Not quite like a gig or going clubbing, but there's a new night out spreading in cities around the world: an evening at a "listening bar".
An increasing number of venues are adopting the concept, which originated in Japan, of installing high-end sound systems good enough to impress the most demanding audio geek. Â
kAm$@>6 @776C 2 D@4:2= 6IA6C:6?46 @G6C 5C:?<D[ H:E9 E96 >FD:4 A=2J:?8 :? E96 324<8C@F?5[ H9:=6 @E96CD D6== 25>:DD:@? E@ Q24E:G6 =:DE6?:?8Q D6DD:@?D H96C6 E96 D@?8D \\ 2?5 E96 DA62<6CD \\ 2C6 E96 7@4FD @7 9FD965 2EE6?E:@?]k^Am
kAmQxE C62==J >2<6D J@F =:DE6? E@ 6G6CJ H@C5[ 6G6CJ :?DECF>6?E[ 6G6CJ ?@E6[Q r2>:==6 r2==@49[ b`[ E@=5 pu! 2D D96 =67E 2 =:DE6?:?8 D6DD:@? 565:42E65 E@ qC:E:D9 ?6@\D@F= DE2C $2>A92 2E Q{:DE6?6CQ 32C :? 46?EC2= !2C:D]k^Am
kAmQxEVD 364@>6 @?6 @7 E96 H2JD x 6?;@J >FD:4[ 2=@?8 H:E9 4@?46CED[ >J 9625A9@?6D[ 32CD 2?5 76DE:G2=D[Q D96 25565] Â k^Am
kAm{:DE6?6CVD F?56C8C@F?5[ D@F?5AC@@765 2F5:@ C@@> 92D 2 DJDE6> H@CE9 2C@F?5 a__[___ 6FC@D WSabd[___X 2E 42E2=@8F6 AC:46D[ H:E9 D4F=AEFC2= DA62<6CD 7C@> ?:496 vC66< >2?F724EFC6C %F?6 pF5:@[ D2JD 4@\7@F?56C y6C@>6 %9@>2D]k^Am
kAm{:DE6?:?8 E@ 2=3F>D E96C6 C6G62=D DF3E=6E:6D E92E H@F=5 8@ F??@E:465 :? @E96C D6EE:?8D[ H:E9 E96 EC63=6 4CJDE2=\4=62C 2?5 E96 32DD DEC@?8 6?@F89 E@ 36 76=E A9JD:42==J]k^Am
kAm%96 :562 :D E@ 4@>3:?6 E96 G:3C2?4J @7 2 =:G6\>FD:4 6IA6C:6?46 2?5 E96 4@>7@CE @7 =:DE6?:?8 2E 9@>6 \\ 2== :? 2 H2J E92E C6DA@?5D E@ 492?86D :? >FD:4 4@?DF>AE:@? 923:ED]k^Am
kAmQxEVD 2 4@>A=6E6=J 5:776C6?E H2J @7 C6=2E:?8 E@ >FD:4[Q %9@>2D 6IA=2:?65] QxEVD ?@E BF:4< 4@?DF>AE:@? =:<6 J@F 92G6 @? DEC62>:?8 A=2E7@C>D[ H:E9 D>2== 9625A9@?6D]k^Am
kAmQ(6 C62==J H2?E65 A6@A=6 E@ E2<6 E96 E:>6 E@ C65:D4@G6C E96:C 72G@C:E6 2CE:DED]Qk^Am
k9am\ $@F?5 =@DD \k^9am
kAm%9@>2D[ H9@ H@C<65 :? E96 >65:42= D64E@C 367@C6[ D2JD @?6 @7 E96 ;@JD @7 CF??:?8 E96 32C :D D66:?8 4=:6?ED C624E E@ D6DD:@?D 565:42E65 E@ 2CE:DED 7C@> |2CG:? v2J6 E@ |2C:29 r2C6J]k^Am
kAmQ%96J 4@>6 E@ >6 D2J:?8 Vx E9@F89E x <?6H E92E EC24< 3J 962CE[ xVG6 366? =:DE6?:?8 E@ :E 7@C `d J62CD[ 3FE x 962C5 ?6H :?DECF>6?ED[ x 4@F=5 962C E96 >:I 7C@> E96 D@F?5 6?8:?66CV[Q 96 D2JD]Â k^Am
kAm#64@C565 >FD:4 92D ?6G6C 366? D@ F3:BF:E@FD 2?5 A@CE23=6[ J6E >@DE A6@A=6 4@?DF>6 :E @? q=F6E@@E9 9625A9@?6D @C =@H\BF2=:EJ A@CE23=6 DA62<6CD[ FD:?8 DEC62>:?8 A=2E7@C>D 2D E96 D@FC46]k^Am
kAm%96 >FD:4 :D 36:?8 9:89=J 4@>AC6DD65 \\ :? @C56C E@ DEC62> D>@@E9=J[ 2?5 E96? E@ 36 EC2?D>:EE65 H:C6=6DD=J \\ D92CA=J C65F4:?8 2F5:@ BF2=:EJ 4@>A2C65 E@ rsD @C 2?2=@8F6\6C2 G:?J=]k^Am
kAm$@>6 =:DE6?:?8 32CD FD6 9:89\BF2=:EJ DEC62>:?8 D6CG:46D DF49 2D %:52= @C "@3FK 3FE >@DE 49@@D6 G:?J= \\ 2?5 2=H2JD H:E9 9:89\6?5 423=:?8[ 2?5 @7E6? H:E9 EF36 @C G2=G6 2>A=:7:6CD]k^Am
kAm%96 G:3C2?4J @7 E96 =:DE6?:?8 32C D46?6 4@?EC2DED H:E9 2 564=:?6 :? 4=F33:?8 :? >2?J 4:E:6D H96C6 C:D:?8 C6?ED 2?5 492?8:?8 =:76DEJ=6D 2>@?8 J@F?86C 86?6C2E:@?D 92G6 9:E 56>2?5]k^Am
kAmQ%96C6VD E@E2==J 366? 2? 6IA=@D:@? @7 E96D6 A=246D =2E6=J[Q E96 4@\@H?6C @7 E96 }6H *@C< =:DE6?:?8 32C t2G6D5C@A[ s2? (:DD:?86C[ E@=5 pu!]k^Am
kAmw6 2?5 9:D 2DD@4:2E6D @A6?65 E96:C qC@@<=J? G6?F6 :? a_aa[ H:E9 @?6 C@@> 7@C 24E:G6 =:DE6?:?8 2?5 E96 @E96C >@C6 D@4:2=]k^Am
kAmp <6J 762EFC6 7@C 2?J D6=7\C6DA64E:?8 =:DE6?:?8 32C :D 92G:?8 :ED C@@>D 56D:8?65 7@C >FD:4[ 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmQx7 E96J 5@?VE 92G6 24@FDE:4 EC62E>6?E[ E96? E96JVC6 ;FDE 72<6 =:DE6?:?8 32CD[Q (:DD:?86C 6IA=2:?65] Qx? 2 9@DA:E2=:EJ DA246[ :7 J@F 5@?VE 92G6 8@@5 52>A:?8[ J@FVC6 ?@E 8@:?8 E@ 36 962C:?8 >FD:4 7:CDE]Qk^Am
k9am\ y2A2?6D6 :?7=F6?46 \k^9am
kAm%96 G:3C2?E {@?5@? D46?6 :?4=F56D @?6 @7 E96 A:@?66CD :? tFC@A6[ qC:==:2?E r@C?6CD[ 2D H6== 2D yF>3:[ $A:C:E=2?5 @C p== |J uC:6?5D]k^Am
kAm~?6 @7 E96 ?6H6DE 255:E:@?D :D w:556? vC@@G6D[ H9:49 H2D 4C62E65 3J E96 ':C8:? w@E6=D 8C@FA 7@C :ED =2E6DE G6?F6 :? E96 $9@C65:E49 2C62 @7 E96 &z 42A:E2=]Â k^Am
kAm%96J 4@>A:=65 2 d[___\DEC@?8 4@==64E:@? @7 G:?J=D[ 3C@F89E :? 2 {@?5@?\32D65 D@F?5 6?8:?66C:?8 4@>A2?J 369:?5 4=F3D :? x3:K2 W!C@;64E pF5:@X[ 2?5 3@F89E DA62<6CD 7C@> `__\J62C\@=5 &z >2?F724EFC6C %2??@J E92E 4@DE 2C@F?5 d_[___ A@F?5D WSeg[___X 6249]k^Am
kAmQx7 xV> 8@:?8 @FE E@ 6IA6C:6?46 >FD:4[ E96 4@?46AE @7 2 8@@5 =:DE6?:?8 32C 4964<D 2== E96 3@I6D 7@C >6[Q ':C8:?VD 9625 @7 4F=EFC2= 6?E6CE2:?>6?E[ }6:= p=:?6[ E@=5 pu!] Â k^Am
kAm{:<6 @E96C 72?D @7 E96 9@EE6DE EC6?5 :? ?:89E 6?E6CE2:?>6?E[ E96 7@C>6C sy 2?5 4=F3 ?:89E @C82?:D6C A2JD EC:3FE6 E@ E96 @C:8:?2E@CDi y2A2?VD 2E>@DA96C:4 2?5 4@DJ Q;2KK <:DD2Q 32CD]k^Am
kAmQ(96? x H2D E@FC:?8 xV5 8@ E@ E96D6 32CD :? %@<J@ 2?5 zJ@E@ 2?5 x H2D =:<6 VH@H[ E9:D :D 2>2K:?8[V[Q p=:?6 6IA=2:?65] QpD 2 >FD:4 =@G6C[ :EVD 2 H9@=6 5:776C6?E H2J @7 6IA6C:6?4:?8 >FD:4 @FED:56 @7 =:G6 G6?F6D @C 4=F3D]Q Â k^Am
kAm25A^8G^4>Dk^Am
