I use an Ekornes Stressless chair, with the optional side table mounted on the underside of the right arm. This provides space for remote(s) and CD Lyric sheet AND a Bush Mills and 7.
Hard to beat!
Dan
Hard to beat!
Dan
The Listening Chair - What type do you use?
What type of chair do you use for critical listening? I've always believed that one with a low back is best because a high back would alter the sound back to your ears. But I've also realized that comfort also will make ones listening experience more enjoyable. I’m thinking of going more in the direction of chairs replacing my couch and I’m having a difficult time finding ones with low backs that would allow one to seat in for hours at a time. Is low back seating really that important? How many of you in search of the absolute sound have sacrificed a bit of sonic performance for more comfortable seating?
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I use a LA-A-BOY leather love seat. Both halves recline. Good listening for two. Although high backed it is very comfortable and doesn't mess things up as bad as you'ld expect. Still have excellent imageing. What price comfort, eh? Coffee table on the sides for a Guinness or Sleeman's Silver Creek Lager. Gotta keep up with the Dan's :-) I guess what I'm saying is that if I'm sitting there for a while I'll sacrifice some quality for comfort. |
Gettyyup Gettyyup Rawhideeeee!! I use an ordinary office chair but been waiting for the right time to invest in a Mies Barcelona. Yes, too ubiquitous for you interior designers, but it's the most comfortable chair I've ever sat in. I think the height and angle of the chair is perfect for audio/ergonomic purposes too. My girlfriend said she'd offer to buy me a replica if I buy an original for herself... |
You got it Gunbei. Mine's genuine pony skin, so one of Pokey's relatives may have sacraficed his life to provide me with some comfy-ass sittin'! OK, yeah, it's just a dead cow, but it really gets some folks fumin' when I tell'em it's pony. Viggen, you can get a repro of the Barcelona's for around $600. Free shipping from this joint. A friend of mine has one of the most comfortable chairs I've sat in for listening. Can't recall the designer but it was a huge leather version of a bullhorn chair. I may have a picture of it somewhere since I photographed his listening space once. I'll check. Marco |
Got maple arm chair kit from Shaker Workshops. Less than 200, little more for cherry. Extremely sturdy and proper height; doesn't have the drawback of cushioned chairs like Ikea Puong that does something strange to the sound I found. The shaker chair is no breeze to assemble primarily because of weaving of the "tape" required for the seat; some sanding required. |
No Gunbei, I've never bought anything from them. There are a bunch of online chic-ass-die-yuppy-scum, Italian design-addict online brothels like that selling knock-off's at great prices. DWR is another, and there is one I can't recall the name, but it has "Italy" or "Italian" in the URL. No, I got mine from a relative who didn't have room for it anymore. Yes, it slides along the arc making the position more or less upright. They're all over the place in your area. Just go fine one and sit down it it, you'll see what I mean. You won't want to get up. I'm going to request that I be buried on mine. I'm also going to request they wait till I die before they do that. I don't actually know who "they" are yet, but when I find out, I'm going to request all that. Marco |
Ed, while I agree that the Barcelona Chair with ottoman is super comfy (I have an Italian repro), it's leather and somewhat wider than the average person so sound waves reflect off it... I personally would like an Eames Lounge Chair but that too is leather. Slightly tongue in cheek :^), I might suggest Frank Gehry's 'Power Play Club Chair' with ottoman seen here. It's actually quite comfortable and it might be able to double as room treatments (thinking of Helmholz Resonators or that Shakti thingy). Travis |
Hey T_bone and Pehare, Are you guys BLIND?? =D Those chairs probably have less reflective properties than the Barcelona, but.... those are oooooooooogly. I don't understand how the Pollock achieve the cult status that it did. Maybe some design person can explain it to me. Dean, You want me to pull the trigger, so your butt can sit in my new chair next time you're over right? Wrong!! You get the IKEA chairs = P. |
Hey Gunbei, Viggen & fans of comfy chairs - I found out the name of my buddies chair that is the most comfy chair I've sat in (the Le Corbusier runs a close second and I do prefer reclining when listening); it is The Ox Chair by Hans Wegner. Marco |
My sympathies David! I know those Christmas trees don't make very comfortable sitting. Those blasted decorative balls keep breaking and you gotta pick the bits of green and red glass out of your ass. Viggen - no ideas, but if you find one on discount let me know. I don't think I have enough room either though. The damn chair looks like a room on it's own! You can probably fit a few ASC Tube Traps right there in the chair with you now that I think of it. Marco |
A Calin w/ ottoman. It's oversized so two can snuggle and listen. |
is the Le Corbusier LC2 that is built by CASSINA a good chair for listening? I sat in one today and it was pretty good. I like the lower back area so as not to interfere with the sound. No, that would not be a good listening chair... not in my opinion. We have the small version in our living room - it looks great, but it is definitely not a comfortable couch to sit long-term. It is rather rigid and doesn't offer much support where you need it - not exactly a relaxed listening experience. A good alternative? I'm not sure what you mean by "alternative" since virtually anything could be an alternative. A good alternative might be virtually any other more cushy couch - one that is comfortable to sit in for a long period of time. Beware that leather couches will alter the acoustic response of the room. I changed from a fabric couch to a leather couch in my listening room and the difference was profound. The leather couch made the room a whole lot more lively, while the fabric couch had created a more pleasing deadening effect, having apparently more of an absorptive quality. One of the most comfortable listening chairs I've been in was the one I mentioned earlier in this thread, which now has a dead link. Here's a live version - The Ox Chair by Hans Wegner. Unfortunately it also only comes in leather and is now quite expensive. Man, this is an old thread you've revived! |
Ah, found the Ox Chair in cotton options for much cheaper. No experience with the vendor here. |
My perspective of an alternative is something with a low ear level back side. Yes, the LC2 is probably not very comfortable for long listening sesssion, but it is low enough for me not to worry about spurious reflections next to my ears. I know there are alnernatives. I am not concerned about leather causing or having an affect on baa. I figure one area of compromise is okay, but the ear level height of a chair is not one I want to accept. I do have a large 3 seater Italian Natuzzi leather couch that is just below ear height, but I would like to upgrade to something more of a chair. I also have a stressless relax chair, way to high, but I can fall a sleep in that chair. It does all of the fancy bells and whistles, spins, swivels, and reclines. Ciao, Audioquest4life |
You may want to consider the Wassily Chair, which is what I use. Looks like its current price is $3108, available at Knoll Studio. I believe there are replicas available at lower prices, under other names. As with the Ox Chair that Marco referred to, the back and the bottom are both angled toward the rear, which results in excellent back support. Obviously, though, there is no head or neck support, which may not be ideal for long listening sessions. The seating height the chair provides is significantly lower than in an average chair. You would want to consider that carefully in relation to the height of your speaker's drivers. I'm 5'9" and my ear level is about 39" above the floor when I am seated in the chair. The chair, of course, is considered to be a design classic, and is in the Museum of Modern Art. Regards, -- Al |
Agc, I know what you mean.......The Leap, though, to me is just so darn comfortable. The Leap Worklounge is nearly 3000$ and the Siento is 2000$ Both are perhaps a little.....industrial....looking. But just my Opinion, the comfort part trumps looks. If I could have both........hmmmmmm. That would be ideal. |
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