What are important features in a listening chair

My biggest requirement is the back of the chair should not rise above shoulder level.

Thanks.

I gather so the back of the chair does not effect sound as it moves through the room? 

Do you have any pref. re: materials used and/or adjustability?

My ideal chair is what you would find in a dentist office. Has the headrest that covers the back of your skull and that's about it. A built-in motor to vibrate with bass frequencies (without the sound) for apartment-dwellers would be nice. Cover mine with alligator, please...

perkri -
yes, but more so that the sound does not reflect from the back of the chair directly into my ears. Also, I want to hear the back wall reflections to give a realistic audible impression of my visual surroundings. I like the audio-visual environment to be integrated. Otherwise, I might as well just use headphones.

The IKEA Puang Chair takes a lot of heat from yours truly due to the foam they use in the chair. It’s a Trojan Horse. It might be the worst thing ever foisted on gullible naive audiophiles. Makes the sound all weird and phasey like. Very reminiscent of SONEX, another sonic catastrophe.

I use a Herman Miller office chair at the moment, with a low back, but I feel like I'm in a classroom listening to my teacher... To make it even more comfortable, I have had to add a cutting board on top of the cushion to help with my sciatica. So, I've been wanting something more comfortable. @geoffkait  Agree re: Puang, considered it for a brief second, but then realized I would be basically putting a pillow behind my head, and thats no good... 

@dweller Would really like some head/neck support also as I have a bad neck and lower back - thank you reckless youth - but don't want to have the headrest part interfering to the sound as per @whostolethebatmobile.

Am thinking of something with a light mesh, but curious if that will cause any diffraction of the sound or if it would work more like a speaker grill cloth and be "mostly" transparent.

Totally misunderstood (as usual).

I have a large leather arm chair with ottoman. I'd say that for me comfort is the number one priority. No matter what a chair means to the acoustic equation if it isn't pleasant to sit in then its useless.

It has a high back, but I am tall. I can sit with my head fully above the back or slumped down so that the back is higher than my head. There is no sonic difference whatsoever.

Low-back chairs will reduce reflections from the chair itself affecting the sound.  That, at least in theory, makes them preferable to chairs with headrests that stick out to the side.  But, in practice, I don't mind the sound when sitting in a comfortable chair with a high-back headrest.  The sound seems well focused when I sit in these types of chairs.

I have 2 of this chair in my listening room, and two small ottomans

https://m2.ikea.com/us/en/p/jaeppling-armchair-kimstad-dark-brown-10370741/

Try to avoid some fabrics like microsuede which can cause a static build up when you move to get up from it and then go to touch your gear, it can be hell on your digital in winter. Also I avoid the usual cheap leather substitutes than can creak and fart a lot when you even slightly move around on it, making things a bit noisy.

If there's going to be any creaking and farting going on in my listening room, I prefer it to come just from me.

My chair is similar to jperry's except with a soft pillow back cushion.I reupholstered it a few years ago with a sturdy cotton fabric.Super comfy.

I am saving pennies for the ultimate chair in the world!!!!!

https://store.hermanmiller.com/living/lounge-chairs-and-ottomans/eames-lounge-chair-and-ottoman/1000...

Elizabeth, with you listening preferences I would have thought you’d have preferred German. Or maybe Italian. 

Very happy with my Ekornes Stressless

@dweller How were you misunderstood?
@larryi Wonder if there is a chair specifically deigned to "focus" the sound? Like a satellite dish...
@ivan_nosnibor I guess you listen alone :)
@elizabeth It be good speak listen

Wonder how using acoustic wool as a "stuffing" material can help with the chair being acoustically inert. 

I use a pair of these: http://www.ifn-modern.com/shop/chairs/lounge-chairs/pavilion-chair-ottoman.html
This Canadian outfit sourced a really top quality replica of the original Knoll chair. I've seen and sampled some really bad ones and sat on an original and it's very close.

All the best,
Nonoise

Eames Lounge and Ottoman is my choice.
We have a pair of clones (widely available on Amazon in many grades of leather) in the music listening room (also good for reading and sharing coffee in the morning). We have three total, and they are great for the price. Authentic Eames loungers are still manufactured (by the original manufacturer licensed to produce by Eames). They are much better, but cost $5k+ depending on wood selection and leather choice.

I have an antique wicker chair with a comfortable cotton cushion and a small pillow for lower back support. Absolutely perfect for me.

My mother works for Knoll so I am lucky enough to have both a Barcelona chair as well as a Womb chair. I prefer the Womb because of the way the fabric catches the reflections around my head. The Barcelona is no slouch either, but nothing beats the comfort that the Womb offers.

I would say that comfort would be THE most important aspect for a chair you plan on spending hours in. Also consider the way the fabric interacts with the imaging and reflections. 

I sit on the floor.
Thats how I have been listening since 1958 when my dad used to play them old 78s. I am 71 now, still sitting on the floor.

gtechaudio60 nailed it. At least in the budget category. I had a very similar version of this. Light weight. Space-efficient. Supremely comfortable. Not only comfortable, but supports my head just about perfectly without coming up behind the ears. Rendering, needless to say, the irrelevant foam commenter irrelevant. Again.  https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S99903929/

At the top of the cost no object category is the Eames. https://store.hermanmiller.com/living/lounge-chairs-and-ottomans/eames-lounge-chair-and-ottoman/1000...
But there's a hundred out there just like it, everything from $100 crap all the way up to better than Eames just minus the price tag. My fave is the Ekornes Stressless with Ottoman. 

I always thought this one version of the Eames looked cool:https://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/fud/d/aluminum-aviation-eames-lounge-chair/6880860006.html

All the best,
Nonoise

+1 Stressless

It has to be a design that allows spikes to replace the original chair feet, so that it makes you mechanically grounded with the speakers when sitting in it. Especially beneficial with vibrations induced with higher DB's.
8^0   

Build style and materials is a personal thing, but the height it places your ears at is very important depending on the speaker type and design.

i.e. ESL/Planar speakers sound best when your ears are somewhere in front of the panels. (not above......... or below)

Box designs your ears should be close to level with the tweeter.  That's been my personal experience. 

My custom made Gilmartin Rocking chair.  Sized to my body and much, much more comfortable then it looks.  Since it was sized to fit me, it offers great back support.  Difficult to get visitors out of the chair once they sit down.  Also looks outrageous. (The chair at the top.)

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/55450639136286625/

I've got a shock-absorbing high-speed chair from a SEAL attack boat with a 15" Eminence driver attached under the seat. Bass you can truly feel, but hard on the prostate.

That Gilrmartin Rocking chair is beautiful. It must have cost a small fortune, but to have it tailored to your body makes it worth it. We need more craftsman like that.

All the best,
Nonoise

@dsotm073 - Have you seen the "Pelican Chair"? Looks like it blocks side-wall reflections before they reach you! 

I'm interested in relaxation while listening, so it has always been something akin to or exactly as a stressless design.

This is the chair I use. To me it's the ideal listening chair. It's a bit pricey, but goes on sale a few times a year.

https://www.crateandbarrel.com/briarwood-leather-chair/s271157

I look for 3 things.
1. Comfort
2. Comfort
3. COMFORT
I like the Erkornes chairs myself. 

A person listening!

For proper back support, comfort, durability, looks and angle adjustability, it is hard to beat Ekornes Stressless chairs. Yes, they are fairly expensive new, but you can find some nice ones on the used market between $500-$700. As comfortable as it is, I don't tend to fall asleep on it like I do some of the other recliners I have had in the past. I can't even begin to count the number of times I've sat down, looking forward to listening to an album, only to wake up 3 hours later and discover that I slept through every track and two hours beyond that! 

Somebody could make a ton of money by inventing a standing chair for audiophiles. 

“Sitting is the new cancer.” - Tim Cook, Apple CEO ( all Apple employees are required to use standing desks)

The most important would be that it is located in the concert hall.

Does everyone here really have time to sit and listen for more than a few minutes? How much time does an average Audiogoner spend sitting and listening?

I use a simple, cheap, futon. You know the kind. Heavy cloth bag with loose stuffing. Set to the couch position. I can adjust my listening position by moving myself left or right for proper spacial info. Also good if you want someone to be able to listen with you.

@glupson,

i hear you being in a concert hall, different experience all together.

My average is around 6-8 hours per week listening to music. It’s been raining here today so I have been listening for 5 plus hours...something about the rain that just makes listening even more pleasurable. 

Somebody could make a ton of money by inventing a standing chair for audiophiles.

😀 Here’s an option: with tilt to accommodate for tweeter height and isolation. 😀

https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/Product/VariationDetails/58428

Talk about a captive audience!

Head in a vice sweet spot.

lalitk,

Going for a concert is experience regardless of how it sounds there. In fact, many times home sound is more "lively" etc. than real sound but that is another topic altogether. For some reason, chairs in concert halls are usually not that comfortable to me but I somehow manage not to notice until the end. Not to mention knee room. It is still good experience so location may be more important than the chair or some ultimate bass extension and what not.

Five hours is a long time to sit in a chair and listen to music. I am impressed how many people find that much time and patience. I usually have it on but rarely sit and just focus on music. That happens mostly when I am captive audience. Not as the one from the link above although also with my belt fastened tight across my waist etc. Now, when I think about it, you are right about the rain.

Stickley.... butter soft leather recliner in the Reference system
beater leather  low back at the condo
and an antique in the vintage room, of course ( recovered Eastlake )

comfort

although, I ran vandertones in upright and recline modes, mostly for grins, but also because I love data.....

Went with a zero gravity chair. Not the fancy leather ones, but the patio furniture type. Slide off the neck rest cushion and there is very little to affect the tonal balance. It adjusts to almost any angle, and it’s pretty darn comfortable to boot.

Now the bad news, it will set you back $40 to $70 dollars.

whoa, dude......

I had my listening sofa custom designed - deep seat and ottoman for long time comfort,  backrest pillows up up to top of shoulders for good support, but no higher so the sound isn't interfered with around my head.  It worked out great.

Another vote for Eames plus ottoman.