News + Trends
Sonos: Change of leadership after app debacle
by Kim Muntinga
Sonos and Ikea end collaboration
7.5.2025
Translation: machine translated
The joint products of the Swedish furniture store and the speaker manufacturer from California will be discontinued. However, existing Wi-Fi speakers will continue to receive updates.
Ikea is discontinuing «Symfonisk». The speaker line was a collaboration with Sonos and included various pieces of furniture with built-in Wi-Fi speakers - such as a wall shelf, a floor lamp or a picture. They could be integrated into the normal Sonos ecosystem and offered relatively good sound at moderate prices (by Sonos standards).
After eight years, Ikea and Sonos are ending their collaboration, as the speaker manufacturer confirmed to «The Verge». The Symfonisk line was always exclusively available at Ikea. Now that the remaining stock has been sold off, the products will disappear from the furniture store's range worldwide. No new ones are planned.
Source: Ikea
The two companies remain silent on the reasons for the end. Sonos spokesperson Erin Pategas simply writes: «We've had the pleasure of working closely with Ikea for the past eight years, and we're proud of what we've accomplished.» Existing devices will also «continue to be supported and receive updates for many years».
Turbulent times for Sonos
The speaker manufacturer from Santa Barbara, California, has not been able to rest for a year. In January 2025, the company dismissed both the then CEO Patrick Spence and the Head of Product Maxime Bouvat-Merlin. The change at the top followed the debacle surrounding the new Sonos app in May 2024, which led to massive criticism from customers.
The new interim CEO Tom Conrad also faces challenges. Sonos could be severely affected by the planned US tariffs, which are due to come into force in July. It is true that the company has relocated its production facility for products coming into the USA from China to Malaysia and Vietnam. However, imports from Southeast Asian countries are also threatened with tariffs of 24 per cent (Malaysia) and 46 per cent (Vietnam) - and thus price increases in the USA.
Demand for Sonos products has also fallen recently and the planned video streaming player, codenamed «Pinewood» has been cancelled. At the end of 2024, the company reported a drop in turnover of just under ten per cent compared to the previous year. The share price has almost halved since the app debacle - from USD 17 to USD 9. At its peak at the beginning of 2021, it once stood at over USD 43. Sonos will announce its figures for the first quarter of 2025 this evening.
Header image: Ikea
Samuel Buchmann
Senior Editor
Samuel.Buchmann@digitecgalaxus.chMy fingerprint often changes so drastically that my MacBook doesn't recognise it anymore. The reason? If I'm not clinging to a monitor or camera, I'm probably clinging to a rockface by the tips of my fingers.
Audio
Follow topics and stay updated on your areas of interest
43 comments
later