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Apartment dwellers - what is the best construction for high SPL freedom

Clmrt

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I've lived in a few apartments over my lifetime. One was built from Masonite, I swear. My neighbor (an armed biker) threatened me when I played anything over loud conversation level. The next joint was better, perhaps the neighbors were less sensitive, but that's where I got into home audio, and I was respectful yet never suffered a complaint.

If an audiophile were shopping for an apartment / condo, I'd assume concrete floors, walls and ceilings would be mandatory. Maybe ground level, maybe not.

Does anyone here live in such a place and has never had an issue with SPL complaints?
 
Concrete is your friend. My nieces condo is poured concrete all 6 sides and she never hears anyone else. I've asked
 
I live in a new building (concrete) and I've never noticed that the neighbors are even there. Unless the children are playing in the garden and a window is open.... So far, the neighbor above me asked me once kindly whether I might be using a subwoofer, which I then confirmed.:cool:
Around 30 Hz seems to me to be a kind of limit below which you (and of course your neighbors) feel the sound more than you hear it.
As a solution, I created three room correction profiles with different roll-offs. For music I use the "almost flat" version and for films the "steep" version. Since then there have been no more complaints. Listening distance is a little more than 2m, volume 75-85 dBSPL at the listening position. The distance to the speakers may also be a parameter that can be used to make it a little more bearable for the neighbors.
 
I live in a concrete block apartment and the isolation is pretty great. Being on the ground floor probably helps too. The other thing that can really help is the floorplan - if your listening room is an internal room with no external walls, then you've effectively got the best possible room-within-a-room isolation. I've got a room like that which is my combined office/workshop, and I can do things like very loud mitre saw cutting of steel bars late at night without it bothering anyone.

For extra piece of mind, you could also plan to have the listening room soundproofed (eg. extra acoustically-isolated wall layers added on all sides) as part of moving in - it's much more annoying to do that afterwards!

Nothing will let you really crank the bass (eg. multiple 13+" subs at high levels) without being an asshole, but you can get a long way.
 
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Cheap stalin-era apartment. Floors made of stiks and slag. Doors are not soundproof either. Natural limited SPL 110 dB in MLP at low LF.
 
Floor plan is important even in concrete buildings.

Listening room adjacent to neighbour’s bedroom ? I lived in an apartment where most walls where concrete, but not the one between my bedroom and the neighbors living room , not good .

Best I had was a renovated industrial building my apartment had all external walls in concrete and I the apartment was above the parking garage .
 
I've lived in a few apartments over my lifetime. One was built from Masonite, I swear. My neighbor (an armed biker) threatened me when I played anything over loud conversation level. The next joint was better, perhaps the neighbors were less sensitive, but that's where I got into home audio, and I was respectful yet never suffered a complaint.

If an audiophile were shopping for an apartment / condo, I'd assume concrete floors, walls and ceilings would be mandatory. Maybe ground level, maybe not.

Does anyone here live in such a place and has never had an issue with SPL complaints?
Not the answer you wanted but: headphones. As an apartment dweller myself I share your pain. My Genelec combo (speakers & sub) is rarely used.
 
I don't think the problem is confined only if you live in an apartment.
It's what you listen to and how loud.Think of the far,distant car with the loud subs you can hear from a big distance,even being in a double glass,soundproof windows,closed house.

Now imagine that next to you,or some 10-20 meters away.

I live in a single,double concrete house but here's a silly test I did,it's telling:

 
Cheap stalin-era apartment. Floors made of stiks and slag. Doors are not soundproof either. Natural limited SPL 110 dB in MLP at low LF.
What you refere to where higher ranked officer luxury apartments made in 60's (and 70's) across SSSR and (many other) eastern Europe countries as 6 flor buildings. They were anything but cheap done, made out concert and rock with wall's made of double solid bricks (in cube pattern) and high ceilings with big (for apparent) 5x5 m rooms. Even doors between room's where from solid wood. Lived in one that whose in very quiet city area and for the time they were even very modern regarding design. As those are usually in the good old parts of cities and big they usually cost a lot.

Try to isolate sub's from flor and lower the vibration transfer to it and where you won't feel it or hear it as much as you can. Use accustic packs, silicone pillow or make your owns with a tube of silicone. That's most annoying thing to take care of. Make sure windows won't ring with thick curtains and so on.
 
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