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Is it acceptable to run a subwoofer/subwoofers in an apartment building?
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somebodyelse
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Both the building construction and the people in it. Buildings will transmit noise differently, and residents and management can have very different tolerance levels.
Godataloss
Senior Member
I said no, but I had 4, 12'' subs in my dorm room in college. Old man me would have kicked young punk me's ass.
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- #7
For those that say "it depends", I thought about omitting this answer, because it is a little too easy to just click that, rather than make a proper decision, yes or no.
If you answer "it depends", how do you gauge when it is appropriate or not. If somebody knocks on your door at a normal time (say 4pm) and complains about the bass, do you turn off the subwoofer or not. How do you know if you are you being too loud or if they are complaining without good reason?
If you answer "it depends", how do you gauge when it is appropriate or not. If somebody knocks on your door at a normal time (say 4pm) and complains about the bass, do you turn off the subwoofer or not. How do you know if you are you being too loud or if they are complaining without good reason?
Nope. Wait until you live in an unattached house. Loud music in your situation is always a legitimate issue for someone, subwoofer or not. Day or night.
I've been the neighbor of the inconsiderate loud music broadcaster. It sucks.
I've been the neighbor of the inconsiderate loud music broadcaster. It sucks.
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I mean a combination of the inhabitants and for some buildings the construction for others. When I was younger I lived in a 16 suite apartment building and the owner was fabulous. He would let me have parties, smoke pot/ciggies inside and crank my stereos. He even offered for me to use his garage for wrenching on my MG. He was a really old guy who saved up his service money during the 2nd WW and bought real estate. He was a very calm collect cool landlord and he received good tenants in return. I reallly liked him and all my friends that I introduced which was whenever and alI that I could thought he was excellent. So I think whoever is steering the ship is determining the manner in which it sails.
It's a give and take relationship I suppose but really it's common sense that families party/play during the day and so do some others and likewise in the PM hours others have noise needs. I have been told in Germany each afternoon there is a quiet period. Perhaps having loud hours is being civil too?
In the last apartment building I lived in some 40 years ago, a sub would have been a problem (but never lived in an apartment again after that either). The walls were so damn thin you heard even just normal conversations at times. Better construction of the building would have been perhaps a different matter.....so, it depends. Some people with detached homes can still bother the neighbors with sufficient subwoofage, tho.
This depends a lot on the particular situation.
Some buildings, especially modern buildings, are better at preventing noise transmission between apartments. However, the laws of physics being what they are, subwoofer frequencies are notably hard to stop. Sadly, here in the UK building regulations don't take subwoofers into account: they do specify noise attenuation minimums, but they stop at 125 Hz.
Conventional "soundproofing" solutions for existing rooms don't work at subwoofer frequencies (this company said so themselves when I asked them). At these frequencies, absorbers are impractical; the only thing that will work is mass. A lot of mass. I suspect the best situation is to share something like a massive concrete load bearing wall (or perhaps a void) with any neighbours, and in fact the details of the walls was one of my selection criteria when I bought my current flat (though it did get me some confused looks from estate agents!).
It's very difficult to predict how well and how far noise will spread in a building. For this reason my personal policy is to assume I'm not bothering anyone until proven otherwise. I only change my behaviour if a neighbour knocks on my door and complains. In my current building (in London) in which I've been living since 2019 (same year it was built), so far that has never happened. This is despite me sometimes listening at loud-ish levels (e.g. 85+ dBA).
However, in my previous building (London, built in 2012, lived there from 2012 to 2019), I did have problems with one of my neighbours due to the separating wall being too lightweight to handle the subwoofer frequencies, and their bedroom being directly adjacent to the room where my system was. In the end I managed to reach an understanding with them and they let me use my subwoofer at certain hours of the day. At some point that neighbour moved out, and was sadly replaced by someone who was much less amenable and wanted me to stop using it at all times, period. At this point I had no choice but to use headphones. That was one of the main reasons I moved.
My two cents: everyone has a right to enjoy their own accommodation in piece and quiet, without interference from neighbors. If you do something that prevents that, then in my opinion you are morally at fault, no matter how tolerant you think they are or should be. The burden is on you to not bother your neighbours, not on them to tolerate any sort of noise pollution.
I think that's how most people would see it; I don't think many people would argue that you have an inalienable right to use a loud sound system in an apartment building, especially since reasonable alternatives exist, namely headphones. That, or moving to a better isolated apartment or better yet, a house.
Some buildings, especially modern buildings, are better at preventing noise transmission between apartments. However, the laws of physics being what they are, subwoofer frequencies are notably hard to stop. Sadly, here in the UK building regulations don't take subwoofers into account: they do specify noise attenuation minimums, but they stop at 125 Hz.
Conventional "soundproofing" solutions for existing rooms don't work at subwoofer frequencies (this company said so themselves when I asked them). At these frequencies, absorbers are impractical; the only thing that will work is mass. A lot of mass. I suspect the best situation is to share something like a massive concrete load bearing wall (or perhaps a void) with any neighbours, and in fact the details of the walls was one of my selection criteria when I bought my current flat (though it did get me some confused looks from estate agents!).
It's very difficult to predict how well and how far noise will spread in a building. For this reason my personal policy is to assume I'm not bothering anyone until proven otherwise. I only change my behaviour if a neighbour knocks on my door and complains. In my current building (in London) in which I've been living since 2019 (same year it was built), so far that has never happened. This is despite me sometimes listening at loud-ish levels (e.g. 85+ dBA).
However, in my previous building (London, built in 2012, lived there from 2012 to 2019), I did have problems with one of my neighbours due to the separating wall being too lightweight to handle the subwoofer frequencies, and their bedroom being directly adjacent to the room where my system was. In the end I managed to reach an understanding with them and they let me use my subwoofer at certain hours of the day. At some point that neighbour moved out, and was sadly replaced by someone who was much less amenable and wanted me to stop using it at all times, period. At this point I had no choice but to use headphones. That was one of the main reasons I moved.
My two cents: everyone has a right to enjoy their own accommodation in piece and quiet, without interference from neighbors. If you do something that prevents that, then in my opinion you are morally at fault, no matter how tolerant you think they are or should be. The burden is on you to not bother your neighbours, not on them to tolerate any sort of noise pollution.
I think that's how most people would see it; I don't think many people would argue that you have an inalienable right to use a loud sound system in an apartment building, especially since reasonable alternatives exist, namely headphones. That, or moving to a better isolated apartment or better yet, a house.
jhwalker
Active Member
We lived in a townhome for almost 30 years, and it was just common courtesy to avoid playing loud music, movies, etc., to avoid disturbing the neighbors. We had a very modest 5.1 system which we kept turned down and usually turned off the subwoofer completely after about 6PM.
I would expect nothing less from my neighbors - nothing more annoying than loud pounding music / movies from next door
I would expect nothing less from my neighbors - nothing more annoying than loud pounding music / movies from next door
There are several systems that detail why. The most popular is a basic give and take system. Firstly though you don't have any obligation to listen or tolerate something. For me if it is a quiet building then it is what it is and I go black. If a building where there is some giving and taking going on and maybe even some favors then I go with the flow and participate in the activities. Nobody is forcing you to participate but there is something going on in there that might be attractive.
It does depend. My building is constructed of steel-reinforced concrete and, while the structure-borne LF cannot be eliminated without decoupling mechanisms (room within a room), the energy is dissipated through the entire structure. I have been here for decades (with subs) and had only one LF noise complaint. It was an unusual test situation.
Of course, one does have to have consideration for others and I do not run my system at satisfying levels during the hours when it would disturb the sleep of others.
Of course, one does have to have consideration for others and I do not run my system at satisfying levels during the hours when it would disturb the sleep of others.
Like Kal said, modern multifloor construction in NYC uses reinforced concrete subfloors (a foot or more thick). No complaints in either of the two such building I've lived in. Running double 12' subs. Mine is a corner top floor apartment with no units next to the listening room, so that helps. I never play stuff at 'reference' level either...I use DEQ.
- Thread Starter
- #19
Unless you're talking about some very fancy buildings, I reckon most modern buildings have vastly inferior soundproofing to the apartment blocks of the 1960s with their thick concrete walls and floors.
Where do you live where such a quiet life is not only possible, but expected? The walls in new British homes, let alone apartments, are often made of something akin to papier mache and the streets are populated by lots of cars and motorbikes with exceptionally loud (probably illegally so) exhausts. We are continually getting used to ever elevated levels of background noise.
It is almost impossible to play music without a sub and not have it heard in non-detached houses here, save those that were built 50+ years ago. The kind of consideration you are asking for, just doesn't exist here any longer. I wouldn't exactly say I'm in favour of this, but I don't see it coming back either.
In American suburbs some appreciate the exclusivity of their specific lot. Some more than others.
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