Fusion Collection Theater Seating customer's comments Lagoon-1011 My experience with Roman from rtheaters purchasing my HT seats was outstanding. Let me start mentioning I live in Mexico and building a project like this is not an easy task, it is very hard to find this items down here and if you find them the price will be super high, so I went for the search and in HTShack forum I saw people mentioning the great experiences they had with Roman, so I took a chance and how lucky I was, he is an example of great customer service I sent an email and he responded in less than 5 minutes with a complete quote and recommendations for my project, this included different price options and setups, warranty, shipping etc, at the beginning I thought it was a program answering because of the speed but reading the response with so many details and tailored for my request I understood it was a real person helping me, after a few email conversations about the size of my room I selected the fusion line. Being down here it was difficult for me to get the money to Roman but his infinite flexibility helped me get the appropriate method. He want as far as creating an special parts replacement warranty that matched my location and shipping challenges, going thru customs etc. Roman did an special second test for my purchases making sure that all chairs worked fine because once it crosses the border would be a pain and extra expense to exchange anything, I have to say all seats arrive in excellent shape and work perfectly. They were very easy to assemble. The seats are great quality, very comfortable and beautiful, I'm 1.8m height and 82kg and seats are perfect for me or anybody bigger, my kids love the almost horizontal position of the recliner, the actuator operation is very smooth. I'm very happy with these seats. Overall I recommend anyone purchasing HT seats or any other HT equipment to connect with Roman, my experience is excellent he is very responsive an has very good quality products, I can say his prices are very competitive, and his customer service is outstanding. Tribute-1015 We set up the chairs last night. They were heavier than anticipated. For one guy with a bad back anyway. I ordered 8 Tributes (2 rows of four straight) the row on the risers has a love seat config |o|oo|o| in the middle with the optional armrest. I'm very happy I added the armrest. There is nothing to install. It just drops right in and fits snugly and it stable to the point you wouldn't know it wasn't part of the chairs. The chairs are the bonded leather type. Comfort: Our biggest fear was the comfort & support not being adequate. I will say they are outstanding and head and shoulders above what I was expecting. We sat in every theater chair we could find locally and nothing compares to the Tributes. Not even close. (Some chairs were around $4k for a row of 4) I have a bad lower back and I complain about almost any seat not being up to par. I'm constantly turning and stretching in restaurants to get comfy. My wife and I both love these seats, I'm just under 6' and she's 5'4 and nether of us had any complaints. After sitting through our first movie we felt the same. We weren't sore, cramped, or anything of the sort. Build Quality: The chairs look and feel solid. All the power recliners worked great. The backs of the chairs inserted smoothly and locked in snugly with no play involved. There was a couple threads that needed snipping, no big deal. We both loved the manual adjustable headrests. They are easy to bring forward and move back. I think I'd prefer them over power headrests. My 4 yr old loves to press buttons, so one less thing to worry about. The removable trays that came with the chairs were nice looking but smaller than I expected though of good quality and felt sturdy enough to put snacks on and what not. The power cords on the chairs were plenty long and tied neatly. The storage space in the arms is plenty deep and spacious for all kinds of remotes, magazines, etc. The only complaint I have and this might be able to be remedied is the arms pop up too easily when bumped. We have two armrests that really pop up easily with the slightest bump. The rest of the arms seem fine. I'll have to ask Roman if there is an easy fix. Overall we are extremely pleased and would recommend the Fusion Tributes. 5 out of 5 stars providing they hold up over the years which I'm confident they will Almost forgot about the looks. They are dead sexy as far as I'm concerned. Classy and Modern looking without being over the top. Escape-1019 OK, after nearly year oogling Fusion Escapes, I finally got 3 of them. I already had family and friends sit on them and they are very impressed with the comfort and all the features it comes with. My impressions are they are every bit what I expected them to be from the pictures and reviews on this site, and like others this is one of the most expensive purchases I made without a test-ride and I credit this to others who did the same and reported their pleasant experience with the chairs and dealing with Roman. They are extremely comfortable and that's my chief complaint as I was not able to finish one full movie without falling asleep !! The aluminium trays are absolutely brilliant addition and look classy and the other upgraded features (buttkicker plate, dimmable LED) are worthy additions as I now have the option to add buttkicker when am ready for them and also I cant stand the blue LED's to be on when the movies is going on, so dimming them is awesome. The cooler is something I don't care for but it does feel ice cold after a few minutes....I guess those who did not find them effective could be because of the container they are using which could be insulating. May be with a steel container may transmit the heat better. The bonded leatther looks awesome in my living room. One question I have is how do I keep them clean in terms of what solution to use to wipe them clean? Even though there is no installation manual, it was intuitive to figure out some stuff like how to unbox and what to do withe zippers and the velcro on the headrest etc. All in all I was very clear from the beginning to get Escapes as I wanted the powered headrest and I am not disappointed a bit. Tribute-1015 I was very pleased when sitting in these seats for the very first time. My biggest question about these was a question a few other people had on the manual head recline. I was torn between chosing between the Tributes and the Escapes. After some input from my wife, I decided on the Tributes. They seemed to have a smoother cushion line with more support. I'm about 6'5" and my feet do hang off but i don't notice it very much. When i'm sitting in the chairs straight up the top of the chair is right at the base of my head. When i recline it's a perfect fit and the manual head support really works well. I was worried the weight of my head would not allow the adjustment to stay in place, however I haven't noticed any issues. Time will tell on if this will be an issue in the future. Again I want to give props to Roman for doing what he could with the shipping company. He was very professional and friendly throughout the whole process. I wanted to get the chairs before XMAS and with them being stuck 90 miles away for a week, I opted to go get them and after sitting in them I'm really glad I did. Escape-1019 i now have 4 escapes sitting in my room... as everyone has noted, roman's service is exemplary... i ordered last friday afternoon, and they showed up yesterday... can't beat thatÉ color me quite happy... comfy... "big enough" for me, but still not too big for my wife... automated controls are way cool... and the adjustable headrest is REALLY nice. they are decently massive, so i was glad i had help to get them upstairs... i would have really struggled trying to move them myself... assembly was a snap, except for one zipper that fought me a bit... more thoughts and a few pics to come... but initial impression is that these are "worth" every penny i paid for them, and then someÉ Escape-1019 I am writing this rating after six months of use of the Fusion Escape Theater seats by Ultimate Home entertainment. Everyone is excited when they first get something. I would rather experience the product for a while before writing a review. Before I discuss the seats, let me first say that Roman Shenkerman is knowledgeable, responsive, and is genuinely concerned that his customers select the right seating and are happy with the product. Roman was a large Berkline dealer. When Berkline went out of business, Roman designed his own seats. I had tried many theater seats and was close to buying Palliser seats. I read many strong recommendations of Roman's products. I called him. We spoke several times and exchanged a number of emails. He volunteered that in my environment the lighting of the buttons might be too bright, and he had a fix for that in the works six months down the road. (we ordered anyway and put windshield tinted film over the buttons--problem solved.) In the new systems the button lights can be turned off. In my case, I could get leather/match seating, with power recline and power headrest for less than a manual Palliser with cloth fabric on sale. Now for the best part, everyone n my family feels these seats are more comfortable than the Palliser seats. We went with Buttkickers in the seats. I was looking at less expensive alternatives, and Roman walked me through the differences of the products. For action films, it makes the movie more fun and engaging. The seats also have cup holders that can keep your drink cool. We don't use this feature. It works, but we find the noise it generates a little distracting. It is a soft hum that you can hear during the quieter parts of a movie. For me, this is not a big deal. I did not see this feature on any other seat, but I suspect this would be a common issue of all seating systems with a drink cooler. Guests say "Wow!" but we really don't use it. The seats are well made and very easy to put together. I think we had the 4 seats ready to go in under 30 minutes. As you put them together you see they are well constructed and smartly designed. We have a dedicated theater room and bought these seats for the middle row. Normally it is jus the four of us watching a movie. We do have friends and family over as well. We are so happy with the comfort, features, build quality and value that we will be ordering another four seats for the back row. With Roman, payment is made in advance. This was a bit of a leap of faith with someone I had not met personally. In speaking with him, I really had no worries. We had one small glitch, where one seat did not work. I explained to Roman that I had checked the connections, and all seemed right. He asked if I checked the connections in the main board under the console. We had watched "The Avengers" with the buttkickers up perhaps higher than they should have been. It was fun, but it also apparently shook one of the connections loose. I pressed it back in and everything worked again. If that had not worked, he was ready to send me what I needed to have the chair repaired. You can have confidence you are dealing with the right person. Highly, highly recommended. Escape-1019 I got my Fusion Escape seats from Roman a few weeks ago. They are destined for my new theater addition, which is under construction, but I could not resist setting them up in my current family room theater. Overall, I am very pleased with the seats. It is always concerning to order something online without being able to try them out but Roman had not steered me wrong when I bought my Berklines from him in '06 and he did not steer me wrong this time. Here is a mini-review, based on 2-3 weeks of use. Overall: I am extremely satisfied with the Fusion Escape recliners. Coming from the Berkline 094s, I was concerned these would be too small. My dog loves to sit next to me between me and the armrest during movies and he is not tiny so I need a good amount of room. I was not disappointed. While they are a little smaller (at least they seem like it) than the Berklines, it is minimal and their is plenty of room for both Buster and I to enjoy a show. Fabric and Build Quality The build quality of these recliners is as good as, if not better, than my previous Berklines. All of the leather seams are straight and aligns properly with the edges of the cushions and armrests. Comfort The chairs are very comfortable. They have a bit more Lumbar support that I was used to in the Berklines and the Pocket Coil definitely provides more support. Essentially, you give up some of that "falling into the chair" feeling for a more supportive seat that you could sit in for hours without feeling fatigued. They tend to sit higher than my previous seats (and I am 6'1"). You also have to adjust your sitting location when you recline or you tend to be sitting to far forward in the chair. That was odd at first but, now that I am used to them, I don't even realize I am doing it. Perhaps I had to do the same with my old seats, I don't know. Either way, they are comfortable as heck. And the Power Head Rests are great. Every theater chair should have adjustable head rests. Nice to be able to recline to watch a movie and still have great head and neck support. Also, the full length chaise lounge provides great support for your legs and calves. At 6'1", I never felt like it was too short to give the support that I needed. Operation and Features Everything works the way you would expect it to with the some pleasant surprises. First, the recline mechanism is quieter and faster that the Berklines...seems minor but the speed is really nice when someone is at the door or the phone rights...not a huge difference, but definitely quicker. The tray tables are nice...I know some have complained, but they are basically the same as my Berklines other than that they tend to scratch more easily. I don't use them much and, when I do, it is in a dark theater so I don't really care. Speaking of Dark, I was very nervous about the Cupholder LEDs, based on a lot of the posts on here. I am picky about a dark theater and pretty lights distract me, so I was sure I was in trouble. I only ordered now, rather than waiting, because I needed seats when my theater was done and Roman assured me I could replace the cup holders with his new ones (for a fee) myself. I was pleasantly surprised in that the lights do not bother me at all. They are not too bright. The only issues I have with them is that my dogs tend to like to stand on the armrest and are always putting a seat or headrest in or out...not a big deal unless you are almost dozing and you seat starts to recline unexpectedly. The touch controls are awesome, however. I like them much better than the buttons mounted inside the side arms. Much more convenient. Cooled cup holders? I just pretend they are not there. They don't really do much and the fan noise is annoying - just like the ones they put in cars (I knew what to expect when I got them). Overall, I could not ask for anything more in regards to features. Sales, Shipping and Support What do I need to say here besides the fact that these chairs come from Roman? The service was great, communication was excellent and the shipping was light speed. Just want I have come to expect from him. Tribute-1015 The fusion Tribute-1015 recliners are working great. No problems thus far regarding mechanical, material or workmanship. They are extremely comfortable and we probably use them 3-4 times a week. Every guest we have had come over have complimented on how comfortable and how nice they look. I am also very glad I got these with the tray table which has come in handy with drinks, food, etc. The adjustable headrest on the seats work well but honestly I don't seem to adjust them much since when I'm fully reclined my head is at a good resting position with the screen. I'm 6' and about 220 lbs, the wife about 5'4". The automatic recline is very fast and smooth and allows you to get the perfect position. I would say one thing I have noticed is when you recline the seat back there is a small amount of hollow space between the back and the seat of the chair. I don't see it affecting the comfort but there is not a much lumbar support when it's at a specific recline. Hard to explain in an email. I honestly think the Tribute-1015 is the best value between the Lagoons and the Escape since for me the chilled drink holder and auto headrest on the Escape was not something I was willing to spend extra $ for. Good luck and I know its hard not trying them out but they are gorgeous in person and give a nice look to the theater. Jive-1013 & Tribute-1015 I have received my Jive-1013 and Tribute-1015 recliners. They are VERY nice! The Jive-1013s are little shorter than the Tributes, which is actually good since my feet do not touch the ground when I sit on the Tributes. The Tributes are cushier, which I like better. The Jives are VERY comfortable, recline smoothly, and you do not notice the thinner width at all. They are VERY good chairs. Mine are power recline and real leather - I REALLY recommend the power recline, it is worth it. Be warned the boxes are about 3' X 3' X 3' cubes - VERY large and heavy!. Escape-1019 First off, Roman is a real pleasure to deal with. Obviously I live no where near his place of business, so I needed to lean on him for advice and he's always responsive via e-mail and phone. I ended up going with a 5 chair row of the Fusion Escapes |OO|O|O|O| in black leather. The leather is outstanding, controls work very smoothly and the chairs are super comfortable. I also took advantage of the additional 5 year warranty, which I thought was a smart move given all of the electronics. Every person that sees the blue controls on the cup holder at night is memorized. I don't have the complete row setup yet (waiting on carpet), but 155" of chairs across is going to be impressive. They will be 11' from a 65" Panasonic VT50 series (don't ask it's still in the box) with a 7.1 system using the massive HSU VTF-15H providing the low end, 5 polks and 2 Axiom QS8 v3's providing the side surround. Top it all of with a built in Middle Atlantic A/V in wall unit and I'm so excited, I can hardly stand it!!! Hurry up contractors!! Escape-1019 I just received 5 Fusion Escapes from Roman the other day and couldn't be more thrilled. The leather is actually nicer than the leather on both my living room and family room sofas that we paid a considerable amount for. Escape-1019 I ordered a set of 4 straight escapes in bonded black from Roman. I thought it may take some time coming to western Canada, but the chairs arrived in one week, including the holiday weekend. When I checked the tracking info I found out they actually arrived in Calgary on the thursday before the holiday weekend, but couldn't be delivered until the tuesday after. The chairs actually spent more time in a shipping depot in Calgary than on the trip from NJ... On to unpacking and first impressions - all the boxes were in good shape, and each chair and back is wrapped in a thin foam and plastic. No damage anywhere, and the bonded leather is quite nice. The material is soft but feels durable, and looks good too. A bit of a glue/new car smell which is now fading after a few days being setup. Attaching the backs was easy, and they feel rock solid - no wiggle or play in the backs whatsoever. Plugged them in and all is well. Before even sitting in them I am impressed and happy with them thus far. I am just under 6', and these chairs seem to fit me perfectly. My feet just scrape the ground, and are well supported by the footrest. My wife (5'9") also loves the size of the chairs. Back support is good, and the power headrests truly make the chairs amazing. I would consider them a medium firmness, as I have sat in much firmer and softer. Recline mech. is smooth and quiet. I wouldn't mind if they went back a little further, but I doubt I would really ever sit like that anyways. As per instructions from my wife, they are currently set up in a center loveseat config. ie lOllOOlOl. The double armrest isn't an issue, and I can change them around quickly and easily when we have company. The lights don't bother either of us, and the cooling cup holders are a nice bonus. Like others have said, the snack tables aren't very robust, but they work. Roman was great to do business with, very quick to reply and always helpful. Overall I am quite satisfied, and look forward to many hours spent in them. For the price paid, even with shipping and duty to Canada, I can't imagine finding a better theater seat. Tribute-1015 Ok. Just received my four Tribute Chairs, Brown, Leather/Vinyl match. I pulled one out of the box because I could not contain myself. The other 3 are waiting until we get the new theater room carpeted before they are un-boxed. First 5-minute impressions: The color is fantastic, love the brown. The leather feels very nice and good quality. They look absolutely fantastic in person. This chair definitely gives off the vibe of "classy" and has a nice touch of style. The stitching looks incredible. Seating: They are very comfortable, plenty of room in the seat, the arm-rests feel very nice and are quite wide for a space saving chair (I'm 6', 220lbs). They have a nice firmness when you sit in them, not too hard but you definitely feel they have good support. When they recline they are very smooth and quiet. I also VERY VERY MUCH enjoy the headrest cushioning. At first I could not figure out how the "manual headrests" worked, so I e-mailed Roman. After a couple back and forth e-mails, I realized my mistake. You actually pull on the top portion of the chair headrest and it actually bends. My error was that I was afraid I would break the chair but you definitely have to give them a little nudge and they bend quite a bit. When you get to the reclined position you want, you reach behind the headrest/back of chair for that matter and bend it forward and it will actually bend. The pivot point or where it bends is about 6" down from the top of the cushioning. (Should be able to tell from the pics). This will allow you to be fully reclined and prop your head up just like you had a pillow. The nice thing is that it will stay like this even if you have to move your head, unlike a pillow. My only concern might be how well the bending of the headrest holds up to every day use. The cup holders feel fine and look nice. Again, I can't say how nice it is to be fully reclined and have your head perfectly positioned to watch the screen. My only concern is that I will probably be falling asleep in these things. I would not hesitate to recommend these. Escape-1019 I have had my Escapes for about a month now and I just wanted to make a few comments. First I was very happy with Roman. We exchanged a few emails initially and he always answered very quickly. I ordered my chairs on a Sunday and they were shipped either Monday or Tuesday. They were at the shipping company by Friday. Pretty fast for New Jersey to South Dakota. The chairs were packed very well. Several of the boxes had cosmetic damage but the chairs were intact. I was nervous about this because they remained unopened in my garage for about a month. I did have a problem with one of the chairs. The open and close controls would work intermittently. I emailed Roman on a Sunday and he replied immediately. He had me pop the top of the controls off and try the buttons. They worked fine doing that. I did not realize that the controls work by heat and not pressure. For whatever reason the controls on that chair were not sensing heat like they should with the cover on. The next day he shipped me another cup holder/control panel and that arrived in two days. It took me about ten minutes to switch things out and they have worked great ever since. Really impressed with the customer service and I would not hesitate recommending him to friends and family. The chairs themselves are just awesome. I went with the bonded leather because it has a flat, non shiny appearance. I really don't like shiny leather. They are very comfortable. The headrest is great. I use it from time to time but many of the taller people who try the chairs think it is awesome. Many visitors have gone on and on about the comfort and the features of the seats. Several have commented that my theater was awesome and that the chairs were an experience themselves. Most importantly my wife loves them. The cup holders do keep drinks cool. Not ice chest cold but pretty cold. Lagoon-1011 I ordered 4 of the Lagoons in black bonded leather, got them yesterday, set em up, and watched Thor. These things are comfortable! I actually fell asleep in the one I was in. We have the Buttkickers installed, currently waiting on one of the amps to come in to hook them up, can't wait for that. We have a full leather couch and loveseat in our living room, the bonded leather on the Fusions is much softer. I can't really speak for durability since we haven't had them for long at all (though they have survived the initial onslaught of kids), but I can say the bonded leather feels very nice. Not sure the best way to describe it, but our leather couches downstairs are cold when you sit on them. The bonded leather on the Fusions isn't. They don't have as high of a sheen to them as the leather couches downstairs either. My wife was pretty apprehensive about getting these sight unseen, and she's pretty picky, but she's thrilled with them. And yeah, of course there was excellent customer service from Roman (I have a 35 email long thread filled with questions to prove it)! Escape-1019 I am currently at the partial birth stage...which is to say I have one Escape unboxed but I don't even have the back on it yet...and the other two are still in the garage. I will be on later tonight with a full review but I have to wait for my muscle....err, wife....to get home and help me lug these heavyweights down to the basement theater. A quick first impression is in order though. They look amazing...so much better than they photograph. I can't believe the looks were one of my biggest hurdles to overcome as they look amazing. I was worried about the exposed hinge on the armrest but let me tell you that bad boy is industrial strength and actually adds to the chair more than it detracts. Fit and finish on this first one looks perfect. Solid, solid feeling chair. I rarely have things go smoothly so I fully expect it to smoke when I plug it in or open the other 2 and have them be brown...but no matter what this seat makes a striking first impression... So, I have spent most of the evening in the escapes and wanted to provide more detailed impressions. Here are the stats: I am 6 feet, my wife 5'8. We ordered 3 straight escapes in black leather. I am not going to spend any time discussing the wonderful customer service. It is well documented for a good reason. Roman went above and beyond in all communication and it played a big role in my decision to purchase seats I had never seen. Everything arrived quickly and was very well packed. I carefully inspected each seat fully prepared to accept a few flaws but there were none to be found. The leather looks great and the vinyl matches perfectly....and all stitching perfectly lined up. The look is really striking, far exceeding my expectations from photographs. If the looks were great the feel of the seats were even better. These things are heavy and rock solid. I was nervous about the storage causing the arms to feel loose but not a chance. There is very little play in the armrests and both the hinges and the hydraulic arm appear to be very robust. I was also surprised by how solid the trays felt as I expected to toss them and make my own. Yes, they are plastic, but there is weight to them and they seem built to last. These are going to be more valuable than I thought. It should be noted they block the cupholders but that is to be expected. So let's talk electronics. First the positive. I was so nervous about the led lights. This turned out to be a non issue and a big relief. I actually quite like them and find they give off far less light than I feared. The buttons do not really seem small or overly sensitive to me, everything just works really well and is consistent. The reclining mechanism is quiet and smooth...everything is very responsive. I should note as well that every chair feels identical, which surpassed my expectations. While I won't call it a negative I will say I am disappointed in the cooling cup holders. The size and depth are great but I just don't find the cooling mechanism to be effective. I was really excited about these so maybe my expectations were too high. Essentially there is a bottom plate that is cool. The rest of the cupholder is just a typical plastic holder and while the size is great I did not notice any cooling benefits to my drink. ***edit*** I am backing off of my original negative impressions slightly. I used these again last night with different types of containers and it does appear to chill some things pretty effectively. Obviously the shape of the bottle or glass will impact the effectiveness but it is proving to be more useful than my first impression led me to believe. So now lets move to comfort and keep in mind much of this is subjective. I initially neglected to zip the backs to the actual seats and I was pretty disappointed in the large gap between the back and seat cushions WHEN RECLINED. Zipping these did help the roll off where shifting my weight was really uncomfortable in full recline as it had more of a tendency to cave. The zippered connection seems to keep the cushion a little more stable. I just wish the design allowed this gap to be a little tighter as I notice the gap against my back, though I do not consider it uncomfortable and I expect to forget about it over time. I may drop one of those "draft buster" cushions down in the gap for a little more support. Keep in mind this is only when reclined and my wife did not notice this at all. As far as the actual padding it is excellent and just a perfect blend of feeling stable yet very cushioned. The headrest is very comfortable but my excitement for the powered headrest was diminished a little bit by the fact that I don't need it. My wife did use and enjoy it so again this is very subjective. I find myself wishing the chair reclined a little bit further and if it did I think the adjustable headrest would be used all the time but as it is I find the normal closed position gives plenty of head support. Your mileage may vary. ***edit**** I am finding the gap to be a non-issue. I think when I was first trying it out I was in many different positions but when I really just sat down for an evening and enjoyed the chairs and let my body find a comfortable position they were very comfortable and I noticed no gap in support. One other note. I set it up as both a loveseat plus separate 2-arm recliner and then ultimately as a traditional row of three. Both options were great and i could see myself switching it up every once in a while. I found very few seats that came with a left arm and right arm recliner in a row of three and I consider this a pretty valuable asset that likely goes unnoticed. Roman was kind enough to point this out as a potential advantage to the straight configuration (versus curved) and it became an important advantage once I really thought about it. I am going with three in a row now but I absolutely expect to move them into a love seat in the future for a change of pace. So to sum it all up, the chairs surpassed my expectations in nearly every way. If I had to score it I would give these a 9.75 out of 10 (added .75 after more time with them). Pros: Look great, feel great, consistent quality, very smooth mechanically and electronically, so flexible from both a seating position and seating arrangement in the 3 straight configuration. Plus I am a sucker for blue led's. Cons: I would love a bit more recline to take better advantage of the head rest. Lagoon-1011 After much debate and looking around, I finally decided to go with the fusion series Lagoon seating. I am not one to buy such a big and expensive purchase online sight unseen; however, the price and the online reviews of Roman helped sway me to do this. Just for a frame of reference, I had tried seating at several places which included brands such as Palliser, Berkline, Lane, and Klaussner. The only other seats that we both liked were the klaussner - they were comfortable, quiet, and felt well built. The problem is that they were much more expensive than others with the same features (leather and power recline). My biggest concerns about ordering the lagoon unseen was the comfort. My wife and I are fairly picky when it comes to comfort. I have a bad lower back so anything to soft is no good, but I also do not like a hard seat either. I was a bit concerned that the seats would be too firm, but I'll get to that in a bit. I wasn't too worried about quality or customer service just due to all the business and reviews Ultimate Home Entertainment had done with AVSers and others. I've had them for a few days and have watched a full movie sitting in them so far. Here are my impressions so far on the seats from ordering process through comfort. What I ordered: Fusion Lagoon. 2 sets of 3 seats in leather/vinyl match power recline. Straight row configuration (see issues section below). Ordering process: This was pretty straight forward. I had e-mailed Roman for pricing and availability and once we had agreed on a price and a style I asked how to order. They take every form of payment (credit card through PayPal). I initially was going to pay through PayPal but I ran into some glitches and instead of fighting through the PayPal system, I opted for a direct wire transfer. Payment went through fairly quickly (Monday night into Tuesday morning). Would be nice if they took credit card directly; however, I understand why they don't. 4.5 out of 5 stars. Communication: Roman is very attentive and responds to e-mail quickly. He responded to me over the weekends as well, including a Sunday evening. I never talked to him over the phone, although I tried to call once and received his voicemail. I didn't leave a message, but he called back anyway and talked briefly with my wife (I wasn't home). 5 out of 5 stars. Delivery: I ordered the seats on Tuesday (payment went through) and they arrived on Thursday. For reference, they are in NJ and I'm in NC. Can't beat that - especially since this was the week before Christmas. I was fully expecting the seats not to arrive until the week after Christmas, so this was great. They use Yellow Truck company, and an 18 wheeler arrived to deliver the seats. A tracking number was provided, but the trucking company called the day before anyway to ensure someone would be home. They also called 30 minutes prior to delivery. I only paid for curb side, so I had to help pull the seats off the truck and put them in my garage. They had a dolly that I could use. Overall 5 out of 5 stars. Packaging: Each seat was packaged in a cardboard box. The box contained the bottom and the top unattached to each other. I think there were two boxes per crate in the truck. The boxes were in fairly good condition, with no noticeable issues. I did not unpack each box before the trucking company left. I bought the extended warranty and figured any issues would be covered by that. Each piece was also wrapped in plastic. Overall 5 out of 5 stars. Assembly: Seats bottoms come separate from tops within the same box. This makes for easier maneuvering - especially since I was going upstairs. It will require two people to move these seats. Assembly is very easy and the tops slide into metal guides and snaps into place. 5 out of 5 stars. Build quality: Overall very impressed with the build quality. The seats are sturdy, not loose at all. There is no play in the backs once attached. The arms feel sturdy and the cup holders are nice stainless steel and fit snug into thew holder. The leather is nice quality, soft, with a nice sheen. The stitching is good quality with no mis-stitches or non uniformity. The metal frame is sturdy underneath and there are several feet on the bottom. I noticed a couple were loose, but a half turn with a phillips head tighten them up right away. I cannot tell where the leather ends and vinyl begins, and yes there is a nice leather smell with these - not overbearing, but nice none the less. There are some small blemishes here and there that are only noticeably if inspected very closely and you are looking for them. No way any of these would be noticed in a theater. The power recline works well - smooth and quiet. The chaise leg rest fully open before the seats start to recline, so you can have your legs up without reclining if so desired. I did notice that some chairs recline faster than others - I assume this is just differences between motors/actuators and I really don't know if this can be adjusted. One important note, the leather rubbing on these seats do make them squeak - fairly loud too. I used baby powder and rubbed along all areas that would rub against each other and it is amazing how well it worked. The seats are quiet now and I cannot hear when another is being reclined. Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars Comfort: This was a very important aspect for me and my wife - and the biggest concern for us. Comfort is subjective, but I can tell you these chairs are VERY comfortable. The most comfortable of all the seats we sat in and this made us very happy since it was bought on faith and our biggest concern. I mentioned, the leather is soft and plush, the headrest is just right (although fully reclined you may need a pillow), and the support is good. They are plush yet not overly soft. some reviews I read called the seats "firm." I don't think they are firm but more in the middle. I will say, each seat has a slightly different "firmness" to them - but I suspect that will even out over time. You do not sink to the floor, but you also do not sit on top of the cushion. a very good balance. The backs are soft and offer very good support. Lumbar is good, but I will still need a pillow for my lower back (remember I have a bad back). Honestly, every seat I sat in would require this. Overall 5 out of 5 stars. Issues: My overall experience, quality, and comfort of the chairs was excellent. There was one main issue. I had ordered 2 sets 3 seats in straight configuration. when I started opening the boxes, I realized that the arms on some of the chairs were wedged. To my surprise, I was shipped two sets of curved configuration instead of straight. I quickly contacted Roman and I received several follow-up e-mails from him. Turns out there was a mix-up in the warehouse and they shipped the wrong configuration to me. Everything else was correct (leather vinyl match). Early on when debating which seats to buy, I was on the fence between straight or curve configuration anyway, so although I was a little upset at first, I was ultimately OK with this. From a seat dimensions aspect, either would fit (keep in mind curve config. is a bit wider). Although very quick with responding, I was not overly happy with the response - he let me know what happened and confirmed I did get leather, but he assumed I was keeping the chairs and indicated it shouldn't be a big deal because the curvature is not that great. I am sure if it was a big issue, we could have worked something out but I didn't push the issue. Overall, I am happy with the curve configuration and actually think it works better with my room. Summary and Recommendations: In summary, the ordering and delivery were great. Construction and quality of the chairs is great. Comfort was perfect for me and my wife. I think the mix-up was an honest mistake and I would certainly purchase from Roman again. The price was the most competitive I could find for the same amenities. Overall I would recommend these seats to anyone. I would always recommend that you test out the seats first if possible, but I would not hesitate to recommend these chairs to anyone even if sight unseen. Lagoon-1011 & Escape-1019 I went to see Roman's Fusion chairs last week on Black Friday. This was a perfect opportunity as I got to combine the long trip with a visit to Bridgewater mall where the Mrs. and I did a great job of getting Christmas gifts for the family at discounted prices. Well onto the more important part of the trip. As I mentioned a few posts above, I went to RomanÕs shop a few years ago to check out the Berkline imports. As I said I was pretty disappointed and wrote off the Berkline imports and started looking at the domestic Berklines which from some experience I found to be made far superior to the imports. Roman had a decent amount of Berkline Imports leftover as well as a few on display but I did not sit in any of them so the rest of the post will based on my memory. Regarding both the Lagoon and Escape, I found the seats to be more comfortable than the Berkline Imports with a solid firm support. I hate seats that you absolutely fall into, these had the right amount of firmness and any give over time would still be a big win. I didn't get a good look at the frame construction, but I did feel as if the seats were well constructed and would hold up over time, something I thought the exact opposite for the Berkline Imports. There were 2 Lagoon seats on display and 1 Escape. I sat in both Lagoon seats and oddly enough found one to be softer than the other. IÕm not sure if this is a QC issue, typical manufacturing variance, or if one of the seats had been there longer and sat in more times than the other. Another idea that I thought maybe the case is one of the seats was in the bonded leather and the other real leather. The bonded was the softer seat which I did not prefer but was still certainly comfortable and if that is what a "used" seat felt like, it worked for me. For anyone on the fence about bonded leather, I will provide my personal opinion. If you like leather that is dimpled, then it is a no brainer to go with the bonded leather. This bonded leather in my opinion is vastly different that the old Berkline bonded leather. The old Berkline bonded leather you could feel was not leather, ironically I loved it and if I did the imports I would have gone with it because I really liked the softness. The Fusion bonded leather really feels like real leather as well as looks like real dimpled leather. I personally do not like dimpled leather, but plenty do. In regards to the real leather option, I thought it was very nice and appeared to be durable. It was a tight fit that I could see stretching a little over time but still maintain a good look. The espresso brown is a wonderful color; it gives off the appearance of a dark mahogany stain. With the lights off, I think it would appear black. The leather had a nice sheen to it where the bonded leather had no sheen. On to my opinion of each chair: I am 6' 3" and 220 lbs I sat in the Lagoon which is the chair I was interested in. I thought the comfort was nice and the width was perfect. The arms were comfortable as well but could use additional padding. The headrest was a hair low but I am also pretty tall so that is expected. My biggest gripe in the seat is that when fully reclined your head is also laying flat which makes it difficult to see the screen. This can be fixed with a small pillow and youÕre set. As pictured above by another forum member, the display model had the cup holding sticking out, but since there appears to be a simple fix, it is of no concern. The reclining mechanism was good also, no sound and smooth operation. The controls are also very simple with an easy forward and reverse button that can't be messed up. The chairs also have a nice appearance, a bit on the small side but I fit in it so no problem there. Next I sat in the Escape. WOW is all I can say. Comfort was outstanding. While the Lagoon was comfortable, this was on another level. I guess the placement of the cushions played a big role in that. Same as the Lagoon the recline mechanism was perfect. The spot where the Escape REALLY shines is that ridiculously awesome power headrest, this is up with sliced bread. The powered headrest solved the problem I mentioned earlier with the Lagoon and using a pillow except with numerous possible positions to perfectly support your head. My wife was me, she is 5' 3" tiny little thing and she was in love with the chair's comfort and powered headrest. I could tell which chair she liked better. I didn't try out the cooling cup holder so I can't comment on that. The buttons on the Escape were a bit small and since there are so many features on this chair it has quite a few buttons. I think I would drop the cooling feature just to eliminate a button and make it easier to use. I particularly don't like storage space in the arm rests, but if it is your thing the Escape has ample space for magazines and remotes. I don't particularly like tray options either, but again if this is your thing the Escape has it. As for the design, it is nicer than it appears online, but not quite my cup of tea which may be because I have the notion a chair should like the Lagoon or the very similar Berkline 45034. The Escape is also priced quite a bit more than the Lagoon but rightfully so with the powered headrest - it really is that great! In the end I think both of these chairs are great choices. I am leaning toward the Lagoon since I have liked that style for a while now and while the comfort wasn't as incredible as the Escape, it was perfectly fine by me. I also don't like trays, storage space, and spending more money so it makes sense for me. Escape-1019 I also went with the Fusion Escapes from Roman. I got 5 in black leather. I replaced the front row of ~10 year old reclining sectional LaZBoy seats that were still in perfect shape but lacked some of the key features--cup holders, tray tables, automated head rests, auto recline. Very quick delivery turnaround, although I had to plead with the delivery company somewhat to get them to bring them out the day before Thanksgiving, since many of their employees were trying to get out early! I put 3 in the theater and 2 in the video game TV area. These seats are phenomenal! They are so comfortable. My biggest problem with the LZBs was I'd have to put a pillow under my head to properly see the screen when reclined. With the adjustable headrest on these, problem solved! A couple things to note, the touch buttons can be a little finicky at first, somewhat of a learning process to how to touch them, but not an issue. Also, my feet don't touch the ground when I sit in them, not an issue, but also a reason for at least some amount of recline. These seats are amazing, not only for watching movies, but for video gaming with my son. They are perfect video gaming chairs. The tray tables also make great laptop stands. All in all, though I'm now overloaded with extra furniture, I'm very happy with my purchase. Escape-1019 Though I'm in the process of a basement makeover, I worked with Roman a couple of weeks ago to determine which chairs would be the best for my family (wife, 16 month daughter, 2 German Shorthaired Pointers). First, the experience of working with Roman was top notch. I'll guarantee that we spent over an hour on the phone discussing different options, configurations, materials, etc. At no point did I ever get "sold", but rather I was given the information by Roman and was allowed to decide for myself. In the end, I ordered 2 of the Fusion Escapes in brown leather. The buying process was super simple, and within 4 days I had my chairs delivered - the shipping company even helped me get them in the garage (no white glove delivery) and helped me unbox them to insure that there was no damage. Now, my impressions of the chairs: P E R F E C T! They are comfortable to a fault. The assembly was all of about 3 minutes. Seating is firm, but not overly so. The power headrest is unbelievable (thanks for alerting me to the option, Roman). The refrigerated cupholders are just a bonus - but a welcome one. An important point - my wife loves them! Though I'm no seating expert, if anyone is on the fence about either these chairs or working with Roman, let the fears rest. You can expect a professional experience from the first moment of contact all the way until you're relaxing in your new furniture. Lagoon-1011 I received 4 Fusion Lagoons from Roman almost a week ago. I was replacing a sectional couch that had limited support. I was looking for leather theater seating with great comfort and good support. A couple of months ago I was visiting Minneapolis for work and was able to audition a few Pallisers (Rhumba, Slade/Blade, Mellow) and a couple Berklines (Reno, Trilogy). Thoughts on those that I compared: Rhumba - Great comfort/support/soft, but not crazy about the look nor the price Slade - Great comfort/support. Was not quite as soft, which was ok, but I preferred the Rhumba's comfort solely on the contour of the seat Mellow - Ok comfort, I just didn't like the look with the plastic/electric cupholders Reno - Too big/bulky. Was soft, but was nervous about lack of support over time Trilogy - similar to the Reno My subjective rankings: Ranking of Comfort (best first): Rhumba, Slade, Mellow, Trilogy, Reno Ranking of Looks (best first): Slade, Trilogy, Reno, Mellow, Rhumba Ranking of Support (best first): Rhumba, Slade, Mellow, Trilogy, Reno Price (Berklines on clearance): Trilogy, Reno, Slade, Mellow, Rhumba Going into the store I was hoping to find the Palliser Pacifico. I never did, but tried to make most note of the Slade, although not a fair comparison. It is "firmer" than all of the others, and I preferred the head support of the Slade all but the Rhumba. After this visit I narrowed down my choices to the Pacifico (Atomic w/ Trays) and the Fusion Lagoon. I posted my thread on this site earlier looking for other's feedback on the differences. I was able to get some feedback which helped me make my decision (although not sitting in either of these two). It came down to Price, other's feedback here on comfort/support, and of course appearance. My thoughts on the Lagoons: These are on par with the the Rhumba's for comfort. The Lagoon is in first place for me as it relates to price, support, looks, and appearance. The only thing this chair lacks is the tray's that the Reno and Atomic have. In hindsight, I really don't care after setting this chair up in my family room... I chose brown leather/match, power recline, curved config. Escape-1019 I received the Fusion Escape a few days ago. I'll give a quick review. Roman received my payment on Tuesday, and on Friday had this in my driveway. Now that's fast shipping. The shipping company called the day before to schedule the delivery and informed me they would call 1 hr. prior to arrival. They didn't call so it was a bit of a surprise when I got home. Assembly is pretty straight forward, attach backs to base, attach plug for headrest and plug em in. Styling and comfort are great. They are what I consider medium firm. They are perfect for me. I don't like a saggy chair, but one that is firm and softens up just right when you warm it up. Very comfortable. I spent six straight hours in them during football this past weekend. The drink coolers do work. They make a slight buzz/hum when their on but nothing that would distract unless your watching a quiet movie. I hope they last as long as the chairs as I like this feature. I'm a beer drinker ya know. Storage in four armrests. Includes three tray tables. The tray tables are another nice feature. I may make my own out of some real wood as these are plastic. I think of it as an easy diy project that can class it up even more. All in all I'm pleased with this purchase. I've been watching for three years trying to decide on new chairs but nothing really did it for me styling wise except the expensive Elite seating chairs. These do it for me at a fraction of that price. The fit and finish isn't in that league but I knew that going in. And as everyone else has said, Roman was the reason I made a blind purchase for furniture. He was available for my questions late on a Saturday night. I appreciate that. Durability and reliability I don't know. I got the 5 yr. warranty and because of the electronics I think it is probably worth it. Time will tell, it always does. Lagoon-1011 I just received my set of 4 of these as well on Friday (11/4/11). I bought these to replace a similar Berkline set of chairs. Here are my comments: 1. Roman is the man. As always, he answered every email I sent him and kept me posted along the way. He's a real professional and very helpful - and very honest too. I told him point blank I was willing to spend a lot more on chairs but he encouraged me to save my money and try these as he was confident I would be happy with them. 2. These are firm chairs but that's what I like so much about them. The Berkline's I owned were way too "spongy" and offered no support. These babies are solid and I expect in time they will soften as well but they won't be spongy like the Berkline's - which again for me is a good thing. 3. The back supports and the overall build quality of these chairs is very solid. My Berkline's felt cheap. These feel very solid and "expensive." 4. The cup holders are great but I want to make a recommendation to these manufacturers. Line the bottom of these cup holders with cork or some other type of coaster material. Otherwise when your beverages sweat, you have a puddle of water in the bottom of these cup holders. I went out and bought cork material and just cut out 4 coasters and dropped them in the cup holders. Works like a charm but it seems like a no-brainer that they should be cork-lined in the first place. 5. These chairs have the pocket coils which is very important to know. My old Berkline's didn't have pocket coils so the result was the seat cushions would practically sink to the floor when I sat down. Roman told me with pocket coils, you won't get that "seat sagging" affect nearly as much over time. All-in-all, I give these chairs a 5 out of 5 stars so far. I'm crossing my fingers I'll be saying the same thing a year from now! Travis Lagoon-1011 My Fusion Theater Chairs arrived today. These are Romans new personal line of chairs and I bought the Lagoon model with power recline and leather/vinyl match. First of all Roman lived up to his reputation by providing good comunication about my order status and shipping status/tracking. Impressions: -I love the new leather smell. -The chairs look very sharp and have a high WAF -The seats are very comfortable yet still kinda firm. These are not the kind of chairs that you "sink into" when you sit in them. -Good support from head to heal with the chase style. -BIG cup holders with a stainless insert that handless my big cups just fine. -The recline buttons are on the inside wall above the cushion and are easy to find and use while sitting. So far we like them and are waiting for our carpet dye to dry before getting them into our theater where they will be used.

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