Ikea and Sonos update Symfonisk table lamp speaker with customizable shades

Ikea and Sonos are becoming more and more like the Batman and Robin of the speaker world, teaming up to produce interesting hybrid products that blend more invisibly into homes.

A recent collaboration saw the two companies introduce a speaker embedded within a picture frame. The partnership started two years ago with the Symfonisk table lamp speaker. Now, that speaker and lamp combination is getting a nice upgrade for its second-generation outing.

The new Symfonisk table lamp speaker is different in several ways, with Ikea designing a modular product that’s easier to customize. The previous Symfonisk speaker wasn’t exactly a one-size-fits-all solution, considering that the two color options may not have fit with everyone’s design aesthetic. This time around, however, the lamp is divided into the base and the lampshade, leaving you to choose what works best for your setup.

Half speaker, half lamp — “... a lot of people use the lamp speaker on a nightstand, which led us to create a new, slightly smaller lamp base. We’re now also offering customers more design choices, making the lamp speaker a better fit for their individual homes,” said Stjepan Begic, product owner at Ikea of Sweden.

Like the old Symfonisk lamp, you still have the option between a white or black lamp, but it’s now possible to mix and match. The white and black bases are both smaller for this lamp, allowing for better placement on small tables or tight spaces.

The lampshade options, on the other hand, offer a more substantial difference in terms of design with two distinct lampshade designs. The textile lampshade wraps the light tube in an opaque white cloth material with perforations to let light out. The glass lampshade surrounds the lamp in either clear or slightly darkened glass. Options!

There’s also a new socket that Ikea says supports more types of light bulbs.

New sound — With how unique these lamps look, it’s easy to forget there’s a Sonos speaker hiding in the base. For the newer model, Sonos included a new acoustic architecture that improves the sound compared to the older model. As with other Sonos products, this speaker can connect to any Sonos speaker as well as other products in the Symfonisk line. A Wi-Fi connection is all that’s needed to connect the speaker to the 100 streaming services compatible with Sonos products.

Ikea’s big month — If you’re looking forward to upgrading the sound in your living space, expect the speaker to arrive at U.S.-based Ikea stores on October 12. Europe and other markets should make the speaker available sometime next year. The base costs $140; the glass lampshades are $39 and the textile ones are $29. For perspective, the previous lamp cost $189, while the most expensive configuration of the new Symfonisk comes out to $179.

Other hybrid products in the Ikea line include the Symfonisk bookshelf speaker, the Tjugo book battery charger, the adhesive Sjömärke wireless charger, and the Starkvind air purifier table. The last two are out in October as well. Ikea is also launching a new gaming-focused line of products in partnership with ROG also coming in October. Clearly, Ikea wants your hard-earned money.