Busbys

Project: CASUAL WINE BAR & LISTENING ROOM

Location: OXFORD HOUSE, OXFORD STREET, PADDINGTON

Client: PUBLIC HOSPITALITY

Scope of Work: IDEATION, INSTALL & EQUIPMENT SUPPLYLY

Busby's is an easy, everyday natural wine and Hi-Fi bar. The streetside Paddington location is undoubtedly appealing to a demographic of cashed up, older Eastern Suburbanites - ready to be shown the blood red carpet treatment. Part of the Oxford House complex, it was initially a cafe, before a new creative team took over at Public and saw the potential for the space. Plans were drawn up for a natty wine bar with cocktails by Maybe Sammy and food by Clayton Wells.... and a quartet of SONOS speakers hung from the ceiling.

I joined as a consultant mid-way through the gestation of the concept, and freshly back from a research trip through Europe, I saw hints of the side-bar at London's epic Brilliant Corners and something in the spirit of Berlin's Bar Sway, just waiting to be revealed. We had to boost the vibe. Alongside Ed Loveday, I crafted a pitch to turn it into a casual hi-fi bar, with a wall of records, a beautiful soundsystem and a DJ booth smack bang at the end of the bar. 

Jon, the visionary CEO and owner of Public, said yes - provided we could make it work on a tight budget and tight schedule. We did.

Working within the very parameters given to us, we managed, alongside Public's amazing works team, to find a way to show off the incredible 1977-vintage Klipsch Heresy loudspeakers in the prime dining area, jutting out from the wall into free space, as if floating on air. 

A pair of Klipsch KP260 speakers hung on the two far extremes of the space, for fill, without sacrificing the low-distortion, high-efficiency sonic signature Klipsch is renowned for. It's why we love them, and why Klipsch is in the vast majority of western Hi-Fi bars, as well as the iconic Loft in NYC.

Powered by a pair of vintage Australian JANDS Class A Amplifers that our team re-built, with extensive acoustic treatment to the ceilings, this room sounds amazing.

DJs spin on a pair of Technics SL1200 Mk. II, with a slimline ecler Rotary Mixer - which is truly amazing - specced because it was the only one that could fit, and turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

Best Sydney Bar Openings of 2023

Equipment in Play 

Klipsch Heresy

Made in 1977

Fully Restored

Klipsch KP262

Made in 1994

Fully Restored

Technics SL-1200

Made in 1999

Fully Restored