Sonos and IKEA’s Love Affair Is Over—Grab This $19 Device While You Still Can

People searching for an reasonably priced wi-fi speaker to suit between their Jättebo sectional and Dyvlinge swivel chair might be upset to be taught that Sonos and IKEA are parting methods. After eight years of partnering on every little thing 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 after all get basically every little thing the IKEA/Sonos collabs supplied (and extra by way of 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 a good pair of headphones (8/10, WIRED Recommends). However there may be one factor we at WIRED will really miss when this partnership ends: The Symfonisk Sound Distant ($19).

This unassuming rectangular puck acts like a thermostat controller to your music, with play/pause, skip, and quantity controls that pair seamlessly with the Sonos app (now that it is working once more). Amazingly, Sonos itself nonetheless would not provide a smooth, wall mountable distant, as a substitute forcing me to succeed in for my telephone 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 different Sonos remotes, however they solely management TV audio system.

This wall distant (which needn’t be wall mounted in any respect) is simple to make use of with an elbow, and it’s discreet and handsome sufficient that you simply will not really feel like a kind of previous of us with these wired telephones with enormous 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 distant collectively ($89). On this financial 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 yr left many longtime customers struggling to maintain their once-reliable programs working. This might clarify the tip to this partnership from IKEA’s aspect of issues, as it is a main retailer that diligently retains monitor of what’s promoting and what is not.

From Sonos’ aspect, this might simply be a logical conclusion to a considerably unfruitful partnership with mid-tier merchandise that the model itself more and more competes immediately with. Sonos has pivoted to be much less of a premium model in recent times, and simply final month it dropped the worth 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 there’ll not be a third-party possibility. 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 suppose many individuals will miss the speaking lamp, however it’s comforting to comprehend it nonetheless works.