Listening Chairs

[MylesBAstor]

Know a lot of audiophiles like the Herman-Miller chairs. Nice overview of the company, just wish it had some finished pictures of the chairs!

What's everyone using for a comfy chair?

I slummed because wanted something that had a 20 inch seat that would put my ears between the tweeter and midrange driver of the Magicos. So I found an inexpensive recliner for $300 from Overstock.com. It's okay but need to get a new chair eventually. Just takes up too much room.

[fcrowder]

I am using a Herman Miller Barcelona chair. The height is about right, it is comfortable and more importantly from a sonic standpoint, the back of the chair is at the top of my shoulders below my ears. Any padding behind my ears adversely effects the sound, at least to me.

[Marcus]

I'm using Poltrona Frau Willy. Stylish (Guglielmo Ulrich, 1937 model), very comfortable but it's strictly for listening not for napping.

http://www.poltronafrau.com/en/catalogue/icons/willy

[MylesBAstor]

Is it just me or is it next to impossible to find comfortable listening chairs that only come up to your shoulders?

[Johnny Vinyl]

I'd love to get a Barbershop chair one day, but my 3-seater couch serves it's purpose very well. Seating is not something I'm really concerned about.

[allenh]

I use a Steelcase ergonomic chair, similar to the Herman Millers. I tried the HMs, but it didn't support my herniated back in all the right places.

[MylesBAstor]

Have you (or others with back issues) seen these lumbar supports from Dr. Stuart McGill? http://www.backfitpro.com/lumbar_support.php
He is one of THE pre-eminent people in spine biomechanics and research. BTW, he is showing a useful ladder stretch for helping reset the spine's load tolerance especially for those who sit for prolonged times. One of the reasons for back issues and injuries is when the load exceeds the load tolerance of the spine. Sitting decreases the load tolerance and makes one even more susceptible to back injuries.

[allenh]

Thanks for the link, Myles, it's a good read. I use something like the LumbAir around the house and when I travel or even when I go to the NYPhil or see a movie. It just helps.

I wish there was an ergonomic sofa. I have a number of sofas at home and I can't sit in any one of them for any length of time, including the one in my listening room.

[Rust]

Not as young as I once was and I have collected a certain amount of wear and tear. The only thing that matters to me in a chair is that it is not uncomfortable. My chair is of the "stress-less" variety, tall back with a much appreciated headrest, an ottoman and a couple extra chair pillows to get it just right. It's a little to low for optimal listening but that is a secondary issue. It's as hard to find a decent chair as anything else worth actually having.

[cpp]

I use Ekornes Stressless Chairs, nice back thigh and leg support and comfortable. Oh PS: very butt friendly and you can order their chairs to fit your body size. Wife has her size and I have mine

[Rob]

These are mid-century inspired swiveling lounge-type chairs. Everyone has seen the Eames/Plycraft lounges many of these are more of the "egg" variety. I'm still looking for the perfect chair.

[MylesBAstor]

It's just all of them have high backs. Not to mention many chairs are made for homes, not small NY apts; many, if not most, just take up way too much room. Like you, I'm still searching for that chair and why I started thread. I was hoping that someone else had come up with a solution to the problem. Maybe that's the idea for a new company? Audiophile listening chairs as opposed to HT chairs?

[JackD201]

I love the Herman Miller Aeron. I love it so much that I have two of them, one for my desk at home and one for the office. Please, please HM make an Aeron easy chair!

Oh....living with a Cassina for a number of years. Looks cool, smells like the inside of a sports car, not as butt friendly as I'd like.

[Rob]

the cassina designer is Japanese, 'nuff said about small derrieres. I once tried to buy socks for my size 11 feet in Tokyo, I gave up after an hour.

[Garth]

As to the best chair was absolute sound not doing or maybe it is done a article on a ( super chair ) 5 or 10 K a chair

[MylesBAstor]

I don't remember the piece Garth but maybe missed it.

[JackD201]

Myles check out Brayden or Charlton for compact recliners.

[Bill Hart]

Early modernist design is fascinating- architecture, furniture, textiles, lighting. The Alan Frank house in Pittsburgh was designed by Gropius with interior elements by Breuer. See http://thefrankhouse.org/gallery There is a house in Texas--the Bohn House-- that was inspired by the film, "Things to Come" (audiophile footnote, the soundtrack to the film, by Bliss, was on HP's list and is an EMI ASD record worth owning). Both are pre-war spaceships, cool as hell. Some not great photos of the Bohn House here: http://www.statesman.com/news/lifest...n-house/nhz5p/

(FWIW, many of the journalists cite to the film, "Lost Horizon" as inspiration, but my research at the time I saw the house-gutted- showed otherwise).

Fred, the Barcelona was a Mies design, manufactured and distributed by Knoll (whose design unit was directed by Florence Knoll). Both companies, Nelson and Knoll, grew significantly through the design and manufacture of institutional furniture, for airports, offices and public buildings.

I had a complete office done in period Nelson and Eames at one point. The first Eames chairs were the bent plywood designs- these grew out of the work Eames did for the U.S. military- leg splints! His first molded plywood chairs were made for the Evans Company, but look little different than the ones later produced by George Nelson Company.

For hi-fi listening, I have two Eames lounge chairs with matching otttomen. (I always wanted to open a retail store that sold hassocks, foot rests and the like and call it the Ottoman Empire).
Classic chair, very comfy. If you buy, get real ones- the knock-offs aren't worth much and real ones are sold at substantial discounts through a decorator or home designer.
I'm a pretty big fan of Richard Neutra, whose clean, spare designs are timeless. See http://www.dwell.com/houses-we-love/...d-neutra-homes
Department store magnate Edgar Kaufmann commissioned the famous Fallingwater by FL Wright and an important house by Neutra in Palm Springs. http://www.archdaily.com/104112/ad-c...richard-neutra
Dude had taste in my estimation.

[Rob]

there's actually a tour of mid-century architecture in the desert you can take to see residences and commercial buildings designed by Neutra, Krisel, Gruen, Wexler et al. It s pretty cool I did it years ago in my previous work life.

I always wanted to open a business that sold olives soaked in gin. But I don't have a cool name for it.

[JackD201]

Boy Bill we like so much of the same things and think so much alike it scares me. I'm obsessed with mid-century modern architecture myself and yes I am a huge fan of Neutra's philosophy/theory about horizontal design elements.

[GaryB]

I suspect that it's not ideal for a NYC apartment but I'm very fond of my Stickley Morris recliner. Very comfortable and very well built.

[Johnny Vinyl]

I love that chair! It reminds me of the furniture we had growing up in The Netherlands in the late 50's/early 60's.

[Bill Hart]

A classic. Still made by Stickley, right?

[GaryB]

Yes - Stickley still makes them. There are cheaper knock-offs available but I can vouch for the Stickley as being very well made and long lasting.