Joey_V
Well-known member
Alright... the LCD was not enough to satiate my desire to improve on my overall system.... so I've decided to also nab the chair.
Yes, the listening chair is definitely in-sight! I went to 6 total furniture stores and I sat in pretty much every recliner and lounge/ottoman combo I could find. In the end, I was left with the same 2 choices that I initially started out with, which is funny, but this solidifies the comfort and "greatness" of these two.
Eames Lounge Chair + Ottoman; one of the most popular modern pieces of this American half-century! If you doubt its popularity, you have to understand there is a cult-like following for this chair, a book solely on this chair, and an unveiling/museum event in New York last year when it turned 50 years old!
Eames:
The contender is the Zero Gravity Perfect Chair! Much easier to handle with the wallet... this is a remarkable chair! A lot of audiophiles use this very chair and I don't blame them.
Perfect Chair:
My take on it, as I've sat on both:
The Eames is a work of art... when I first saw it in person, I didn't just plop my behind on it, I admired the stitching, the design, the parts used, the veneer... I admired the chair. I felt like it was more than a chair, and more like a object to stare at instead. Once I sat down, I could barely get up. The Eames was just so very comfortable. I could either slouch and let the entire chair engulf me, ottoman supporting my tired legs.. or I could sit straight up and position my ears at a point where I feel it would be acceptable for audio listening. BTW, the headrest does not go over my neck.... and I'm not tall. No headrest to go behind the ears for this audiophile!
The Perfect Chair is also an amazing chair. It looks spiffy and awe-inspiring in its own right. It's like a swiss army knife with regards to being a listening chair, it's highly customizeable and user-friendly (headrest tilt/neck support height/lumbar support/leg support). The chair is also very adjustable with regards to the recline, much more adjustable than the 1-position Eames. When sitting at zero recline, the chair is quite comfy, albeit, not as comfy as the Eames... but with a steeper recline comes more comfort... and by the time we get to full zero-G recline, my back feels almost weightless. Though I may never use the full zero-G recline for listening to music, I was able to envision myself listening comfortable at about 1/3-1/2 recline.... especially since the headrest can be adjusted to allow a forward tilt. In addition, I found that the Perfect Chair is actually not too bad when it comes to audio, because there is a pillow that one puts behind the neck and this pulls your head about 6-8 from the back head rest. Now, despite some may not liking the headrest behind your head, most recliners I've been on reach my ears and even my manager's chair which I use to listen at the moment, reach my ears... so I'm not gaining or losing anything. If anything the headrest of the Perfect Chair is an improvement over anything I have and over what most people have.
Overall, the Perfect Chair is NOT as well built as the Eames, that's for sure. The Eames exudes class... it exudes a bullet-proof design that has lasted 51 years. The Perfect Chair, while designed well, is not up to par. But then again, it's not $3300. The Perfect Chair is not an American Icon, it is not in any museum. And all this hype around a chair may not necessarily be a good thing as I find myself thinking to myself that I'd rather take care of a chair the caliber of an Eames rather than plop my butt on it. The Perfect Chair is more of a workhorse in my eyes, I wouldn't mind drinking water/drinks while on it, but I sure as heck would watch myself a lot closer if it were the Eames.
Bottomline, it's about the cash. I dont want to spend more than I have to and each dollar I spend on this chair will limit future audio expenditures.... for sure. It is $1100 (due to a friend) for the Black on Black Perfect Chair with UPGRADED PREMIUM leather (normally $2195) vs the Black on Natural Cherry/Walnut (depending on whether I want to match my Nat Cherry Summits) which with haggling costs $2795 w/ tax (normally $3500 with tax).
In the end, I guess I could summarize it like this; the Perfect Chair almost lives up to its name, be it not for the Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman.
Thoughts?
I want to do this right. Do it once and do it right is my motto... but then again, I dont want to completely OVERDO it, you know? I mean, both are already overkill... but I just dont want to fall into the trap of spending more than I have to.
Thanks guys and just let me know which chair you prefer (take into account the money PLEASE!!) and why. I dont need anymore tips on other chairs because I'm pretty set on these two. I've sat on the Swan which I didnt like for audio, the Le Corbesier is too fat and uncomfy, the Barcelona is too expensive and stiff, etc... The Ikea chairs are too flimsy and a waste because I'm going to end up getting another chair within a certain time period anyway.
So yeah... just help me out and decide between the two. Thanks guys.
And this is my gift to myself for my birthday... I'm excited to finally have my listening chair right around the bend.
Joey
Yes, the listening chair is definitely in-sight! I went to 6 total furniture stores and I sat in pretty much every recliner and lounge/ottoman combo I could find. In the end, I was left with the same 2 choices that I initially started out with, which is funny, but this solidifies the comfort and "greatness" of these two.
Eames Lounge Chair + Ottoman; one of the most popular modern pieces of this American half-century! If you doubt its popularity, you have to understand there is a cult-like following for this chair, a book solely on this chair, and an unveiling/museum event in New York last year when it turned 50 years old!
Eames:
The contender is the Zero Gravity Perfect Chair! Much easier to handle with the wallet... this is a remarkable chair! A lot of audiophiles use this very chair and I don't blame them.
Perfect Chair:
My take on it, as I've sat on both:
The Eames is a work of art... when I first saw it in person, I didn't just plop my behind on it, I admired the stitching, the design, the parts used, the veneer... I admired the chair. I felt like it was more than a chair, and more like a object to stare at instead. Once I sat down, I could barely get up. The Eames was just so very comfortable. I could either slouch and let the entire chair engulf me, ottoman supporting my tired legs.. or I could sit straight up and position my ears at a point where I feel it would be acceptable for audio listening. BTW, the headrest does not go over my neck.... and I'm not tall. No headrest to go behind the ears for this audiophile!
The Perfect Chair is also an amazing chair. It looks spiffy and awe-inspiring in its own right. It's like a swiss army knife with regards to being a listening chair, it's highly customizeable and user-friendly (headrest tilt/neck support height/lumbar support/leg support). The chair is also very adjustable with regards to the recline, much more adjustable than the 1-position Eames. When sitting at zero recline, the chair is quite comfy, albeit, not as comfy as the Eames... but with a steeper recline comes more comfort... and by the time we get to full zero-G recline, my back feels almost weightless. Though I may never use the full zero-G recline for listening to music, I was able to envision myself listening comfortable at about 1/3-1/2 recline.... especially since the headrest can be adjusted to allow a forward tilt. In addition, I found that the Perfect Chair is actually not too bad when it comes to audio, because there is a pillow that one puts behind the neck and this pulls your head about 6-8 from the back head rest. Now, despite some may not liking the headrest behind your head, most recliners I've been on reach my ears and even my manager's chair which I use to listen at the moment, reach my ears... so I'm not gaining or losing anything. If anything the headrest of the Perfect Chair is an improvement over anything I have and over what most people have.
Overall, the Perfect Chair is NOT as well built as the Eames, that's for sure. The Eames exudes class... it exudes a bullet-proof design that has lasted 51 years. The Perfect Chair, while designed well, is not up to par. But then again, it's not $3300. The Perfect Chair is not an American Icon, it is not in any museum. And all this hype around a chair may not necessarily be a good thing as I find myself thinking to myself that I'd rather take care of a chair the caliber of an Eames rather than plop my butt on it. The Perfect Chair is more of a workhorse in my eyes, I wouldn't mind drinking water/drinks while on it, but I sure as heck would watch myself a lot closer if it were the Eames.
Bottomline, it's about the cash. I dont want to spend more than I have to and each dollar I spend on this chair will limit future audio expenditures.... for sure. It is $1100 (due to a friend) for the Black on Black Perfect Chair with UPGRADED PREMIUM leather (normally $2195) vs the Black on Natural Cherry/Walnut (depending on whether I want to match my Nat Cherry Summits) which with haggling costs $2795 w/ tax (normally $3500 with tax).
In the end, I guess I could summarize it like this; the Perfect Chair almost lives up to its name, be it not for the Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman.
Thoughts?
I want to do this right. Do it once and do it right is my motto... but then again, I dont want to completely OVERDO it, you know? I mean, both are already overkill... but I just dont want to fall into the trap of spending more than I have to.
Thanks guys and just let me know which chair you prefer (take into account the money PLEASE!!) and why. I dont need anymore tips on other chairs because I'm pretty set on these two. I've sat on the Swan which I didnt like for audio, the Le Corbesier is too fat and uncomfy, the Barcelona is too expensive and stiff, etc... The Ikea chairs are too flimsy and a waste because I'm going to end up getting another chair within a certain time period anyway.
So yeah... just help me out and decide between the two. Thanks guys.
And this is my gift to myself for my birthday... I'm excited to finally have my listening chair right around the bend.
Joey
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