Advice on a very important purchase...

IronLion · « **on:** 17 Feb 2008, 02:38 am »

I'm looking for other ACer's advice on what is in my mind a critical "equipment" purchase: the listening chair. I'm looking to spend $1000 max and I want something very comfortable obviously and am just wondering if any other people here have put serious though, time, or money or all of the above into their listening chair. My current chair is getting old and the padding is falling out and it hurts my back and well, its not doing the job anymore. I've looked at Brigger Furniture chairs and their ultra recliner looks nice, but I'd like to know what else is out there.

msteindler · « **Reply #1 on:** 17 Feb 2008, 03:44 am »

You might look at one of these- http://www.vitalitywebb.com/backstore/PC-4-Perfect-Chair.htm
We've had a refurb of the leather and wood model for about 4 years and think it's great. Sometimes they have these for under $1000.
Or
You might be able to pick up an Ekornes Consul for around a grand, or possibly a floor model for less.
Also, a great supportive chair.

I personally use a Bodybilt executive high back chair with headrest http://www.ergo4me.com/3507.php and an older Ekornes ottoman. I set the reline control to float and it's a great supportive combo. Another benefit here is height adjustment. I tried using our Ekornes set but was too low relative to the soundfield.

Any stress in our body can reduce the pleasure we turn to music for.

Good luck.

Marvin

MaxCast · « **Reply #2 on:** 17 Feb 2008, 04:04 am »

The best is probably something that comes up to your shoulders.
If you like to recline look for something like the Bodybuilt with just a head rest, no wings, dentist chair style.
Also, if you like to recline look for a chair that puts your head looking at your speakers and not the ceiling.

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #3 on:** 17 Feb 2008, 04:13 am »

Chairs suck!

John / TheChairGuy

Gordy · « **Reply #4 on:** 17 Feb 2008, 04:14 am »

Here's a good thread on chairs from a few years back! http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=5576.0

JimJ · « **Reply #5 on:** 17 Feb 2008, 04:36 am »

Beer-resistance is a first priority for me

doug s. · « **Reply #6 on:** 17 Feb 2008, 04:42 am »

excellent comfy chairs, & not expensive:

http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/IkeamsSearch?storeId=12&langId=-1&catalogId=11001&searchType=product&pageNumber=-1&orderBy=score&category=%23%7EProducts&query=poang

awailable in leather for a little more money, but i found the cloth wersions to be a little more comfy...

doug s.

IronLion · « **Reply #7 on:** 17 Feb 2008, 04:48 am »

I actually think I'm going to go for a Brigger loveseat; an important point which was lost to me but which made perfect sense to me from the thread someone else posted earlier is that audio is already a lonely enough hobby so a couch or loveseat would be a good choice to allow others to enjoy it with you. The loveseat should be nice in that my girlfriend will be able to join me when she's at my place and I won't feel like I'm zoning her out. Their ultra recliner looks pretty damn cool though, that might be an eventual purchase...

http://www.kleindesign.com/briggerloveseats.htm

doug s. · « **Reply #8 on:** 17 Feb 2008, 05:01 am »

Quote from: IronLion on 17 Feb 2008, 04:48 am

I actually think I'm going to go for a Brigger loveseat; an important point which was lost to me but which made perfect sense to me from the thread someone else posted earlier is that audio is already a lonely enough hobby so a couch or loveseat would be a good choice to allow others to enjoy it with you. The loveseat should be nice in that my girlfriend will be able to join me when she's at my place and I won't feel like I'm zoning her out. Their ultra recliner looks pretty damn cool though, that might be an eventual purchase...

http://www.kleindesign.com/briggerloveseats.htm

that's why i have two poangs!

doug s.

satfrat · « **Reply #9 on:** 17 Feb 2008, 05:23 am »

Even tho this chair of mine is more than double of what you're looking to spend, it is by far the best chair I've ever owned and is ideal as a multichannel listening chair. This chair comes in 4 different grades of leather, the best being an unfinished leather wth the thickness of a basketball hide. You migh be able to find a used one on Ebay for a reasonable price. Etornes, a Norwegian business is one of the largest furniture companies in Europe but they remain largely unknown in the America's. This chair blows away any american style recliner I've ever owned and have a lifespan at least 5 times that of the Lanes, Berklines, etc. The stressless recliner is the only recliner recommended by the American Chiropractic Association to date as far as I know.

Ekornes Stressless Recliner: Vegas model

http://www.ekornes.no/us/stressless/

Cheers,
Robin

Bill@LakeGeorge · « **Reply #10 on:** 17 Feb 2008, 05:56 am »

WOW Robin quite an upgrade from the chair I remember

satfrat · « **Reply #11 on:** 17 Feb 2008, 06:34 am »

Quote from: Bill@LakeGeorge on 17 Feb 2008, 05:56 am

WOW Robin quite an upgrade from the chair I remember

Yep,,, $2700 and I had to wait 3 months for them to make & ship. But considering i get usually 3-5 years from a $700 regular recliner with the big fat back that blocks any chance to hear the rear speakers, this chair was worth every penny. Even has a side attached swingarm laptop table. My chair has a cherry base & table and a tigereye Royalin leather.

Cheers,
Robin

chadh · « **Reply #12 on:** 17 Feb 2008, 06:52 am »

I don't know about you, but I want one of these: http://cgi.ebay.com/Herman-Miller-Eames-Lounge-Chair-Ottoman-1960s_W0QQitemZ350024953230QQihZ022QQcategoryZ156311QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting

It's the Eames Loungechair (and ottoman). Not such a good picture in the ad. These pictures from the Herman Miller site are better.

http://www.hermanmiller.com/CDA/SSA/Product/0,,a10-c440-p47,00.html

Chad

mcgsxr · « **Reply #13 on:** 17 Feb 2008, 01:30 pm »

I LOVE Robin's chair, I so want one of those long term...

Woodsea · « **Reply #14 on:** 17 Feb 2008, 03:23 pm »

I have been wanting that same chair for about 4 years now. I sat in one (m), and fell in love with it! Nice choice's on colors, Robin.

ted_b · « **Reply #15 on:** 17 Feb 2008, 03:58 pm »

I just went through the same agonizing decision process on "the listening chair". I also chose an Ekornes Stressless Vegas chair and ottoman. My dealer here in Cleveland area did a "little" deal (Ekornes sells for basically list). Mine is black leather with a teak (looks oak) base. I have huge $ into multichannel hirez (and stereo of course) and the other euro-style recliners were all too high in the back to accommodate good surround. The Ekornes, on top of everything else about it's comfort, has a great adjustable headrest that begins life at the shoulders and adjusts up to the top of the head or higher, and the baggy overlapped nature of the leather headrest hides the adjustments nicely..

The only reason I'm saying this, given the OP budget, is that his was my budget too. I sat in quite a few, with the Canadian-based Palliser looking pretty good, but still either too high in back, or too small overall to manage the back height I needed. I justified the Ekornes Stressless as lasting longer, being more comfortable and accommodating my needs better....oh, and what with the $$ I've spent on equipment, what the hell!

Net/net....do NOT go sit in one.

dwk · « **Reply #16 on:** 17 Feb 2008, 05:29 pm »

I have to agree with the above advice - do NOT sit in an Ekornes product unless you're prepared to buy. For us it wasn't a chair but rather a loveseat, but it was pretty much the same process - once we sat in it, it was simply a question of how we were going to manage the accounting. Took us over 4 months for delivery (custom color combo) since some bozo in NJ drove a forklift through our first one, but worth the wait.

arthurs · « **Reply #17 on:** 17 Feb 2008, 05:32 pm »

Ditto the Vegas. I've had mine for over a year and it's incredible....

Mike B. · « **Reply #18 on:** 17 Feb 2008, 05:42 pm »

I have owned a Ekornes Stressless for ten years. Excellent back support, but the back is to high for good audio. I think it should only be shoulder height. I have a small system in my bedroom and I am still amazed at how much better the soundstage is when laying down. Probably a combination of size of the room, heavy down bed cover, pillow and head board?

satfrat · « **Reply #19 on:** 17 Feb 2008, 06:01 pm »

Yep, you'll get no deal if buying an Ekorne Stressless new, they are notoriously teritorial in their dealership and sell only retail with an occasional sales deal. My Vegas went for $1900 but with options including 2" risers for both the chair & ottoman, the Royalin leather and the laptop table jacked the price up to $2700.

Best bet for 1 of these chairs is Ebay. It's not often a Vegas shows up but there's a number of different models that do and at considerable savings. Here's one in chocolate available now for $1200: http://cgi.ebay.com/Ekornes-Stressless-Vegas-L-Recliner-Chair-Ottoman_W0QQitemZ250215258472QQihZ015QQcategoryZ20491QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Here's a Tampa model, the same as Vega but built for a smaller person, for $1000: http://cgi.ebay.com/Ekornes-Stressless-Tampa-S-Recliner-Chair-Ottoman_W0QQitemZ250215568288QQihZ015QQcategoryZ20491QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
It's suprising to see 2 of these models avaialble on Ebay, that chocolate model I bet looks sweet,,,

Cheers,
Robin