SONOS-SYMFONISK (V1) Amplifier

Build your own SONOS Amp

(This Tutorial is based on a tutorial from this Link and this Video)

Note: This works for the IKEA SYMFONISK version 1 speakers. I don't know if this works for the current version 2 of the SYMFONISK speaker, as electronics has changed in the new version. You can grep version 1 speakers from ebay, other marked places or you own them yourself. Maybe someone has a version 2 and can verify if this works with them too. Also, english is not my native language, so please bear with me and have fun with all the spelling and grammar mistakes. :D
If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments.

Why this project?

SONOS is offering a well working eco system with their speaker line. You can group them together and listen to many music services. You can also use their speakers to stream music over wifi (AirPlay 2). Another nice feature is the multi room system, provided by them. But what, if you want to use your own speakers and add them to your multiroom system. In my case i have two out-door speakers on my terrace. You can buy a well working amplifier from SONOS and connect your speakers to the device. But this amplifier is not a cheap one. In europe you have to pay about 700 Euros for the amp. So there must be a cheaper way to hook up your own speakers to your SONOS System. Comes out, there is a cheaper way using two IKEA SYMFONISK speakers. Each one costs about 120 Euros and can be modified to use as amplifiers. So i designed a new enclosure for two SYMFONISK speakers.

You need:

• 2 SYMFONISK Speakers
• Soldering iron station
• Soldering wire
• 11 pcs. M3 x 10 screws
• 4  pcs. M3 x 16 screws
• 15 M3 nuts
• 6 short wires (about 1,5mm2 section)
• 2 short wires for the PCB modification
• 4 speaker connectors (Amazon Link)
• 2 WAGO 3 wire connectors (Amazon Link)
• Short screwdrivers

!! Make sure, that the speakers are unplugged plenty of hours. Inside are big capacitors which can give you a shock, if they are not completly discharged.

1.) Print all parts. 

You need the left and the right part of the enclosure. 10 pcs. foot parts. 2 covers for the button pcb. 2 covers for the enclosure. 6 pcs short stripes and 6 pcs long stripes

All parts should be printed from PETG. The stripes can be printed PLA.

2.) Disassemble both speakers. 

To do this you need first remove the cover. Then remove the rubber grummets. Behind the grummets are 8 screws. Remove them, but do not throw them away. Some of them we will use later. Grap the speaker front in the subwoofer tube and pull the front out. You will need some force to do this, but be careful, because of the ribbon cable for the front control panel.

Inside unplug the speaker cables from the pcb and the speakers. Also unplug the power supply cable from the PCB, unscrew the connector and remove it. We need both PCB power connectors, but only one power plug connector in the new enclosure. Remove all the screws from the PCB (take a note or a picture before, to know which screw is for which hole. We need them later). Also remove the plastic cable guide. (It is not needed anymore). Do not unplug the red and yellow cable for the Wifi antennas from the main PCB. 

Carefully remove the ribbon cable for the control panel from the main PCB and pull the ribbon cable from the enclosure. Unscrew the 4 small screws for the controll PCB. Do not throw away the screws. Make sure to take a note how the ribbon cable is connected to the main PCB. The mounting plate for the control PCB is not needed anymore. You should have printed the new one.

The two black plastic parts with the Wifi antennas are sticked to the enclosure with double sided sticky tape. Use a screwdriver to push them away from the enclosure.

At last remove the heasink from the enclosure and one power supply connector. Do not throw away the screws for the connector. They are also used for the new enclosure.

You should have now (everything two times):

• The main PCB with the two Wifi antennas connected
• The control PCB with the ribbon cable connected
• The rubber buttons
• The heatsink
• The power connector with cable and the power plug.
• The speaker wires
• A couple of screws
• Pair of pliers
• Optional, you can remove the rubber feets from the enclosure with a knife

5.) Modify the main PCB and the speaker cables

The original SYMFONISK speaker has two speaker outputs. One main and one tweater output. The tutorial metioned above (and the video) show an easy methode to modify the main PCB to bundle this outputs to one output. In the end, each main PCB board has a single audio output ( + / -). This also makes the need of modify the speaker cables. How to do this, is also shown in the tutorial.

4.) Assemble the new Enclosure

The order of the steps make it more easy to assemble the new enclosure. Please note, that it is easier to connect both encloser parts together first. The pictures partially show the assembly progress of one enclosure part. 

• Use 10 M3x10 screws and 10 nuts to mount the feets to the right and left enclosure
  
   
• Connect both enlclosure parts together using 4 M3x16 screws in the corners, 1 M3x10 screw in the middle and 5 M3 nuts.
   
• Prepare the cables for the new power supply. To do this you have to unsolder both cables from the existing power plug and connect short wires (1,5mm2) to them to make them longer. Solder two wires (1,5mm2) to one power supply plug. 
  
  
   
• Mount the power supply plug to the new enclosure. Use the existing screws from the original enclosure.
  
  
   
• Cut the cables to a useful legth and add the WAGO connectors to them. (Ignore the already mounted main PCB in the picture. This will be done later)
  
   
   
• Mount the heatsinks to both enclosures. Use the existing screws from the original enclosure.
  
   
• Put the rubber buttons into the holes of the enclosures
  
   
• Mount the button control PCB with the new mounting plate to the enclosure. Use the existing screws from the original enclosure.
  
   
• Connect the ribbon cable to the main PCB board. Take care to connect the ribbon cable in the right direction. You need to twist the cable! (The pictures showing the connection in the wrong way around. ;) )Mount the main PCB to the heatsink and the enclosure. Use the existing screws from the original enclosure. Be careful not to break the ribbon cable.
   
• Use the existing sticky tape to mount the Wifi antennas. You can also remove the sticky tape and use new one. This step can also be done later if you think it is more easy to to this at the end. The bigger antenna plastic block has a rib. Use a pair of pliers to remove the rib
  
   
• Add the four speaker connectors
  
   
• Connect the speaker cables to the speaker connections and the main PCB.
  
   
• Cut the wires from the power supply main PCB board connectors to a useful length and connect them to the WAGO connectors and the main PCBs
  
  
  
  
  This should be your final result for the wiring
  
  
   
• Now use the existing screws from the old enclosre (8 screws from under the rubber  grummets behind cover of one SYMFONISK speaker) to screw down the top covers on the new enclosure. Finally use superglue to glue the stripes to the enclosure.
  
  
  
   
• Connect your custom speakers, the power plug and enjoy your own SONOS-SYMFONISK Amplifier
  
   

If you like the model you can buy me a coffee. :)