The vocal performances are delivered cleanly and clearlythere's hardly a hint of added sibilance, despite there being some sculpting in the high-mids and highs. The new SYMFONISK line is meant to offer a slight compromise on sound, but delivered in a high-value cheaper package. We played several tracks from Thom Yorke's new record, Anima, most of which have challenging deep bass of various levels of intensity in different ranges. One is a multicolored splatter art design and the other is a minimalist drawing of a record player.
It isn't required, and for the purposes of providing a baseline evaluation of the Bookshelf Speaker's audio performance, we tested the speaker without tuning it. If the line only included the quirky table lamp, which costs $180 at the Swedish retailer, it would be the cheapest new Sonos speaker thats ever been released. How Sonos and IKEA Plan to Furnish Homes Through Sound And Design. The One has a slightly recessed midrange while the Symfonisk Bookshelf and Lamp are a little more open sounding, though less refined. It can be controlled either with the Sonos app, a third-party streaming service such as Spotify Connect, or with a voice assistant such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or Apple's Siri. Just make sure you have an iOS device to Trueplay tune the speaker to help it figure out what orientation its in, something unfortunately unavailable to Android users. Seeing as how Ikea makes decent Bluetooth speakers, it would have been nice to see that expertise brought to the Symfonisk lineup. As of now, the worst thing about the Symfonisk line is there arent enough options. The Symfonisk is designed to be mounted on the wall, that's where the "shelf" part comes in -- the speaker itself is able to hold up to 6.6 pounds. The room-tuning process in the app is simple, requiring you to walk around the room with your phone while a series of beeps measures the acoustics. Input 2022 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. When it snapped into focus, however, it offered an enjoyable musical experience. The speaker can also be mounted on Ikea's Kungsfor kitchen rail system, or its Fintorp rail. The Ones ensured the song had plenty of drive, especially during the last minute when the full band kicked in. I've been a contributing editorfor PCMag since 2011. Sonos seemingly took this to heart and has spent the last decade mostly releasing cheaper entry points into their system (their line of soundbars notwithstanding). But neither offer a compelling sonic argument for buying into the Sonos platform. The Ikea Symfonisk WiFi Bookshelf Speaker works within the Sonos ecosystem and delivers robust audio for its size and price. As it stands, the $100 Symfonisk is the least expensive speaker that works in Sonos' multi-room ecosystem, making it an excellent option if you're thinking of building or expanding a whole-home wireless sound system, and our Editors' Choice. If youre worried about bassier tracks causing it to shake on your walls when mounted, dont be. Once firmware is updated, the app walks you through a custom tuning process so you can get the audio experience you want out of your speaker. Unless you really love it's design and need an accent table light for ambiance, you'd be better off springing the extra $20 for a Sonos One. It seems like anyone can make a decent Bluetooth speaker, Ikea included, but building a stable multi-room audio platform that uses Wi-Fi for the highest quality sound takes time and commitment; it took Apple until 2018 to build its own system in AirPlay 2. The poster says that the speaker on offer to staff likely to be the cheapest in the range is worth DKK799, which is a little over $120. The Picture Frame and upcoming refresh to the Symfonisk Table Lamp speaker suggest that Ikea has bigger plans in store for this line.
The $200 Sonos One, released in 2017, added a built-in voice assistant, which gave the company a little wiggle room to drop the price of the Play:1 down to $150. In the Symfonisk Bookshelf the twain shall meet, and the result is the lowest price on a Sonos-compatible Wi-Fi speaker yet. We still dont know much about the Ikea-branded Sonos-compatible speaker range, other than that they will be called Symfonisk. It was rock solid, and refined. It takes the Sonos ecosystem to a place it's never been before: multiroom music for less than $100. Designing tech to resemble home decor is easy, but packing quality sound into them? Business Leader for IKEA Home Smart at IKEA of Sweden. It costs as much as Sonos cheapest speaker and sounds about as good; it just sits on the wall instead of the middle of a table. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. The wall-mount bracket allowing it to function as a shelf isn't included in the box, instead it's available as a $20 extra.
This gives you more freedom to place two of the speakers in your home together if you want to place them somewhere that only has one outlet nearby. Paired with the Sonos Playbar the speakers disappeared and the jungles of Avatar's Pandora filled the CNET listening room to the brim. https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/ikea-sonos-symfonisk-wifi-bookshelf-speaker, Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions. Even though I'm a freelancer now, PCMag has been my home for well over a decade, and audio gear reviews are still my primary focus. One niche use I want to touch on is the Picture Frames performance in a home theater setting. Anytime I've observed someone listening to a Play:5 or Playbar or Sonos One or Sonos Beam for the first time, I've watched their eyes widen.
He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com! As a stereo pair the Symfonisk wasn't as convincing as a single Sonos One, and the channels could occasionally drop out or go out of sync just enough to create a confused stereo image. All rights reserved. While the rear speaker option was the best, the other configurations offered their own charms. While I think wall-mounted is the way to go, you can also pop on the included rubber feet and lean it against a wall anywhere you want and it still sounds great. This is nothing new for Sonos, more money is always the answer in this ecosystem. The setup process is relatively straightforward. To find out, our reviewer put them to the Tracy Chapman test. As a single speaker I found that the Bookshelf is brighter than the One, and comparatively lacking in bass.
Callahan's baritone vocals seem to receive the bulk of the bass boosting, which tells use that the lows and low-mids are generally stronger here than sub-bass frequencies, which is no surprise given the size of the drivers. The front face of the speaker is covered by cloth grille, a rough tweed that pairs nicely with the eggshell finish of the plastic exterior. Ad Choices. And perhaps, if you already have Sonos speakers and want to build out your setup, the bookshelf speakers will serve you well. Our new SYMFONISK wifi-speaker, which is created in collaboration with Sonos. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission. If you have an existing Sonos setup, the Bookshelf Speaker can be incorporated into it, and can even be assigned as a rear surround speaker in a home theater scenario involving the Sonos Beam. The $179 Symfonisk Table Lamp doubles as a lamp, while the $99 Symfonisk WiFi Bookshelf Speaker, reviewed here, can be used as a wall shelf. If you havent already received a voucher, you can get it from your manager. This would let customers use the Picture Frame speaker as a piece that accents everything on the wall instead of trying to be a standalone piece of art, something it currently fails at.
Its also worth mentioning that while the Picture Frame includes a mounting bracket, you will need to provide your own screws and drywall plugs, making this the first Ikea product I can think of that doesnt include all the parts you need.
At slightly lower volume levels, the bass depth was impressive and clean. Before that, I was PCMag's lead audio analyst from 2006 to 2011. Combining our expertise in sound and technology with IKEA knowledge of home furnishing, SYMFONISK WiFi speakers seamlessly fit into the home to enhance everyday life and integrate with the Sonos system. Here the slightly out-of-phase nature didn't matter as I was focused on the screen at all times. The Ikea Symfonisk WiFi Bookshelf Speaker delivers powerful sound for its size, works in the Sonos ecosystem, can be used as an AirPlay speaker, and it looks nice, too. If you want a speaker that doesnt get distorted at higher volumes, Sonos is happy to sell you a Sonos Five for $550. The Symfonisk Picture Frame speaker is by far Ikeas best speaker yet, both in terms of sound quality and utility. The new model features a faster processor and more memory, and it consumes less power when on standby mode. Customize your system and play what you want, where you want. Between 1st of July and 1st of August 2019, you will be able to redeem your voucher in order to get your SYMFONISK wifi-speaker in white or black. With the purchase a separate bracket and nonslip mat, you can mount these speakers to your wall to use as a literal bookshelf. Pocket-lint is supported by its readers.
The Symfonisk Picture Frame speaker is the first addition to the Symfonisk collection in nearly two years, and while it represents a leap in Ikeas ability to make speakers less visible at home, its $199 price betrays the mission of making Sonos quality audio affordable to more people. The entry-level model will be available in a choice of white and black . The play button also doubles as a track forward or backward button, when tapped quickly two or three times. It includes a removable woolen grille that hides a single mid-bass driver and a soft-dome tweeter. purchase their own C7 to C8 cable from a third party, refresh to the Symfonisk Table Lamp speaker. The Symfonisk Bookshelf may not be the best Sonos speaker, but it is the cheapest and the one with the most utility. Easily mount the WiFi speaker on a kitchen rail like KUNGSFORS rail. But once I did the Shelves blended right in. Keep an eye on your inbox! Otherwise, the new speaker offers much of the same functionality as before, including compatibility with Sonos speaker network and support for Apples Airplay 2. At slightly lower volume levels, the bass depth was impressive and clean. The higher register brass, strings, and vocals take center stage, with some more subtle bass depth to anchor things. Enjoy clear, richly detailed sound that fills the room at any volume. Your browser's Javascript functionality is turned off. Clearly, most of these changes are internal, because when you look at the new model next to the first-generation model, they look nearly identical, save for an updated button layout.
The problem is that Ikea only sells this particular braided cable in a few territories like the UK and Australia for about $10-$15 depending on exchange rates. The reason I didnt mention this earlier is that the cable needed to daisy chain two Symfonisks is unavailable in the U.S. Beneath the grille, there's a single 1.25-inch tweeter and a 2.75-inch midrange driver, each powered by its own class-D digital amplifier, as well as a port that pushes out enough air that if you have the grille off and are listening to a particularly bass-heavy track, you can feel some significant airflow pushing out from the enclosure. The sound that comes out of this speaker is balanced and clear.
You can't just use one of the A12 bulbs you might have lying around. Now, the Swedish home furnishing giant has teamed with Sonos to create two new multi-room wireless models, each of which also functions as furniture. Like other Sonos speakers, two Bookshelves can be paired in stereo or used as rears for the Sonos Beam. In WIREDs review of the first Sonos speakers, the futuristically-named ZonePlayer S5, Mark McClusky said that there was nothing better on the market if you're looking for a multiroom music system. He also said that he couldnt get over the feeling that the cost is just too high for the company to go mainstream. Most reviews of the $400 speaker echoed his conclusion: it's easy to set up, the multiroom and streaming functionalities work perfectly, it sounds great, but it just seems too expensive. The speaker has a value of 799, and cannot be exchanged for other product or cash. It was when I started listening to what I was streaming through these speakers that I started having doubts. Another downside of the Picture Frame, at least for U.S. buyers, is the Symfonisks ability to use a sold-separately power cable to have two of the speakers share power. The guitar strums are well-defined and bright, and the higher register percussive hits have a crisp snap to themthis is a sculpted, bright, rich sound signature that can push out solid bass, just not subwoofer-level depth. Sure, I've also seen them wince when they hear the price, but that didn't discount the experience they had feeling the music from the speaker for the first time. It can also be incorporated into exisiting Sonos systems, making it the least expensive Sonos-compatible speaker available and earning our Editors' Choice.
It also still comes in black and white colour options. At top volumes, streaming via AirPlay 2 from an iPhone 8, we ran into some distortion, which isn't surprising from a $100 speaker. Theyll add the Sonos experience to new areas of your space for less than anything else available. Setup takes minutes, and control is simple with the Sonos app, Apple AirPlay 2, and your voice. It gets loud, but starts to get distorted at full volume. Input may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article. The Ikea Symfonisk Bookshelf is a versatile Wi-Fi speaker with perfectly acceptable sound for the price. Pair two for stereo sound, and use them as home theater surrounds with Sonos Beam, Amp, Playbar, or Playbase.
Otherwise, youre not wrong to think of the Picture Frame as a flattened Sonos One that hangs on the wall. What impressed me most about the Picture Frame, however, is the versatility of its design. Prior to my career in reviewing tech, I worked as an audio engineermy love of recording audio eventually led me to writingaboutaudiogear. The fabric cover with its evoking the idea of a sound field artwork and the power cable are dead giveaways to anyone whos seen my Picture Frames hanging in my home. The display of third-party trademarks and trade names on this site does not necessarily indicate any affiliation or the endorsement of PCMag. It's tall and thin instead of squat, measuring a foot tall, 4 inches wide and 6 inches deep. In my Beam (Gen 2) review, I found the Symfonisks helped create a nearly perfect Dolby Atmos surround sound experience. The Sonos speaker thats most tempting to compare the Picture Frame to is the $199 Sonos One SL. The vinyl crackle and hiss that's usually relegated to background status is also pushed a bit forward in the mix, while the sub-bass synth hits that punctuate the beat are delivered with respectable depthnothing like a subwoofer would deliver, but plenty of body for a speaker this size and price. A pair of them makes the ideal rear speakers for Sonos Beam, Playbar or Playbase sound bars.
But it was when used as a pair of surrounds that the Bookshelf truly shone. For Sonos sound bar users seeking rear surround speakers, $200 for a pair of Bookshelfs makes much more sense than a pair of Ones for twice the price. Ikea says it has no plans to make the Frnimma cable available in the U.S., but tells Input that U.S. customers can purchase their own C7 to C8 cable from a third party if they want to daisy chain two Picture Frames. Sign up for Lab Report to get the latest reviews and top product advice delivered right to your inbox. There are no connections for wired inputs otherwise, no Bluetooth connectivity, and no speakerphone functionality.
It isn't required, and for the purposes of providing a baseline evaluation of the Bookshelf Speaker's audio performance, we tested the speaker without tuning it. If the line only included the quirky table lamp, which costs $180 at the Swedish retailer, it would be the cheapest new Sonos speaker thats ever been released. How Sonos and IKEA Plan to Furnish Homes Through Sound And Design. The One has a slightly recessed midrange while the Symfonisk Bookshelf and Lamp are a little more open sounding, though less refined. It can be controlled either with the Sonos app, a third-party streaming service such as Spotify Connect, or with a voice assistant such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or Apple's Siri. Just make sure you have an iOS device to Trueplay tune the speaker to help it figure out what orientation its in, something unfortunately unavailable to Android users. Seeing as how Ikea makes decent Bluetooth speakers, it would have been nice to see that expertise brought to the Symfonisk lineup. As of now, the worst thing about the Symfonisk line is there arent enough options. The Symfonisk is designed to be mounted on the wall, that's where the "shelf" part comes in -- the speaker itself is able to hold up to 6.6 pounds. The room-tuning process in the app is simple, requiring you to walk around the room with your phone while a series of beeps measures the acoustics. Input 2022 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. When it snapped into focus, however, it offered an enjoyable musical experience. The speaker can also be mounted on Ikea's Kungsfor kitchen rail system, or its Fintorp rail. The Ones ensured the song had plenty of drive, especially during the last minute when the full band kicked in. I've been a contributing editorfor PCMag since 2011. Sonos seemingly took this to heart and has spent the last decade mostly releasing cheaper entry points into their system (their line of soundbars notwithstanding). But neither offer a compelling sonic argument for buying into the Sonos platform. The Ikea Symfonisk WiFi Bookshelf Speaker works within the Sonos ecosystem and delivers robust audio for its size and price. As it stands, the $100 Symfonisk is the least expensive speaker that works in Sonos' multi-room ecosystem, making it an excellent option if you're thinking of building or expanding a whole-home wireless sound system, and our Editors' Choice. If youre worried about bassier tracks causing it to shake on your walls when mounted, dont be. Once firmware is updated, the app walks you through a custom tuning process so you can get the audio experience you want out of your speaker. Unless you really love it's design and need an accent table light for ambiance, you'd be better off springing the extra $20 for a Sonos One. It seems like anyone can make a decent Bluetooth speaker, Ikea included, but building a stable multi-room audio platform that uses Wi-Fi for the highest quality sound takes time and commitment; it took Apple until 2018 to build its own system in AirPlay 2. The poster says that the speaker on offer to staff likely to be the cheapest in the range is worth DKK799, which is a little over $120. The Picture Frame and upcoming refresh to the Symfonisk Table Lamp speaker suggest that Ikea has bigger plans in store for this line.
The $200 Sonos One, released in 2017, added a built-in voice assistant, which gave the company a little wiggle room to drop the price of the Play:1 down to $150. In the Symfonisk Bookshelf the twain shall meet, and the result is the lowest price on a Sonos-compatible Wi-Fi speaker yet. We still dont know much about the Ikea-branded Sonos-compatible speaker range, other than that they will be called Symfonisk. It was rock solid, and refined. It takes the Sonos ecosystem to a place it's never been before: multiroom music for less than $100. Designing tech to resemble home decor is easy, but packing quality sound into them? Business Leader for IKEA Home Smart at IKEA of Sweden. It costs as much as Sonos cheapest speaker and sounds about as good; it just sits on the wall instead of the middle of a table. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. The wall-mount bracket allowing it to function as a shelf isn't included in the box, instead it's available as a $20 extra.
This gives you more freedom to place two of the speakers in your home together if you want to place them somewhere that only has one outlet nearby. Paired with the Sonos Playbar the speakers disappeared and the jungles of Avatar's Pandora filled the CNET listening room to the brim. https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/ikea-sonos-symfonisk-wifi-bookshelf-speaker, Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions. Even though I'm a freelancer now, PCMag has been my home for well over a decade, and audio gear reviews are still my primary focus. One niche use I want to touch on is the Picture Frames performance in a home theater setting. Anytime I've observed someone listening to a Play:5 or Playbar or Sonos One or Sonos Beam for the first time, I've watched their eyes widen.
He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com! As a stereo pair the Symfonisk wasn't as convincing as a single Sonos One, and the channels could occasionally drop out or go out of sync just enough to create a confused stereo image. All rights reserved. While the rear speaker option was the best, the other configurations offered their own charms. While I think wall-mounted is the way to go, you can also pop on the included rubber feet and lean it against a wall anywhere you want and it still sounds great. This is nothing new for Sonos, more money is always the answer in this ecosystem. The setup process is relatively straightforward. To find out, our reviewer put them to the Tracy Chapman test. As a single speaker I found that the Bookshelf is brighter than the One, and comparatively lacking in bass.
Callahan's baritone vocals seem to receive the bulk of the bass boosting, which tells use that the lows and low-mids are generally stronger here than sub-bass frequencies, which is no surprise given the size of the drivers. The front face of the speaker is covered by cloth grille, a rough tweed that pairs nicely with the eggshell finish of the plastic exterior. Ad Choices. And perhaps, if you already have Sonos speakers and want to build out your setup, the bookshelf speakers will serve you well. Our new SYMFONISK wifi-speaker, which is created in collaboration with Sonos. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission. If you have an existing Sonos setup, the Bookshelf Speaker can be incorporated into it, and can even be assigned as a rear surround speaker in a home theater scenario involving the Sonos Beam. The $179 Symfonisk Table Lamp doubles as a lamp, while the $99 Symfonisk WiFi Bookshelf Speaker, reviewed here, can be used as a wall shelf. If you havent already received a voucher, you can get it from your manager. This would let customers use the Picture Frame speaker as a piece that accents everything on the wall instead of trying to be a standalone piece of art, something it currently fails at.
Its also worth mentioning that while the Picture Frame includes a mounting bracket, you will need to provide your own screws and drywall plugs, making this the first Ikea product I can think of that doesnt include all the parts you need.
At slightly lower volume levels, the bass depth was impressive and clean. Before that, I was PCMag's lead audio analyst from 2006 to 2011. Combining our expertise in sound and technology with IKEA knowledge of home furnishing, SYMFONISK WiFi speakers seamlessly fit into the home to enhance everyday life and integrate with the Sonos system. Here the slightly out-of-phase nature didn't matter as I was focused on the screen at all times. The Ikea Symfonisk WiFi Bookshelf Speaker delivers powerful sound for its size, works in the Sonos ecosystem, can be used as an AirPlay speaker, and it looks nice, too. If you want a speaker that doesnt get distorted at higher volumes, Sonos is happy to sell you a Sonos Five for $550. The Symfonisk Picture Frame speaker is by far Ikeas best speaker yet, both in terms of sound quality and utility. The new model features a faster processor and more memory, and it consumes less power when on standby mode. Customize your system and play what you want, where you want. Between 1st of July and 1st of August 2019, you will be able to redeem your voucher in order to get your SYMFONISK wifi-speaker in white or black. With the purchase a separate bracket and nonslip mat, you can mount these speakers to your wall to use as a literal bookshelf. Pocket-lint is supported by its readers. The Symfonisk Picture Frame speaker is the first addition to the Symfonisk collection in nearly two years, and while it represents a leap in Ikeas ability to make speakers less visible at home, its $199 price betrays the mission of making Sonos quality audio affordable to more people. The entry-level model will be available in a choice of white and black . The play button also doubles as a track forward or backward button, when tapped quickly two or three times. It includes a removable woolen grille that hides a single mid-bass driver and a soft-dome tweeter. purchase their own C7 to C8 cable from a third party, refresh to the Symfonisk Table Lamp speaker. The Symfonisk Bookshelf may not be the best Sonos speaker, but it is the cheapest and the one with the most utility. Easily mount the WiFi speaker on a kitchen rail like KUNGSFORS rail. But once I did the Shelves blended right in. Keep an eye on your inbox! Otherwise, the new speaker offers much of the same functionality as before, including compatibility with Sonos speaker network and support for Apples Airplay 2. At slightly lower volume levels, the bass depth was impressive and clean. The higher register brass, strings, and vocals take center stage, with some more subtle bass depth to anchor things. Enjoy clear, richly detailed sound that fills the room at any volume. Your browser's Javascript functionality is turned off. Clearly, most of these changes are internal, because when you look at the new model next to the first-generation model, they look nearly identical, save for an updated button layout.
The problem is that Ikea only sells this particular braided cable in a few territories like the UK and Australia for about $10-$15 depending on exchange rates. The reason I didnt mention this earlier is that the cable needed to daisy chain two Symfonisks is unavailable in the U.S. Beneath the grille, there's a single 1.25-inch tweeter and a 2.75-inch midrange driver, each powered by its own class-D digital amplifier, as well as a port that pushes out enough air that if you have the grille off and are listening to a particularly bass-heavy track, you can feel some significant airflow pushing out from the enclosure. The sound that comes out of this speaker is balanced and clear.
You can't just use one of the A12 bulbs you might have lying around. Now, the Swedish home furnishing giant has teamed with Sonos to create two new multi-room wireless models, each of which also functions as furniture. Like other Sonos speakers, two Bookshelves can be paired in stereo or used as rears for the Sonos Beam. In WIREDs review of the first Sonos speakers, the futuristically-named ZonePlayer S5, Mark McClusky said that there was nothing better on the market if you're looking for a multiroom music system. He also said that he couldnt get over the feeling that the cost is just too high for the company to go mainstream. Most reviews of the $400 speaker echoed his conclusion: it's easy to set up, the multiroom and streaming functionalities work perfectly, it sounds great, but it just seems too expensive. The speaker has a value of 799, and cannot be exchanged for other product or cash. It was when I started listening to what I was streaming through these speakers that I started having doubts. Another downside of the Picture Frame, at least for U.S. buyers, is the Symfonisks ability to use a sold-separately power cable to have two of the speakers share power. The guitar strums are well-defined and bright, and the higher register percussive hits have a crisp snap to themthis is a sculpted, bright, rich sound signature that can push out solid bass, just not subwoofer-level depth. Sure, I've also seen them wince when they hear the price, but that didn't discount the experience they had feeling the music from the speaker for the first time. It can also be incorporated into exisiting Sonos systems, making it the least expensive Sonos-compatible speaker available and earning our Editors' Choice.
It also still comes in black and white colour options. At top volumes, streaming via AirPlay 2 from an iPhone 8, we ran into some distortion, which isn't surprising from a $100 speaker. Theyll add the Sonos experience to new areas of your space for less than anything else available. Setup takes minutes, and control is simple with the Sonos app, Apple AirPlay 2, and your voice. It gets loud, but starts to get distorted at full volume. Input may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article. The Ikea Symfonisk Bookshelf is a versatile Wi-Fi speaker with perfectly acceptable sound for the price. Pair two for stereo sound, and use them as home theater surrounds with Sonos Beam, Amp, Playbar, or Playbase.
Otherwise, youre not wrong to think of the Picture Frame as a flattened Sonos One that hangs on the wall. What impressed me most about the Picture Frame, however, is the versatility of its design. Prior to my career in reviewing tech, I worked as an audio engineermy love of recording audio eventually led me to writingaboutaudiogear. The fabric cover with its evoking the idea of a sound field artwork and the power cable are dead giveaways to anyone whos seen my Picture Frames hanging in my home. The display of third-party trademarks and trade names on this site does not necessarily indicate any affiliation or the endorsement of PCMag. It's tall and thin instead of squat, measuring a foot tall, 4 inches wide and 6 inches deep. In my Beam (Gen 2) review, I found the Symfonisks helped create a nearly perfect Dolby Atmos surround sound experience. The Sonos speaker thats most tempting to compare the Picture Frame to is the $199 Sonos One SL. The vinyl crackle and hiss that's usually relegated to background status is also pushed a bit forward in the mix, while the sub-bass synth hits that punctuate the beat are delivered with respectable depthnothing like a subwoofer would deliver, but plenty of body for a speaker this size and price. A pair of them makes the ideal rear speakers for Sonos Beam, Playbar or Playbase sound bars. But it was when used as a pair of surrounds that the Bookshelf truly shone. For Sonos sound bar users seeking rear surround speakers, $200 for a pair of Bookshelfs makes much more sense than a pair of Ones for twice the price. Ikea says it has no plans to make the Frnimma cable available in the U.S., but tells Input that U.S. customers can purchase their own C7 to C8 cable from a third party if they want to daisy chain two Picture Frames. Sign up for Lab Report to get the latest reviews and top product advice delivered right to your inbox. There are no connections for wired inputs otherwise, no Bluetooth connectivity, and no speakerphone functionality.