There’s a certain type of person who buys into modular furniture. The kind who appreciates clean lines, good materials, and systems that make sense. USM has long catered to that mindset. Now, thanks to a new collaboration with Symbol Audio, it’s moving into something more unexpected – high-end sound.
The USM x Symbol Audio collection takes the brand’s iconic USM Haller system and reworks it as a fully integrated hi-fi setup. Think large-format speakers, subwoofers and rolling audio carts, all designed to slot neatly into the familiar grid of powder-coated panels and chromed steel tubing. It looks like USM, because it is USM. It just happens to play music now, too.
Crucially, this isn’t a case of form over function. Symbol Audio has built its reputation on serious listening-room furniture, and that credibility carries through here. The speakers follow classic hi-fi proportions, with proper cabinet volume and acoustic intent behind the design. Optional integration with a Sonos Amp keeps things contemporary without tipping into full smart-home territory.
Visually, it’s as considered as you’d expect. Standard USM colourways – olive green, gentian blue, graphite black – give it that slightly architectural feel. The sort of thing that sits just as comfortably in a well-appointed living room as it does in a creative studio.
It doesn’t come cheap. Prices sit firmly in design-collector territory, with full systems pushing well into five figures. But that’s not really the point. This is less about buying speakers and more about investing in a piece of furniture that happens to sound exceptional.
