This listening bar experience made me question whether the trend has gone too far
Have hi-fi bars forgotten their roots?
by Robyn Quick · What Hi-Fi?
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I’m always on the hunt for ways to find new music, but I have found myself listening to the same few albums on repeat these last few weeks. Maybe it’s because the ease of streaming has made me complacent, or that the endless options at my fingertips are simply too overwhelming.
That’s why I ventured to a listening bar in central London last week in a bid to find my new favourite artist or "earworm". If you’ve never found yourself in one, here’s what to expect.
Listening bars, or hi-fi bars, are dedicated spaces designed for enjoying curated music (usually on vinyl) on a high-quality sound system while relaxing with a drink in your hand.
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It's not about a specific genre or style – the music will depend on DJ on the night. It's also not about requests. Instead, the focus is on listening to the selections of a music lover through some great speakers. (That doesn’t mean you cannot go up to the DJ to ask what they are playing, of course.)
On my most recent visit, however, I started to wonder whether we'd drifted away from the original definition. Most obviously, few people there seemed to be paying attention to the music, and at certain points I couldn't even hear the track over the noise of the room.
There was no denying the bar looked the part, sporting the brown wood and leather-clad seating that has become synonymous with these venues. I just couldn't help but feel that it had become a little style over substance – excellent Instagram fodder but without the genuine desire to really enjoy the music.
Back to basics
Hi-fi bars were born from the Japanese jazz kissa cafes that popped up in the late 1920s. This was in the days before home audio systems, so they became somewhere to collectively listen to music with a quiet appreciation.
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This idea was reborn when pioneering spaces, such as Spiritland in King's Cross, London, decided to once again make a great-sounding system, and the music being played, the real focus of the venue.
And the idea arrived at an ideal moment. People are again craving that shared experience around music, since streaming platforms and portable audio have made listening more of an individual affair. I just hope the idea doesn't become commoditised.
Thankfully, there are still plenty of hi-fi bars that put the music at the forefront of the experience, and I have been to my fair share. But it does mean you have to be a little more selective.
If a bar has a detailed description of the system, from the amplification to the turntables and speakers, for instance, that should be a good indication that they really do care about delivering an "audiophile" experience.
Some venues, such as the long-standing Shelter in Tokyo, offer a carefully acoustically treated space to listen and others, such as Jazu in Deptford, London, encourage you to get up and dance to their curated setlist, played through their bespoke sound system. And both approaches definitely work for me.
With an increasingly long list of listening bars across the UK, it’s encouraging to see the concept reach more and more people. We just hope that everyone remembers to keep the music, and the system, at the heart of the venue – and we don't end up with listening bars where nobody is actually listening.
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