Devon Turnbull’s OJAS Listening Room at 180 Studios, London
Devon Turnbull’s OJAS Listening Room at 180 Studios: London’s Most Immersive Sound Experience
Where Sound Becomes Architecture
In a city defined by cultural noise — galleries, restaurants, theatre and late-night cocktail bars, a new installation in central London invites visitors to do something far rarer: sit down, slow down and listen.
At 180 Studios, the OJAS Listening Room by Brooklyn-based sound designer Devon Turnbull transforms the industrial venue into an intimate sanctuary dedicated to the ritual of deep listening. Designed around Turnbull’s meticulously engineered OJAS sound systems, the installation brings together audio engineering, craftsmanship and spatial design to create one of London’s most quietly captivating cultural experiences.
For design lovers, music obsessives and curious travellers alike, it offers a moment of contemplative calm within the city’s relentless rhythm.
The Art of Perfect Sound
Turnbull, founder of OJAS, a specialist audio brand revered among audiophiles, has spent years refining his philosophy of sound reproduction. His systems draw inspiration from vintage hi-fi culture, mid-century engineering and contemporary acoustic research.
At the centre of the installation are Turnbull’s signature horn-loaded speakers and vacuum tube amplifiers, handcrafted pieces that resemble sculptural objects as much as technical equipment. Their presence within the room is deliberate: large, beautifully proportioned and positioned with precision, they become architectural elements within the space.
The result is an enveloping sound environment that feels warm, organic and immersive, a striking contrast to the compressed digital audio that dominates everyday listening.
A Space Designed for Listening
The Listening Room itself is intentionally minimal. Seating is arranged to encourage focus, while lighting and acoustics are calibrated to reduce distraction and enhance the sensory experience.
Rather than background music, each session is curated as a dedicated listening event, where visitors are invited to experience selections spanning jazz, classical recordings, experimental electronic music and rare vinyl pressings.
The atmosphere feels closer to a gallery installation than a traditional music venue. Conversations soften, attention sharpens, and the act of listening becomes almost meditative. It’s a reminder that sound, like architecture or art, has the power to shape space, mood and perception.
The Rise of the Listening Room
Turnbull’s installation also reflects a wider global movement. From Tokyo’s legendary vinyl listening cafés to design-led listening bars emerging across Europe and the United States, audiophile culture is experiencing a quiet renaissance.
For a generation raised on streaming playlists and headphones, these spaces offer something profoundly different: a collective listening ritual. The OJAS Listening Room captures this beautifully. By combining technical mastery with thoughtful spatial design, it elevates sound reproduction into an experience that feels both contemporary and timeless.
A Cultural Stop for Design-Minded Travellers
Located just moments from the Strand in central London, 180 Studios has rapidly become one of the city’s most dynamic creative venues, hosting exhibitions that intersect art, design, fashion and music.
For visitors exploring London’s cultural landscape, whether between gallery visits in Mayfair or cocktails in Soho, the OJAS Listening Room offers an unexpected pause.It is not loud, dramatic or theatrical. Instead, its power lies in restraint: a carefully tuned room, a beautifully crafted sound system and the simple invitation to listen.
And in a city that rarely stops moving, that quiet moment might be the most luxurious experience of all.
Photography, Haseeb Iqbal at Devon Turnbull’s OJAS listening room, 180 Studios
OJAS Listening Room at 180 Studios. 6 Surrey Street, London WC2R 2ND
Bookable listening sessions with limited capacity
