Eames Lounge Chair for listening

[AMP]

I did find a couple of discussions here which mentioned the Eames Lounge chair, but very little specific information.

I'm looking for a new chair for my listening room and have narrowed down the rather long list of candidates to a select few. There are a couple of more traditional arm chairs on that list, but the one that I really like is the iconic Eames Lounge chair and ottoman.

Are any of you using one of these chairs in your listening room and, if so, how is it working for you?

I know that these have an advantage of good shoulder support, but not so high of a back that there's an obstruction behind the ears. I also know that the natural seated position in this chair is canted back somewhat into what many call the "daydreaming position." If you are using this chair in your room does the slight recline cause issues for you?

My primary reason for listening is to relax and enjoy music rather than any super-critical listening activity. I do practice the OCD side of the hobby when trying to evaluate a new product, but for the most part listening is a kick back and relax endeavor.

Given the high cost of entry into a real Eames chair (or even a good knock-off) I want to do my homework first.

 

[steve williams]

Not sure if you saw this thread that I started last year

http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showt...ct-Listening-Chair&p=1598&viewfull=1#post1598

 

[AMP]

Not sure if you saw this thread that I started last year

http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showt...ct-Listening-Chair&p=1598&viewfull=1#post1598

Thanks Steve. I have read through that thread a few times, but wasn't sure if it was better to resurrect it or start a new one as my query is very specific to this one chair.

 

[Lee]

It's not as fancy as some but the Ikea Poang chair is comfortable and well made. I've had three of them for several years.

 

[microstrip]

If if you google "Eames Lounge" searching site "audiogon.com" you will find tens of audiophile opinions, both pro and against.

As far as I remember, as its is fixed geometry chair, opinions depend a lot on user size.

 

[mep]

In the case of this Herman Munster Miller chair, beauty is in the eye of the butt-owner. I find this chair to be highly unattractive and wouldn't touch it with the 10' proverbial pole. For this kind of cash, you should be able to have the option to recline. The headrest looks like it is the size of Kansas and the whole chair looks dated rather than looking like a timeless classic. We all have different tastes and different size derrieres so I would recommend finding one and take it for a test-sitting before shelling out the long green.

 

[FrantzM]

AMP

Seems you like the chair. THe main problem is the headrest. It is best not to use a heasrest for the simple fact that now you have a reflector in the back of your head .. reflecting a lot of the sound to your ears with IMO deleterious effect.. We usually don't hear live music with a reflector in the back of our heads unless we have our back to a wall and likely that wall is flat ... I have some misgivings with ottomans as they act on the back ... It could be that this is not a problem for you but aan ottoman usually forces a person in an unatural seating position and stresses the back in multiple ways .. bad ways ...
I would have recommended a different chair. I used an Herman Miller Aeron .. Yes it is an office chair but the best I have ever used in my office or in my listening room ... Ergonomics and adjustability are spectacular. The Original Aeron doesn't have a headrest .. There seem to be a model with an headrest but it is at least meshed ..So less reflections ..This chair , the original Aeron is a Classic in its own way.

 

[AMP]

Seems you like the chair. THe main problem is the headrest.

One quick point to make here as I've seen this comment in a lot of the research that I've done. The Eames lounge chair doesn't have a headrest. It looks like it does due to the fact that it's rarely photographed in such a way as to figure out scale.

The top of the chair back is 32" from the floor. For reference the average upholstered chair has a back height of 32 - 35". Take into account the height of the seat and the top of the backrest meets the shoulders of the average occupant. If you slouch down in the chair then the shoulder rest will overlap your ears, but that's true for most upholstered lounge chairs.

I pulled the following photos from google....

 

[steve williams]

It doesn't look like it to me. Ends at shoulder height

 

[rsbeck]

When I saw the price of the stressless chair, I got a little tense.

 

[FrantzM]

AMP

Then go for it! You like it, It is a classic and from what I have read very,very comfortable although not adjustable .. Go for it ...

 

[rsbeck]

I've sat in an Eames like the one pictured and I've sat in an Ekornes -- both were very comfortable.

I consider the Eames a timeless classic of mid century modern furniture.

It has already stood the test of time as it keeps coming back and does not go away.

Whether any of these pieces work as furniture will depend on setting and staging.

 

[mimesis]

If you like the look of the Eames, then it's worth it as a functional piece of art. When I investigated the Eames I ordered swatches of the custom leather which were much nicer in color, leather quality and thickness than the stock colors. Since the chair and ottoman are already expensive, I figured it would make sense to get something nice. I ended up with a beige-white chair but not the Eames, though. At 6'1, I found that the only way to sit with my neck supported was to slouch and slide down. Given that the chair puts you in a half recline, for me the lack of neck support was a no go. I ended up with a Fjords Admiral 170. The nice thing about the Admiral is that it reclines but the mechanism is hidden and you wouldn't know it can. The C arms naturally support your arm as it falls (there is a slope) and has a very modern, clean aesthetic. The matching ottoman has the same streamlined effect and matches the curve/fall of your legs. Like the Eames, it uses molded high quality plywood that is stained. The Fjords set (by Hjellgjerde) is made in Norway and is about the same price as the Eames set. Plus it comes in different sizes and leathers. Check out: http://www.backinaction.co.uk/fjords for info. You can find them in the US - I did and I live in southern California.

If you want a chair to sit in for 20 minutes of critical listening, the Mies van der Rohe Barcelona chair by Knoll is, for me, the quintessential modern chair. If I had the right setting I'd splurge and get a pair in polished steel with matching ottoman - to the tune of about 18k or a good pair of amps or speakers (not sure which is the better/worse value)!

Or, since we're discussing mid-century modern, the Saarinen Womb Chair by Knoll is incredibly comfortable - to lounge in, read, cozy up etc. Plus it comes in various colors and fabrics now.

Finally, Herman Miller products go on sale twice a year at either 10 or 15% off. You can get the chair at Room and Board, which has stores and a site or from highbrowfurniture or other online vendor. If you plan it right, you can get the discount and free shipping.

 

[AMP]

but not the Eames, though. At 6'1, I found that the only way to sit with my neck supported was to slouch and slide down. Given that the chair puts you in a half recline, for me the lack of neck support was a no go.

I finally got a chance to check out an Eames chair over the weekend. I've long admired them, but never looked at them with respect to the practical aspects of sitting in one.

I definitely see what you mean about neck support, and am of similar height. In my case, though, the Eames has a very similar seating position to the club chair I've been using off and on for the last 10 years so I think it will work well for me.

I had forgotten just how small the chair really is and I'm looking forward to something less massive on the listening end of the room.

If you want a chair to sit in for 20 minutes of critical listening, the Mies van der Rohe Barcelona chair by Knoll is, for me, the quintessential modern chair. If I had the right setting I'd splurge and get a pair in polished steel with matching ottoman - to the tune of about 18k or a good pair of amps or speakers (not sure which is the better/worse value)!

I simply love the Barcelona chairs, but agree that you can't sit in them for more than about 20 minutes. We bought a pair of very high quality knock-offs several years ago (in black with polished steel) and had them in our living room. I loved the way they looked but hated sitting in them for any period of time.

On the bright side they made excellent "stands" for the stack of LPs that were in rotation for the evening.


At this point the biggest issue with the Eames is availability. My local dealer doesn't see it fit to have one on the floor or in the warehouse even though it's featured in most of their advertising. Most of the online dealers post a 4 - 8 week lead time. I do think that I've been able to work out a quick ship option with a vendor looking to move some product so that's all good for me.... can't beat 13.5% off, no sales tax, and free shipping.

At this point we're saving enough to add a Noguchi coffee table to the order for the living room and still have the total be less than a local purchase of the chair and ottoman only with delivery.

 

[Kingsrule]

I owned several Eames chairs.
IMO the chair is too low, and sits angled too far back for listening. Pay careful attention to your ear height before u buy......

 

[Bodhi]

I owned several Eames chairs.
IMO the chair is too low, and sits angled too far back for listening. Pay careful attention to your ear height before u buy......

An audiophile friend of mine owned an Eames chair & advised me against buying one for my listening room for the same reasons..

 

[DaveyF]

I owned several Eames chairs.
IMO the chair is too low, and sits angled too far back for listening. Pay careful attention to your ear height before u buy......

+1


This is an excellent point. In the last few days, i have been listening with a new chair that sits about 1.5" below my old chair. I noticed that some of the air and precision in the highs was a tad off! Back to the old chair, and this issue goes away. Chair height is VERY important. I would also think that a chair like the Eames is way too low. ( actually I know for sure as a friend uses one and it's a disaster!).

 

[dcc]

If you are tall, you might want to go for the Aluminum Chair from Eames. The back rest will stop at the level of your shoulders. As I am not tall enough, I don’t use it anymore as my listening chair.

 

[microstrip]

+1


This is an excellent point. In the last few days, i have been listening with a new chair that sits about 1.5" below my old chair. I noticed that some of the air and precision in the highs was a tad off! Back to the old chair, and this issue goes away. Chair height is VERY important. I would also think that a chair like the Eames is way too low. ( actually I know for sure as a friend uses one and it's a disaster!).

Yes, this is particularly important with some Sonus Faber models - for example the Aida really needed a minimum ear height of 40" - I had to change my listening chair when I owned them. One nice thing of Wilson's is that we can tune the speaker for optimum sound for ear height down to 36".

 

[DaveyF]

Yes, this is particularly important with some Sonus Faber models - for example the Aida really needed a minimum ear height of 40" - I had to change my listening chair when I owned them. One nice thing of Wilson's is that we can tune the speaker for optimum sound for ear height down to 36".

Agreed, but even at 36" for the Wilson's, anything significantly below that, like in the Eames chair, is going to be a problem.
One of the only concerns I would have with the bigger models from Magico and YG are the height of their tweeter.
The larger YG's place the tweeter at a level that is almost too high ( for many it is certainly too high). Any low seating is going to be a problem, and the Eames chair is super low.