Living in an apartment with an HT system (1 Viewer)

[Rob Gillespie]

(tried this is Speakers section to no avail)

I'm moving into a new flat next month ('apartment' for you lot) and I'm a bit concerned over the amount of noise I'm going to be creating for the people who live underneath (there's nobody above).

The building is of brick construction and the floors are solid concrete. Current speakers are Kef Q65 (front), Q55 (rear) and 200C (centre). All of these (except the centre) are floorstanders. Sub is a Boston VR2000, which is a bit of a beast.

Where I am now there are wooden floors and a lot of the bass comes through to underneath. I'm not sure how much difference having concrete floors will make, but even so, I'd like to minimise problems. I have no problem with buying newer (smaller) speakers.

Not really sure what the point of my post is, but one thing I wanted to ask is - are floorstanding speakers more likely to create noise problems than speakers mounted on stands?

But apart from that, feel free to chime in with any relevent comments.

 

[Dave Poehlman]

are floorstanding speakers more likely to create noise problems than speakers mounted on stands?

Maybe.. it depends on the speaker and on the stands. Generally, the smaller the footprint (actual contact with the floor) of the stand and/or speaker the less vibration is transmitted to the floor. Floor spikes are also an option.

[strapping myself in for this thread to be moved to HT Construction and Interiors] >click

 

[Rob Gillespie]

Thanks Dave.
By all means let the thread be moved. However getting a few replies would be useful
btw, I'm not concerned about the bass I am getting. It's what the people downstairs are getting that concerns me.

 

[Erik_C]

I have, among other things, a Velodyne FSR-18 in my apartment, which has cement walls and floors. I've only had one complaint in 5 years, from a neighbor across the hall. My door's thin, and bass leaks through it. Her suggestion? "Put a towel under your door."
Granted, in an apartment one can't crank it like in a house, but a solidly built apartment allows spirited listening levels without angering the neighbors.
-Erik

 

[Robert_eb]

l

 

[Zen Butler]

I'm moving into a new flat next month ('apartment' for you lot)

We too have flats Rob. I don't know if it is the same there, but a "flat" here usually pertains to a more open apartment located above a store or other business.


Rob, you haven't moved in yet? You may have no problem at all. My flat is older(1923) and seems to contain the sound much better than my old apartment which was only 15 years old. The nail shop and travel agency below both say they don't hear much of anything but an occasional rumble. The other 3 surrounding flats claim that I am quiet. My band actually rehearses up here. Are your speakers able to be mounted on stands? I'd worry more about your sub, no?

 

[Jack Briggs]

At a loss for words, Robert? The subject gets to you, huh?
Hey, Rob, I saw your post over in Speakers. Do you want to keep it open and let me merge these responses with it, or would you rather keep this one open? Whatever the respected Administrator Emeritus wants!
(And, yes, floors-tanding speakers transmit more acoustical energy through the floor. Thing is, I've gotten complaints from neighbors above me when I've used floor-standing speakers. Weird.)

 

[Rob Gillespie]

Jack - keep this one going if you don't mind.
Nope, I'm not in yet. I complete on the sale next Friday and I have a lot of decorating to do before I move in.
The Kefs are lovely speakers and I'd be loathe to part with them, but would do so if necessary. Having the Q55 floorstanders on the rear - while sounding very nice indeed, may not be the most practical thing in terms of floorspace. I'm considering Kef's new wall-mounted dipolar Q speaker as a replacement, but I'll see how I get on.
If the VR2000 causes a problem then I can run without a sub. I did so for a while when I first got my current setup. I'll have to see how it all transpires and converse with the people downstairs. I don't usually use the sub when playing music (which I never play loud anyway). I know from experience that a repetitive thump thump thump is 100 times worse than the occassional rumble of a cave troll or balrog

 

[Grant B]

Rob
I like your choice in speakers!
I have Q75s Front, a Q70 Center and Q55s Rear - for my main set up and really love the sound. If you can ever find another Q65 , try it as a center and you'll never go back.I had a 200 for a while and it never gave me a proper soundstage. The tonal differences between the Center and the fronts were always too distinct.
I gutted my flat and did extensive soundproofing - it's from 1896 and had nothing.
The soundproofing worked well and never had a complaint until I bought a KEF 20B sub. Not a monster like yours (on purpose), but a hell raiser never the less. Subs can't be isolated easily.
The Victorian I am in is all wood, the concrete should help you a lot.
I lived in England for a few years and spent most weekends in London. The flats in San Francisco and London are very similar in many ways (size, huge sums of money, sharing walls, small sized rooms etc)
I built cavities in my walls for the rear speakers (1st photo:above and to the right of my scottie!) and built a speaker cabinet for the fronts.The center is under the TV also hidden behind a matching grill (The photos are dark...the grill cloth is a reproduction of 1930s RCA radio cloth to fit in with the huge 30s armoire). I was kind of scared of sound problems putting the Q75s on their sides, but experimented and really didn't notice any difference.
Here is a link to some old pictures to give you ideas.
Good luck and feel free to email me if you have questions
Grant
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/bbs/...ent/28843.html

 

[Rob Gillespie]

Thanks for the replies so far.

If you can ever find another Q65 , try it as a center and you'll never go back

That would work except that there would be no room for the TV I'm actually quite happy with the 200C. Within Kef's range, it's part of the Reference series, which is above the 'Q'.
They have a new dipolar surround speaker now - the Q2Ds. I may go for those to save on floor space (wall mounting the Q55s is not an option).
I wont know until I try it out, but I have a feeling the sub is going to cause problems. I don't have it set particularly loud (usually a couple of dbs below relative reference), but it does go very deep.

 

[Grant B]

That would work except that there would be no room for the TV

Think Vertical

Just trying to give you ideas, good luck whatever you do!

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

Ahhh, the ol dilemma, neighbors *vs* HT. My best advice to you Rob is to hope you have neighbors who are moderatly noisy themselves, this will give you a license to steal so to speak.
Quiet neighbors and a HT enthusiest do not mix.
Also, try to get to know your new neighbors as well, who knows, they may be cool people who won't mind, that's how it is in my case. I have a neighbor above me named Carlos and we have an understanding, I can rock the joint all I want during the day, but I can't have my system at high volumes after 9 pm. I also have people on the other side of the wall of my HT room and we have no understanding, their kitchen is on the other side so I can kick it hard and they hardly hear a thing unless they're in the kitchen.
You'd be surprised at how much you can get away with, I play my system at obscene volume levels and have gotten nary a knock on the door! My philosophy is this, in this day and age it is unreasonable at best to expect your neighbors to be quiet as church mice 24-7.
Good luck.