IKEA BADKRUKA Review: A $60 TV Speaker, Not a Bigger KALLSUP

A $10 speaker is an easy impulse purchase. A $60 speaker has to explain what it will do differently. IKEA's BADKRUKA has a reasonably persuasive answer: it offers wired inputs for a fixed setup and, separately, a two-speaker stereo mode. IKEA promotes a pair for TV use, but its manual does not clearly explain whether an optical or AUX signal feeds both speakers; that is worth confirming before buying two for a screen. The interesting feature is not the Bluetooth logo. It is the possibility of giving a small television or desktop a more flexible audio arrangement without turning the room into a home-theater project.

That also makes BADKRUKA easy to misunderstand. It is not a portable KALLSUP with a bigger box, and it is not a shortcut to a complete surround system. Its appeal depends on your screen's connections, where you can put two speakers, and whether you actually want two. The right buying decision starts there, before any promises about room-filling sound.

The extra money buys a different job

IKEA's US listing prices the black BADKRUKA at $59.99. Its listed inputs are Bluetooth, 3.5mm AUX and optical, with an optical cable included. The specifications give 25W output and a 50–20,000Hz frequency range measured at a −6dB threshold. Those are useful identifiers, not a substitute for listening measurements: wattage does not tell you how clear dialogue remains at your preferred volume, and a frequency endpoint cannot describe the quality or quantity of bass.

The case for spending more is therefore functional. An inexpensive speaker becomes easier to justify when it can serve a device that needs an external audio output every day. A desktop monitor used for streaming, an older television with an optical socket, or a small room without space for a long soundbar are sensible situations to investigate. In each case, the question is whether the connection and placement solve a problem you already have.

It is much less compelling as an abstract upgrade because it looks like more speaker for the money. Decide whether you need a fixed speaker first. Otherwise, you risk paying for sockets you never use while giving up the freedom that made a small battery-powered model attractive.

A wired TV connection is the real attraction

Optical gives BADKRUKA a clear reason to exist alongside the many Bluetooth-only boxes on the market. It lets a compatible screen feed audio without making the screen's Bluetooth pairing behavior central to the setup. AUX provides another route for equipment with an appropriate analog output. Neither connection requires the television to be part of a particular smart-home ecosystem.

Before ordering, inspect the output on the actual device, rather than assuming that a headphone socket, USB port or HDMI connection will do the same job. BADKRUKA's listed inputs do not include HDMI ARC or eARC. That matters if your expectation is a television-controlled soundbar that behaves as an integrated part of the screen. Do not assume an optical connection will provide the same power and volume-control behavior: the linked instructions do not establish TV-remote volume control or automatic power synchronization.

Also check the television's supported output settings and the speaker's setup instructions. IKEA does not provide a full published compatibility matrix for every screen, codec or console combination in its linked product information. A matching socket is the start of the check, not the end. For gaming, synchronization between the picture and sound is something to verify in the intended configuration; there is no latency measurement here that justifies calling the system lag-free. If convenience with one remote is your main requirement, a suitable HDMI-equipped soundbar deserves comparison before you buy.

Stereo costs $119.98, not $59.99

IKEA’s US manual describes a dedicated stereo arrangement using two BADKRUKA speakers. A channel selector assigns the first unit to the left or right, and the second takes the opposite channel when paired. Separate channels preserve left and right information rather than duplicating it everywhere. However, the manual’s pairing steps do not explicitly confirm optical/AUX distribution to the second speaker. Confirm that behavior with IKEA for your intended wired source before buying a pair specifically for television use.

At the verified single-unit price, the pair costs $119.98 before any tax or delivery charges. That calculation changes the shopping category. Compare the pair with complete desktop speaker sets and entry-level soundbars, not only with individual portable speakers. The useful comparison is the cost of the system you will actually use.

Separate enclosures offer a practical advantage: you can choose the distance between the left and right speakers around a monitor or television. But that freedom only helps if there is room on both sides, power is accessible, and neither speaker ends up hidden behind furniture. A speaker system that forces one channel onto a distant shelf is not automatically a better choice than a single enclosure that fits neatly below the screen. Start with the room and seating position. Then decide whether the flexibility of two boxes is a benefit or another thing to accommodate.

More speakers does not mean more channels

BADKRUKA also has a multi-speaker mode, distinct from its two-speaker stereo arrangement. IKEA says the grouped speakers in this mode reproduce the same mono audio. It is a way to spread a program across compatible speakers, rather than a promise of individual surround channels or independent music in different rooms. IKEA describes compatibility with other speakers offering the same functionality, but does not supply a complete model list here; check each proposed model rather than treating the brand name as a compatibility guarantee.

That distinction matters because the language around connected audio often makes very different systems sound interchangeable. A group of speakers playing together can be useful for a gathering or for making one source audible over a larger area. A dedicated stereo setup serves a different purpose: keeping left and right information distinct at a listening position. Buying additional hardware without deciding which result you want is an expensive way to learn the difference.

For a television, do not interpret the grouping feature as a ready-made surround upgrade path. There is no basis here to promise rear-channel effects, a center channel or automatic room correction. Similarly, plan the wireless layout conservatively rather than treating an unobstructed range specification as a guarantee through walls. Start with the smallest arrangement that solves the problem. If two speakers are enough, a future collection of matching boxes need not be part of the purchase argument.

It will not complete a KALLSUP collection

This is the important caveat for anyone arriving from our IKEA KALLSUP review. KALLSUP's current US technical information explicitly limits its multi-speaker mode to other KALLSUP units. It also lists no stereo mode. BADKRUKA should therefore not be bought on the assumption that it will become the larger main speaker for a collection of the smaller cubes.

KALLSUP remains the cheaper, portable choice: its US listing is $9.99, with a rechargeable battery rated for nine hours at half volume; a USB-C cable and power adapter are separate purchases. BADKRUKA is mains-powered. The two products share a brand and a broadly boxy appearance, but their most useful roles are different.

The decision is straightforward if you already own the smaller model. Keep using KALLSUP when the attraction is a speaker you can move without finding a wall outlet. Consider BADKRUKA when the job has changed to a fixed desktop or screen connection. Do not treat the additional spending as protecting an existing speaker ecosystem. It is a separate system purchase. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is the difference between a deliberate upgrade and a compatibility surprise after opening the box.

Buttons are useful; Spotify Tap is not a smart platform

The controls cover basic playback, volume and track changes. The manual describes three EQ options: bass reduction with a vocal emphasis, a flat default, and bass boost. The first gives you a sensible setting to try when speech matters more than weight, although a preset name is not evidence that every difficult soundtrack will suddenly become intelligible.

Spotify Tap provides another convenience, with a dedicated button to resume listening or request a recommended track. The manual calls for a Bluetooth-paired device and says the Spotify app must be open on first use. It should not be mistaken for a promise that BADKRUKA will independently stream over Wi-Fi, act as a voice assistant, or become a new smart-home hub. The modest benefit is reducing the number of times you reach for a screen during an ordinary listening session.

That simplicity can be an advantage. Someone buying audio for a desk may prefer direct controls to another app account or settings hierarchy. Someone building a house-wide, independently controlled music system may want the opposite. Neither preference makes the product good or bad on its own; it tells you whether this particular set of conveniences belongs in your room. Treat the buttons as everyday tools, not evidence of capabilities that IKEA has not listed.

Placement matters more than the photographs suggest

The black US model is roughly 6¼ inches wide and deep and 6⅞ inches tall. Its compact cube is easier to imagine on a desk than a long soundbar, but a pair still needs two usable spaces. Measure those spaces with the screen, cables and everyday clutter in place, not just an empty tabletop.

The manual requires indoor use, at least 5mm of ventilation space, and no placement on other electrical equipment; it also warns against splashes and obstructed ventilation. It also says not to use the speaker as a shelf or stand. That last detail is worth taking literally even when a styled room photograph makes a cube look like another surface for small objects. Leave the enclosure to do its own job and keep access to the controls and power connection practical.

IKEA’s US limited-edition pink BADKRUKA listing shows a $59.99 price. Color choice can make inexpensive audio easier to live with, particularly in a shared room. Both US listings were checked on November 9, 2026, but neither guarantees stock for your address. Check local availability and delivery costs before choosing a finish.

What to check against the alternatives

There are three sensible comparisons, and they lead to different answers. Against KALLSUP, the question is whether you need fixed power, wired inputs and a dedicated stereo option. Against a desktop speaker pair, it is whether BADKRUKA's connection choices and independent placement are worth the total system price. Against a soundbar, it is whether you prefer separated boxes or simpler television integration.

Do not collapse those decisions into a single “best cheap speaker” contest. A monitor used mainly for video calls has different priorities from a living-room screen used for films, and a music listener who moves between rooms has a different problem again. Good value means paying for the right solution, not accumulating the longest feature list.

Before committing to two units, make a short checklist: the source's output, the available power sockets, where each speaker would sit, how you intend to change volume, and how you would evaluate dialogue and synchronization once connected. Check the retailer's applicable return terms for your order as well. These mundane details can matter more to daily satisfaction than another claimed watt or an attractive product photograph. They are also far easier to establish before purchasing than after rearranging the room around the equipment.

The buying judgment

BADKRUKA is most interesting as an affordable fixed audio component for a specific screen or desk, particularly when its inputs solve a real connection problem. The stereo option is attractive, but wired-source sharing to a second speaker remains a detail to confirm, not a capability to assume. It is not an automatic replacement for a portable speaker, a complete home-theater system or an extension to a KALLSUP group. Those limits make the recommendation narrower, but also more useful.

Buy one only if you have a clear single-speaker role; budget for the pair if stereo is the point. If you mainly want to carry music around, stay with a battery-powered alternative. If you want seamless TV control or a more elaborate theater system, compare equipment designed explicitly around those requirements before choosing IKEA's cubes.

Buy the black BADKRUKA directly from IKEA US. The $59.99 listing was checked on November 9, 2026; price and local availability may change, and stock for a particular address has not been verified. The feature worth paying for is a better fit for your setup. Whether the sound itself is the right fit still deserves a listen, rather than a conclusion borrowed from the specifications.

11/09/2026

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