camera Conspiracies ... one of my best recently discovered KZbin channels :-)

[@ephektz]

Camera Conspiracies! I love how my favorite KZbinrs watch each other. I wonder if he watches you 🤔

[@danni0510]

I can see great taste choosing your KZbin channels you are watching. Allready found your dream camera ? :D

[@2112earl]

They look good but unfortunately I have just bought two google nest speakers and stream plexaudio to them and love them (as I'm on a very low budget)

[@JogieGlenMait16]

i like what you're watching on youtube, mate....:D

[@SqueamishPuppet]

I can't believe you watch Camera Conspiracys!

[@Lucaf_2008]

Interesting...do we know when Spotify cd quality streaming is coming yet?

[@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?

[@JD-ke2td]

Would two of these work well as rear surrounding speakers for a home theater Sonos system? An Arc up front with a mini sub and two picture/speakers by IKEA as surrounds. Thanks

[@saucyg6371]

I’m relatively new to the audiophile scene, being in the club for around 3-4 years now. Anyways, I quickly came to the conclusion that I want one main setup, and everything else are nice-ities. Ie. I don’t need audiophile grade iems or headphones w/ a dap or something to go to the gym, it would only be a hinderance. I got the wireless powerbeats pro because I’d rather have the convenience of them staying in my ear than top tier sound. Plus they’re not all that expensive. If anything happens I can just buy new ones. And in other areas that aren’t my setup it’s the same thing, as long as the sound is not shit then I’m all good. Not everything in my life needs to be/is going to be audiophile grade/quality.

[@shemsureshot]

Any thoughts on using a pair of these as surrounds for the Arc?

[@benjaminrosich]

"'Reframe' your thinking", Nice! Enjoyable watch, as always. Thanks my friend.

[@NemanjaPantelic]

It's awesome what they came up with and maybe a bit brave, having in mind people will hang in on their walls, next to art. But the situational audio is the approach I have in my house. One good HiFi where I can appreciate the sound stage :) and Sonos 1s placed all over the house, including a stereo pair on top of the high kitchen cabinet and one in the bathroom. Well worth considering I'd say if you like to listen to music or podcasts while doing stuff around the house.

[@zipp4everyone263]

About your usecase; i assume you want to have a simple setup so that you dont have to think about what you do when you wake up, right? Get an NFC-tag, program it with either a url or spotify tag and have that send you straight to the newest podcast/to the creators homepage. That way you can wake up, put the phone down and have the podcast presented to you in a seamless fashion. Sure it takes a little setting up but if you're like me you're not the most energetic in the morning and such a routine can be made much easier with a little bit of work in the afternoon ;)

[@zipp4everyone263]

One can also make it a bit deeper and automatically connect the speakers through a little trickery :)

[@joz411no8]

I never stopped being amazed at what we find ourselves wanting and needing.

[@Cyba_IT]

Hence why Apple is one of the richest companies in the world. They are pro's at making everyone think they need their latest gadgets.

[@tee-jaythestereo-bargainph2120]

Congrats John on 200k !!!!!!!! Been with you forever i have read atleast 50 articles you have written up Appricate all you do !

[@DaveFlash]

so wait what. this is your first experience with symfonisk?

[@CaptHotah]

Imagine having like 11 of these around the room and calling friends over for movie and they would know where the sound it's coming from 😂

[@dilbyjones]

One more ribbon speaker and they would have been able to get another 10%outta it

[@ChoySekMunSimon]

You've hit the nail on the head so to speak about using situational appropriate use for these genre of loudspeakers, something that I have come to appreciate during the lockdown period here in Malaysia. There are lots of common areas in people's homes that would benefit the implementation of such active wireless loudspeakers for background and casual listening purposes.

[@penangtv6108]

Yep, have had JBL LINK & Google mini around for a few years, can't survive without background music especially in condo. Any idea if ikea sonos is available in Malaysia? Although the prices is just not compatitive. Would rather buy one of the Amazon speakers with dome tweeter or touchscreen for around RM 5-600.

[@PokeBowl82]

Hail to Speedy J, Rotterdam's finest !! :-)

[@DIYtechie]

They seem like an obvious choice for rear speakers in a Sonos surround setup. I have proper hifi in my living room, but I like the Sonos One in my other rooms. How to the wall art speaker compare to the other IKEA Sonos speakers and the Sonos One?

[@robertnelson3179]

Great idea I got the email from them about it. Did not think about the TV connection part. Thanks

[@Zoranurai13]

Sonos is the best alarm clock i’ve ever had. I swear

[@DarkoAudio]

This is a great comment!

[@grahamlofthouse8063]

I’m kind of tempted but is there a way of masking the power cable so it actually looks like a piece of art ?

[@robtinkers5905]

Look into the ducting that people use to hide TV cables inside walls. (Or you could install a power socket in the middle of the wall if you're going wifi.)

[@1blackballed]

I heard this for myself in IKEA last week and was also very surprised at how good it sounded. Also the book shelf speakers and the lamp also sounded good.

[@joshhyyym]

Are you suggesting watching TV with the sound in mono? That a bit odd

[@antonsiberian]

It was unexpected to see that you’re watching the Camera Conspiracies channel )

[@smellyoldsock1553]

Two of these as stereo rears with a Sonos Arc and Gen 3 Sub is the way to go.

[@Nearest_Neighbor]

"AlI I want is the perfect sound system." 🎶

[@brianr.8888]

🤣 Brilliant! Hopefully we dont experience any "Soneh" as a blurring of background sounds coming from this speaker!

[@brochg]

Thank you so much! I’ve been looking for a family friendly Airplay device!

[@eespinosa64]

This would be perfect to replace my 2 Play:1's that I'm currently using as surrounds in my Sonos Amp/Sub home theater setup.

[@stevoc123]

I picked up a couple of the IKEA lamps for the bedroom. I was really surprised buy how well the tackle everything. Far better than I expected.

[@Grrrr3FKAGrrrrGrrrrGrrrr]

Very illuminating

[@SuperSetright]

@@Grrrr3FKAGrrrrGrrrrGrrrr sounds interesting.

[@alonzosmith6189]

Can I add to my Sonos Beam, make a surround sound

[@ColeBraito]

Yeah I believe you can. I remember reading that somewhere but I can’t find it again to confirm.

[@sdemosi]

Tasty idea

[@rotaks1]

Cool! Never thought your channel would review a mono product. Liked the episode!

[@KurtusCFlush]

Also, like all Sonos speakers, it can be connected directly to Roon. Airplay isn't needed.

[@soundconnex]

Love your concept of "situational audio". I do the same. I'm not a Sonos person (yet) but am running a couple of computers to play multiple ambient music sound sources (off youtube or Qobuz for now). The idea of wall art speakers playing various sounds (or a podcast) eminmating from different walls could be fun.

[@joei4ever]

one important warning! If you live in houses built from studs and drywall, these speakers TRANSFER sounds through walls through whole house!! NOT IN A GOOD WAY

[@DuSeun]

Not "these" speakers. All speakers. Which is why you should properly isolate

[@pablovi77]

Well, in my bedroom I have the Harman Kardon Citation 500, and it sounds great, it only does Chromecast and Airplay though, and it’s about $300 USD. But it sounds great.

[@sdemosi]

That HK is a nice musical speaker with powerful bass. It's also got Google Assistant and works well with Google Home.

[@MR_CAMARADERIE]

Thank you for such a thorough and unbiased review, I really appreciate your work! As a huge Sonos fan myself, I found myself agreeing with everything you have mentioned about the Picture Fame. Keep the great videos coming :)

[@ealanosborne]

200K subs! What an achievement! I am thrilled anytime any KZbinr in the audio realm reaches such a milestone, since of course I’m gonna be husslin’ towards that myself! 🤘💯 Congrats, my friend.

[@sonicsessions]

I did just this a week ago (put a symfonisk frame in my bedroom), and it’s perfect for exactly what you said: I want some music while I get ready, and paired with a Sonos One in the bathroom, that portion of my morning is covered seamlessly. Plus, it’s a major upgrade from my crap audio that came out of Bluetooth speakers and echo devices I had used before. Just wish the lamp version was still widely available.

[@Cyba_IT]

Hey GB, does it have a mic for voice activation like a Google Home speaker?

[@brongracz]

Yep but no chromecast...

[@MartinBischof]

Will Hear to it during my next IKEA visit

[@curiousmichael]

I could be wrong, but it’s worth confirming if you want to go down the Apple TV + AirPlay route: I think tvOS will only allow you to permanently choose an AirPlay speaker …if it’s an Apple HomePod. You can AirPlay ‘on demand’ to any AirPlay speaker, but it’ll ‘forget’ that speaker and require you to reselect it. I hope there’s a technical reason, and not just a controlling tech firm reason, but …🤷🏼‍♂️

[@evshrug]

So, a benefit of using an iOS device like an iPad or AppleTV, or an android device, is that these devices communicate the lag and delay video playback so they stay lip synced. Unfortunately, Mac & Windows desktop/laptops don’t do this.

[@ericjin5879]

How do you connect this to TV?

[@ericjenkins2737]

Symmetry, one of my most favorite electronic tracks of all time.

[@lindsaywebb1904]

Shout out to Camera Conspiracies

[@thomasa.243]

A couple of years ago, when it was still relatively new, I have tried the Sonos Play:1. My expectations were quite low given the size of it. However, when I have tried it, it sounded much better than you expect. For background music, news listening, podcasts, radio, etc. it is phenomenal.

[@Mikehdy]

I have a question but it doesn't relate to this video sorry, I hope you don't mind. It is about connection between a phone playing music through chromecast, tv, DAC, and stereo/ receiver. How would you connect it all together? It's a little bit of a puzzle at the moment! Thanks from NZ

[@B2video]

What's next, the Swedish House Mafia collaboration, version 2 of the musical lamp, symfonisk or the Sonos control?

[@xmayer2000]

Dear John, thanks a lot for that great video. I (hopefully) see another case for this speaker. Maybe you could give me your opinion about that. I turned from audiophile to more electronic music and a club sound setting therefore. What is your opinion to use 4 or 6 of this speakers in a single (large) room, maybe in combination with a subwoofer, to get this "sound is everywhere" feeling from a club. Do you think this could work? THX

[@Cyba_IT]

So, I'm guessing it sounds better than any Google Home speakers being proper 2-way. Nice. I have 3 google home's and 3 google home mini's around the house which is fine for podcasts and background music. This looks like a more elegant and better sounding solution, although of course more expensive as well.

[@Maver1ck911]

I appreciate the wide range of thoughtful reviews, BUT I AM SO GLAD COMMENTS ARE BACK! Have a good one!

[@Mrhaoable]

have u tried ceiling lights with bluetooth speaker ? Its sounds about the quality of a phone speaker , but thru the app u can make it your alarm clock

[@ivanbogdaue]

I bought it yesterday for my dining room. Sound is ok, functionality as well, but this white cover looks sooo cheap, I hate it. Hope new covers arrive in my IKEA soon or I am gonna return it. P.S. TV speaker ... do not think so, it is simply too big for a TV speaker.

[@fi5ke]

I have the IKEA Sonos bookshelf speakers. It's not that bad with some eq. Quite enjoy it and it's really cheap like around 100 euro. The only thing that actually makes the sound on it worse than streaming through Airplay is that in my experience when you turn on normalise audio in the Spotify app the dynamic range suffers a bit. I guess that is a thing on other Sonos products too. It sounds like it's on per default when not using Airplay.

[@IrenESorius]

Im genuinely positively surprised,, 😮! Cheers and thanks John/Olaf,, 🍻🍻😎👍‍‍👍‍‍!!

[@eddli1991]

YESSS YOU WATCH CAMERA CONSPIRACIES TOO 😂😂😂 that B-roll got me good

[@Sampardhanani]

That’s a practical gear from a practical manufacturer endorsed by a practical guy called Darko.😊 Lovely John.

[@cosmic_diver]

Great review. We can't spend all our time sitting in the correct position in a single room enjoying sounds. The synergy of functionality and form is important in our lives and I have to admit that being able to have speakers that do the job required and can be customised to please my wife so that we don't have ugly boring boxes for certain sound reproduction, with our own artwork or photos, is very appealing. So thanks John for the unbiased and objective review as always. I see there's a Dutch company that creates custom covers for these from customer provided artwork, so that is very appealing, as I know I'd get pretty bored of the sterile IKEA designs...

[@suryadnb]

You didn't compare it to the Sonos One. Probably because you don't have one. But I have to say I was very disappointed with that speakers and it's the main reason I would never consider Sonos products.

[@inkeye1]

Great review! I just ordered the Symfonish picture frame for my office. I do have other Sonos speakers in my house. My experience with Airplay and Sonos is that it works okay in a pinch. The TV audio is much better when it is coming from the eARC into a Sonos Beam or other soundbar. There were lots of volume fluctuations when I was sending TV audio through Airplay. When it comes to Airplaying music, the sound was fine.

[@brng1755]

The JBL Partybox 310 is my allround speaker outside and inside. It gets plenty loud and can be pluged in for some additional dB. It does not have the clarrity of my hifi setup or the loudness of giant Party towers but its good enough to fit them both.

[@jimfarrell4635]

Slightly tenuous connection but I want to give a shout out to Morel's Hogtalere speaker which came out a year or two ago and was designed specifically to fit precisely in a Kallax unit. Only Bluetooth so not a true streamer but really sounds great and was pretty much ignored when it came out.

[@rolandrohde]

I would not really like the picture or lamp speaker, but the little bookshelf Ikea thingies might be interesting.

[@greenbeginner3353]

Question: If I have WiFi, can I play anything off the internet and my collection or do I have to purchase some kind of music subscription?

[@branikkkk]

If sound quality is not abig issue, why not to use homepod (or google/amazon equivalent)?

[@duke86fan]

I was almost going to buy these for my parents to replace a soundbar since we don't really have any of room for that living room.. BUT it does not connect to a TV whether it's TOSlink or HDMI. It's kinda disappointing they did not include an output for anything other than ethernet.

[@chasemason5129]

Fantastic video! Would be good if you could do a comparison between Bluesound and Sonos. You've already done a great video on the Sonos Play:5. Would be interested to hear how you think Bluesound's multi room speaker system compares.

[@patrickmcguigan5939]

I sold Sonos in Richer Sounds when they first launched in the UK and always absolutely loved their products! The first generation was a tad glitchy, but show me a first gen product that isn't. I have a Play1 in my kitchen and it gets used every day as much as my hifi in my office. And I'm already looking at the Sound Frame for the living room. A great, quick review as always. A great approach to hifi that leaves the gate keeping, which is far too common in this field, at the door!

[@saurabbbhardwaj1930]

If I recall correctly, had come across a b&w picture frame speaker years back. Didn't have streaming hose days, of course.

[@morganrowe]

Completely agree, sometimes you just want music in a convenient way. That's why I use a Google mini as my alarm clock/news machine in the bedroom! (Free with the phone too at the time 😉)

[@Kevin-the-Just]

Hey John, regarding voice sync on KZbin, you should check that on a number of separate occasions. I've seen it get out of sync with itself more than once. 😁

[@neon_berni]

Incredible review, so helpful! Thank you :)

[@Mark-rn6rs]

Thank you for the video I was wondering does this ikea/sonos speaker support the tru-play??

[@normwetherbee3403]

I gave a lot of thought into picking a couple of these up to use in the couple of rooms in our house that don't have a sound system of some sort. I kept coming back to thinking the power cord would be a distraction if wall mounted. Who has an outlet that high on a wall where a picture frame would normally be hung? I suppose you could lean it on some sort of stand on a table but that kind of defeats the purpose and Sonos makes plenty of speakers ( even some with Ikea ) for that anyway. This was a great review.

[@TorToroPorco]

Most portable bluetooth sound small and very directional. It would be nice to have an unobtrusive speaker that filled the room sonically so you can have ambient music and clear voicing for podcasts and internet radio. There is definitely a use case for functionality and convenience in audio devices and this looks like a great product. Another winning recommendation from Darko.

[@marksilgalis9400]

Felicitations on reaching 200K subscribers! On to 500K!

[@alexludmirsky457]

Hi John!) What is your coffee set up? Thanks for your channel!!!! :)

[@ericheaton9926]

Is the power lead hanging down or up or sideways, a distraction from overall look?

[@budgetaudiophilelife-long5461]

🤗 SURPRISE 🤗 SURPRISE 😎 GOOD NEWS FOR ALL THE REASONS YOU MENTIONED 😍😍😍

[@aayotechnology]

Curious what anyone would suggest as a step up from this and still being a wall mount. Thanks

[@paulf.5261]

Sounds interesting, I’m just not much of a fan of the art 🤔🤷‍♂️

[@gabriellundmark]

Apple TV allows you to calibrate to compensate for the latency

[@domtomas1178]

Hey John, nice to see this review. I just moved house and wanted to have music in my kitchen. Have a proper Hi-fi setup in my lounge - but just like you I didn't want to have another one just to listen to some tunes while I have a coffee in the morning. I went with a Sonos One SL. It's surprisingly decent sounding. Just need InnuOS 2.0 to control it now. Keep up the great work!

[@Constantin1020]

200000 subscribers! Congratulation John!

[@ewt00b]

I think it is definitely for someone who doesnt want a visible speaker in a room. And the uses described here i think there is a niche market for this. Interesting.

[@michaelt.t.hansen]

Still hoping for a comparison video on Spatial Audio and Stereo. Keep up the great work.

[@vkvedam]

Short and sweet, nice. Voice assistant integration would have been icing on the cake :-)

[@dougg1075]

Interesting. I use the speaker in my kitchen for news and podcast also.