Question for people who have decent HT systems

[Special K]

Mods, I decided to post this question in OT because it's not a technical question or a brand X vs. brand Y question. If you think it's still more appropriate in the HT forum, then please move it.

For those of you who own nice HT systems, are you able to really enjoy them without bothering your neighbors? I've only lived in apartments since moving out on my own and have never been able to use a nice HT system or set of speakers because the walls have always been paper thin. At my parent's house, I was able to use their HT system without bothering anyone outside the house, but that was because it was in the basement. I realize there are many parts of the US where houses do not have basements.

That said, how many of you are able to really enjoy your HT system without bothering your neighbors, and what is your living situation? Are there modifications you can make to a house to make it more soundproof? Do any of you live out in the country and not have any neighbors close enough to care how loud you play your system?

 

[Viper GTS]

For standalone houses it shouldn't be a problem. Apartments are another story.

When I rented a house I could rattle dishes in the shelves (a floor above me) with my sub and neighbors probably never heard it. The same sub in an apartment brought neighbors pounding on walls at 10% volume.

🙁

Viper GTS

 

[Jeff7]

My HT system: Sennheiser HD 280 Pro headphones.
My speakers are Logitech Z-640's, with the subwoofer made switchable. Most of the time, I have it turned off, because it is severely overpowered, and I've never been much of a fan of powerful bass. I do have my own place now, but I'm not sure how good it is at containing sound. I think the building was constructed before fire was commonly used.

 

[Bignate603]

It really depends on where you live, the construction, how much background noise there is, etc...

I could blast my stereo all I want in my apartment but my neighbors won't hear anything through the walls. I've got concrete walls between apartments though.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

I live above a bar so all the people living here are used to noise from below anyway, so I think I just blend in. Never had a complaint and I do indeed play it loud. Of course I make sure I'm not playing my system any later than the bar is playing from below (luckily that's 2am) 😉

It's very tough to really isolate sound from other areas of a building (especially the lower bass frequencies). You can google around for some solutions, but from what I understand most of them don't really do much. If you really want to isolate your room, you have to physically construct it that way vs. something you can easily put up on the walls or something.

 

[iamwiz82]

Even at picture rattling, teeth shattering volume I'd be shocked if my nieghbors could hear.

 

[Special K]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
Even at picture rattling, teeth shattering volume I'd be shocked if my nieghbors could hear.

How close are they? Is there anything special about your house that would make it soundproof? Do you have a basement?

 

[Rubycon]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
I live above a bar so all the people living here are used to noise from below anyway, so I think I just blend in.

Crow's Nest? :laugh:

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: Special K

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
Even at picture rattling, teeth shattering volume I'd be shocked if my nieghbors could hear.

How close are they? Is there anything special about your house that would make it soundproof? Do you have a basement?

My house is 12" of cement block, plus we have a very large lot for the city. I'm probably 100 feet from the outside wall of either neighbor from my living room.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Rubycon

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
I live above a bar so all the people living here are used to noise from below anyway, so I think I just blend in.

Crow's Nest? :laugh:

Something like that.

Sometimes I imagine what it would be like for one of my neighbors to call the cops to complain and the officer pulls up to the bar blasting music and wonder what's going on 😉

 

[ivan2]

Just turn down the subwoofer, the mids and highs aren't as penetrating as the lows.

 

[CorCentral]

Luckily I live in a neighborhood where all the houses are brick and not tightly squeezed together (decent .5+ acre lots). Oh, and my living room is nicely centered so the sound has to go through 2 rooms either way to get to the neighbors 😉

 

[Pacfanweb]

Mine will play music/movies very clearly at levels that are uncomfortable for anyone But my neighbors can't hear it that much. I do live in a house, but evidently it's insulated pretty well.

 

[zanejohnson]

in the house: i could play it as loud as i wanted, neighbors could hear it outside, but not inside...they never complained... my car stereo on the other hand, i got a few noise violations and "disturbing the peace" citations from the HOA... it was capable of ~150db at the right frequencies though...

in the apartment, i set it up, and found it worthless... i could never turn it up even to the point of moving the subwoofer drivers without someone banging on my door.