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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.
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Table of Contents
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.
ReasonS 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 Configuration
n/a
Enclosure
n/a
Impedance
n/a
Max Frequency Response
n/a
Min Frequency Response
n/a
Power Handling
–
Sensitivity
–
Wattage
n/a
All Specs
Test Results
These are the most important criteria to test for Speakers based on our comprehensive Testing Methodology.
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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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.
