Hi All, I recently received my second order from HT Market. I needed to replace two rows of four Berkline seats due to bonded leather issues and, after much reading on AVS, liked what I heard about the Southampton seats. My first order was for a curved row of four seats. Ordered from Tom via phone on a Wednesday, received shipping confirmation on a Friday, and the seats were delivered the following Wednesday. I found the entire ordering and delivery process to be excellent (and fast!). Unboxing and setup was easy, and I was sufficiently impressed with the Southampton's that I ordered the second row the following week (which also took about a week from order to delivery). I don't have time for a full review, but my candid observations follow:
They are attractive, substantial, clean looking seats;
The seating is supportive and has a "firm" feel (a good thing);
The leather is attractive and soft to the touch, without flaws, creases, or defects;
Build quality feels substantial and solid;
Reclining mechanism is exceptionally smooth and quiet;
"Extras" are very nice - led lights look cool and work well, and tray tables are solid and functional. The storage compartments and USB chargers are clean looking and look and work perfectly.
I can't comment on long-term durability of the leather or the mechanism as I'm just a few weeks into them, but will update over time. Overall I'm very satisfied. I'd give them an A, they are great seats and a great value at their price point. Why not an A+? The recline buttons are a balancing act for manufacturers. I found my old Berkline's controls to be difficult to access. They were on the sides of the armrests/seat dividers next to your leg. I rarely hit them by accident, but had to shift and contort to depress them. The Southampton's have the buttons on the rear of the cup holders. They're very easy to access and are instantly responsive when pressed, but I do hit them by accident occasionally with my arm. Not a gripe, just an honest observation.
Overall, these are excellent seats for the money, and the order process and responsiveness of HT was stellar. I would recommend them if you are considering theater seating, and am a satisfied customer.