Hi-Fi Listening Bars Put A New Spin on Nightlife

Caelan McMichael September 2, 2025

“Hi-fi is different from a trend. I think it’s a new standard or a new normal. We are at a point where people are finally starting to pay attention to sound and understand its importance in a space,” says Nigel Wang, the owner of Toronto listening bar 915 Dupont. “Sound is a huge part of an experience.”

And he’s right. There’s a growing appreciation and appetite for hi-fi listening bars worldwide for this very reason. They feature high-quality sound systems that showcase the richness of vinyl records, creating an immersive experience that attracts guests with their intimate yet relaxed atmosphere.

While music and sound are the foundation of hi-fi bars, 915 Dupont’s difference lies in the genres played. “We’re hi-fi but a little bit different,” Wang says. Hi-fi bars, originating in Japan during the ’50s, traditionally centre around the warmth of jazz music. But 915 Dupont broadens the sonic palette with ’80s/’90s funk, disco, and R&B. “We want people to have an easy, laid-back experience. They can listen to a record, have a drink, and move freely within the space. They can enjoy the music in the way that they want,” he says. The backdrop invites that kind of comfort, featuring wood accents, a sparkling disco ball, hand-picked, locally sourced vintage furniture, and soft lighting from paper lanterns.

The listening bar is part of Rooms, a collection of four other coffee shops located across Toronto. “We do have a few locations, and they all look different,” Wang says. He described each location as a distinct room from the others, each curated with its own unique business model. While some focus more on coffee, 915 Dupont evolves throughout the day from a cafe to a bar, to a dance floor, or to an event space. With Asian-inspired dishes, highball cocktails, and a weekly lineup of events including chess nights, film screenings, and live music, the space is programmed to be more than just a bar.

While hi-fi bars are sprinkled across Toronto, this kind of listening experience is resonating far beyond. One reason for this, as Christian Williams, the CEO and co-founder of Hausu — a hi-fi bar in London — suggests, could be the resurgence of vinyl culture. “Towards the end of the 2000s, it looked to be almost completely dead, but a big shift started to happen around 2010, which [brought] much more interest in both people searching for older records and the DJs that played them,” he shares.

Hausu means “house” in Japanese, and Williams built a cozy bar that lives up to the name. With a vintage 1970s hi-fi system at its heart, sound is truly appreciated. “Music isn’t only enjoyed to dance to, so it sort of facilitates an interest in music in a slightly different space from what we’re used to,” says Williams. With names like Rooms and House, these venues hint at a return to a slower, more personal way of experiencing music. One where it isn’t just playing idly in the background, but fuelling the mood.