45

Ikea Symfonisk Bookshelf Review

True Score

80
81
11

Experts

88
0

Consumers

Product Awards

GR Certified

Expert Rankings

Editors lauded the IKEA SYMFONISK Bookshelf, approving it for podcasts and music. They were happy with its fairly loud maximum volume, low sound compression at high volumes, and very low Airplay latency. However, they were disappointed that it doesn’t support any voice assistant, and it’s not waterproof.

$198.99

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Product Snapshot

Overview

The IKEA SYMFONISK Bookshelf speaker is a mid-range wireless speaker released in 2019, promising room-filling sound and pleasant aesthetics for indoor use. It can be mounted vertically or horizontally, offering installation flexibility.

Find other devices with similar features on our list of the best-ranked speakers today. This device has Wi-Fi tech, providing incredibly low AirPlay latency. It gets really loud and has a well-balanced sound profile. Examine the specs of the IKEA SYMFONISK Bookshelf below and browse the best stereo speakers available today.

Consensus

our Verdict

Product pundits praised the IKEA SYMFONISK Bookshelf, endorsing it for music and podcasts. This device uses Wi-Fi 4 technology, and reviewers at The Guardian extolled its snappy -14 ms AirPlay latency that is good for streaming movies.

However, it doesn’t support Chromecast. Check out our Google Nest Mini review if you prefer a Chromecast-compatible Bluetooth speaker. Analysts from CNET were happy with its 49.7Hz to 18.8kHz frequency response range, although its 1.56 slope shows a slight bias towards treble.

It has an app-based graphic EQ, however. This device has a portable 4.6-lb construction, although it’s not battery-powered. Its 4.47 dB directivity index proved to be a bit high, and the soundstage was deemed narrow by testers.

This device does not support stereo, but gets fairly loud, featuring an 89.2 dB maximum SPL, and the 1.80 dB DRC indicates only a slight deterioration in the audio at the highest volume. However, it doesn’t have speakerphone features and doesn’t support voice assistants.

Reason to Buy

  • Gets fairly loud
  • Apple-based graphic EQ
  • Incredibly low AirPlay latency
  • Produces fairly balanced sounds

Reason to Avoid

  • Not battery powered
  • Not waterproof or dustproof
  • Does not support voice assistants
  • Narrow soundstage
  • Doesn’t support Bluetooth or Chromecast

Ikea Symfonisk Bookshelf Specs

Driver Configurationn/a
Enclosuren/a
Impedancen/a
Max Frequency ResponseMax Frequency Responsen/a
Min Frequency ResponseMin Frequency Responsen/a
Power Handling
Sensitivity
WattageWattagen/a

All Specs

Test Results

Battery Life (Hours)0
Volume Output (dB)89.2
Low End Roll Off (Hz)57.391
High End Roll Off (Hz)16,731.295

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Product Comparison

Ikea Symfonisk Bookshelf Review

True Score

80
69
65
82

Ranking

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45

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260

#

76

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260

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89

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260

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34

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260

Market Context

The IKEA SYMFONISK Bookshelf speaker is a mid-range wireless speaker released in 2019, promising room-filling sound and pleasant aesthetics for indoor use. It can be…

The IKEA SYMFONISK Bookshelf speaker is a mid-range wireless speaker released in 2019, promising room-filling sound and pleasant aesthetics for indoor use. It can be mounted vertically or horizontally, offering installation flexibility.

Find other devices with similar features on our list of the best-ranked speakers today. This device has Wi-Fi tech, providing incredibly low AirPlay latency. It gets really loud and has a well-balanced sound profile. Examine the specs of the IKEA SYMFONISK Bookshelf below and browse the best stereo speakers available today.

The IKEA SYMFONISK Bookshelf speaker has a high 89.2 dB maximum SPL and low 1.80 dB DRC, getting louder and maintaining the audio quality better…

The IKEA SYMFONISK Bookshelf speaker has a high 89.2 dB maximum SPL and low 1.80 dB DRC, getting louder and maintaining the audio quality better than the IKEA SYMFONISK Speaker Lamp, which has an 87.8 dB maximum SPL and 5.27 dB DRC. However, the Speaker Lamp has an 0.88 frequency response slope, providing more balanced sounds than the Bookshelf speaker, which has a 1.56 slope. Explore our IKEA SYMFONISK Speaker Lamp review to learn more about the Speaker Lamp.

Featuring built-in Alexa and Google Assistant, the Sonos One Gen 2 provides voice assistant features, unlike the IKEA SYMFONISK Bookshelf, which doesn’t support voice assistants….

Featuring built-in Alexa and Google Assistant, the Sonos One Gen 2 provides voice assistant features, unlike the IKEA SYMFONISK Bookshelf, which doesn’t support voice assistants. However, the IKEA speaker boasts a higher 89.2 dB SPL and lower 1.80 dB DRC, getting louder and producing better-quality sound at its maximum volume than the Sonos One Gen 2, which has an 86.5 dB SPL and 4.89 dB DRC.

The Google Nest Audio features built-in Google Assistant and supports Bluetooth, unlike the IKEA SYMFONISK Bookshelf, which doesn’t support any voice assistant and instead uses…

The Google Nest Audio features built-in Google Assistant and supports Bluetooth, unlike the IKEA SYMFONISK Bookshelf, which doesn’t support any voice assistant and instead uses Wi-Fi. However, the IKEA SYMFONISK Bookshelf supports Apple AirPlay, unlike the Google speaker.

Driver Configuration

n/a

75mm

Enclosure

n/a

Impedance

n/a

Max Frequency Response

n/a

Min Frequency Response

n/a

Power Handling

Sensitivity

Wattage

n/a

7W

30W

Dig Deeper

Ikea Symfonisk Speaker Lamp Review →

Sonos One Gen 2 Review →

Google Nest Audio Review →

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  • $198.99

    Availability

    In Stock

    Free Shipping

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Score Card

E

Expert Score

81

*.75

We place a 75% weighted value on Expert Test Scores

C

Customer Score

88

*.25

We place a 25% weighted value on Customer Scores

True Score

80

Any product with a True Score above 80 is a Absolutely Fresh

Expert Score Breakdown

  • Rtings
    102.6

    Category Trust Score

    67
    The IKEA SYMFONISK is alright for music. Its balanced mid-range ensures vocals and lead instruments… read more

    By:

    John Panoryios
  • PC Mag
    54.9

    Category Trust Score

    80
    The Ikea Symfonisk WiFi Bookshelf Speaker works within the Sonos ecosystem and delivers robust audio… read more

    By:

    Tim Gideon
  • Tom’s Guide
    68.04

    Category Trust Score

    80
    Get the Ikea Symfonisk Bookshelf speaker if you want a Sonos speaker for less than… read more

    By:

    Mike Prospero
  • CNET
    42.51

    Category Trust Score

    79
    The Ikea Symfonisk Bookshelf is a versatile Wi-Fi speaker with perfectly acceptable sound for the… read more

    By:

    Ty Pendlebury
  • Trusted Reviews
    48.27

    Category Trust Score

    90
    With its superb, flexible design, the Ikea Symfonisk Bookshelf Speaker is built to fit into… read more

    By:

    Unknown
  • Techradar
    46.31

    Category Trust Score

    80
    The Symfonisk neatly sidesteps outright gimmickry with a surprisingly competent speaker. read more

    By:

    Andrew Murphy

Customer Score Breakdown

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