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Solodome reinvents the classic egg chair with spatial audio

Simon Cohen
By
The Solodome in black.
The Solodome. Solodome

The egg chair, an iconic retro-futuristic furniture design that was conceived in the 1960s, is getting an upgrade. Solodome, a manufacturer based in Southern California, has taken the classic ovoid chair, upholstered it with a plush, memory foam-based faux-fur interior, and added a 2.1-channel, 400-watt sound system. The result is “an ideal spatial audio experience without the inconvenience of installing discreet speakers or sacrificing quality by relying on headphones,” according to the company.

The original Ovalia Egg Chair.
The original Ovalia Egg chair, designed by Henrik Thor-Larsen. Ovalia

The Solodome chairs come three sizes: regular, XL, and a mini version for kids. The full-size chairs can be ordered in a variety of interior/exterior black and white color combinations, while the mini adds pink to the available options. The prices keep the Solodome from being an impulse purchase for all but the wealthiest buyers — the regular Solodome starts at $4,500, the XL will set you back $6,500, and even the mini is only small in size as it costs $2,500.

Scene from Men In Black.
Will Smith as Agent J (left) in an Ovalia Egg Chair in the 1997 movie Men In Black. Sony Pictures/Columbia Pictures

Solodome says the chairs are designed for a more immersive experience for gaming and movies, but spatial audio for music listening is also part of the company’s vision. Inside the Solodome are two full-range drivers, positioned roughly at ear height, plus two subwoofers — one in each armrest. The chair can receive audio wirelessly over Bluetooth, with support for hi-res audio via the aptX HD codecor through a 3.5mm analog input jack.

Diagram of speaker placements within the Solodome.
Solodome

Because both of these connections are only capable of sending two-channel stereo, the Solodome uses digital signal processing (DSP) to create a virtual spatial audio experience — unless you’re already using a source of spatial audio like Dolby Atmos Music from Apple Music, Amazon Music, or Tidal, in which case the audio has already been converted to a binaural spatial audio presentation.

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Solodome also touts the benefits of using its chairs for therapy: “The unobstructed visceral impact of Solodome’s full-frequency audio makes it an unparalleled tool for audio therapies and wellness treatments in the home or office.”

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Simon Cohen
Simon Cohen
Contributing Editor, A/V
Simon Cohen covers a variety of consumer technologies, but has a special interest in audio and video products, like spatial…
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