Sennheiser’s New York pop-up store, located at 134 Prince St. in SoHo, was abuzz with activity last week for the first in a series of events sponsored by the streaming service Tidal. The showcase, titled “The New Sound of New York,” featured performances from a host of up-and-coming artists on Jay-Z’s Roc Nation label, all hailing from one of the five boroughs. In attendance were a who's who of music industry professionals and die-hard fans looking to experience the freshest talent NYC has to offer, as well as to be surrounded by the most sophisticated audio equipment in the world. Before the music got started, guests scattered throughout the newly opened store, obsessing over the state-of-the art headphones on display. The most popular part of the evening––second only to the music of course––was a room featuring a 360-degree audio experience that, as one guest put it, “makes everything else seem sub par.”
Sennheiser x Tidal
Sennheiser and Tidal Team Up To Showcase “The New Sound of New York”
Places
This is where the future of audio is being shaped right now - places that are full of music and great sound. It’s where people who love to innovate and experiment are drawn. Where they treat themselves and others to phenomenal audio experiences. “Places” invites you to take a look behind the scenes at these “places to be” in audio, from remarkable music clubs, to legendary recording studios and even art and audio conventions.
At Sennheiser’s Pop-Up Store in SoHo, some of New York’s freshest talent experienced the future of audio.
„as good as they cost“
Located in the heart of New York’s bustling lower Manhattan shopping district, the Sennheiser Pop-Up Store is flanked by stores like Balenciaga, Versace and Alexander Wang. In addition to a 360-degree audio room, featuring Sennheiser’s AMBEO® 3D Audio Technology and a basement-level events space, the store is home to Sennheiser’s most illustrious product: the $55,000 HE 1 Headphones, the successor to the legendary Orpheus, a pristinely engineered pair of headphones that deliver sound quality so good that one reviewer said they ruined all other headphones for him. Guests at the Sennheiser and Tidal event stared in awe as a select few got to take the HE 1 Headphones for a test drive. Mayaeni, one of the performers for the night, described them as feeling “as good as they cost.”
In addition to experiencing the literal “Future of Audio,” guests at the event were excited about the music. With stellar performances from Kevin Garrett, Levi Carter, Mayaeni, and Young Paris, attendees were treated to an eclectic group of youthful talent whose divergent sounds showed how ubiquitous Sennheiser’s appeal is.
Hailing from the Bronx, Levi Carter set things off with a quick display of his virtuosic rapping. With a sound that harkens to mind some of the hottest young MCs out right now (and a dash of something unique, call it flavor). Carter wowed guests while making it look easy. I caught up with the rapper backstage where he told me, in addition to being a fan of the store’s overall “vibes,” he really doesn’t trust any other audio equipment. “It doesn’t matter how nice the studio is, if they’re not using the good stuff I can tell” he said, “sometimes I’ll record in a bedroom setup and it’ll sound amazing because they got all Sennheiser gear.”
Kevin Garrett and Mayaeni
„Sometimes I’ll record in a bedroom setup and it’ll sound amazing because they got all Sennheiser gear.“
Next up was Young Paris, a Congolese rapper who sported traditional face paint from the region. With a globetrotting sound comparable to M.I.A and Mos Def combined, Paris delivered on what he later told me was his goal of bringing his unique energy to as many people as possible. The rapper / singer stood out in the crowd on the count of his face paint, but perhaps the most telling feature of Young Paris was how the people around him, strangers, fans and friends, all couldn’t help but smile in his presence.
The two main acts for the night, singer-songwriter Mayaeni and Pittsburgh-based musician Kevin Garrett, continued on what seemed to be the theme for the night: “good vibes.” Both playful and seering, Mayaeni and Garrett delivered two sonically distinct sets that had the audience captivated. At one point during Mayaeni’s set, attendees rushed out of the sound proof audio tunnel in the center of the store to get a better listen.
As the first series in “The New Sound of New York” illustrates, things get even more interesting when the two companies’ goals intertwine. Tidal’s commitment to sharing new and unique voices in music paired with Sennheiser’s commitment to delivering pure, unrivaled sound quality, makes for a distinctly positive listening experience. Experiencing the future of sound in more ways than one.
Learn more about Sennheiser’s two NYC stores and keep up with events like this one, here: http://www.sennheiser.com/nyc
Tidal listening wall
