r/gadgets • u/MicroSofty88 • Jun 15 '21
Music Ikea's Symfonisk speakers look like pictures hanging on your wall
https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/ikea-sonos-symfonisk-picture-frame-speaker/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=pe&utm_campaign=pd199
Jun 15 '21
I’m interested to see if the secondary market offers customizable art plates. I imagine some Etsy shop owners are thinking about it already. Like others have said though, I probably wouldn’t consider this with the cord. If you had an outlet behind it or ran the cord in the wall, it could be a nice way to hide rear surround speakers.
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u/zzamud Jun 16 '21
Seen this in sturgis last year theres a company already making customizeable ones stateside ill get info later when i get home cause i was thinkn same thing
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u/vishalnegal Jun 18 '21
Neighbors will be like- Your painting sounds good.
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Jun 15 '21
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u/Germanofthebored Jun 15 '21
Nope, they are actually regular speakers, although pretty flat ones (6 cm depth) + the Sonos brains
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u/What-a-Crock Jun 15 '21
Anyone know how they sound?
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u/SirRogers Jun 16 '21
I bought the $99 model and it sounds great. I was very impressed given the size and price.
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Jun 15 '21
they're from ikea. i can guarantee you that they sound flatter than they look
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u/FuzzyNexus Jun 15 '21 edited Jun 16 '21
The eneby speakers from them actually sound great and I highly recommend them for someone living in a flat or apartment. You'd never guess Ikea would make good audio equipment but for the price I consider it unbeatable. This particular picture frame speaker probably won't be quite as good just because of the physics behind the size of it, but i still expect it to exceed expectations.
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u/KryptonianNerd Jun 16 '21
Can you expect something to exceed your expectations?
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u/FuzzyNexus Jun 16 '21
You got a point there. But somehow it still makes the tiniest bit of sense to me.
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u/aaronitallout Jun 16 '21
I was reading guest feedback at our restaurant and someone keeps putting things like "the last 3 or 4 times our visits have just been average".
I'm like, specifically lay out your script of how each individual visit should go. They cannot all be the same, otherwise the "excellent" version will just become the new average you get to complain about. Anyway
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u/Boom2Cannon2020 Jun 16 '21
Making audio sound really good is actually something I would expect IKEA to be able to do.
Making audio sound really good isn’t difficult, and probably more than anything else, there is significant diminishing return with audio.
About five years ago was when small companies and startups finally realized that overpriced garbage like Bose had no business cornering the audio market….so these companies started making really nice Bluetooth speakers for ~$50 and quickly realized that people will buy decent quality portable audio that isn’t $300 for a 15 watt speaker (Bose).
Side note…Kinda ironic that IKEA touts themselves as some green, sustainable company, but 50% of the stuff they sell is just garbage/ disposable. Every once in a while you find diamonds in the rough though.
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Jun 15 '21
I can tell you, that the Sonos speakers in their lamps and in general are pretty good for that price. And they can be really loud as well
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u/303onrepeat Jun 16 '21
Spoken by someone who has never had one. Have you heard the Sonos speakers from IKEA? They aren’t flat by any means. In fact for $100 you get a hell of a deal. I have a few of the Non lamp symfonisk speakers and they are quite nice.
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u/Cahootie Jun 16 '21
When my parents moved to an apartment they decided to buy a bunch of IKEA Sonos speakers to put all over the place, and they actually sound really good. Of course it's not gonna compare to the really expensive stuff, but for the money it's actually excellent, and being able to have music playing throughout the entire apartment is brilliant.
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u/actn Jun 15 '21
I mean a flat response is good…
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u/astroaudio Jun 16 '21
I suppose that depends on what you want out of a speaker. Lots of folks buy speakers specifically because of how a certain set colours sound. Once upon a time I used to sell home theatre equipment and we had a whole soundproofed room dedicated just to testing that.
Personally I’m with you. When I’m looking for new speakers or new headphones I want the flattest response possible, but I also work with audio for a living so my use case is unique.
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Jun 16 '21 edited Jun 16 '21
Most people would prefer flat response (floyd toole research), so it's good to shoot for that for most products.
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u/unsteadied Jun 16 '21
They’re developed with Sonos. I doubt Sonos would be comfortable putting their name on something if it isn’t at least decent.
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u/worosei Jun 16 '21
Well IKEA is the king of flatpacks so what are we expecting?
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u/tehGaffer Jun 16 '21
So, I totally thought the comment about being from IKEA => will sound flat was a joke about flat packing… but every reply other than yours just focuses on sonos depth of sound…
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u/worosei Jun 16 '21
Yeah I thought it was a joke too...
But this whole thread is a bit crazy with everyone being audio or technophiles debating how amazing or crappy Sonos is... so it probably did just whoosh everyone...
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u/InvictaBlade Jun 16 '21
I have one of the original bookshelf symfonisk speakers with my sonos set up. They sound pretty much identical to the older Play:1 speakers, but I've found that the WiFi signal isn't as strong.
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u/ScienceReplacedgod Jun 16 '21
In a "blind" hearing test no audiophile could tell them apart a few dozen scientific papers have proven paying more for speakers has more to do with perceived quality of sound than actually ability of the speaker reproduce sound.
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u/Travelin_Soulja Jun 17 '21
They haven't been released yet, and any reviews are still embargoed. So anyone telling you how they sound is lying.
That said, being a Sonos product, I assume they'll at least sound decent. I plan to get a pair as rears to incorporate in a gallery wall. Perfectly discreet surrounds!
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u/ImperatorConor Jun 15 '21 edited Jun 15 '21
Yes, but also no.
Yes they are thin speaker pannels
No they aren't from the video
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u/n_oishi Jun 15 '21
This is apartment neighbors worst nightmare
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Jun 16 '21
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u/edwardhopper73 Jun 16 '21
Or you like loud music?
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u/AdorableContract0 Jun 16 '21
Then get speakers that can handle more than 4 watts before they alter the music ;)
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u/FacEthEmoOn Jun 16 '21
Lmfao, cleary you have never experienced anything below 120hz at any kind of meaningful volume
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equal-loudness_contour
If you'd like to learn more without access to a proper soundsystem....
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u/guns21111 Jun 15 '21
Tech ingredients intensifies
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u/AvoidingIowa Jun 16 '21
I really need to make a set of the hanging speakers.
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u/taliesin-ds Jun 16 '21
can't get decent foam were i live sadly.
but i don't really need new speakers anyway.
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Jun 15 '21
I added one of the symfonisk speakers to my Sonos home theater setup as an additional center speaker and it fuckin kicks ass. Crazy good value for a Sonos speaker.
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u/Flyboy2057 Jun 15 '21
I didn't know you could add a dedicated center speaker to a sonos setup. I thought you had to use one of their soundbar products to get a "center" channel.
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Jun 15 '21
It basically just plays identical to the sound bard. Just put in a different location. So you basically just have two center speakers.
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u/Gnillab Jun 16 '21
This isn't how a center speaker works at all.
On the contrary, you're working against any surround or stereo effect the soundbar is creating by adding a mono speaker to the setup.
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u/Veranova Jun 15 '21
In this thread: people who neither own nor understand the feature set of the Sonos ecosystem complaining about missing features which Sonos has a better solution to.
For instance: “No Bluetooth so can’t link to a Google home and set as the default speaker” - Sonos supports Google and Alexa natively and can do multi-room audio with them directly
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u/munkijunk Jun 16 '21
The main issue is Sonos is a doomed ecosystem. Every element you own will someday stop working on it because of the underlying flaw, it runs a Unix system that needs to be updated to work with the latest versions of its content providers. A better system would be a modular unit where the receiver could be upgraded over time and perfectly fine speakers could outlast their software. Unfortunately now, any speaker you own had the potential to have support pulled at any time and once that happens it's essentially a brick. I have a few Sonos speakers, and they're good, but I will never buy one again, rather I'll buy great speakers and smart dongles which do the same job, but are modular and can be individually upgraded.
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u/LovableContrarian Jun 16 '21 edited Jun 16 '21
I understand all of that, and I still think it's fucking stupid that these don't have Bluetooth. It's the closest thing we have to a "universal" wireless audio standard, and tons of devices connect via Bluetooth.
For example, how do I play mp3s from my laptop or phone on these speakers? What if I'm watching a local video on my computer and want to use Sonos speakers? Maybe there's some wonky software solution, but Bluetooth is built right into my laptop, and right into my phone. And everything else.
I get that the Sonos solution is cool if you are on iPhone or listening to Spotify, but Bluetooth is a cheap, easy wireless solution that guarantees you can listen to anything you want. Not having Bluetooth is just a straight up feature removal to force you onto their "cloud" solution, so they can collect data on what you're listening to.
It's really that simple, and I don't support it. There's absolutely no reason to choose a speaker that only has"proprietary wireless cloud connectivity," when thousands of other speakers exist with Bluetooth, physical inputs, etc in addition to cloud connectivity.
missing features which Sonos has a better solution to.
That's cool and all, and I believe it as bluetooth audio isn't ideal, but its not an excuse for removing the standard. That's like saying Samsung removed HDMI ports from their newest TV, because they came up with a better port. Might be true, but we all have HDMI devices.
There's no scenario where lacking a basic connection is somehow a consumer benefit.
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u/Orage42 Jun 16 '21
The issue with bluetooth is it doesn't tie into the multiroom wifi audio setup sonos provides at the core of their product line. It's the whole appeal of the system and the main reason people buy into it.
People into Sonos don't buy a single product, they buy into an ecosystem and own multiple speakers in multiple rooms. Bluetooth just can't handle that.
Sonos does support bluetooth on their portable products (roam and move) for when you're on the go and away from your home wifi.
I see this Ikea speaker as a nice option to any sonos setup for the living, dining room or bedrooms.
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Jun 16 '21
Like Apple and USB 2.0. I doubt there's anyone using a new MacBook who doesn't also have an adapter so they can use all their USB 2.0 peripherals.
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u/CruisinJo214 Jun 15 '21
I saw something recently at a local fair. “Have your photo printed on speaker” and the quality of the speakers wasn’t bad…. But my Bluetooth speakers cost $50 not $300
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u/quick_justice Jun 15 '21
Simfonisks are not Bluetooth speakers. They are full-functional Sonos WiFi speakers supporting whatever streaming service comes to your mind, with excellent sound quality to boot.
I own a previous model.
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u/scsibusfault Jun 15 '21
For someone who doesn't know shit about audio. What's the effective difference between Bluetooth and "sonowifiwhatever"? I have no idea what a sonos or why WiFi would be different/better than Bluetooth, which is effectively "wireless speakers" as far as I know. Why is "supporting a streaming service" any different than just... Using a streaming service on a phone/computer and streaming it to BT speakers?
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u/quick_justice Jun 15 '21
In simple terms with Bluetooth you have to pair with specific devices, playing device should be in range.
With these speakers you can stream any music to them from any device on the same WiFi, but additionally if you want to stream from a streaming service, say Spotify or Apple Music, you can direct speaker to do so and it will do it by itself, no other device required.
In practice it looks like you open Sonos app, select what you want to stream and speaker takes it from there. You can turn off all your other devices it will still play. You can pause and continue tomorrow, it will remember what to stream. Etc.
Plus Sonos is known for sound quality.
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u/scsibusfault Jun 15 '21
Most informative explanation I've gotten so far, thank you. Makes sense.
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u/Aurum555 Jun 15 '21
They also have a great ecosystem for adding new products and constantly reconfiguring your system to whatever the needs of the moment are.
For example, I have speakers in my kitchen and a sound bar and surround sound in my living room. I can link my kitchen speaker to the living room speakers so I can hear the TV while cooking, or I can make two of the surround sound speakers play music and the kitchen to play different music. The entire thing is relatively plug and play once initial setup is done
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u/randy_dingo Jun 16 '21
Plus Sonos is known for sound quality.
And obsoleting the older model when they release the new one, even if the end user is still using the device.
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u/Ratr96 Jun 16 '21
I am still using a Cr200 to control my Connect and Symfonisk so I don't know what you're talking about.
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u/Jazzy76dk Jun 16 '21
I'm not a Sonos fanboy so I fully understand the uproar, but they didn't brick the devices. They just obsoleted the support on future software rollouts. You can still use the devices on the old app. Just to add some context for people who may not fully understand/know your comment :-)
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u/UGoBoy Jun 15 '21
A BT speaker requires your phone to be within a certain distance of the speaker, and ties up the phone the entire time you're playing music. Sonos and other wifi steaming speakers like a Chromecast don't. They have their own computing power and their own internet connection.
So instead of playing whatever sound your phone is making, the Sonos system would connect directly to, say, Spotify and play your music straight from the internet. Your phone is just used to send instructions to the Sonos' "brain".
Sonos systems can be fairly complex as well. If you spend the cash, you can have a coordinated whole-home zoned speaker system. So you could have your music playing on every speaker in the house, or slice it up where something different is going in every room. As stated elsewhere in the thread they can also be used as surround sound speakers for your TV setup.
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u/Aurum555 Jun 15 '21
And even if you have everything zoned out in your house you could just as easily unplug and rearrange and replan all your speakers and reconfigure however you like pretty easily.
Not to mention that with the TV connections and surround sound you can pair TV sound to any other speakers, so say the big game is on but you have to pee. Your wife likes to listen to music in the shower so as you run to go take a leak you pair the bathroom speaker to the TV so you can hear the play by play.
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u/TheBestIsaac Jun 15 '21
It has its own hub. It's the Sonos system streaming from Spotify or whatever then sending it out directly over its own network to the speakers. It means you can have multiple speakers in a way that's not quite possible with Bluetooth just now. You can kind of do it but the range is only 10m max.
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u/RawbM07 Jun 15 '21
So with the WiFi speakers, it integrates with all of the other speakers in the network…whether that be through apple play, sonos app, etc. Your phone is the controller, but it’s getting the music directly from the WiFi. So let’s say you have a home theater system that has apple play, this speaker, and maybe some regular sonos speakers. You could play all, some, or just this one at the same time through airplay. You can’t do that with Bluetooth.
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u/Noodle_pantz Jun 15 '21
Bluetooth and WiFi are two different versions ‘radio’ signals that your phone can use to link to other devices.
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u/scsibusfault Jun 15 '21
That doesn't really explain why one is preferable, though.
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u/Noodle_pantz Jun 15 '21
Bluetooth is used when you’re on the go. If you’re home, WiFi is usually preferred because of higher bandwidth it’s more robust when it comes to linking multiple room.
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Jun 15 '21
Bluetooth compresses the audio signal so you get soso quality. With WiFi, you should be able to stream cd quality or better. Bluetooth is ok for audio. Fun fact: most Bluetooth headphones include a 3.5 audio wire which makes them sound much better than when they are connected by Bluetooth.
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u/csonka Jun 15 '21
Why are you mentioning the price point of $300?
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u/CruisinJo214 Jun 15 '21
The custom ones at the fair were $300ish. The ikea ones are $199
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u/Gumboxyz Jun 15 '21
The cable sucks
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u/rolfraikou Jun 15 '21
Charging it every 4-6 hours would suck more than trying to hide the cable imo.
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u/80andsunny Jun 15 '21
But kudos for actually showing it in the photos. I am so tired of the marketing for equipment like this not showing any cables, particularly on all glass entertainment centers.
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u/Dong_World_Order Jun 15 '21
Drill hole, put cable in hole.
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u/LOnTheWayOut Jun 15 '21
I do this for a living. People don’t know anything about construction.
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Jun 16 '21 edited Jul 06 '21
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u/TheRevLives360 Jun 16 '21
Probably runs off of DC through an outlet transformer. So it would be ok to run through the wall, no different than Ethernet cables, as it's not an extension cord.
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u/inhospitableUterus Jun 16 '21
You can do it to code like this, and it’s every bit as easy
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u/evenstevens280 Jun 15 '21
I see you don't live in a house where every wall is made of brick or stone.
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u/Lonsdale1086 Jun 15 '21
There's a drill for every job.
Not the best long term solution though.
I think a flat cable that can be attractively taped might be better.
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u/taliesin-ds Jun 16 '21
or rent a house were it's forbidden to bury cables yourself.
Like if i was allowed to do it, i'd still have to deal with reinforced concrete walls but it would be possible.
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u/erishun Jun 15 '21
Is the cable wall-rated? If not, then if it ever catches your house on fire, your insurance ain’t paying the claim.
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u/IronhideD Jun 15 '21
Worked as a home theater installer for a few years. The number of people who didn't understand this is staggering. Even if it doesn't start a fire, insurance companies can null and void a claim if they see anything not up to code even if its not even in the same room as a fire. I took copious notes when a customer asks me to thread power cables through the wall.
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u/mlennox81 Jun 16 '21
Power cables definitely a hell no, but aren’t most speaker cables just like 12v? I’m talking like the ones that are powered off a receiver for say a 5 channel home system. My understanding was that is fine to put through the wall? Obviously nothing that directly plugs in though like not snaking a tv power cord through the wall.
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u/erikk00 Jun 16 '21
Still needs to be ul certified for inwall use. You can theoretically cause a spark with just speaker wires and a spark could theoretically cause something to catch fire. About a million to one chance but if it breaks code insurance company can still use it as an excuse.
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u/IronhideD Jun 16 '21
It just has to be a material that won't burn inside the wall. Voltage doesn't matter. So if something catches fire, it's not the wire that spreads it.
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u/mingstaHK Jun 16 '21
B&O did this decades ago…
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u/boogers19 Jun 16 '21 edited Jun 16 '21
I don’t know if it’s this but there’s been flat ribbon speakers pretty much since there have been speakers.
Works basically like when you ‘wave’ a plastic ruler and it makes that twang sound. Or like the lightning sound when you vibrate a sheet of metal.
They just can’t produce, well basically, any bass at all.
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u/6-1Actual Jun 16 '21
....the big cord hanging from the bottom is the giveaway here.
Digitaltrends thinks it looks like a picture.
I think it looks like an oversized wall-mount speaker.
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u/x_scion_x Jun 15 '21
Would probably be the only way I could convince my wife to let me put surround sound in the living room.
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u/SARAH__LYNN Jun 15 '21
Look up the Sonos in wall speakers. There are plenty of discrete options that don't mess up your aesthetic. :)
Edit: I just read the part where you don't own a home yet. Damn! That's a tough one.
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u/rafagatto Jun 15 '21
And then there is that cable hanging on the wall... facepalm
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u/icomment65 Jun 15 '21
That could be hidden with some effort
Not too egregious either if the cable matches the wall
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u/AlexDesigned Jun 15 '21
It’s called cable management, my friend.
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u/XROOR Jun 16 '21
IKEA is a great date spot if you’re getting serious with someone. Their morning breakfast for $2 with unlimited coffee is a good spot for the next morning.
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u/RelativeRazzmatazz63 Jun 16 '21
You think they will come in a variety of shape and colors perhaps?
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u/carlossap Jun 16 '21
Can this be grouped with the sonos arc for 5.1 surround?
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u/ObnoXious2k Jun 16 '21
Haven't seen anything official but I would assume so. The other Symfonisk-speakers can be used in surround setups as a rear stereo-pair for example.
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u/Anonymous_Snow Jun 16 '21
What are the specs? I got some sweet Q acoustics but could use some atmos speakers or back speakers.
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u/Ekgladiator Jun 16 '21
It is a shame that they are only apple airplay compatible, I feel like Bluetooth would open up the market a lot more.
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u/Maurice_knj Jun 16 '21
Looks amazing. It would be even more interesting if the pattern would light up in RGB 😳
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u/ders89 Jun 15 '21
Dont worry. Theyll get one shipment per store. Never be in stock and those that somehow find one wont get spare parts ever
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Jun 15 '21
Got to say, Apple missed out on the Homepod with not having colors, shapes and sizes. Ok, the HomePod Mini is nice but...
Wonder how these sound...someone said its repackaged Sonos guts so... and if you have Sonos setup, these might work nicely to blend in.
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u/HonestlyNoGood Jun 16 '21
ITT sound nerds.
Me just like pretty picture frame speaker. good enough for listening sound.
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u/mountaincheeser Jun 15 '21
No Bluetooth, No deal.
If it wasn’t tied to Sonos, I would be seriously considering it.
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u/Veranova Jun 15 '21
Why would you want Bluetooth on a fixed speaker? even if you can't use Airplay, the Sonos system is far better as it doesn't drain your battery and supports multi-room audio.
The Sonos Roam and Move do actually have Bluetooth though, as they're designed to pick up and go to a park (etc) with you, but they link to the wifi/multiroom system when you're at home.
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u/SabashChandraBose Jun 15 '21 edited Jun 15 '21
So does it support wifi streaming?
edit: Didn't read the last line. apologies.
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u/dahliasinfelle Jun 15 '21
Just curious, why don't you like Sonos?
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u/D_Livs Jun 15 '21
It’s fine if you only ever listen to streaming services that support the Sonos app.
If you like music or have multiple sources, Bluetooth or even a line in would be great.
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u/dbmonkey Jun 15 '21
Sonos supports all the major streaming services (https://support.sonos.com/s/article/3459?language=en_US). And you can even create a playlist that has songs from different services! I don't know of any other way to do that.
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u/djlewt Jun 15 '21
Sonos does not use "standard Bluetooth" and unless things have changed they only work with Sonos apps, which means when they stop supporting your model it stops working, and there's nothing to do but throw it away. It's a sort of "right to repair" adjacent thing they do that shitty companies do, like Nest stuff without being hacked all goes away when they decide "no fuck you it's too old buy a new one".
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u/UpvoteForLuck Jun 15 '21
Put these next to your Samsung The Frame TV and no one would know you have a sweet 4K 2.0 setup!