Something to look forward to: Ikea and Sonos have partnered to build a collection of lamp and bookshelf speakers. While they won't replace an existing high-end audio setup, they could be compelling enough for people who are looking to buy their first Sonos speaker. Both speakers can be controlled using the Sonos app and added to an existing multi-room audio setup. The bookshelf speaker will cost $99 while the lamp will cost $179.
Ikea and Sonos have announced the Symfonisk collection of lamp and bookshelf speakers. The two companies made the announcement at Salone del Mobile, a design show in Italy. Ikea's smart home executive, Björn Block, commented on the collaboration saying, "IKEA is always looking for ideas that improve life at home. By integrating technology with home furnishing products and solutions, we can do that in an even better way."
From an audio quality perspective, don't expect Sonos One levels of fidelity, however, they'll likely sound a lot better than something like an Amazon Echo or Google Home. In fact, the companies used a network of lamps to play audio during the launch event. That said, if you already have a Google Home Max or HomePod, you probably don't need to run out and get these unless you really want your lamp to play music.
Both speakers come in black or white and have one tweeter, one mid-woofer, and two digital amplifiers. The lamp's dial to power it on and off is also removable and replaceable. Ikea says they want customers to be creative. Unfortunately, neither speaker has a built-in mic so while Alexa is technically supported, you'll have to use an Amazon Echo or another Alexa-enabled device to control the speaker. Siri and AirPlay 2 are also supported for Apple users.
According to The Verge, Ikea's lack of expertise with high-end audio led it to partner with Sonos. To that end, the speakers are "jointly developed" with Sonos obviously building the audio related components before handing it off to Ikea for final assembly. The novelty of putting a speaker inside of a lamp forced some creative engineering on Sonos' part.
Neither of the two companies announced a specific release date although they are targeting an August launch. The bookshelf and lamp speakers could be compelling for someone desiring to get into the Sonos ecosystem (and jazz up their decor) without paying for the more expensive Sonos products.