I went to Spotify’s new Listening Lounge in London, and its bespoke audio setup is a reminder that stereo is forever — and I just know music fans are going to love it | Tech Radar

Overview

News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest smartphones

News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets

Details

Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more

Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards.

I went to Spotify’s new Listening Lounge in London, and its bespoke audio setup is a reminder that stereo is forever — and I just know music fans are going to love it

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.

What do you get when you combine Spotify’s lossless audio with an ambient interior and a killer stereo setup fit for only the most prestigious listening sessions? You get the new Spotify Listening Lounge, of course — which I had the pleasure of visiting.

In the heart of central London at Spotify’s headquarters, the music platform has unveiled a new purpose-built space for intentional and focused listening. Overseen by Billie Baier, Co-Head of Marketing for Spotify U. K. & Ireland, the Spotify team has collaborated with loudspeaker design studio Friendly Pressure, founded by Shivas Howard-Brown, and Hugh Scott Moncrieff from design studio Cake Architecture to build a permanent listening space from the ground up.

At first, only a set of black curtains separated the Listening Lounge from me. Once they were drawn, it was like stepping into Wonka’s chocolate haven (it’s a shoes-off zone, obviously), but with a soothing mid-century modern interior and the biggest stereo system I’ve ever seen — I was desperate to press the play button.

I spent a day listening to 'money no object' audio systems at an elite hi-fi show to find 11 products I'd buy, if I won the lottery

I made my home audio setup sing using a room EQ kit – here's how you can too

Spotify adds Exclusive Mode for bit-perfect audio on Windows

From left to right: Bryston 3B Cubed Power Amplifier, Prima Luna DAC, Bluesound Node Icon streamer, Prima Luna Evo 400 Valve Preamplifier, Bryston 3B Cubed Power Amplifier (Image credit: Future / Rowan Davies)

In a culture where slow listening is a dying form of music consumption, the Spotify Listening Lounge doubles down on the fact that listening to albums with intention is the only way to really appreciate craft, all while offering only the top fans a space for them to feel even closer to their favorite artists. The purpose of this space is two-fold:

“The launch of lossless last year really kicked this off for us — thinking about how to showcase that quality of sound in the best possible way”, says Baier. “At the same time, we’re seeing a growing desire from fans to get closer to artists. Listening events are important, and this is about creating the most intimate version of that — bringing fans and artists together in a really meaningful way”. This is where the expertise of Howard-Brown shines.

The audio from the FP-4XXX Alnico Loudspeakers fills the Listening Lounge from the front to the back, fixed with SOES Resin Horns - which are custom-modeled (Image credit: Future / Rowan Davies)

The stereo setup is by far the star of the show. With the Bluesound Node Icon streamer in the centre, it’s fitted with the Prima Luna DAC and accompanying Prima Luna Evo 400 Valve Preamplifier. Two Bryston 3B Cubed Power Amplifiers sit on each side, all bookended with a pair of monster FP-4XXX Alnico Loudspeakers, mounted with custom SOES Resin Horns to bring out the best of lossless.

“All Friendly Pressure systems are stereo because it’s about honoring the full craft of music — the production, the musicianship, everyone involved in bringing a record to life”, Howard-Brown reveals, and he applies this ethos in his approach to his bespoke setup for Spotify. “Music has been recorded in stereo since the 1950s, and it remains the most authentic way to experience it. While there are newer formats like spatial audio, they rely heavily on digital processing. For me, if you really want to respect how a piece of music was created, you listen to it in stereo”, he adds.

As well as being a Spotify subscriber, I’m a firm believer that albums should be listened to in their entirety. That also means setting time aside to ensure optimal listening can be attained, without distractions. This is where the marrying of design and sound engineering really pushes the boundaries of how a listening space can function.

From a design perspective, Moncrieff puts it this way: “As designers, we think a lot about atmosphere and emotion — and this was the first time we could fully bring sound into that conversation”, he tells me. “The space is designed as a journey: from the street into a darker, grounding entrance, before opening into something softer and warmer. It’s about preparing you to really listen”. That’s just one way of eliminating distractions — Howard-Brown’s custom stereo system reveals something deeper.

“What’s changed is that people now want to show that they’re engaging with (analog) — and beautifully designed systems become part of that expression. There’s a real symbiosis between how something sounds and how it looks, and that’s what draws people back into truly sitting and listening”, he concludes.

So what lies in store for the Spotify Listening Lounge? Well, the space is multifaceted. On the surface, it’s a visually stunning environment, both in its design and setup, but at its core is the ethos that how you listen to music also impacts what you listen to. Exclusive album releases and anniversary events will become central to the space going forward, as Baier teased to me, and I hope it encourages fans to make slow listening a bigger part of how they engage with music.

Follow Tech Radar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

And of course, you can also follow Tech Radar on You Tube and Tik Tok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on Whats App too

Rowan is an Editorial Associate and Apprentice Writer for Tech Radar. A recent addition to the news team, he is involved in generating stories for topics that spread across Tech Radar's categories. His interests in audio tech and knowledge in entertainment culture help bring the latest updates in tech news to our readers.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

1 Surfshark VPN on Android: features, requirements, how to install

2I didn't think Something Very Bad is Going to Happen season 2 was possible — but Camila Morrone already has it all planned out

3I tested the Tower Elite 11-Liter Flexi Drawer Air Fryer — it’s the best bang-for-buck large-capacity air fryer around

4 After living with the Sonos Play, I think it's the only speaker you need — here's why

5 Last call: Exclusive Nord VPN 4-month bonus + Amazon gift card ends today

Tech Radar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Key Takeaways

• News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest smartphones
• News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets
• Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more
• Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards

• I went to Spotify’s new Listening Lounge in London, and its bespoke audio setup is a reminder that stereo is forever — and I just know music fans are going to love it