Sonos and Ikea’s Love Affair Is Over—Grab This $19 Device While You Still Can Leave a comment
People searching for an reasonably priced Wi-Fi speaker to suit between their Jättebo sectional and Dyvlinge swivel chair will likely be upset to study that Sonos and Ikea are parting ways. After eight years of partnering on every part from an odd wall-mountable speaker in a body to a surprisingly respectable pair of bookshelf audio system, the Ikea fashions are being discontinued.
You may in fact get primarily every part 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 an honest pair of headphones (8/10, WIRED Recommends). However there’s one factor we at WIRED will really miss when this partnership ends: The Symfonisk Sound Remote ($19).
This unassuming rectangular puck acts like a thermostat controller in your music, with play/pause, skip, and quantity controls that pair seamlessly with the Sonos app (now that it’s working again). Amazingly, Sonos nonetheless does not provide a modern, wall mountable distant, as a substitute 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 other 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 just will not really feel like a type of previous of us with these wired telephones with big 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 remote together ($89). On this economic system? If I used to be a Sonos person, I might purchase one for each room in the home earlier than they promote out. And it’s 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 operating. This might clarify the tip 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 straight 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 wonderful 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 gadgets—together with the distant—will stay supported. I do not assume many individuals will miss the talking lamp, however it’s comforting to realize it nonetheless works.
