Leather vs. fabric sofa... aesthetics vs. acoustics?

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #20 on:** 22 Jan 2008, 02:28 am »

I'll often throw a blanket over the couch, especially for movies. Leather can refect a lot of light in addition to sound.

Carlman · « **Reply #21 on:** 22 Jan 2008, 03:40 am »

No way will I do leather for my primary listening chair.... If you lean your head back into the leather it totally messes up the soundstage to me.... because the reflective leather aims all the sound back to my ears... The thicker the leather, the worse the effect...

I've sat in some fairly soft leather chairs that didn't seem to have nearly as much reflection as my couch... I think it might depend on the type of leather to some degree. But soft/porous fabric still sounds best to me.

If you don't notice or it doesn't bother you, you're lucky.

-C

Daygloworange · « **Reply #22 on:** 22 Jan 2008, 03:49 am »

There is no doubt it can affect what you hear.

If you have any doubts, cup your hands behind your ears. You'd be surprised how much high frequency is reflected into your ears, even with your hands several inches back.

Try it.

Cheers

bpape · « **Reply #23 on:** 22 Jan 2008, 03:54 am »

Those are all appropriate comments IF the seat back is behind your head. To me, as was said earlier, a proper 2 channel listening seat should not have a back behind your head. Shoulder height at most.

Bryan

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #24 on:** 22 Jan 2008, 04:32 am »

I'd say the same applies to HT. If you have speakers behind you, you don't want the back of your seat blocking them.

Nils · « **Reply #25 on:** 22 Jan 2008, 05:40 am »

The back is no higher than my shoulders, so it sounds like it should be a non-issue. Thanks everyone.

By the way, I've heard some people desire a lower seating position (i.e. less than the typical mid-height null region). I went to EQ3 today and sat in one of these: http://eq3.com/cat-eq3/process/locale/en_US/currency/en_US/37028-06-spartan.html

Ridiculously comfortable, and a good 5" lower than typical seating... I could sit in it all day! It's definitely kinda weird-looking though.

mcgsxr · « **Reply #26 on:** 22 Jan 2008, 02:24 pm »

Funky chair, I like it!

Daygloworange is absolutely right - one of my foolish practices is to get my daughters to "put on their cat ears" and cup their hands behind their ears. It is amazing how much more you hear when you do that. I assume that the shape of cat's ears is similar to this experience, and god knows my cat seems to hear everything!

It also makes one look like an old fool, but hey, you have to love life!

arthurs · « **Reply #27 on:** 22 Jan 2008, 02:43 pm »

This is the chair I have....hits me right at the top of my shoulders and does not cause reflections from the headrest........or the headrest can be raised....in the event I want to raise the headrest I am brushing it with concrete to give it rigid properties and dampen it, learned that in another thread here on AC!

bpape · « **Reply #28 on:** 22 Jan 2008, 02:56 pm »

Love those chairs. Ekornes makes some really nice stuff. Those chairs are really comfortable.

Bryan

ecramer · « **Reply #29 on:** 22 Jan 2008, 03:57 pm »

I suspect that chair cost as much as my system let me know if you remodel i may be able to afford it on the used market lol NICE CHAIR

Quote from: arthurs on 22 Jan 2008, 02:43 pm

This is the chair I have....hits me right at the top of my shoulders and does not cause reflections from the headrest........or the headrest can be raised....in the event I want to raise the headrest I am brushing it with concrete to give it rigid properties and dampen it, learned that in another thread here on AC!

arthurs · « **Reply #30 on:** 22 Jan 2008, 04:10 pm »

Quote from: bpape on 22 Jan 2008, 02:56 pm

Love those chairs. Ekornes makes some really nice stuff. Those chairs are really comfortable.

Bryan

It is a really comfortable chair.....too comfortable somtimes

KCI-JohnP · « **Reply #31 on:** 23 Jan 2008, 04:19 pm »

Quote

I am brushing it with concrete to give it rigid properties and dampen it

It is a mighty comfy chair though!!

mrlittlejeans · « **Reply #32 on:** 17 Jul 2013, 04:44 am »

Sorry to bring up such an old thread.

I purchased a nice leather couch today (most comfortable couch I've ever sat in) and was considering putting it into my stereo room. Then, on the way home, I started worrying about the effect the leather would have on the sound. I can always throw this couch in the office and use the other couch which is fabric and has a lower back but the leather couch is so damn comfortable. Much more comfortable than the similar but different (and incredibly comfortable) Maxwell couch we had in our family room.

Here is a link to the couch I purchased today. It's down filled and the 49" depth. http://www.restorationhardware.com/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=prod1235017&categoryId=cat1537035&src=rel

Here is the other couch I have that I was going to use in the stereo room. It is also down filled but shallower and shorter. It's comfy but not nearly as comfy as the Lancaster. http://www.restorationhardware.com/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=prod80367&categoryId=cat80006&src=rel

I do most of my critical listening sitting up and never slumping back. I wonder if there would be a big difference between the two if I were to place a thick blanket over the back of the couch when listening to tunes. Speakers are either Magnepan 3.6's, 3.7's or Philharmonic 3's. They are still somewhat in the air as our house burned down last month in the CO forest fires so I'm starting from scratch again. Have already ordered the replacement Phil 3's and am purchasing a pair of 3.6's while I decide if I want to rebuy the 3.7's.

Sonny · « **Reply #33 on:** 17 Jul 2013, 05:15 am »

Mr. Little Jeans...
I had both a leather couch and a fabric one. Well, I do think that there is a slight advantage with fabric as it's less reflective, but I don't think it will really make a difference unless your room is already very reflective and a leather couch may bring it over the top...otherwise I doubt it would make a big difference better or worse with either.

Where will the couch be placed? For me, both was used as a listening position, centered of course.

I now have the fabric in a new place, it's huge and is to one side, the right side, and the room is pretty reflective, and this doesn't appear to help that much.

Hope this helps!

Tuan

thunderbrick · « **Reply #34 on:** 17 Jul 2013, 12:37 pm »

Quote from: SET Man on 21 Jan 2008, 06:16 pm

Hey!

C'mon! Do I have to explain to you guys! Well, let's just say I tend to be accident prone with a girl around aa

Take care,
Buddy

With a girl around what?

The only thing that should matter is the butt test. Is it great for reading a book, napping, and just chilling out? That's a magical combination, so to hell with the audio aspects.

mcgsxr · « **Reply #35 on:** 17 Jul 2013, 03:32 pm »

I use a leather recliner for my chair. I have used the cheap and cheerful leather Poang for years, but recently found a nice brown leather recliner to put into the new room.

It probably does reflect a little more than ideal, but this space is really a family room with a pool table and HT in it, not a dedicated space.

That said, I am still likely the 70% user, so I just go with what I like, once I verify acceptability with the other, minority, users!

They all want leather furniture everywhere, and use blankets to keep themselves warm.

Ethan Winer · « **Reply #36 on:** 17 Jul 2013, 07:24 pm »

Quote from: mrlittlejeans on 17 Jul 2013, 04:44 am

I wonder if there would be a big difference between the two if I were to place a thick blanket over the back of the couch when listening to tunes.

Yes, I'm sure that will help, probably a lot, at least if any part for the seat back is above your shoulders. Hey, it's easy to try!

--Ethan

mrlittlejeans · « **Reply #37 on:** 17 Jul 2013, 07:38 pm »

Quote from: Sonny on 17 Jul 2013, 05:15 am

Where will the couch be placed? For me, both was used as a listening position, centered of course.

Tuan

It would be centered. The room should be ~18' wide and will either be 19' long or will have an open back with a (open) stair well behind it. I have to rebuild the house so I might change it from the way it was. The speakers will be at least 8' apart and pulled out probably 4'-5' feet which would mean I would put the couch 5' from the back wall if I put the wall back in. I'm probably not going to put that wall in to avoid having an almost square room. I'm also thinking that with the couch at 49" deep, when I'm sitting up on the edge listening to tunes, that back of the couch is a good few feet behind my ears.

Thanks for all the comments everyone.

BobM · « **Reply #38 on:** 17 Jul 2013, 08:09 pm »

I just have to picture my sweaty, sticky body in a tube heated overly humid environment, touching down onto a leather couch/chair and I am immediately sold on cloth/micro-fibre.

As a corollary, my chilled, numbed, ice filled limbs touching a leather couch on a frigid, blustery winter day makes me think the same way.

ctviggen · « **Reply #39 on:** 17 Jul 2013, 09:27 pm »

Quote from: BobM on 17 Jul 2013, 08:09 pm

I just have to picture my sweaty, sticky body in a tube heated overly humid environment, touching down onto a leather couch/chair and I am immediately sold on cloth/micro-fibre.

As a corollary, my chilled, numbed, ice filled limbs touching a leather couch on a frigid, blustery winter day makes me think the same way.

I had a leather chair for a while, until I realized in New England the surface of the chair was ice cold. Great in the month or two of summer, but it was too cold the other 10 months of the year. I threw it away and went with cloth.