Is it acceptable to run a subwoofer/subwoofers in an apartment building?

[Chrispy]

In an apartment, my only concern would be the quiet enjoyment of my non-****** neighbors. My spite-sub days were in a house and my neighbor was just a miserable woman.

My dad had a way of trying his russian boot stomping dance (mostly his own creation) for a particularly annoying tenant downstairs.....

 

[MattHooper]

I always tried to be considerate when living in apartments and playing music. And it was an ongoing source of frustration to worry about bothering others.

When we moved from our last apartment in to our detached house, the very first thing I did that night was set up our stereo system, blast music, step outside and listen. Total silence. What a relief! I could finally play music at whatever volume I wanted. (And fortunately for me my wife sleeps like a rock, so even late night listening can be relatively loud).

I admit if I lived in an apartment and saw my neighbor above me pulling a new subwoofer out of his car I'd be nervous.

 

[Chrispy]

I admit if I lived in an apartment and saw my neighbor above me pulling a new subwoofer out of his car I'd be nervous.

You mean one of those ridiculously little 6-8" subs or a real true sub?

 

[Kal Rubinson]

You mean one of those ridiculously little 6-8" subs or a real true sub?

Nah. This is a subwoofer!

 

[Chrispy]

Nah. This is a subwoofer!

Dunno, isn't that one of that sketchy Starke things?

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Dunno, isn't that one of that sketchy Starke things?

You can buy one. https://www.lbtechreviews.com/news/speakers/ascendo-smsg50-plays-richter-scale-bass

 

[Chrispy]

You can buy one. https://www.lbtechreviews.com/news/speakers/ascendo-smsg50-plays-richter-scale-bass

LOL not likely

 

[DVDdoug]

You might consider a bass shaker on your couch and/or chairs. That way you can feel the bass without making much sound. If you have neighbors downstairs, or depending on construction, you might have to figure-out some isolation between the couch and floor.

I like to be respectful and be respected.

...When I was in college I didn't live in a dorm but when I walked by there was always music blasting so I sort-of assumed loud music was required! Maybe they had rules at night.

 

[hex168]

Suggestions: Bass shaker, as above, plus a near-field subwoofer. Louder for you, less energy into the room. Even better with a dipole sub, falls off with distance quickly. See:

Dipole on axis

musicanddesign.speakerdesign.net

Cheap woofer for nearfield dipole sub (one should do if it is very close to the listening position):

mfk-projects MCM woofers

inexpensive woofers from mcm electronics

www.mfk-projects.com

https://www.newark.com/mcm-audio-select/55-2974/15-woofer-with-poly-conerubber/dp/80R7013?st=15

 

[Chrispy]

Suggestions: Bass shaker, as above, plus a near-field subwoofer. Louder for you, less energy into the room. Even better with a dipole sub, falls off with distance quickly. See:

Dipole on axis

musicanddesign.speakerdesign.net

Cheap woofer for nearfield dipole sub (one should do if it is very close to the listening position):

mfk-projects MCM woofers

inexpensive woofers from mcm electronics

www.mfk-projects.com

https://www.newark.com/mcm-audio-select/55-2974/15-woofer-with-poly-conerubber/dp/80R7013?st=15

Or better yet don't call them just bass shakers, think tactile transducers is a better description, particularly dependant on mount.... I like my Clark Synthesis unit myself (in addition to more than many may would have in the way of subs)

 

[AudioAaron]

It does depend on the nature of the other tenants and is a give-and-take like Doodski says. I wouldn't expect peace and quiet in an apartment complex with a lot of college aged tenants, and therefore wouldn't live there if that was a personal requirement and it was in my means to choose.

I voted "no" assuming the subwoofers are audible by neighbors; limiting output in the lower octaves is not an unreasonable sacrifice to abide the social contract.

When I was apartment bound I used headphones.

Subwoofers in apartments, operating a miter saw at 11:00 p.m., mowing your lawn or starting your Harley ass-early, drunk kids shouting late at night, little shitbag kids on their unmuffled moped things, all forms of noise pollution make me go Costanza.

 

[Matthias McCready]

When I lived in apartments, I had a neighbor who was not very considerate with their sub...

More interestingly they also owned a cajon. They practiced/played the cajon all hours of days, a respectable amount really. The downside was they had the rhythmic sense of a floundering halibut.

----

I was REALLY tempted to leave them a note saying, "For the love of all that is good and just, get a metronome, your timing is abysmal."

 

[Vacceo]

When does the cold weather start that necessitates heating for children and old people etc etc?

Now with climate change, by late October. Hot water, however, all year long.

 

[LTig]

This depends a lot on the particular situation. [..]
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!).

Yep. The house where I live has 2 flats on this floor and the separating wall is a load bearing one. I never heard my neighbours playing music nor did they hear me despite playing loud after midnight, including a sub. OTOH I cannot play loud if my wife is in her room because those walls are very thin.

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.

Yes!

I only change my behaviour if a neighbour knocks on my door and complain. 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).

In the house I lived earlier the landlady lived above my flat. Sounds travelled easily between those two floors. Some time after I had moved in she knocked at the door when I played music. However it turned out that she didn't complain but wanted to know what was playing because she liked it. I invited her to listen and finally a month later we went to my local hifi dealer where she bought a decent stereo system!

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.

+10!

 

[Sokel]

I don't use subs,my speakers go down to 30Hz nicely plus my room mode there I'm ok.

However I have tested 4 of 5 pair of subs (only pairs in this house ) and even I live in a detached house and the listening room is 4 meters down the earth with 70cm reinforced steel concrete when cranked up was well audible around the house (the yard ) and I'm sure was audible to the houses next to me even if they are at least 20 meters apart.

OK,I'm talking loud,it was just a test but I'm sure people would be bothered.
Just think of this cars with the subs that's well audible long before you see them.
Difficult subject...

 

[LTig]

Word has come down that the afternoon siesta time in Germany is called, "Nachmittag." (After midday) Supposed to be quiet around that time I am advised.

You got that partially wrong. The quiet time is called "Mittag" or "Mittagsruhe" and yes one needs to reduce ones own noise level during this time, similar to the night time. "Nachmittag" follows "Mittag" and spans the time to the evening.

 

[Digby]

You got that partially wrong. The quiet time is called "Mittag" or "Mittagsruhe" and yes one needs to reduce ones own noise level during this time, similar to the night time. "Nachmittag" follows "Mittag" and spans the time to the evening.

Do Germans adhere to this well? What happens if they don't.

 

[Vacceo]

I don't use subs,my speakers go down to 30Hz nicely plus my room mode there I'm ok.

However I have tested 4 of 5 pair of subs (only pairs in this house ) and even I live in a detached house and the listening room is 4 meters down the earth with 70cm reinforced steel concrete when cranked up was well audible around the house (the yard ) and I'm sure was audible to the houses next to me even if they are at least 20 meters apart.

OK,I'm talking loud,it was just a test but I'm sure people would be bothered.
Just think of this cars with the subs that's well audible long before you see them.
Difficult subject...

That listening bunker must be fun with some Industrial playing!

 

[TLEDDY]

I added very good sound proofing to my music room; polled the neighbors after to find out whether it worked…and it did.

 

[Sokel]

That listening bunker must be fun with some Industrial playing!

Classical (almost) only here
(but my nephew has other opinion )