Need subwoofer recommendation for an apartment (1 Viewer)

[Basi Nanda]

decouple the sub from the floor (your neighbors will thank you).

Will putting the sub on a small table be as effective in decoupling the sub from the floor? I have no one living below me since I live on the ground floor. So how big a deal is it not to keep it on the floor in this case?

 

[Todd Terwilliger]

I live in an apartment with extremely thin walls but that didn't stop me from going the SVS route. I'm very conscious about when I pump up the volume levels and, consequently, have never had a complaint (yet) from any of my neighbors.

My advice would be to get the sub you want and then tailor the volumes to the times at which you can play it loud and keep it down.

 

[EricSm]

Can you elaborate on this? I live in a 4 plex condo unit on the ground floor with neighbors directly above. I'm just curious what the benefit would be to me on the listening end and for them on the receiving end.

Also, what exactly would I look for at home depot and are there any tips to make it asthetically more pleasing?

Thanks.

(using svs 20-39 pc+ if that makes any difference)

 

[GregC]

Take a hammer and hit a piece of wood, it'll probably deform. Now, put a piece of wood between the wood and the hammer...you'll still get the job done, but won't damage the wood. Same idea with the concrete block under the sub. I don't have the technical explanation, maybe someone else can elaborate, but I can relate my experience. The sub just sounds better up off the floor. I find this to be true using either a concrete block or spikes. If you have concrete under your carpet, the spikes don't work as well as the block, otherwise just try them both out and see which works better in your place.

Don't think a table would be a good choice, too flexible. You need something solid.

At Home Depot, check out the "paving stones".

I can't say how to make it look pretty, maybe wrapped in some cloth?

 

[Ian-Fl]

You Guys amaze me!
I remember ten years ago before I bought my house and lived in an apartment I had this neighbour who would crank the bass up on his sound system.We would exchange pleasantries most of the time. I'd ask him to turn down the bass and he would.
Then one evening I came home from work and I found my wife pounding on the ceiling with a broom because the sound was so loud the chandelier was shaking!
He came down that evening in a threatening demeanor pointing his finger at me. Fortunately we never got to blows because I think he was possibly afraid of taking on his 6'4" 280lb neighbour. Soon after that I decided to buy a house and get out of apartment life.
What I'm trying to say is you better consult your neighbours first and then borrow a sub to see if it offends them.
As a note I've read in theater magazines about tactile transducers that simulate subs by shaking the seats. Is that an option?
There's one called the "butt kicker"

 

[GregC]

You are correct, a sub on any level but the ground floor is problematic. I used to go nuts with the upstairs neighbor walking. Sounded like an elephant. Turned out she, yeah she, was 5' tall and 80 lbs. dripping wet! It was those spiky high heels that were the culprit. Asked he nicely to limit the elephant walking and she willingly obliged.

Fortunately, we are talking about a ground floor apt. An entirely different situation.

BTW, if the sub doesn't work out, bass shakers may be a reasonable substitute. Good idea Ian-Fl.

 

[Basi Nanda]

You are correct, a sub on any level but the ground floor is problematic.

Is that correct? I live on the ground floor. So do you think that the bass has a lesser chance of bothering my upstairs neighbor?