STOCKHOLM, Dec 8 — Retailer Ikea and speaker manufacturer Sonos have revealed a collaboration that aims to “democratise music and sound in the home.”
Sonos is well-known in the audio market for its home sound systems, and especially its Play range of wireless speakers, which sell for upwards of US$200 (RM817) and offer the possibility of managing multiple speakers through proprietary software.
Details on the collaboration are scarce, but according to an announcement from Ikea, the brand’s team-up with the furniture giant aims to explore “how to enable many more people to create atmosphere at home with great design, music and sound,” and to “make it even easier for people to play any song, anywhere in the home, without interrupting the flow of daily life.”
The collaboration is part of Ikea’s broader Home Smart program, which launched in 2015 with wireless charging products for mobile phones and continued with smart lighting in 2016. Sound, says the furniture retailer, is the third step. If it follows the approach of the earlier launches, in may involve the integration of Sonos products within Ikea’s furniture.
“Together with Sonos we want to democratise music and sound in the home, and we want to create products designed for how people listen together at home. By teaming up with Sonos we want to combine Ikea home furnishing knowledge with Sonos’ expertise within great home sound,” says Björn Block, Business Leader, Ikea Home Smart.
An in-store launch for the Ikea/Sonos collaboration is planned for 2019. — AFP-Relaxnews
