How do You guys STOP from bothering neighbors with BASS (1 Viewer)

[TonyiBe]

I just built a Stryke AV12 enclosure and MAN that thing pounds my SPL meter is showing peaks of 115db's. My neighbor called me Saturday night to complain about the sound. I was Happy and then upset at the same time. I was going to build a Stryke AV15 enclosure today, but man if my neighbor is complaining with the AV12 i could only imagine the AV15. I have a newly built 2 story house and dont understand how my neighbor can hear the little puny 12" in his house....

HOw do you guys with bigger subs do it.

 

[Brian Bunge]

Buy a house!

 

[Greg Yeatts]

Invite them over to see the movie.

 

[TonyiBe]

Brian,

I have a house....

 

[Brian Bunge]

What's the distance between the two houses? I can hear my sub outside too but not at my neighbor's place. We've got at least 50' or more between us.

 

[TonyiBe]

Brian,

My house is 15 feet from his house. Man they dont give people land anymore do they. Their has to be a way to stop the BASS from getting into his house.

 

[Anthony_Gomez]

3 things

1) invite them over for a big action movie that they like
2) play the loud bass heavy movies at reasonable hours (I usually have the over at 9..I am in an apartment)
3) don't play big bass heavy movies at reasonable time ...ALL THE TIME

 

[ThomasW]

A lot of this depends on how the houses are constructed. My big IB running at full tilt can barely be heard from my front porch.

That leads me to conclude that you're playing your sub pretty darn loud. Neighborhoods weren't design with Rave SPL's in mind

Another consideration is that it's actually the higher bass frequencies that are most offensive. The boom/boom/boom cars going down the street a bleeding 60-80Hz.

Check the frequency levels in the room and using EQ adjust to a flatter response.

One option is to build some true bass traps and line the a joining wall with them. HERES a link to the best design I've seen for good bass traps. A DIY version shouldn't be very difficult.

Final option is to turn it down.....

 

[Brian Bunge]

Thomas,

I imagine your house is a bit older than Tony's, and therefore much better built. Most new houses these days will barely withstand a good windstorm (mine included). Plus they build them on top of each other and still charge up to $500K for some depending on location. I've seen some that I could damn near stand between and touch both at the same time. At least that's how things are in the Atlanta area.

 

[Allen Ross]

yeah i usually turn it down when the guy above me starts complaining that the heaters are shaking, (in our dorm wi have really old cast iron steam baseboard heaters)

I also just shut her off around 10 if i am listening to anything with any sort of volume.

 

[Anthony_Gomez]

also, being in California, buildings are INTENTIONALLY built "less dense". this is so that the buildings don't resonate with earthquakes!!!

 

[TonyiBe]

Well,

i just found a site www.soundproofing.org (Pretty cool stuff there)and spoke to the owner Bob Orther which was a very nice guy. He told me my main offender is the window in my theater room and the glass door in the other room. He told me to upgrade the sliding door to double pane glass and to build a plug for the window in my theater room. If i wanted to do even more i would have to staple up a vinyl called MLV and put up more firm strips and cover with a new side of drywall. I will venture the window plug first and more forward. I agree about the quality of new homes, the older homes are way better built. Just to compare my friend has 2 Klipsch RSW15's and i can walk outside and BARELY hear any bass. He does have double pane glass on his whole house becuase he's next to an airport. I didn't know this until just now.........


You guys are AWESOME on this site. :b

 

[marc seals]

Another factor which may not apply in your case but did in one house I lived in before is any actual physical connection between your houses. For instance me and my neighbor shared a wooden fence that was actually attached to both our houses. Basically a perfect transmission line from mine to his house. He also had a boatload of pictures hanging on the wall of the room that the fence was connected to which rattled like crazy whenever I hit about -15 below reference on my preamp. Needless to say I had a 9:00-10:00pm cutoff for my sub which was irritating for me but such is life.

 

[TonyiBe]

Marc,

I just put up a wooden 6' fence around my entire property and put up 2 gates for both of us. So you are saying the fence amplifies the BASS...

 

[marc seals]

Is the fence physically connetced to both of your houses? If so then yes, though it doesn't amplify it but only transmits.

In my case (above) there were 4X4 posts screwed to the sides of both our homes that the fence was attached to which provided a line for the bass vibrations to travel to his home..

Usually most fences terminate with an actual post set in concrete a couple of inches from the house itself in which case the fence is decoupled from the house and should'nt transmit any vibrations.

 

[TonyiBe]

MArc,

I have 2 2x4's making a 4x4 on both walls of the houses directly attached. I didn't know that would cause a problem. I will try and relocate his and then mine. I put his up so i wont have a problem. Thanks Marc for the tip.

 

[marc seals]

Well if you can just get rid of one of them it should take care of it.

I hope it solves your problem because I know what its like having to restrain your sub when you KNOW what it could do while watching a movie.

Good Luck and let us know if that fixes the problem!!!

 

[TimForman]

You could leave the gate open while you're watching movies.

 

[steve nn]

That was my thought Tim. I had no idea. I have the same problem going for me to. My neighbors are really good about it but it is in my interest as well to be sensitive to the situation. I will open my gate and forget about the overhead trellis on that side of the house._________________

Tonyibe what size HT are you in?

 

[ThomasW]

The trouble with trying to kill bass is that it 'walks' through everything short of 6"-8" of solid wood or stone/concrete

If possible start by putting the sub on spikes, that will decrease the loading to the floor/room. Then look at a placement that won't excite room modes in the 60-80Hz range. Change the PR tuning if needed

Party wall design (offset nontouching studs) is another successful way to decrease sound transmission. As is adding a layer of Acoustilead foil to the drywall. This is best put between the drywall and the studs, or sandwiched between 2 layers of drywall

Regarding glass every layer added attenuates the sound ~50%.

That being said 115dB peaks are probably somewhat excessive for a 'home' theater, certainly no real theaters are running that loud.

Hey got a basement?