People searching for an reasonably priced Wi-Fi speaker to suit between their Jättebo sectional and Dyvlinge swivel chair will probably be upset to be taught that Sonos and Ikea are parting methods. After eight years of partnering on the whole lot from an odd wall-mountable speaker in a body to a surprisingly first rate pair of bookshelf audio system, the Ikea fashions are being discontinued.
You can after all get basically the whole lot the Ikea-Sonos collabs supplied (and extra when it comes to sound high quality) by simply shopping for Sonos-made audio system just like the Period 100 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) and Roam (9/10, WIRED Recommends). The model even makes a good pair of headphones (8/10, WIRED Recommends). However there’s one factor we at WIRED will actually miss when this partnership ends: The Symfonisk Sound Distant ($19).
This unassuming rectangular puck acts like a thermostat controller to your music, with play/pause, skip, and quantity controls that pair seamlessly with the Sonos app (now that it is working once more). Amazingly, Sonos nonetheless does not supply a smooth, wall mountable distant, as an alternative forcing me to succeed in for my cellphone or TV distant once I’ve acquired gobby sourdough on my fingers or my 1-year-old is seconds away from a meltdown if I do not instantly choose her favourite music. Sure, there are different Sonos remotes, however they solely management TV audio system.
This wall distant (which needn’t be wall mounted in any respect) is straightforward to make use of with an elbow, and it’s discreet and handsome sufficient that you simply will not really feel like a kind of outdated of us with these wired telephones with large numbers. And, sure, it really works with all Sonos audio system. It is also hilariously low cost, at $19 per unit after the preliminary purchase of a hub and distant collectively ($89). On this economic system? If I used to be a Sonos person, I would purchase one for each room in the home earlier than they promote out. And it is best to, too.
Sonos has been struggling since a poor rollout of a brand new app model final 12 months left many longtime customers struggling to maintain their once-reliable techniques working. This might clarify the top to this partnership from Ikea’s facet of issues, as it is a main retailer that diligently retains observe of what’s promoting and what is not.
From Sonos’ facet, this might simply be a logical conclusion to a considerably unfruitful partnership with mid-tier merchandise that the model itself more and more competes instantly with. Sonos has pivoted to be much less of a premium model in recent times, and simply final month it dropped the value of two of its merchandise: the superb entry-level Period 100 speaker and equally spectacular Ray soundbar.
In both case, we’re unhappy to see the partnership go, and as soon as the Symfonisk Sound Distant Gen 2s are all gone, we hope Sonos will make a brand new controller that’s pretty much as good now that there’ll now not be a third-party choice. There’s room to make one that appears extra “Sonos,” for positive. For Ikea’s half, the model says all its Sonos-compatible units—together with the distant—will stay supported. I do not assume many individuals will miss the speaking lamp, however it’s comforting to understand it nonetheless works.
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