Recently purchased Arc and Sub Gen 3 🤘 then today purchased the Symfonisk bookshelf speakers pair as rear surround.. my home theatre is complete 😍 Mandolorian sounds amazing.
Keep up the good work! Before I bought the Sonos Beam, I watched about 10-15 different reviews and none of them gave the depth that you provided. I enjoyed the detail features you’ve provided in this review.
Thanks for testing out the sonos system, especially the frequency response. BTW the play 5 has a 3.5mm jack so you can play aux devices and share it on the sonos system. The play 5s actually go quite deep for such a compact speaker which doesn't have ports or passive radiators. I have sonos in my house as well as higher end audio, but like you said they are a cool system, they sound good for streaming music around the house and they look good and feel nicely built. They can't compare to my main audio system but i still enjoy using them. Thanks for the review.
Don Sazon I agree with you 100%. I have 2 Play 5’s in my bedroom that I use for music. Curious, what do you have for your main system? I’m looking to rebuild my living room system and you seem to have similar taste to mine.
I did the same thing with the beam soundbar and two ikea symfonisk lamp's for my wifes living room. Its discreet and good enough for her. Just have to add the sub now
@@nirajktm they aren't the best speakers I've ever heard by far, but I think considering the feature set, they're a fair price. Sonos does have a nice app and system. A lot of nice ways to mount this speaker also. In a way, they're smart because it's in its own category.
We had a 1st gen Echo in our master bathroom for listening to music in the morning ruclips.net/user/postUgkxABghAEkaIDGZfHRBH3D3rBrlraNmnC71 and while in the shower. I didn't realize how tinny and awful the sound output on the original Echo was until we replaced it with the Studio. It was a sonic upgrade far beyond what I was expecting. Just wow. I love it because it's like having speakers IN the shower. My friend likes it because the music is so loud that she can no longer hear me singing. So that's a win-win.
I have two Beam Gen 1 with 4 Symfonisk speakers for +3 years (Master bedroom and spare room). Both Symfonisk sit on either side of a bed and are perfect for night time TV viewing and you don't need to crank up the soundbar on the far side of the room. I can iPhone TruePlay the Beam+Symfonisk and play Airplay whole house audio to them. Zero reasons to upgrade to the One SLs or Era 100 until Sonos stops supporting the Symfonisk speakers.
I really appreciated this review. I’ve watched several, and so many either don’t know what they’re talking about, or just want to bash Sonos for its shortcomings. I appreciate the fair review.
Good vid, but you should of shown in more detail how the speakers sound and how they are placed in the room. This is a really good ideea if you are on a small budget, but you still want a full cinema experience
Ok so just so I get this straight, the IKEA speaker can’t be used with a tv by itself, but if you get a Sonos sound bar, then the Ike’a speak can be used with the tv? And if so does the speak need to be in a proximity to the sound bar or directly connected or can the speaker be synced from location in a room?
I installed the Sonos app just to get the Beam set up on the tv and get it recognized on my phone. Once it was completed, I directly deleted the app. Spotify still recognizes the Beam so no need to go through the Sonos app at all.
Not sure of the advantage for deleting the app? You can get app updates, Trueplay updates, control the EQ/loudness, ambient vs full music for rear speakers, mix/match speaker combos, do night mode, and do speech enhancement for clearer dialogue for TV. I don't need the app all the time but I do use it 2-3 times a month (2 Beams, 1 sub, 4 symfonisk speakers, 2 roams).
omg this is exactly the video i was looking for. I got an arc and thinking to make it surround with the ikea symfonisk as my rears. Was not too keen on the one sl for that role as it is super pricey
Right on time Joe. Just bought 4 Ikea Symfonisk speakers this weekend, with a Sonos Connect to add my normal living room surround system. So now I have a nice 5.2 system in my main room, connected to Symfonisk speakers placed around my home. High end stuff in the main listening area... cheaper stuff in the other rooms. It all sounds good though.
I'm surprised by this Sonos stuff. I like what they're doing tuning their speakers to a relatively flat response. They could've opted for V-shape or something that would impress someone at the store, but they didn't.
@@joentell They really own the wireless speaker space right now. My Symfonisk speakers sound great (not perfect). They add sound to every room that needs it, plus my patio. I'm happy with them.
Hey I have these ikea speakers thinking I could set it up directly as a home theater surround sound type. Not the case. I think I need a sound bar to set it up that way. So do I need to buy a Sonos soundbar to pair with the ikea Sonos speakers ? Or can I buy a non Sonos soundbar (vizio, bose, etc) to pair with it?
Kinda random...You did a tear down of the Ikea Sonos speaker. I'm wondering what the best speaker (value and sound) would be to use with the guts of the Ikea speaker. IE; it's crossover and amplifier paired with what budget speaker.
All good. So the thing is that I think that it's custom tuned for that specific Sonos speaker. Perhaps with that calibration it does, maybe it would compensate. Interesting idea. I would probably see what it could do with a Micca RB42 or MB42X.
@@joentell Thank you so much for the reply. The other idea I had was to just use the lowpass guts and buy a decent sub to help with the bottom end and fuller sound.
@@NakeanWickliff I guess for me, I like hacks/mods as much as anyone, but I just bought Chromecast Audio's for $15 each before they were discontinued and I could hook them up to any powered speaker or a cheap class D amp and passive speakers and pretty much do the same thing as what Sonos offers. If you are stuck in the Sonos ecosystem, I get the appeal though.
Yup, the Sonos sub is too loud by default requires cutting the bass in the EQ settings and disabling "loudness". It does hit low though (high 20s), and should be taken seriously. I use a Sonos One/Sub set in the bedroom and, after some trimming in the EQ settings, I like it. It beats pretty much anything Bose makes and I would even live with it in out in the entertainment area if I didn't already have that covered with a "real" hifi. I could definitely live with it as a home theater setup. Wires suck.
Sorry, but no. The Bose, as usual, hits louder, not lower. I actually measured the Sonos with an SPL meter and it dipped down to the mid- twenties. I don’t think Bose has *ever* made a speaker that could reproduce 25Hz. Check the specs on anything Bose makes. If you find anything that goes that low within +/-3dB, I’ll buy it for you.
Bose is crap. The music services supported by them ‘s very limited and the after sales ‘s updates ‘s poor. Stop defending Bose. I ‘m currently having a SoundTouch system in another room and it ‘s so bassy compared to what Sonos offers. For me , the treble and the details is more important than overpowering bass. I have gone as far as replacing my living room Bose set up with Sonos instead and so far so good.
You should test some Sonos Ones or One SLs. They're a big step up from the Ikea speaks. They're surprising really. I have some nice speakers and studio monitors in the house and i still enjoy the Sonos Ones.
Is it possible to control this setup with alexa? For example "Play Spotify Music" or "Netflix" and with this command my Samsung smart tv switches on and starts Netflix, sets the lighting mood for philips hue and plays the TV sound through the speakers? I'm new to the smarthome world, hence the questions. Plan to use philips hue for light and sonos / ikea symfonisk for sound, alexa echo for control with Android mobile phone. What do you think about? Thank you! Great video, keep it up!
Bro with a 125db window many speakers look flat. Per your measurements there were 5-10db swings in areas and that would be both significant and audible. Sure, it’s the “room”, perhaps, but maybe tighten up the window. I would expect some congestion from the big boost around 200-300hz. The sub has nice performance, but is down a lot at 20hz, so much so that I would expect the action below 40hz to be rather muted/noticeably weaker. If you like it you like it but I’d still shrink the window a bit as very good speakers play flat within a much tighter window of, say, +-4db, and that becomes easier to spot.
Hi, what would you say is the best soundbar + wireless satellites you would recommend that wouldn't necessarily break the bank ? I currently have a Samsung HW-N450 Soundbar with the wireless satellites, but I can't manage to get true 5.1 out of it, and I'm suspecting it's faux surround, as all tests seem to have the satellites mirroring the left and right of the soundbar, as opposed to rear L+R. (and all product specs say surround, and never mention 5.1) So disappointing. So I am on the lookout for a 3.1 soundbar (has to be a soundbar due to small space under the TV, on a fireplace mantle) + satellites, that would get me to 5.1 Any suggestions would be highly appreciated. Thanks, and thanks for the video above.
How the arc works or does not work is pretty important. Some products are great and some stuff don't work good at all with power on of for instance. So it would be nice to see how they work with a TV and if they work as you expect especially with the IKEA speakers. Do they turn on by themselves when you turn the TV/bar on? People who want this setup are probably more interested in the simplicity and compability then the sound spectrum. Thanks any way keep it up.
does the TV and beam work with 1 symfonisk? I read that it needs 2 back speakers for TV, but latency if just 1, but just checking (maybe new updates allow it).
there is a DIY project going around where you hook up other speakers from a ikea symfonisk. my question is, does this give a good quality sound are the amps not strong enough in the symfonisk or is it a viable option to rip out the guts of a symfonisk and put them inside of a DIY speaker and have good wireless speakers?
@@joytimmermansit's possible. It's makes more sense for subs since you're tapping into the speakers and going into high level inputs on most powered subs.
Hi there, I currently have a definitive technology Procinema 800 with a marantz 1605 receivers setup that I owned for years now. I’m currently looking do declutter and get the the Sonos playbar and sub. Do you think I will be sacrificing sound quality for ease of use or can the sonos system suffice.
are there any cheaper soundbars that would work well with two ikea symfonisk bookshelf speakers? and be able to connect them all to google home? lol here in canada the beam is $500 yikes.
@@joentell I was loving the idea of the symfonisk speakers, but it seems without that sonos beam i cant connect them to my TV. Any other recommendations that sound well, but arent too expensive? im not a crazy audiophile but just want some audio that will sound more rounded, anything but the built in tv audio. which i can connect to my tv and also wirelessly to my home mini. Or, i could get the sonos beam and later add speakers. How does the sonos beam perform on its own? is it good enough? or would you say the left and right speakers are a requirement?
@@europeanlegend9347 I was surprised that I liked the Beam. You said you can't connect it to you let TV. Why not? Does it have an optical SPDIF out? If so, you can use that.
Thank you for the analysis! I jumped in with both feet into the Sonos Ecosystem (Beam, One, Sub) without hearing anything other than the demos in Best Buy. I did a ton of looking at different sound bar systems and I kept coming back to the Sonos system even though it's drastically more expensive. The ability to reconfigure and easily do whole-home audio was just too appealing. Also, I needed a minimal look and ability to control the TV effortlessly. Cons: I find the audio quality of the Beam to be underwhelming: 1. Bass response doesn't reach as low as I would hope - your response curve shows a far better response than my ear hears - it could be the quick falloff 2. Upper-mids and highs are not as clear as I would like. I think this is more of a crossover or interference issue. I've had the subwoofer come un-paired multiple times in the past month, and it is difficult to get it re-paired The subwoofer is insanely expensive for its size and SPL Pros: The systm tiny and attractive The off-axis response is definitely better than my home theater Klipsch Reference system (even if the on-axis is nowhere near as good) Controlling audio has been wonderful (Cast, Voice, HDMI) I barely ever touch the remote for the TV, as the CEC control works very well The subwoofer has an impressive punch and begins to reach into subsonic. Easily outclasses the Beam. Would like to try it with the PlayBar (which doesn't have the software features I was looking for)
Bass issue might be caused by room cancellations. Try moving it around if possible. If you run a sweep test or have a test tone generator app on your phone, you can find the problematic frequencies. Poor perceived clarity could be caused by that sub being up to high. It's way too high by default. I had it a touch higher than 1/4 volume for the sub. Even then, that wasn't flat, but rather about 5-6dB up from flat.
@@joentell my clarity issues are independent of subwoofer use. I do feel that the mid-bass clears up a lot when using the sub. Did you notice that the DSP of the Beam changes when the sup pairs? You can play audio while pairing is occurring and hear the change in DSP. I do not have an iPhone to do the calibration, but I'm sure that would continue to improve the "sounds the same everywhere" ability of the Beam.
@@GregMcNamer I didn't notice any change to the Beam when using the sub. You can borrow a friend's iPhone or use an iPad to do the calibration. I think once it's set, you can delete the app from their iphone or iPad.
@@GregMcNamer the Trueplay feature makes a difference! For me dialogue tightened up even more and the sound just had an extra meatiness to it. Also turned Loudness off, I don't want bass and Treble cranked up at lower volumes, I want my sound as intended. It will definitely make a difference though. I had to borrow an iPhone which wasn't easy!
I like the convinience of Sonos and surprisingly their products do sound pretty darn good. Just do not like the prices. Like, 700 euros for a subwoofer with two tiny drivers? Really? On of my DiY subwoofer features two 12 inches and an 800 watt amp for 600 euro lol. And in my opinion, a subwoofer (and a good center) is the most important speaker in a home theater setup. And with a Sonos setup, I am forced to buy their overpriced sub. That sub may go low, but it won't go loud.
When you use the ikea symfonik, you can hook any active sub to it. Just loosen a few screws, connect audio cable to the biggest speaker and you're good to go
Hi Joe, this is awesome, but is it possible to send the signal from the symfonisk into active (powered) speakers? I thought that sending this amplified signal into an active speaker would create terrible distortion because there are then two amps in series, but it seems like that is what you've done here with the sub?
VERY late response but for posterity. Symfonisk speakers only have an ethernet and power in. There isn't a way of getting a speaker level output from them.
Really considering adding a pair of Symfonisks to my Sonos Arc as rear stereo pair, the sound quality will be good enough for surround then add a sonos sub to take the base pressure off the arc.
My Speaker Leaderboard: bit.ly/SpeakerLeaderboard My Subwoofer Leaderboard: bit.ly/subwooferleaderboard My Headphone Leaderboard: bit.ly/headphoneleaderboard
Dude how early do you wake up Brotha lol ? I'm on the East Coast and it's 9am when you posted this. Which according to my calculations means you posted this at 6 in the Morning over there in Cali. Guess you're an early riser. I have a personal rule if the Sun's not up neither am I. ;)
Im like you, I cant get past the $700 sub as the only option. If they included an output option to add a sub of my choice via a wired connection, I might have gone in that direction. But for what you can get for the same $ in wired speakers, I'm out.
Im about to replace my 5.1 AV reciever +Pioneer Andrew Jones speakers with a SOnos beam + 2 ones. tired of watching large speakers by the tv and behind me. I bearly use it now that I have 3 month kid so, what I want now is ease of use for my wife, more room in the livingroom, listen to music just by asking and alexa features (Also have smart bulbs)
QCCanales You may want to check out the Samsung Q90 first. I was surprised how well the sounded. Not crazy about Sonos speakers’ sound quality (except for the Play 5’s which sound great).
Hey Joe, did you use the "tuning" feature when setting up the Beam, where you walk around the room and your phone beeps to sense the walls? I was curious if you did and if it had an effect on the sound of the setup.
Joe N Tell Thanks for the feedback! I just found your video of on the Symfonisk tuning, awesome to see and hear the difference! If anyone is curious on that definitely check it out.
I just spend money for a beam and 2 ikea speakers and I must say that its far from ideal setup for hip hop music or very base demanding , the setup is loud but not enough punch for the base, im happy with the ambiant sound surround watching tv and movies but for a loud party it really need a subwoofer for sure , its easy to find the limit of the system ! for the price I was expecting a bit more base overall specially from the beam but I was using a sony ct260h with a big kickass sub and the wife was complaining every time about the sub that was too loud
Not for me to much money for inferior sound, $700.00 can get you a complete Denon 5.1 surround starter system that sounds better, compatible with all video equipment and you can use you're turntable, cd player or even a tape deck.
"Life is a blast when you know what you’re doin’, Best to know what you’re doin’ ‘fore your life get ruined. Life is a thrill when your skill is developed, If you ain’t got a skill or trade, then shut the hell up." - Del the Funky Homosapien
The fact that these Ikea speakers are tied into the proprietary Sonos ecosystem annoys me immensely. Why don't they also do Bluetooth, Airplay, Google-play (or whatever it's called..?).
I know what you mean. I think that's their way of keeping it "simple". If you really think about Bluetooth, it's good if one person wants to connect to it, but not so good when multiple users want access. Someone needs to disconnect and there's no way for everyone to see what's playing on their mobile device. There are also range issues with Bluetooth. Their idea and the reason it "feels different" to use is that it seems centralized. As long as you have access to the wifi, you have the Sonos app, and you're approved as a user in that home, you can control the system. If someone else plays something, I can open the Sonos app and see what's playing, where it's playing and the volume.
Recently purchased Arc and Sub Gen 3 🤘 then today purchased the Symfonisk bookshelf speakers pair as rear surround.. my home theatre is complete 😍 Mandolorian sounds amazing.
Keep up the good work! Before I bought the Sonos Beam, I watched about 10-15 different reviews and none of them gave the depth that you provided. I enjoyed the detail features you’ve provided in this review.
Thanks for testing out the sonos system, especially the frequency response. BTW the play 5 has a 3.5mm jack so you can play aux devices and share it on the sonos system. The play 5s actually go quite deep for such a compact speaker which doesn't have ports or passive radiators. I have sonos in my house as well as higher end audio, but like you said they are a cool system, they sound good for streaming music around the house and they look good and feel nicely built. They can't compare to my main audio system but i still enjoy using them. Thanks for the review.
Don Sazon I agree with you 100%. I have 2 Play 5’s in my bedroom that I use for music. Curious, what do you have for your main system? I’m looking to rebuild my living room system and you seem to have similar taste to mine.
I did the same thing with the beam soundbar and two ikea symfonisk lamp's for my wifes living room. Its discreet and good enough for her. Just have to add the sub now
Thanks for the review, been using Sonos Beam, sub and play 1, play 5,.happy so far
It's a nice sounding system
@@joentell how did you find the Symfonisk speakers Joe? They launch here in Australia end of September
@@nirajktm they aren't the best speakers I've ever heard by far, but I think considering the feature set, they're a fair price. Sonos does have a nice app and system. A lot of nice ways to mount this speaker also.
In a way, they're smart because it's in its own category.
We had a 1st gen Echo in our master bathroom for listening to music in the morning ruclips.net/user/postUgkxABghAEkaIDGZfHRBH3D3rBrlraNmnC71 and while in the shower. I didn't realize how tinny and awful the sound output on the original Echo was until we replaced it with the Studio. It was a sonic upgrade far beyond what I was expecting. Just wow. I love it because it's like having speakers IN the shower. My friend likes it because the music is so loud that she can no longer hear me singing. So that's a win-win.
I have two Beam Gen 1 with 4 Symfonisk speakers for +3 years (Master bedroom and spare room). Both Symfonisk sit on either side of a bed and are perfect for night time TV viewing and you don't need to crank up the soundbar on the far side of the room. I can iPhone TruePlay the Beam+Symfonisk and play Airplay whole house audio to them. Zero reasons to upgrade to the One SLs or Era 100 until Sonos stops supporting the Symfonisk speakers.
I really appreciated this review. I’ve watched several, and so many either don’t know what they’re talking about, or just want to bash Sonos for its shortcomings. I appreciate the fair review.
Where can I hear version of this song ?
Good vid, but you should of shown in more detail how the speakers sound and how they are placed in the room. This is a really good ideea if you are on a small budget, but you still want a full cinema experience
Ok so just so I get this straight, the IKEA speaker can’t be used with a tv by itself, but if you get a Sonos sound bar, then the Ike’a speak can be used with the tv? And if so does the speak need to be in a proximity to the sound bar or directly connected or can the speaker be synced from location in a room?
Quick question!
I have a XGMI ultra projector, would this setup still work for it? I also have 2 of the ikea sono wall speakers
If it has HDMI ARC, it should
I installed the Sonos app just to get the Beam set up on the tv and get it recognized on my phone. Once it was completed, I directly deleted the app. Spotify still recognizes the Beam so no need to go through the Sonos app at all.
Not sure of the advantage for deleting the app? You can get app updates, Trueplay updates, control the EQ/loudness, ambient vs full music for rear speakers, mix/match speaker combos, do night mode, and do speech enhancement for clearer dialogue for TV. I don't need the app all the time but I do use it 2-3 times a month (2 Beams, 1 sub, 4 symfonisk speakers, 2 roams).
omg this is exactly the video i was looking for. I got an arc and thinking to make it surround with the ikea symfonisk as my rears. Was not too keen on the one sl for that role as it is super pricey
Right on time Joe. Just bought 4 Ikea Symfonisk speakers this weekend, with a Sonos Connect to add my normal living room surround system. So now I have a nice 5.2 system in my main room, connected to Symfonisk speakers placed around my home. High end stuff in the main listening area... cheaper stuff in the other rooms. It all sounds good though.
I'm surprised by this Sonos stuff. I like what they're doing tuning their speakers to a relatively flat response. They could've opted for V-shape or something that would impress someone at the store, but they didn't.
@@joentell They really own the wireless speaker space right now. My Symfonisk speakers sound great (not perfect). They add sound to every room that needs it, plus my patio. I'm happy with them.
Souls of mischief. '93 to infinity!!
You can use any remote to control the beam or play bar even without arc
I'm planning on getting the Sonos beam and two of the Ikea speakers. Hopefully that does the job and I won't require a sub.
So how is it?👀
Nice, how did you feed the sweep tone into the sonos beam? Thank you.
REW via HDMI
Hey I have these ikea speakers thinking I could set it up directly as a home theater surround sound type. Not the case. I think I need a sound bar to set it up that way. So do I need to buy a Sonos soundbar to pair with the ikea Sonos speakers ? Or can I buy a non Sonos soundbar (vizio, bose, etc) to pair with it?
I currently have Play:1s, but thinking of getting the shelves purely for aesthetic
Kinda random...You did a tear down of the Ikea Sonos speaker. I'm wondering what the best speaker (value and sound) would be to use with the guts of the Ikea speaker. IE; it's crossover and amplifier paired with what budget speaker.
Sorry for the double post. Thought I should put it here also
All good. So the thing is that I think that it's custom tuned for that specific Sonos speaker. Perhaps with that calibration it does, maybe it would compensate. Interesting idea. I would probably see what it could do with a Micca RB42 or MB42X.
@@joentell Thank you so much for the reply. The other idea I had was to just use the lowpass guts and buy a decent sub to help with the bottom end and fuller sound.
or maybe both :)
@@NakeanWickliff I guess for me, I like hacks/mods as much as anyone, but I just bought Chromecast Audio's for $15 each before they were discontinued and I could hook them up to any powered speaker or a cheap class D amp and passive speakers and pretty much do the same thing as what Sonos offers.
If you are stuck in the Sonos ecosystem, I get the appeal though.
Yup, the Sonos sub is too loud by default requires cutting the bass in the EQ settings and disabling "loudness". It does hit low though (high 20s), and should be taken seriously. I use a Sonos One/Sub set in the bedroom and, after some trimming in the EQ settings, I like it. It beats pretty much anything Bose makes and I would even live with it in out in the entertainment area if I didn't already have that covered with a "real" hifi. I could definitely live with it as a home theater setup. Wires suck.
Bill D the Sonos sub sounds great but the Bose sub definitely hits harder, I tested them both out at Best Buy
Sorry, but no. The Bose, as usual, hits louder, not lower. I actually measured the Sonos with an SPL meter and it dipped down to the mid- twenties. I don’t think Bose has *ever* made a speaker that could reproduce 25Hz. Check the specs on anything Bose makes. If you find anything that goes that low within +/-3dB, I’ll buy it for you.
Bill D the Bose sounds better to my ears, all that matters to me. You’re welcome to buy one for me, I’ll send my info Lol 👍🏼
Hi there, interested to apply this setting with Beam, sub and play 1s, you memtioned cutting the bass in EQ, by how much?
Bose is crap. The music services supported by them ‘s very limited and the after sales ‘s updates ‘s poor. Stop defending Bose. I ‘m currently having a SoundTouch system in another room and it ‘s so bassy compared to what Sonos offers. For me , the treble and the details is more important than overpowering bass. I have gone as far as replacing my living room Bose set up with Sonos instead and so far so good.
How do they compare to the era 100s?
You should test some Sonos Ones or One SLs. They're a big step up from the Ikea speaks. They're surprising really. I have some nice speakers and studio monitors in the house and i still enjoy the Sonos Ones.
Finally a decent explanation as to how to achieve surround sound for your tv. I've been searching for this solution for a while so thanks.
Glad it helped!
Can you show the set up I'm going to get this
Is it possible to control this setup with alexa? For example "Play Spotify Music" or "Netflix" and with this command my Samsung smart tv switches on and starts Netflix, sets the lighting mood for philips hue and plays the TV sound through the speakers? I'm new to the smarthome world, hence the questions. Plan to use philips hue for light and sonos / ikea symfonisk for sound, alexa echo for control with Android mobile phone. What do you think about?
Thank you! Great video, keep it up!
Bro with a 125db window many speakers look flat. Per your measurements there were 5-10db swings in areas and that would be both significant and audible. Sure, it’s the “room”, perhaps, but maybe tighten up the window. I would expect some congestion from the big boost around 200-300hz. The sub has nice performance, but is down a lot at 20hz, so much so that I would expect the action below 40hz to be rather muted/noticeably weaker. If you like it you like it but I’d still shrink the window a bit as very good speakers play flat within a much tighter window of, say, +-4db, and that becomes easier to spot.
If you're referring to how zoomed in/out I was, +-5dB is pretty standard.
Hi, what would you say is the best soundbar + wireless satellites you would recommend that wouldn't necessarily break the bank ? I currently have a Samsung HW-N450 Soundbar with the wireless satellites, but I can't manage to get true 5.1 out of it, and I'm suspecting it's faux surround, as all tests seem to have the satellites mirroring the left and right of the soundbar, as opposed to rear L+R. (and all product specs say surround, and never mention 5.1) So disappointing. So I am on the lookout for a 3.1 soundbar (has to be a soundbar due to small space under the TV, on a fireplace mantle) + satellites, that would get me to 5.1 Any suggestions would be highly appreciated. Thanks, and thanks for the video above.
How the arc works or does not work is pretty important. Some products are great and some stuff don't work good at all with power on of for instance.
So it would be nice to see how they work with a TV and if they work as you expect especially with the IKEA speakers. Do they turn on by themselves when you turn the TV/bar on? People who want this setup are probably more interested in the simplicity and compability then the sound spectrum.
Thanks any way keep it up.
Makes sense. Unfortunately, I use a projector with no ARC support so I can't test that. Maybe when I get a TV with ARC support
You should do the Damson V2 5.1.2 system and also test out the adapter to add your own powered sub.
Just looking up Sonos and seen your logo on the shirt brought back memories when I was B-Boyin
Crazy love the shirt
Came here for a Sonos review, left finding the true monetary value of love.
How much into negative territory are you?
2 years later, you can hack into the speaker and run two wires into a sub.
You could do this 2 years ago too lol
So what would you suggest compared to this? You mentioned it's not the cheapest or best.
Lol
does the TV and beam work with 1 symfonisk? I read that it needs 2 back speakers for TV, but latency if just 1, but just checking (maybe new updates allow it).
I didn't try that
It needs two
there is a DIY project going around where you hook up other speakers from a ikea symfonisk. my question is, does this give a good quality sound are the amps not strong enough in the symfonisk or is it a viable option to rip out the guts of a symfonisk and put them inside of a DIY speaker and have good wireless speakers?
I saw that. It's a good way to add a powered sub if you want to use one in the Sonos ecosystem without buying their Sonos sub.
Joe N Tell but prob not powerful enough to use the internals in the diy dinas you made a vid about? And make them wireless, airplay 2 compatible.
@@joytimmermansit's possible. It's makes more sense for subs since you're tapping into the speakers and going into high level inputs on most powered subs.
At first glance I thought it was the Westinghouse logo, which would've been kind of a weird shirt ot have
So the Sonos Beam supports surround over Toslink?
Yes
You coming up for Heiro Day?
Do these Synfonisk speakers work with Sonos Arc?
4 sure Bro 👊🏽 enjoy 😉
Great in depth review! May I ask what settings did You use to turn down the bass on the sub? - 2 or -3 on the sub EQ? Thank you
Possible to only sync 1 ikea Symfonisk to the beam to perform the surround, instead of 2?
no
Yes sir its a t-shirt. You use it to keep warm. Just ask again if you need answers to other hard questions.
Nicely done. FYI The Sonos Play5 does have a 3.5 mm audio in.
Can these connect to a PC?
Hey thanks for the great video!
can it be configured to a 2.1 - I done really care about the rear channels ? - I would rather have stereo when using audio services
To have 2.1, you can use 2 speakers and a sub, if you use a bar and a sub you get 3.1
You’re shirt has the old GE logo from the 1950s....I remember it on light bulb boxes
Hi there, I currently have a definitive technology Procinema 800 with a marantz 1605 receivers setup that I owned for years now. I’m currently looking do declutter and get the the Sonos playbar and sub. Do you think I will be sacrificing sound quality for ease of use or can the sonos system suffice.
are there any cheaper soundbars that would work well with two ikea symfonisk bookshelf speakers? and be able to connect them all to google home? lol here in canada the beam is $500 yikes.
Not really. Maybe they'll have a sale on the Beam.
@@joentell I was loving the idea of the symfonisk speakers, but it seems without that sonos beam i cant connect them to my TV. Any other recommendations that sound well, but arent too expensive? im not a crazy audiophile but just want some audio that will sound more rounded, anything but the built in tv audio. which i can connect to my tv and also wirelessly to my home mini. Or, i could get the sonos beam and later add speakers. How does the sonos beam perform on its own? is it good enough? or would you say the left and right speakers are a requirement?
@@europeanlegend9347 I was surprised that I liked the Beam. You said you can't connect it to you let TV. Why not? Does it have an optical SPDIF out? If so, you can use that.
@@joentell I meant the ikea symfonisk by themsevles. There is no way to connect to a TV. unless im mistaken?
@@europeanlegend9347 You're correct. You need to use a Beam or other Sonos soundbar.
Thank you for the analysis!
I jumped in with both feet into the Sonos Ecosystem (Beam, One, Sub) without hearing anything other than the demos in Best Buy. I did a ton of looking at different sound bar systems and I kept coming back to the Sonos system even though it's drastically more expensive. The ability to reconfigure and easily do whole-home audio was just too appealing. Also, I needed a minimal look and ability to control the TV effortlessly.
Cons:
I find the audio quality of the Beam to be underwhelming:
1. Bass response doesn't reach as low as I would hope - your response curve shows a far better response than my ear hears - it could be the quick falloff
2. Upper-mids and highs are not as clear as I would like. I think this is more of a crossover or interference issue.
I've had the subwoofer come un-paired multiple times in the past month, and it is difficult to get it re-paired
The subwoofer is insanely expensive for its size and SPL
Pros:
The systm tiny and attractive
The off-axis response is definitely better than my home theater Klipsch Reference system (even if the on-axis is nowhere near as good)
Controlling audio has been wonderful (Cast, Voice, HDMI)
I barely ever touch the remote for the TV, as the CEC control works very well
The subwoofer has an impressive punch and begins to reach into subsonic. Easily outclasses the Beam. Would like to try it with the PlayBar (which doesn't have the software features I was looking for)
Bass issue might be caused by room cancellations. Try moving it around if possible. If you run a sweep test or have a test tone generator app on your phone, you can find the problematic frequencies.
Poor perceived clarity could be caused by that sub being up to high. It's way too high by default. I had it a touch higher than 1/4 volume for the sub. Even then, that wasn't flat, but rather about 5-6dB up from flat.
@@joentell my clarity issues are independent of subwoofer use. I do feel that the mid-bass clears up a lot when using the sub. Did you notice that the DSP of the Beam changes when the sup pairs? You can play audio while pairing is occurring and hear the change in DSP.
I do not have an iPhone to do the calibration, but I'm sure that would continue to improve the "sounds the same everywhere" ability of the Beam.
@@GregMcNamer I didn't notice any change to the Beam when using the sub. You can borrow a friend's iPhone or use an iPad to do the calibration. I think once it's set, you can delete the app from their iphone or iPad.
@@GregMcNamer the Trueplay feature makes a difference! For me dialogue tightened up even more and the sound just had an extra meatiness to it. Also turned Loudness off, I don't want bass and Treble cranked up at lower volumes, I want my sound as intended.
It will definitely make a difference though. I had to borrow an iPhone which wasn't easy!
World-renowned, ground-breaking Hiero
what's your sound setup for recording videos? sounds really good.
I like the convinience of Sonos and surprisingly their products do sound pretty darn good.
Just do not like the prices.
Like, 700 euros for a subwoofer with two tiny drivers? Really?
On of my DiY subwoofer features two 12 inches and an 800 watt amp for 600 euro lol.
And in my opinion, a subwoofer (and a good center) is the most important speaker in a home theater setup.
And with a Sonos setup, I am forced to buy their overpriced sub.
That sub may go low, but it won't go loud.
I agree with all your points
When you use the ikea symfonik, you can hook any active sub to it. Just loosen a few screws, connect audio cable to the biggest speaker and you're good to go
ruclips.net/video/TiPPPu7j5DM/видео.html
@@justme_12342 That is super cool!
Hi Joe, this is awesome, but is it possible to send the signal from the symfonisk into active (powered) speakers? I thought that sending this amplified signal into an active speaker would create terrible distortion because there are then two amps in series, but it seems like that is what you've done here with the sub?
VERY late response but for posterity. Symfonisk speakers only have an ethernet and power in. There isn't a way of getting a speaker level output from them.
Is 65db snr good for speaker?
We don't really look at speakers based on signal to noise ratio. That's usually for amplifiers.
you can plug in a 3.5 in sonos play 5
Hieroglyphics “ how we chill from 93 til “ Dope shirt!
You know!!!
👍🏾
To be exact:
From Souls of Mischief
Just keep in mind you are talking about the Ikea bookshelf speakers. That's also their lowest soundbar. The sub is a monster.
Do a comparison with Symfonisk and the Play/One. I saw the internals are almost identical.
Why not an atmos system?
How do you like Nakamichi???
Haven't heard it. They've always been a reputable brand.
T-shirt Till Infinity! Also like the original track at the end as sampled by The Beatnuts. 😜
@Joe N Tell did you ever make that sound demo video for these ? I can't find anything.
ruclips.net/video/I5NJtoggUiY/видео.html
@@joentell Thank you sir :)
@@joentell Sorry I thought you were doing a 5.1 sound demo, or maybe it was?
Really considering adding a pair of Symfonisks to my Sonos Arc as rear stereo pair, the sound quality will be good enough for surround then add a sonos sub to take the base pressure off the arc.
That makes sense in my opinion.
My Speaker Leaderboard: bit.ly/SpeakerLeaderboard
My Subwoofer Leaderboard: bit.ly/subwooferleaderboard
My Headphone Leaderboard: bit.ly/headphoneleaderboard
Did you happen to do the tru-play room tuning?
I set it up on Android and found out just today about it. Gonna try it with my iPad
Cool
Would be interested to see how it changes the eq curve
im a huge Sonos fan...love the way you broke anything down...
Dude how early do you wake up Brotha lol ? I'm on the East Coast and it's 9am when you posted this. Which according to my calculations means you posted this at 6 in the Morning over there in Cali. Guess you're an early riser. I have a personal rule if the Sun's not up neither am I. ;)
I haven't gone to bed yet! Pulled an all-nighter editing this video.
@@joentell Wow !! That's Dedication to your work !! You posted it just in time for everyone to watch with their Morning Cups of Coffee. Good Job !! :)
@@jasongrisafi7828 I might as well have a cup too! Then get some sleep right after anyway.
Im like you, I cant get past the $700 sub as the only option. If they included an output option to add a sub of my choice via a wired connection, I might have gone in that direction. But for what you can get for the same $ in wired speakers, I'm out.
Im about to replace my 5.1 AV reciever +Pioneer Andrew Jones speakers with a SOnos beam + 2 ones. tired of watching large speakers by the tv and behind me. I bearly use it now that I have 3 month kid so, what I want now is ease of use for my wife, more room in the livingroom, listen to music just by asking and alexa features (Also have smart bulbs)
QCCanales You may want to check out the Samsung Q90 first. I was surprised how well the sounded. Not crazy about Sonos speakers’ sound quality (except for the Play 5’s which sound great).
Damn no one said hieroglyphics? Anyways great review, 3 years later.
Has anyone used a Symfonisk to create a wood speaker?
I’m looking to build a system but loking to save $ and use the ikea speaker as rears vs the eras. Would that work well or is it not good?
I think using the Ikea speakers for rears is a great way to save money.
Hey Joe, did you use the "tuning" feature when setting up the Beam, where you walk around the room and your phone beeps to sense the walls? I was curious if you did and if it had an effect on the sound of the setup.
I did not. I'm sure it will make a difference.
Joe N Tell Thanks for the feedback! I just found your video of on the Symfonisk tuning, awesome to see and hear the difference!
If anyone is curious on that definitely check it out.
The shirt is hyroglphics crew. Souls of mischief.
I just spend money for a beam and 2 ikea speakers and I must say that its far from ideal setup for hip hop music or very base demanding , the setup is loud but not enough punch for the base, im happy with the ambiant sound surround watching tv and movies but for a loud party it really need a subwoofer for sure , its easy to find the limit of the system ! for the price I was expecting a bit more base overall specially from the beam but I was using a sony ct260h with a big kickass sub and the wife was complaining every time about the sub that was too loud
Yeah, gotta have realistic expectations for small speakers regardless of the price. They can only do so much.
Fuck I knew this was going to be a superb video when I saw the shirt. Hiero forever.
Joe seems to be North Americas nicest guy!
Ha! I don't know about that, but thanks! 🙏
Nice video, just bought a pair to use along with my sonos amp.
Agreed, I bought a pair for use with our playbar and they work great.
To me, that shirt looks like the controller ports on a Nintendo Game Cube.
3 dots over a line in a circle.
Lol
i thought i recognized it!!
love sonos i hane beam 2 play 1s and sub plus play 5 sounds great especially for films
I was waiting for a demo
In an upcoming video. It was getting a bit long already. Also ranking on the speaker leaderboard
Hieroglyphics T-Shirt baby!
👊😎
5:07 here is the reason why is sonos very successful, that´s why sonos sucks!! most people don´t care about good sound quality!!! YOU NAILED IT!!!!!
HEIRO MAYNE!!!
👊😎
Not for me to much money for inferior sound, $700.00 can get you a complete Denon 5.1 surround starter system that sounds better, compatible with all video equipment and you can use you're turntable, cd player or even a tape deck.
"Life is a blast when you know what you’re doin’,
Best to know what you’re doin’ ‘fore your life get ruined.
Life is a thrill when your skill is developed,
If you ain’t got a skill or trade, then shut the hell up."
- Del the Funky Homosapien
Review the jbl 5.1 bro
SOUND TEST?!
Westinghouse shirt?
heiroglyphics?
“HIERO y’all!! It’s not a wrong thing/
to be addicted to the microphone like a heroin fiend!/“ -Hieroglyphics
Keep the reviews coming fam! 🔥🔥
👊😎
The fact that these Ikea speakers are tied into the proprietary Sonos ecosystem annoys me immensely. Why don't they also do Bluetooth, Airplay, Google-play (or whatever it's called..?).
I know what you mean. I think that's their way of keeping it "simple". If you really think about Bluetooth, it's good if one person wants to connect to it, but not so good when multiple users want access. Someone needs to disconnect and there's no way for everyone to see what's playing on their mobile device. There are also range issues with Bluetooth.
Their idea and the reason it "feels different" to use is that it seems centralized. As long as you have access to the wifi, you have the Sonos app, and you're approved as a user in that home, you can control the system. If someone else plays something, I can open the Sonos app and see what's playing, where it's playing and the volume.
Could you test the Bose Lifestyle 650?
Hieroglyphics! I wore that sweatshirt in high school (2006). So cool!
Nice Heiro shirt.