Listening Bars Around the World

[EERecordist]

Not everyone has a big or exotic system at home. So there is the listening bar phenomenon. They are social. There are 2 near me. Those also host live shows, one more classical, and the other more electronic.

From my understanding they emerged in Japan in the 1950s. Japanese apartments are small. So communal places for listening are logical.

Post your photos of listening bars!

Here are some guides to them.

A Guide to Japanese Listening Bars

Japanese listening bars aka music bars are evolving and gradually spreading across the world. Vinyl records and soft jazz to rock & more

www.tokyoweekender.com

ISC’s Guide to Audiophile Listening Bars Around the World | In Sheeps Clothing

A look into some of our favorite audiophile bars around the globe, old and new, from Hong Kong to Miami. In recent years, hi-fi and listening bars have caught on outside its Tokyo origins with what feels like a new audiophile driven cafe or bar opening daily. Taking inspiration from Japan’s...

insheepsclothinghifi.com

A guide to the best listening bars around the globe. - The DJ Mixtape

Listening bars or audiophile bars as they're sometimes referred to, are live environments where the audio experience takes centre stage. The best listening bars focus a great deal of attention on the sound system, which is often bespoke and designed for that specific space. The interior design...

thedjmixtape.com

Here is Quatro Labo in the Shibuya Parco, Tokyo, Japan クアトロラボ so it can be searched in Japanese
5000 records

 

[MattHooper]

Wow. Love it.

For some reason the big horn speakers, and mid-century style big speakers seem to suit the vibe of these listening bars.

It’s hard to imagine the same vibe Working as well with, I don’t know some Revel floor standers or modern day Genelec.

I suppose something fascinating looking like the big MBL speakers might be a modern alternative (and possibly the Omni characteristics being a bonus)

 

[Doodski]

Wow. Love it.

For some reason the big horn speakers, and mid-century style big speakers seem to suit the vibe of these listening bars.

It’s hard to imagine the same vibe Working as well with, I don’t know some Revel floor standers or modern day Genelec.

I suppose something fascinating looking like the big MBL speakers might be a modern alternative (and possibly the Omni characteristics being a bonus)

I am of the train of thought that they are exploiting large woofers and cabinets in order to fill the venue with one pair of speakers. It seems some have even gone to the extreme of refurbishing large old JBL speaker pairs. All of the listening cafes or lounges that I have seen are intimate and small so one big pair of speakers make sense in order to attract people.

 

[EERecordist]

Of course the algorithm has served me a Facebook group on the topic. "Audio museums, Audio cafes & Audio attractions" https://www.facebook.com/groups/audeum

 

[thewas]

See also:

"The 10 best audiophile bars around the world"

This one popped up in my Google News trends: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-10-best-audiophile-bars-around-the-world/

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Elkerton]

I have been to one in Bepu on Kyushu, Japan, which has a JBL Paragon I wanted to hear. It was bettered by large Tanoys with super tweeters. I am going again next month, hopefully to Bird/56 in Osaka and The Lion in Tokyo where classical music is played.

The kissaten, literally tea drinking shop, came about in the 1920s because recordings were so expensive. The following video describes them and the LP industry in Japan:

Vinyl Records - Japanology Plus | NHK WORLD-JAPAN

*First broadcast on June 30, 2022. In Japan, vinyl records have made a comeback. Sales in 2021 were ten times higher than they were in 2010. Japan's second-hand records are well-regarded all over the world because they're generally kept in great condition. Our guest, Honne Makoto, works for a...

www3.nhk.or.jp

 

[EERecordist]

Ambient Bar – Listening bar, cafe & cultural spot in Helsinki

Listening bar, cafe & cultural spot in Arabia, Helsinki. We serve curated selection of wine, beer, designed cocktails and good coffee. The listening bar features an eclectic line-up of DJs and live acts, with a focus on downtempo and ambient genres. Enhancing the experience is a thoughtfully...

www.ambientbar.com

 

[Keith_W]

There is Waxflower in Melbourne. Visit that webpage and flick through the photos, and you will see that hipsters look the same everywhere in the world. Blue hair, "ironic" moustaches, man buns, braless women, plenty of coffee and artisinal beer. The bar features Pitt and Giblin speakers, which are an Australian designed waveguide speaker. The waveguides are cast from brass and they unbelievably heavy. The speakers are active and DSP controlled. I have seen directivity measurements and they look superb. They sound great, too.

 

[JeffS7444]

Tokyo Jazz Joints web site, podcast, and book:
https://www.tokyojazzjoints.com/
But I'm not much of a drinker myself.

 

[Erici]

The Seattle area has its very own music listening bar. 80,000 records available according to the Seattle Times. There is a bar for casual listening and the HiFi Room for serious listening. In the HiFi Room the shoes must come off and there is no drinking or talking. Interesting concept....

Shibuya Hi-Fi Vinyl Bar in Ballard

The goal of Shibuya is simple: To place our guests in the midst of an unprecedented leisure experience through an osmosis of taste and sound.

www.shibuyahifi.com

https://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/this-ballard-venue-spins-listening-to-vinyl-into-a-calm-curated-experience/

 

[EERecordist]

The aliens have landed and Portland, Oregon has a nonprofit listening gallery.

It has public events a few times a month, free. Full Turnbull, pair of Altec loaded low, multi-cellular horn, super tweeter; sub, turntables, preamps, and amps.

Many spots with cushions for seating.

They are mono-space.org and on the socials. Photos from their Instagram. The person I mentioned magnetic tape to was enthusiastic.

 

[EERecordist]

Listening room used to market luxury hotel in Italy. I'm comfortable with tape, not sure I would let random hotel guests handle tape.

This Lake Como Hotel Features The World's First Dedicated "Listening Suite"

At Il Sereno Lago Di Como, sound is the name of the game -- particularly for its world-first Darsena Listening Suite.

www.bosshunting.com.au

 

[EERecordist]

Mr Katsumasa Kusunose from Japan has spent many years photographing Jazz Kissas - listening bars in Japan. He has published a book of them.
I am not Ojas. He made this post with some photos.

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

"
devonojas
Available now on Ojas.nyc

Stepping into an authentic Japanese jazz kissa is a transformative experience. The location is often very unassuming, perhaps a simple roadside Café in a small town. It as soon as you walk in the door, you’re transported to the spirit of the Village Vanguard, or Birdland. The light is dim and the air is full of the sweet aroma of tobacco, whiskey and coffee. Words are hushed as they would be at a live performance. But instead of a band, a meticulously built and maintained stereo system takes center stage.

The proprietor of the jazz kissa wears several hats—bar tender, barista, DJ and audio engineer. This environment is a deeply personal work, infused with the owners shibui signature. The soundscape often embodies wabi sabi, striving for beautiful character rather than sterile precision.

Jazz Kissa peaked in popularity during the 1960s and 1970s, a time when jazz was at its height in Japan. International travel was difficult, records were expensive, and access to live performances was rare. Against this backdrop, Jazz Kissa flourished, offering music lovers a sanctuary where they could experience high-fidelity recordings in an immersive environment.

Yet, in the 25+ years that I have been traveling to Japan, the Jazz Kissa and its associated audiophile traditions have been shrinking at an alarming rate. Modernization, shifting cultural habits, and the rise of personal audio have led to the decline of these cherished spaces.

No one has done more to document and preserve the Jazz Kissa than @jazz_kissa Katsumasa Kusunose. His dedication has not only captured these disappearing institutions but has also sparked a resurgence of interest worldwide. Inspired by his work, a new generation of audio-forward venues has emerged around the world, ensuring that the spirit of the Jazz Kissa lives on.

Thanks in large part to Kusunose-san’s tireless efforts, the Jazz Kissa may yet stand the test of time.

@erg.media has presented the work of Kusinose san beautifully in this hard bound showcase of a book. I wrote the intro. A limited number are available now on Ojas.nyc"

 

[DanielT]

Maybe a little problematic to put together a coherent sound but there is a lot of sound:

I suspect that all the hi-fi speakers on the right in the picture are just there for show, they are most likely not plugged in.

rock bar – The BoomCase© – Speaker Walls

Posts about rock bar written by BoomCase

theboomcase.com

 

[EERecordist]

Here is a nice article about listening bars and audio dealers in Tokyo. The magazine is filled with snake oil ads, easily ignored.

My browser translates from German to English. Published 2018.

The one that attracted me is the classical-only Meikyoku Kissa Lion.

Tokyo – ein magischer Ort für Musik - FIDELITY online

In Tokyo ist vieles anders, aber eines ist klar: Tokyo ist ein magischer Ort für Musik. Vielleicht sogar der beste Ort für Musik überhaupt.

www.fidelity-online.de

Retro Japan: Tokyo classical music cafe est. in 1926 still mesmerizing customers - The Mainichi

TOKYO -- While many classical music cafes that had their heyday in the 1960s in Japan are long gone, one established all the way back in 1926 is still

mainichi.jp

A Brief History of the Meikyoku Kissa – Tokyo.us

tokyo.us

 

[EERecordist]

I can verify Gen Z based on our local listening bar. Their paid sessions $20-30 sell out in under 30 minutes. Somehow they have built an audience very quickly. They also have free 5 hour sessions about weekly.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/why-gen-z-is-trading-night-clubs-for-japanese-style-listening-bars-180988044/

 

[MattHooper]

I can verify Gen Z based on our local listening bar. Their paid sessions $20-30 sell out in under 30 minutes. Somehow they have built an audience very quickly. They also have free 5 hour sessions about weekly.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/why-gen-z-is-trading-night-clubs-for-japanese-style-listening-bars-180988044/

Wonderful article thank you. I love this phenomenon and I would really like to check out one of these listening bars someday. If I was in Japan, I’d do a tour of them.

One thing grabbed me in the article:

““In Japanese culture, all inanimate objects have a soul. Records have a soul as well,” Dwyer notes. “When someone in Japan thinks of the record, they think of the man that pressed it and [the] history etched into it.”

Even for non-Japanese, it can be wonderful to pull out and hold an old record before playing it because there’s a certain amount of evocative history that can be associated with the object, whether it’s your own history or whether it’s a secondhand record and represents some other trajectory, the record has taken.

Perhaps the favourite part of my own collection is the section of Library Music - music, that was pre-recorded to be sold to production companies, making movies documentaries commercials industrial films or whatever. (Monty Python used a lot of of this music.). The records were pressed and low numbers - sometimes only a couple hundred - only for the function of being sent to a production so they could audition the tracks, circle the tracks they wanted to use for their production, and when that list was sent back to the library music company, the company sent clean tape versions of the music. And usually the records were just discarded. The fact that a large number of these records still managed to survive is an amazing thing and opens up an entirely new world of undiscovered music. So when I pick up one of my library albums and hold it I sometimes wonder what type of journey it had taken to basically survive all this time, and often enough, there are scribbling and notes and tracks circled on the back of the album or on a sheet inside, indicating which tracks were selected by a production… and I wonder what movies or TV shows or whatever those songs ended up featuring in.

That also reminds me that this music features a lot of jazzy big band soundtrack type recordings. As much as I also love electronic music, one of the reasons I love hearing the big band music is it my father was a jazz musician and he led such bands and was an arranger. When I was young, I’d remember him coming in from weekends from gigs, late at night so that I’d wake up and come down and join him to eat whatever he might’ve picked up on the way home - fish and chips or local Chinese food or whatever. Just me and my dad sitting at the table eating after one of his gigs.

So when I hear the drummers and the bass player and the horn section is blasting way on such recordings they feel like they have such depth. In my imagination I also see these musicians playing their hearts out in the studio, and then maybe going out to a bar or going home afterwards and stopping for food on the way home just like my dad. There’s just a feeling of life to it.

(which is one reason I became so grossed out when starting in the 80s so many acoustic instruments like in sections became replaced with crappy samples that didn’t have near the richness nor the type of emotional resonance for me)

 

[krabapple]

Gee, have any of these joints heard of room treatment?

This is performative audiophilia. Lots of horn driver fetishism. And of course, ANALOG MEDIA, BABY..

 

[CptKaos]

if your ever in the central Texas are you are welcome to drop by

 

[MattHooper]

Gee, have any of these joints heard of room treatment?

This is performative audiophilia. Lots of horn driver fetishism. And of course, ANALOG MEDIA, BABY..

I know the screen name was aptly chosen - - but it really is OK that people are having fun and truly enjoying listening experiences in a way seen as imperfect by some audiophiles.

It’s funny how often these type of comments come up in Reddit audio forums and YouTube comments when somebody has shown a listening room with which they are really enjoying themselves:“ohMygaWdWherE’sTHeROOmTreaTMent-TotAlFail!!!”

Also…GenZ who grew up in the digital world, probably have learned something of value about unplugging from the digital world. It’s nice to see that some old things and activities can maintain value and not everything has to be cast to the trash bin of the past.