I went to Spotifys 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

Date:
Sat, 28 Mar 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Description:
Spotify's London HQ is the home of the company's first Listening Lounge, and
I experienced it first-hand.

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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 Spotifys 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 Wonkas chocolate haven (its a shoes-off zone, obviously), but with a soothing mid-century modern interior and the biggest stereo system Ive ever seen I
was desperate to press the play button. Article continues below You may like
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 Spotify adds Exclusive Mode for bit-perfect audio on Windows I made my home audio setup sing using a roomEQ kit here's how you can too Stereo is forever From left to right: Bryston 3B Cubed Power Amplifier, PrimaLuna DAC, Bluesound Node Icon
streamer, PrimaLuna 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, were 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, its fitted
with the PrimaLuna DAC and accompanying PrimaLuna 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 its 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. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. and so is slow listening (Image credit: Future / Rowan Davies) As well as being a Spotify subscriber, Im 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. Its about preparing you to really listen. Thats just one way of eliminating distractions Howard-Browns custom stereo system reveals something deeper.

Whats changed is that people now want to show that theyre engaging with (analog) and beautifully designed systems become part of that expression. Theres a real symbiosis between how something sounds and how it looks, and thats 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, its 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 TechRadar on Google News and add
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