In-walls and Sub.... Keeping the sound from traveling Upstairs?? (1 Viewer)

[RayMan]

I have my system set up in a basement. Its not bad upstairs with the mains fairly loud (I do know there on though). But I just bought a sub finally, and hooked up my in-walls. I'm looking for any ideas to help me keep the volume as high as I can with out the rest of the house knowing it.
For the in-walls, I'm thinking of doing something like a hush-box people are making for there projectors. Some fiberglass ceiling tiles, and some kind of foam lining all surfaces in the wall behind the speakers maybe some foam tape between the sheet rock and where the speaker touches the wall, or is there something I should just stuff it with?
For the sub, and maybe the mains I'm thinking some kind of sound dampening mat or vibration absorbing pads that are used for washer/dryers?
Am I fighting a losing battle? Will any of this at least help? Should I just return the sub?

The ceiling is insulated with "acoustical" R19 and the ceiling tiles are Armstrong 271's, they supposedly reduce sound by 50%.

If anyone feels like brainstorming with me here, feel free:wink:

TIA,
Ray

 

[ChrisBee]

I think you need more mass in the HT room ceiling to reduce sound transmission appreciably.

Doubled plasterboard (US=drywall?) on the ceiling would be a start. Better would be dry sand filling of the listening room ceiling. But probably require considerable structural reinforcement to take the enormous weight increase. Deeper joists are definitely required etc.

Even a fully floating floor in all the rooms above might well be shorted out by the structural through-walls conducting the vibrations to the rooms above.

I don't think local insulation/isolation would do anything except "soften" your listening room acoustically.

No doubt others have had much more practical success than my gloomy guesswork suggests.

ChrisBee

 

[RayMan]

The insulation and drop ceiling do help alot compared to a drywalled non insulated ceiling. You can't hear people talking or even any voice from the tv or stereo. My friends apartment he just moved out of, you could hear normal conversation from upstairs. The main thing is the vibrations from the bass, which I figured anything absorbant of sound and/or vibration would help.