Subwoofer VS Neighbors???

[snodog]

Hello to all knowledgable audio freaks! I have a question in regards to purchasing a new sub. I live in a house and I rent the upstairs. I have two (very nice) neighbors who I am afraid would hear the subwoofer pounding on their ceiling or walls. I have never owned a sub before and am wondering if there is a way to dampen or at least minimize the amount of bass for them yet maintain enough for me to enjoy??? Is that a stupid question? Perhaps, but I will still post it! Any suggestions would be welcome.

[This Guy]

Sorry dude there's not much you can do. Try to play it loud whenever they're not home, or ask them if you can have some time everyday where you can play the music loud. However if you want to watch a movie late and still want that rumble in your seat you can buy a pair of these.
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showd...ID=15383&DID=7

they don't make any sound themselves as long as you secure them pretty tightly and they just rumble your seat. Just connect it to your subwoofer output and get a cheap 20 watt a channel amp and you're ready.

-Joey

[Bryan]

There are a few tricks here. First, do not get a boomy sub (one that emphasizes 35Hz - 63Hz). Second, be considerate. Playing any movie at reference levels at 2 am isn't a good idea. Unless the neighbors are all there with you. This also means be prepared to lower the sub output on your receiver several dbs late at night. Thirdly, know your apartment complexes rules for noise. Fourth of all, calibrate the sub using Video Essentials or something similar and a Radio Shack analog sound meter. Do not trust your ears about how loud something may be. This way when the police show up at your doorstep you are prepared to defend yourself. Ultimately, if you want to feel the bass but don't want to tick everyone else off the aforementioned bass shakers are a wonderful idea and well suited to for you.

[phillyguy]

Talk with your neighbors, telling them you just got a new HT and you want to find out how loud you can play it without disturbing them. Then play a movie or music with a good amount of bass, and go down to their apt. and check out how loud it is. You can then calibrate your volume to what they can tolerate when they are home. Be sure to invite them over for pizza, beer and a movie. They will appreciate how considerate you are. My brother did this with his neighbors, and it worked out great for him. His neighbors wanted to do the same with him for their system!

[snodog]

I appreciate the good advice. I actually do not usually play anything too loud (music or movies) however, I am wondering if played at a normal level if they could still hear it seeing that it is still in a "house". An apartment usually compensates for alittle noise by using space in the walls and such. It would be wise though to ask them if it is too loud. But, do you think I could still enjoy it at a normal volume level? By the way, the sub is a Paradigm, probably an 8" is all. Thanks for all the input! I love this site.

[htfan14]

You certainly won't get the full effect of the sub without annoying them, but if setup correctly (takes time) you will still be able to enjoy it at lower levels.

[skeptic]

Your neighbor's right to enjoy the peace and quiet of their home supercedes your right to play your music. That's not my opinion, that's the law. Unfortunately, in a world of apartment complexes, houses right on top of each other, and loud stereo systems, there is an inevitable conflict. Believe me, if you engage in what will ultimately be a war between your self indulgence and your neighbors nerves and forbearance, you will lose. I once had an upstairs neighbor evicted from their home. When there are enough complaints, the landlord has no choice. And even if you live in a private home, if enough neighbors complain often enough, the police won't either.

Concert halls, sports arenas, and theaters are isolated and specially built to contain the sound of music being played in them. Your home is not. You cannot help but annoy your neighbors. What do I do? I live in a rural area and my house is far away form my nearest neighbor. Even so, I have to keep the windows closed and be considerate of other people in my house. That's how civilized people manage to get along with each other.

[Worf101]

Your neighbor's right to enjoy the peace and quiet of their home supercedes your right to play your music. That's not my opinion, that's the law. Unfortunately, in a world of apartment complexes, houses right on top of each other, and loud stereo systems, there is an inevitable conflict. Believe me, if you engage in what will ultimately be a war between your self indulgence and your neighbors nerves and forbearance, you will lose. I once had an upstairs neighbor evicted from their home. When there are enough complaints, the landlord has no choice. And even if you live in a private home, if enough neighbors complain often enough, the police won't either.

Concert halls, sports arenas, and theaters are isolated and specially built to contain the sound of music being played in them. Your home is not. You cannot help but annoy your neighbors. What do I do? I live in a rural area and my house is far away form my nearest neighbor. Even so, I have to keep the windows closed and be considerate of other people in my house. That's how civilized people manage to get along with each other.

It's a simple premise. Be respectful of your neighbors wishes and hopefully they'll reciprocate in kind. Sigh, I wish it were that simple. Unless I'm forced to at gunpoint I'll never, ever go back to a situation where I have to share walls or ceilings with others. There's no way to totally expunge the friction that such close living will eventually bring up. An occasional party is one thing.. but sooner or later you'll get on one another's nerves and then "thar she blows". Finding and keeping that level headed balance is hard... so hard.

Da Sadder but Wiser Worfster

[kexodusc]

The best advice I can give you is to do what I didn't.

When I got my first job after my MBA a few years back, I blew 4,000 on a TV and stereo components....big-ass NAD amplifier, Technics turntable, some Energy main speakers etc...and a crapload of CD's and vinyl.

What I should have done was kept my PSB Alpha's, ugraded my receiver, and put the rest towards a downpayment on a home, I would have been in one about 2 years sooner, and better off for it.
I never got to appreciate the Energy's in my apartment setup the way I should have and never drove them hard enough to justify the cost.

Oh well, I'm sure many here have been suckered into spending more than they should on audio equipment at least once in their lives.

[snodog]

First off, I appreciate the input. I do understand the laws quite well, but that is not my concern. My original question was "is there a way to use the sub at a normal level without it thumping on the floor or walls? I think a very helpful suggestion was to buy a front firing sub or putting something underneath of it. It will be on carpet also. Anyhow, I am going to be buying a house in the next year and so worst case, I guess I will buy the sub and just not use it if it cannot be heard at a respectable level. Thanks to you all!

[skeptic]

My original question was "is there a way to use the sub at a normal level without it thumping on the floor or walls? I think a very helpful suggestion was to buy a front firing sub or putting something underneath of it. It will be on carpet also.

It won't help much. Bass goes through walls and ceilings quite easily. Carpets are only intended to soften the sound of footfalls. Woofers are omnidirectional so a front firing model will at best help marginally. Real soundproofing is very expensive and not within the realm of normal home construction. But if you think a house is the ultimate answer, you may be wrong. Even in my rural community with the nearest country road a hundred feet or more away, late at night I sometimes hear a thump thump thump and it isn't my heart. It's some SOB riding down the road with his car stereo booming away. Fortunately, it is gone in a few seconds and it only happens once in a while. Noise is part of the stress in the highly stressful world of modern life and it is unacceptable for anyone to deliberately make it any worse than it has to be.