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Ikea Symfonisk frame: You didn't even notice that there was a cable hanging from the picture frame, did you?
Photo: Matthias Kremp / DER SPIEGEL
The new loudspeaker boxes, which the Swedish furniture company Symfonisk calls frames, are typically Ikea. It starts with the assembly instructions, which use lots of pictures and little text to explain how to hang a picture that needs a socket on the wall. Because that is the basic principle: The frame should look like a picture, but sound like a loudspeaker box. It doesn't matter whether you really hang it on the wall or just lean it against the wall, brackets are included for one and rubber protectors for the other. You don't want the cheap boxes to scratch the expensive parquet.
When choosing which wall to hang or place it on, one should consider the visual result.
Because Ikea's loudspeaker only looks like a picture if you look at it head-on.
As soon as you look at it from the side, you notice how thick it actually is.
The housing measures six centimeters from the screen to the back and is therefore much deeper than, for example, a modern television.
It is deeper than a conventional picture frame anyway.
But that can be masked by a clever placement.
Plastic in construction
The fact that the housing of the Symfonisk frame is made of plastic is an unusual choice in the music sector.
Loudspeaker boxes are usually made of materials that are as torsionally stiff as possible, i.e. do not vibrate when the loudspeakers start to cause air to vibrate.
So-called MDF panels, which consist of glued wood fibers, are often used, and some enthusiasts swear by concrete as a box construction material.
But that would be impractical for a box to hang on the wall for obvious reasons.
The plastic housing of the Symfonisk frame is apparently trying to find a compromise.
Although it is made of plastic, it cannot be pressed in even with great force.
Nevertheless, I suspect that it is easier to vibrate than a cabinet made of MDF.
Sonos Inside
The US company Sonos, which has been developing networked music systems for almost two decades, is primarily responsible for the sound of the Symfonisk frames. The company has installed two loudspeakers from its own production in Ikea's plastic housing, a mid-woofer and a tweeter. But usually nothing of it can be seen, the exchangeable front cover, the picture, takes care of that. That is the point of this construction.
At the start, Ikea is offering a dozen different clip-on motifs, each costing 30 euros. Over time, however, the selection is likely to increase or old motifs will be replaced by new ones. In the course of time, one has the opportunity to replace an image that one has grown tired of with another. Only your own pictures or pictures you have bought elsewhere cannot be used without further ado, as they have to be mounted on a special plastic frame. However, the group is open to third-party providers who want to expand the selection with their own offers. However, there is no such thing as yet.
If you don't just want to do something good for your eyes, but also for your ears, you can use the True Play function to adapt the loudspeakers to the acoustics of the respective room, which significantly enhances the sound. As is usual with Sonos products, this is only possible with iPhones and iPads because their microphones are standardized. There are no such standards for Android smartphones, which is why True Play can be switched on and off in the Sonos app for Android, provided that it was previously calibrated with an Apple device, but cannot calibrate it. If in doubt, you should ask friends, neighbors or relatives for help, it is worthwhile.
Otherwise, the Sonos app, with which the speakers are controlled, offers the familiar scope: You can use music services such as Spotify, Amazon Prime Music and Apple Music, Internet radio and Sonos' own streaming offer.
If you buy two frames at the same time, they can be linked to a stereo pair via the app - and if you buy more of them or have Sonos speakers, you can have them play music or radio synchronously with the Ikea speakers.
The sound
When listening to music, it turns out that the Symfonisk frames produce an astonishingly good sound for their unusual design. “Good to hear” is a description that fits these speakers, because music sounds “good” and speech is easy to understand. You get a good everyday sound. Mids and highs are well reproduced and the bass is also surprisingly present and full in view of the low case depth. Compliments to Sonos!
The speakers are not powerful, however.
While the bass range is reproduced well-tuned in many songs, I am surprised that some bass frequencies are only weakly reproduced by the Symfonisk frames.
In Beyoncé's "Daddy Lessons (feat Dixie Chicks)", for example, the bass, which actually begins vehemently after the wind intro, is almost completely lost, while the bass drum, which is drumming at the same time, can be heard clearly.
In terms of sound, Ikea's loudspeakers are more convenience than gourmet cuisine, almost like frozen pizza: cheap and simple, but not as good as in a restaurant.
Well thought-out details
The structure of the rear case is well thought out and functional.
Various openings are provided for the power cable, so that it can be led out behind the device without it being jammed between the wall and the picture frame.
In addition, there is a large compartment on the back in which you can stow unused cable length.
The cable itself is 3.5 meters long.
Even brackets for the rubber guards have been thought of.
Because you don't need them when the frame is hanging on a wall or standing on a carpet, there are two storage spaces for it on the back.
So they are quickly at hand, should you want to set up the speaker screen somewhere else.
Conclusion
👍 Well thought-out design 👍 Robust construction 👍 Sonos integration |
👎 Mediocre sound 👎 Can only be combined with Ikea pictures |
The idea of concealing a loudspeaker as a picture is great.
The thought of doing that together with Sonos, too.
When implementing Ikea, however, you have to be aware that you are dealing with a cheap mass product.
In order to achieve a price that appeals to many - the Symfonisk frames cost 179 euros - compromises have to be made and you can hear them.
If you don't look behind the scenes and are not a hi-fi gourmet, you don't have to be bothered by it.
The Symfonisk frames are speakers for people who don't really want speakers, but still want to listen to music.
Ikea offers a good setting for this clientele.
And that sounds good enough.
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