What do you sit in when listening to your system?

Reader Doug Cline just bought a new La-Z-Boy and likes the way it feels, but wonders about its effect on the sound. What do you prefer for listening?

What do you sit in when listening to your system?
An overstuffed chair
7% (20 votes)
A normally stuffed chair
17% (51 votes)
A La-Z-Boy
12% (34 votes)
An unstuffed chair
6% (17 votes)
A couch
37% (109 votes)
A bench
0% (0 votes)
A rocking chair
2% (6 votes)
Other . . .
14% (42 votes)
Chairs are for wimps---I stand!
3% (8 votes)
I sit on the floor
2% (6 votes)
I lie on the floor
0% (1 vote)
Total votes: 294

COMMENTS
Tikken's picture

bed

Marc Gagnon's picture

Currently I am using an old La-Z-Boy, comfy as hell, but I always figured all that padding right behind my head was a no-no in the audio world. Now that a spring finally busted on it, and having a birthday coming up, a new chair is in order. It will be one from Pier I Imports, a brown wicker-type swivel rocker w/separate ottoman. Airy, and no padding or obstructions behind my head!! All I need now is a Stereophile T-shirt and it'll be audio nirvana!!!

Mark's picture

It may not be the most perfect chair for listening, but it is the most comfortable.

Clive Camm's picture

Likely not a surprise, but my modest stereo costs several thousand, while my furniture is mostly a friend's throwaways. Talk about priorities.

Patrick Tracy, aka Svenbjorn's picture

For casual listening, I usually sit, or rather recline, with my legs running parallel to the long axis of my couch. While this might do for less strenuous listening, I generally move to a padded stool directly in the sweet spot when I want to really concentrate on what's playing.

Karl Richichi, U.T.  Film Dept.'s picture

A couch. Whilst lying down and reading. Ahh, leather . . . :)

Brad Bryant's picture

I sit in a green artificial leather recliner that looks much like the one on the Stereophile page next to the question. I don't worry about how it affects the sound. My physical comfort during listening periods has much more to do with enjoyment than the material the chair is made of.

EB's picture

I think the overstuffed chairs act similar to a soundproof room. They absorb the music, so if you sink into them too much it absorbs some of the sound. I think it takes away from the full sound of the music. I listen to music on a plain unpadded wooden chair if possible.

John Lum's picture

Actually, since our room is small and square, he bestseat in the house is the toilet!

Von C.  Pfeiffer's picture

I love the option of an upright (serious listening)or reclining (don't care if I doze off) position.

Brian Smith's picture

I checked La-Z Boy, but actually listen in a recliner (La-Z Boy is a brand, I believe).

Frank Mason's picture

My chair is 65 years old and has been reupholstered many times. Its current outer layer is tattered, but I grew up with it. I love it.

Paul Houston's picture

I sit in an Eames chair. It's very comfortable and covered in leather. I doubt is has any effect on the sound. When I think of all the pertinent issues you could address with this forum, I am puzzled as to why I even responded.

jessie e.'s picture

a couch, but remenber lether reflect waves so, the sound is unnatural.nothing

Mike Johnston's picture

This question is the lamest in the history of your website.

Joel's picture

Ekorness Stressless is the only way to go. It recllines and is leather, fairly overstuffed. And it's what they've got in the really cool hi-fi shops.

Rich S, Pittsburgh's picture

I've been using a La-Z-Boy type recliner for a few months since I set up my new listening room, but I don't think it is an ideal choice. Leaning back into the cushion causes some odd muffling and closing of the sound at various frequencies, likely due to the absorption/reflection of the cushion surface. I do most of my listening sitting upright, neck tilted slightly forward. In addition, tilting the chair back drops me below the right listening axis and with my ears tilted skyward, losing all imaging/soundstaging. It sounds goofy, but an ideal chair (in terms of acoustics, not aesthetics or comfort), would be a dentist-type chair with a headrest, but leaving the area around the ears in free space.

Rusli Arshad's picture

I like to read whilst listening to music in the background. Thus my listening chair must be soft and comfortable, and must also allow me to stretch my legs out on a soft stool. The sweet spot takes only my chair. Of course, there are 3 other "office chairs" lined up behind the sweet spot for other listeners who happen to drop in. When I am the only listener, a RoomTune stands right behind my chair, as I find it most useful in cutting off back reflections. What do I read? Most times its either Stereophile or Practical Photography. Which brings up an interesting observation; that many audiophiles are also avid shutterbugs. Perhaps we can have a survey on this?

Scott Vermillion's picture

While listening to music I sit on whatever short, relatively soft object is closest to the sweet spot. This doesn't include pets.

TWJ's picture

I use an old couch that is full of holes; since I have spent all my money on equipment and recordings, the furnishings suffer.

Gary Schuber's picture

It's actually a 1&1/2 size chair with ottoman.

David Ralph's picture

Unfortunately, in the La-Z-Boy, it's too relaxing. Between the chair and music, I find my tensions easing no matter the time of day and, if I listen long enough, start feeling drowsy. I have to sit on the front edge if I want to listen attentively.

Who's name?'s picture

The ultimate way to thoroughly enjoy luscious sound waves is to practice what the lost tribe of doolatrian calls nunac. I wont tell you how nunac is performed, but man is it great!!!

Harry Kane's picture

I listen on a leather couch whose dimensions and location are precisely matched so as to damp midrange nodes within my listening room. It's quite comfortable too . . .

Bob Bernstein's picture

Im currently using a wing-backed chair with moderate stuffing that doesnt squeak! - a requirement - but im wondering if the wing back portions surrounding my head arent the greatest,, so,,,ill probably buy something similar to it,, but without anything above the neck of the chair.

G.  Curtis's picture

A comfy, supple top-grain leather couch in a low-profile style, positoned perfectly between the speakers about 8 feet back to center listening position. Wonderful, and I have room for company.

evan's picture

Usually lay down on my bed.

Tom Devlin's picture

An aging Sears two-seat couch. It's perfect.

Mudcat's picture

An old, tattered couch, because I have been spending all of my discretionary income on upgrading my audio system, with which I have finally come to terms.

irul's picture

unfortunately, I don't have one.

Pages

X