Soundproofing Your Home Theater System for Apartments/Condos

[EdwardGein]

As I will be moving into a new apartment soon, I was wondering if any of you try to soundproof your speakers- particularly your sub & what products you'd recommend. The apartment is wall to wall carpeted. Also any websites of products that specialize on this. I'm mainly concerned about playing CD's, specifically because the manager of the unit will be living directly below me. Any help would be appreciated.

[N. Abstentia]

The only way to soundproof an apartment is sell all your gear. Seriously. The bass will be louder in the apartment below you than in yours. Your subwoofer is coupled to the floor so the ceiling in the apartment below you will be a big sound radiator. You could try some isolation feet for the sub that might help a little bit, but to do any good you'll have to spend some major bucks for them.

Problem is, the low frequencies will still carry and everyone around you will hear it and it's very annoying because all you hear is the BOOOOOOM BOOOOOOOOOOOOM just like one of those car audio systems that the kids have.

[Geoffcin]

As I will be moving into a new apartment soon, I was wondering if any of you try to soundproof your speakers- particularly your sub & what products you'd recommend. The apartment is wall to wall carpeted. Also any websites of products that specialize on this. I'm mainly concerned about playing CD's, specifically because the manager of the unit will be living directly below me. Any help would be appreciated.

To as close to your seating area as possible. You will be able to turn the volume down then.

[kexodusc]

time to read the fine print in your lease agreement and any city bi-laws/state laws on noise pollution...you'd be surprised with what you can get away with between 10 am and 10 pm.

[Quagmire]

"I'm mainly concerned about playing CD's, specifically because the manager of the unit will be living directly below me."

Oh... no harm can come from this! Why don't you just save yourself the trouble, forfeit the security deposite, and move somewhere else instead? Hehehe

No, if you're going to stay there, I would either remove the sub from your system (if possible) or turn it down to the point that it is merely being used as a high pass filter to remove the low frequency information from the rest of your speakers. You may be surprised by how loudly you can play music without disturbing anyone if you cut the low frequencies to nil. Or course, you're not going to enjoy the sound of your system this way as much as you would otherwise, but living in an appartment setting with a good sound system is all about compromise. You're going to have to figure out what compromises you are willing to make for the sake of remaining there or you might as well take my previous advice; although meant to be facetious. One other option you may want to consider, if you haven't already, is a good set of headphones. It might make it bearable to listen to you system, bass removed or at low levels the majority of the time, if you can occationally put the phones on and crank it up. Just a thought. I don't envy your circumstances, but I do wish you the best of luck.

Q

[Eric Z]

Should have kept the JVC Receiver/DVD player and not upgraded to the Denon's- could have saved yourself some cash so you didn't need to live above your landlord, haha!

On a serious note, I used to live next to a guy (when I was in an apartment) who was big into loud music with lots of bass and it didn't matter how low the bass was, it was still disturbing in my room- it drove me crazy because I would need to tell him over and over again and he finally stopped when the cops got involved.

Do you have these problems in your current apartment? Or is the difference your landlord will now be living below you?

[GMichael]

Would extra carpet or padding help at all? Is there nothing he can do to diminish the amount of sound reaching to the apartment below?

[EdwardGein]

Would extra carpet or padding help at all? Is there nothing he can do to diminish the amount of sound reaching to the apartment below?

The apartment I live in is wall to wall carpet as well as the apartment I'm moving into. I'm on the ground floor of my current apartment & moving into the second floor of the other apartment. The only reason I'm moving is the building was just sold for a condo conversion & the aholes who bought the place won't even be able to offer the unit for sale to the tennants for a minimum of 6 months & as the current going rate for a 2 bedroom is $325,000, yes $325,000- I figure it'll be even higher in 6 months & they will be forcing the tenants in all likelyhood even if they want to buy their units to move everything out & relocate temporarily while they refurbish all the units (you don't have a choice even if in my case its totally unecessary)- I decided the best thing to do was to move into one of the few nice apartment buildings that's still available where I live & the only thing they had was a 2 bedroom for $1400 a month on the second floor & there were 12 other people who wanted it too!

Anyway, I'm going to try a heavy duty isolation pad for my sub, that costs $125 from a website www.acousticalsolutions.com/products/isolation/pads.asp that hopefully will decrease the sound below at least slightly. The people I spoke to there basically said there's no way that this will work 100% but it will help. Here's what I'm getting:

Alpha Isolation Pad
Isolation PadIsolation Pads are high grade neoprene isolation mediums which can efficiently and economically reduce structure-born noise and resonant vibration. The most common uses for the product is to decouple (“float”) floors within studios and home theaters. Other applications have them placed under machinery, grinders, compressors, metal panel enclosures or other common sources of high intensity noise levels. Acoustical Solutions offers two types of Isolation Pads. The standard isolation pad comes in a 2’x 2’x ¼” thick pad with a 40 PSI (Pound Per Square Inch) rating. The Heavy Duty Isolation Pad is 18”x 18”x ¾” thick with a 45 PSI rating.

[N. Abstentia]

Personally I feel you should take that $125 and buy a good pair of Sennheiser headphones. You'll enjoy the sound more and the cops won't be knocking on your door.

[PAT.P]

The only way to soundproof an apartment is sell all your gear. Seriously. The bass will be louder in the apartment below you than in yours. Your subwoofer is coupled to the floor so the ceiling in the apartment below you will be a big sound radiator. You could try some isolation feet for the sub that might help a little bit, but to do any good you'll have to spend some major bucks for them.

Problem is, the low frequencies will still carry and everyone around you will hear it and it's very annoying because all you hear is the BOOOOOOM BOOOOOOOOOOOOM just like one of those car audio systems that the kids have.
I agree with you all the way, Im in a house and when wife is on 2nd floor or basement she curse because the only sound she could hear is vibration and Booooom Booooom.There no place for sub in apartment.Saw a sub somewhere on internet a while back but it was in position in between couch.Pat.P

[markw]

Nothing like a pissed off landlord to make your life a living hell.

If you are anything like you are on this board in real life, you'll be out on the street in no time.

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

The apartment I live in is wall to wall carpet as well as the apartment I'm moving into. I'm on the ground floor of my current apartment & moving into the second floor of the other apartment. The only reason I'm moving is the building was just sold for a condo conversion & the aholes who bought the place won't even be able to offer the unit for sale to the tennants for a minimum of 6 months & as the current going rate for a 2 bedroom is $325,000, yes $325,000- I figure it'll be even higher in 6 months & they will be forcing the tenants in all likelyhood even if they want to buy their units to move everything out & relocate temporarily while they refurbish all the units (you don't have a choice even if in my case its totally unecessary)- I decided the best thing to do was to move into one of the few nice apartment buildings that's still available where I live & the only thing they had was a 2 bedroom for $1400 a month on the second floor & there were 12 other people who wanted it too!

Anyway, I'm going to try a heavy duty isolation pad for my sub, that costs $125 from a website www.acousticalsolutions.com/products/isolation/pads.asp that hopefully will decrease the sound below at least slightly. The people I spoke to there basically said there's no way that this will work 100% but it will help. Here's what I'm getting:

Alpha Isolation Pad
Isolation PadIsolation Pads are high grade neoprene isolation mediums which can efficiently and economically reduce structure-born noise and resonant vibration. The most common uses for the product is to decouple (?float?) floors within studios and home theaters. Other applications have them placed under machinery, grinders, compressors, metal panel enclosures or other common sources of high intensity noise levels. Acoustical Solutions offers two types of Isolation Pads. The standard isolation pad comes in a 2?x 2?x ?? thick pad with a 40 PSI (Pound Per Square Inch) rating. The Heavy Duty Isolation Pad is 18?x 18?x ?? thick with a 45 PSI rating.

Good choice. It will not totally eliminate the boom, but with the combination of turning the sub down, and the islolation pad, it will help tremendously. One of the best ways to reduce the sound of your sub bleeding into other rooms is to de-couple it from the structure. The Isolation pad with do that nicely. It will also tighten up the response of the sub in-room by slightly raising the sub out of the floor to ceiling mode or node.

[EdwardGein]

Nothing like a pissed off landlord to make your life a living hell.

If you are anything like you are on this board in real life, you'll be out on the street in no time.

This is a troll alert
:D :D :D :D

[markw]

This is a troll alert
:D :D :D :DWell, as long as you brought it up...

[steamboy 2]

I had that same problem also some 4yrs ago. turning your sub down does work,but as time goes on i got very tired of wondering if the people upstairs was going to bang on the wall or the floor, so i bought a house and now i can turn up my sub at anytime of the day or night, and even the wife does not even mind it she likes it loud too.

good luck to you,i hope you don't have any problems.


mike

[EdwardGein]

I wish I could afford a house. It is an absolute joke here in LA. A 2 Bedroom condo is at least $350,000 now in a decent area. The aholes who bought my building won't even be able to sell it as condos for at least 6 months by that time it'll have gone up some more and they then expect the tenants who do buy to move everything out at their own expense, temporarily relocate at your own expense and then move back in at your own expense while they then make mandatory unnessesary adjustments to the units to justify their further hiking up the selling price. I opted to move into the only decent apt. complex available in my area for $1400 a month. I could have moved into a townhouse for $1650 a month where I wouldn't have problems about sound, but frankly $1650 was too high for me to pay as rent. I'm just going to keep my fingers crossed.

[GMichael]

I wish I could afford a house. It is an absolute joke here in LA. A 2 Bedroom condo is at least $350,000 now in a decent area. The aholes who bought my building won't even be able to sell it as condos for at least 6 months by that time it'll have gone up soore more and they then expect the tenants who do buy to move everything out at their own expense, temporarily relocate at your own expense and then move back in at your own expense. I opted to move into the only decent apt. complex available in my area for $1400 a month. I could have moved into a townhouse for $1650 a month where I wouldn't have problems about sound, but frankly $1650 was too high for me to pay as rent. I'm just going to keep my fingers crossed.

I hear that. My choices here are to either rent a two room, run down appartment for $1200 to $1500 per month, or move to Pa and buy a brand new 2000 sqr foot home and pay a $1000 per month loan. The drive is about 45 miles. I'll deal with it.

[PAT.P]

I hear that. My choices here are to either rent a two room, run down appartment for $1200 to $1500 per month, or move to Pa and buy a brand new 2000 sqr foot home and pay a $1000 per month loan. The drive is about 45 miles. I'll deal with it.
Guess there a RealEstate bubble all over.Interest rates are low ,housing goes up and people buy on movement .You move farther out to save some money and spend more travel and more time.In Canada its Vancouver ,Toronto and Ottawa, Im glad we bought our house in Ottawa when market was down.Im only 5 minutes from work by car and bought house double in price in 5years.Beware interest rate will go up with inflation ,cant stay like this.

[GMichael]

Guess there a RealEstate bubble all over.Interest rates are low ,housing goes up and people buy on movement .You move farther out to save some money and spend more travel and more time.In Canada its Vancouver ,Toronto and Ottawa, Im glad we bought our house in Ottawa when market was down.Im only 5 minutes from work by car and bought house double in price in 5years.Beware interest rate will go up with inflation ,cant stay like this.

I was looking into buying my own home a couple of years back. But I was told there was a bubble and I should wait. Now everything is so high that I can't afford to wait and hope they come down.
I lease a house now. But that contract is up soon and the owner is planning to sell. I can't blame him with what he is getting offered.
So I have to move. My options are limited. I'll let you know when I close. That will be the day that all housing goes down the most. (Just a theory of mine) All the more reason for me to pick a house I'll like. I'll be there awhile.

[PAT.P]

G Micheal I know its hard to get your foot in RealEstate market I bought my first townhome when I was 33 ,after being seperated for 5 years. My 2 house was bought when spouse # 2 work in HighTech she pratically bought it with her stock option ( these were the good days) We know rent out the towhome to one of my daughter (thats another story).Sometime to get in market you look for help from member of family if possible .Pat.P

[Eric Z]

Don't look at it like a bubble because then we're assuming it will burst sometime and the prices will drop a lot. That's most likely not the case with real estate- many experts first said it was a bubble, but now a lot are saying, "This is how it is, the prices will remain high." Now, I'm sure the home purchasing market will subside a bit as interest rates continue to rise and that will temporarily stop (or at least slow down) the amazing 10%-12% appreciation per year in some areas. I wouldn't count on finding home that is selling for $300K now sell for $275K in a year or two- the price will go up, but just not as much as the last couple years.

I find it interesting to learn about home value in other areas around North America. To put things in perspective, I'm in the market for a new home in the Chicagoland area and I want an acre of land. For me to get anything with an acre that's affordable, I have to move 32 miles from work (40 miles from downtown Chicago). The house I'm looking at now is a 4 bedroom 2.1 bath on an acre and it's selling for $340K. I bought the house (3bd 1.1ba) I am currently in for $180K and 4 years later I can sell it for $250K and this place is closer to the city and work (30 miles and 22 miles respectively).

Just thought I'd share my $.02.

EG- Are you tied to L.A.? Job? Family? Just wondering. I think about moving to a more rural area or to another state, but all of my family and my wife's family is in Illinois.

[GMichael]

Don't look at it like a bubble because then we're assuming it will burst sometime and the prices will drop a lot. That's most likely not the case with real estate- many experts first said it was a bubble, but now a lot are saying, "This is how it is, the prices will remain high." Now, I'm sure the home purchasing market will subside a bit as interest rates continue to rise and that will temporarily stop (or at least slow down) the amazing 10%-12% appreciation per year in some areas. I wouldn't count on finding home that is selling for $300K now sell for $275K in a year or two- the price will go up, but just not as much as the last couple years.

I find it interesting to learn about home value in other areas around North America. To put things in perspective, I'm in the market for a new home in the Chicagoland area and I want an acre of land. For me to get anything with an acre that's affordable, I have to move 32 miles from work (40 miles from downtown Chicago). The house I'm looking at now is a 4 bedroom 2.1 bath on an acre and it's selling for $340K. I bought the house (3bd 1.1ba) I am currently in for $180K and 4 years later I can sell it for $250K and this place is closer to the city and work (30 miles and 22 miles respectively).

Just thought I'd share my $.02.

EG- Are you tied to L.A.? Job? Family? Just wondering. I think about moving to a more rural area or to another state, but all of my family and my wife's family is in Illinois.

More of a leveling off than a sudden drop.
By the way, the same 2000 sqr foot house I am looking at in pa would be almost double in my home town. $350k here, or move to pa and pay $200k.

[PAT.P]

Eric Bought my townhouse in the crash early 90 the price was 81,000.00 from the year earlier 90,000.00 .When we bought house #2 in 2000 the price went to 60,000.00.Bought house #2 when market crash in 2000 for 128,000.00 and they wanted a year earlier 169,000.00 now this just got appraised at 250,000.00 and townhouse at 150,000.00.There always been a crash in market every 10 years in the past.Pat.P

[topspeed]

You guy's should have joined our thread a few weeks ago. Read this:
http://forums.audioreview.com/showthread.php?t=12250

[GMichael]

You guy's should have joined our thread a few weeks ago. Read this:
http://forums.audioreview.com/showthread.php?t=12250

I did read this one as it grew. But everyone seemed to know so much about the subject that I didn't feel I could contribute much.
I am in a situation where I can no longer wait. Bubble or no bubble, I'll be buying soon.