Noisy neighbors complain about my SVS! (1 Viewer)

[Mitch Stevens]

Every single day (and I do mean EVERY day) of the week, my neighbors play music at extremely loud/deafening volumes from their car stereo systems. They have the BOOMY car systems that sound extremely terrible with bass, because it sounds extremely bloated, and unnatural.

Anyway, I sleep during the day, and watch movies at night, all the way up to about 7 a.m.

They, on the other hand, play music from 10 a.m. and stop playing it around 10 p.m.

I was watching Jurassic Park (DTS corrected version) -15dB from reference, when I received a knock on the door, telling me, that if I didn't turn it down, they would call the cops! Can you imagine? -15dB is VERY low compared to the way that they play their horrible music every single day!

The neighbor that came to my house, claims that my SVS was creating so much bass, it rattled his windows to the point of almost breaking them! I have the SVS calibrated to 75dB just like all my other speakers. It is certainly not over-powering like the neighbor claimed it was.

Is there anything that I can do to shield my room for letting bass escape, and MOST IMPORTANTLY....Is there anything that will keep bass frequencies from COMING inside my room! I really hate that all day long (while I'm trying to sleep, all I keep hearing are really boomy bass frequencies). It's extremely annoying.

What would you guys do, if you were in this situation?

 

[JoelM]

Yeah, one time a Neighbor 3 doors down complained about it shaking her house(2 25-31CS+'s)and it wasn't even a reference. Needless to say I tried to work out a "playing time" with her and she just complained even more. After that I was a little afraid of playing it at any level. That lasted a long time maybe around 10-15 minutes

 

[Jonathan T]

Call the cops on him when he is playing his bloated car stereo. Complain that the bass from his car is wrattling your windows to the point of almost breaking them.

 

[Parker Clack]

I agree with Jonathan. Call the cops on him each and everytime they play their bloated car stereo with the volume up that load. In particular wait until they are playing the music loud and then call the cops on them.

Parker

 

[John F. Palacio]

The first problem you have here is that while their obnoxious car stereo is played at "legal hours" (i.e., daytime) you are "disturbing their peace" at nighttime (when it is normally against local noise ordinances). So legal resolutions might be dicey, at best.

The other one is that it is extremely difficult if not downright impossible to isolate low frequencies and the lower you go the more difficult the problem becomes.

You have either a difficult diplomatic compromise (and I HATE that word) to execute or one of you two needs to move.

 

[Lee Bailey]

In California there are actually laws now for how loud a car stereo can be. So, you would be justified if you lived there. As for disturbing the peace, that is also something that can be done anytime of the day. But, since you are neighbors, it would be best to explain to them your schedule. Things can get ugly in a hurry otherwise. A compromise is best.

If the house you're in is owned by you, you would have to spend some money to insulate the walls, and even possibly have to install another layer of sheetrock inside to help deaden the sound coming out.

 

[Evan M.]

I think Lee said it best. You are in a tough situation but one that should not be ignored. Bieng freindly with neighbors can be a very important thing. You never know when an occasion will arise that you need them. Calling the cops on them will obviously hurt that situation. However them threatning you that they are going to call the cops on you leads me to beleive that they may not be the nicest people on the planet. What I would do is be the bigger person and go over to their place and discuss with them some of the issues that you have with them and their music. Then say that you understand their concerns with you as well. Tell them your situation and share some insite on your schedule. Then try to work out a compromise. If they tell you to go to hell then now at least you have some amunition against them if you do call the police. But certainly try the diplomatic solution first.

 

[Geoff L]

Evan, very well said.

Something I found when we lived in an apartment building with 2 floors and 8 apt's.
As much as this might NOT be the best or like-able idea for you, you might try locating your sub in a different spot. The building itself has dips and peeks just like your room.
If you go out side into the hall or what ever, and walk around to the different apt doors you'll find hot spots.

My neighbor down stairs and to the front of the building I would tear apart with deep bass, shake pictures off the wall and bounce her trinkets all over.
She did not like me, but never let me know that it was a problem till months later and thats when I experimented with this.

But at the same time, straight across the hall it was nearly bass-less at -10 under. Weird huh.

I found by relocating the subs the hot deep bass spots moved in the buiding also.

Something you may want to check out/consider....
This will only change whos apt's are gona get the most bass, you can't stop it from getting to everyone.

We had/have three SVS 12" subs their, and yes one was a DIY 2039pc the other where sealed DIY's..
All use SVS's original driver.

Belive me I understand your problem way to well!

Regards
Geoff

 

[Jeremy Anderson]

At my old house, the neighbor across the street complained about everything. Keep in mind that this is the neighbor that used to cut up or throw away any frisbees or balls that went in his yard, and he poisoned a neighboring dog to stop it from barking. Well, he made the mistake of complaining that our music was too loud one day, so my dad and I took to taunting him...

First, we started using power tools at 3 in the morning. He would call the police, they'd come out, and we'd say "I don't know what he's talking about... we were asleep." Then, we'd play the Star Wars soundtrack at ear-bleeding volumes at about midnight. Occasionally, my friends and I would go over at about 2 a.m. and set off those 100-count strings of firecrackers next to his bedroom window. After about their 10th visit to our house for noise complaints, we told the police that the old man was a bit crazy and likes to stand out in his yard screaming at kids (which he really did). After that, the police wouldn't even come out when the old man called in a complaint.

Luckily in my current house, the only thing our neighbor has said was "Damn, what kinda' subwoofer you got? I need to get me one of those!" When I showed him the SVS 20-39CS+, he was impressed. When I put in Erykah Badu's BADUIZM, his jaw dropped to the floor. I doubt I'll be getting noise complaints from him... and I think he's saving up for his own SVS.

 

[Mike Up]

Since your neighbors had made a threat, I would start calling the police on them, when they are disturbing the peace and breaking noise ordinances.

Now that they made the threat, they most certainly would do the same to you, although your actions could be considered normal, environment noise IMO. I've worked nights also, and my area police do respect this and will ticket noise ordinance breakers during the day light hours. Of course, construction noise is exempt.

Good luck.

 

[Vincent_S]

I know they have a law here were you are not supposed to be able to hear your car stereo more than 15 ft. away. I bet your town has something similar. Call the cops on them since they don't mind doing it to you. My .02

 

[Mitch Stevens]

Call the cops on him when he is playing his bloated car stereo. Complain that the bass from his car is wrattling your windows to the point of almost breaking them.

This would be impossible, as I don't have any windows :frowning:

I should also mention that the neighbor that came to my door complaining, isn't the only neighbor that plays his music too loud. It's like this:

The neighbors to the right of our house, have a "band" and play musical instruments ONLY on Sundays at very loud volumes. I'm used to this, since it only happens once a week.

The neighbors to the left of our house (the ones that came to my door, complaining) are the ones who play the car systems EVERY DAY!

The neighbors in back of our house (we are only separated by an ally) ALSO have a horrible car stereo system, which they play in the ally (less than 2 feet away from my room) at extremely loud volumes. Now, I never talk to these people, but my father said not to make them angry. They belong to some sort of gang, and my father said, if we make them angry, they will take revenge on us.

So, there is nothing I can do about the neighbors behind us (which are just as much of the problem as the neighbors to the left of our house).

Now, here is where the biggest problem lies. The neighbors to the left of our house, are my dad's best friends. He is on their side. He told me that I should do what they said, and keep my movies/music at extremely low volumes. If I were to call the cops on them, not only would they be very angry, but my dad would be furious!

The only thing that I could do about all of this, is somehow stop my bass from leaking out, and stop their bass, from leaking in. I have a completely concrete room....I don't know what else I could possibly do, though.

One thing I know for sure is, that I never play my movies or music as loud as they play their car stereos! Just because they play them during the day, does not give them a right to play it that loud! It's extremely rude, and annoying to hear that bloated boomy bass inside my room, while I'm trying to sleep.

 

[LanceJ]

Turn the sub down.

LJ

 

[Geno]

buy them ear plugs

 

[Jason_Els]

Make friends with your gang neighbors and mention your little problem to them. See if they couldn't act as an "intermediary".

 

[Gabriel_Lam]

Get a few Clark Synthesis Tranducers. Turn bass down, turn those up.

 

[Martice]

Get a few Clark Synthesis Tranducers. Turn bass down, turn those up.

Although there was tons of good advice, the above statment is the only conclusive and workable solution to your problem. It also doesn't involve negotiating with the rough types or calling the cops on anyone.

The only drawback is the fact that unless you change your hours, you'll never get a chance to use your sub.

If you sleep all day and play movies all night, is there anyway that you can switch your sleep hours? Unless your hours are related to a work schedule is that a possibility?

 

[Chip E]

Jeremy,

I totally cracked up after you said you shot off a pack of fire crackers under your neighbor's bedroom window. LMAO ! I had a pain-in-the ass neighbor like him for many years... he's dead now... God bless him. He got in my face one night accusing me of dumping used motor oil in my backyard and that it seeped through the ground and was killing his bush's.. This was only one of many encounter's over many years.. I was drinking that night and his finger in my face was almost the end of him, lol... When i was three i pooped on his front lawn (my mother told me so). All this was pre- SVS days..
The new people that live next door are split, the husband is cool with me, the wife can't stand me. She lets me rent space in her head i suppose.. She doesn't care for my SV sub i guess..

 

[Asim]

i just have one question...if you sleep all day and watch movies all night, when do you work? or are you independently wealthy?

- asim

 

[Andrew Pierce]

If you've got the space to burn I'd do this - pick up some 2x2s or better yet 2x4s and build a wall on the outside wall of your room. Run a strip of wood across the bottom and top. Drill these into the concrete if possible. If not possible you could epoxy these in place, but you're really better off attaching them right. Now install verticals at 16 inch intervals. Nail them into the top and bottom boards. Fill space between the verticals with R13 fiberglass batting (2x4) or R8 Polystyrene foam panels (2x2). Cover with sheetrock, finish with joint compound, prime, paint. Consider putting a thick curtain on top of that as an acoustic treatment. Up to the sheetrock compound this is a one day project. Mudding the sheetrock adds a day or two because you've got to let the stuff dry between coats.

Now you've got some insulation between you and their music and also your music and them, your room looks more finished, and if you've done everything properly you've increased the value of your house (though with a gang out back that may not be a significant factor).