Sonder is a hi-fi listening bar and restaurant in downtown Santa Ana. Food and cocktails carry plenty of weight, though the venue places music alongside them rather than leaving it to fill silence between tables.
The room changes pace through the week. Weeknights are quieter, with music setting the tone for dinner and conversation. Local DJs take over on weekends and the room becomes more energetic later in the evening. The exact speakers, amplification, turntables and acoustic treatment have not been published, so the hi-fi label is easier to verify than the hardware behind it.
Sonder suits listeners who want music to shape a dinner without the discipline of a listening salon. Go midweek for a calmer room or choose a weekend when the DJ programme is the reason for staying late.