Listening bars and at-home audiophile spaces are emerging as a must-have trend for music lovers. Somewhat inspired by Japanese jazz kissa — venues featuring ultra-premium sound systems to encourage the ritual of intentional, communal music listening — listening or sound rooms are all about creating a space dedicated to audio experiences. In this age of vinyl revival and a resurgence of analog hobbies, it’s not surprising that listening rooms are showing up in Calgary homes.
Everything from the design elements to the technology choices of a listening room is geared toward providing a place to tune in, unplug and get into the groove. While designed with acoustics in mind, they’re about more than just sound: listening rooms are spaces intended for full immersion.
Here’s a look at a few private listening rooms and what their owners love about them — from improved sound quality to a more mindful listening experience.
Old-School Eclectic
Owner: Brent DesBrisay in Mount Royal
Favourite piece of equipment: “The Accuphase E-202 [amplifier] is probably my favourite piece. It’s made in the ’70s and it sounds spectacular. It just brings a nice warmth over the sound. It’s not too bright, it’s not too bassy.”
Favourite record: “A lot of the old albums are made to listen from front to back. This room gives me the opportunity to do that. Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, great album. Or Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon. It’s always fun to play on a nice system, and I crank them up a little too loud for my wife. But listening to them on vintage equipment like this, that’s the way they’re meant to be played, right?
“I just picked up a Warren Haynes album. I like really good guitarists. I like Joe Bonamassa. I get on these kicks with groups like Massive Attack, Morcheeba. It all sounds so good on a good system.”
What you love most about your listening room: “This is both a place of solitude and a place you invite others. I love [listening here] because of the system I have. I love being able to swap out the different speakers I have, seeing how each piece might sound different. I have each album recorded a little differently, and some albums don’t sound as good on some systems. It’s all tied to your ear, too, but also uniquely in my listening room.”
Why you got into listening rooms: “I retired, and I needed something to do. I always had a vinyl collection, but I really wanted to go back to the days of my teenage years and get back into vintage equipment. When I first started getting some of this stuff, it would bring tears to my eyes. The sound was way better than modern-day stuff, and it just took me back.”
In the Groove
Owner: Eric Pye in Brentwood
Favourite piece of equipment: “The big KLH Model 7 speakers. I have four or five different pairs of speakers that I used to rotate, but I haven’t changed these because they sound so good. They’re 13-inch woofers, which put out pretty amazing bass.”
Favourite record: “It’s not so much a record as much as an artist — it’s Sonny Rollins. He was a fantastic saxophonist.”
What you love most about your listening room: “When we [were first looking at this house], at this particular room, my wife could tell that I’d already decided that this was the house we were going to buy — the shag carpet and the wood-panelled walls sold it. This is the only room that we haven’t renovated. I had a sense it would be amazing acoustically, but I didn’t really know how good it would be.”
The experience of music in your space: “I don’t worry about what anybody else thinks. I play what I want and play it loud.”
Mid-Century Mixin’
Owner: Mike Huck in Elbow Park
Favourite piece of equipment: “My JBL speakers. I’ve been a huge fan of JBL since the ’80s, when I worked in recording studios. It’s always been part of my dream room to have JBLs. They’re an absolutely iconic American brand.”
Favourite record: “It all depends on the mood and the time of day, but for me, if I had to go to one record, it would probably be a King Crimson record from any era.”
What to know about building listening rooms: “Everyone has a different ear. With today’s gear, you can get some amazing speakers, beautiful amps and high-end turntables. If you want the old stuff, it’s to do more with the look of it than the sound. All of this may be retro 50-year-old gear, but the [turntable] cartridge inside is still only one year old. You don’t need to go crazy with power and size or anything like that.”
High Fidelity
Owner: Derek Wills in Cochrane
Favourite piece of equipment: “Definitely the turntable. I’ve got what’s a pretty iconic turntable in the Linn LP12, which has been around since the 1970s.”
Favourite record: “Miles Davis’s Kind of Blue gets played a lot, but it really depends on my mood. I used to just like classic rock. My horizons have expanded.”
What you love most about your listening room: “It’s just an escape. I can sit here and get lost in the music. What I really enjoy is … putting the needle on the vinyl, looking at the album cover, reading lyrics, things you don’t do during the digital age.”
The experience of music in your space: “It’s pretty unique in that there are 20-foot ceilings, which open to above — and it’s a big room.”
What people should know about building listening rooms: “A lot of the new stuff is quite frankly garbage. But the old stuff — if you get the right turntable and set it up properly, it’s fantastic and such a great bang for your buck.”
