Subwoofer isolation, apartment life.

[TankTop5]

Get the keys to my new apartment on Monday, they seem very well built with excellent carpet and pad. Even so I’m wondering if some isolation and decoupling could keep my neighbors friendly? I’m thinking something like a thick heavy granite (Newtonian physics) slab with some Isoacoustics and the subwoofer on top? Obviously just turning it down will do the most but I want the highest output that keeps my downstairs neighbor continuing to bring me brownies.

 

[Gmoney]

I can tell you straight up, you won't be able to enjoy your setup in a apartment. Only when they are out of their apartment will you be able to crank it up some. I have lived in upstairs and downstairs apartments and nothing worked out for me. When I lived in a upstairs apartment they would hit on the ceiling to let me know. When I lived in a downstairs apartment they would hit on their floor to let me know. In apartments you hear everything! and I mean everything! from all night banging, their tv, arguments you'll hear walking on floors to things dropping on the floors. There is always one dude who thinks he owns the whole building to the one who comes knocking for anything and everything. Apartments are Not Audio system friendly. The others believe it's You that has to put up with their sh$t but never the other way around. As for me? I'll never live in a Duplex apartment again.

 

[afterlife2]

I'd get a couple of these as a backup:

Home

Aurasound AST-2B-4 Pro Bass Shaker Tactile TransducerAurasound AST-2B-4 Pro Bass ShakerAre you getting all the bass you want? Not yet!The Aurasound AST-2B-4 Pro Bass Shaker—also known as a butt shaker, or tactile transducer—works on the principle that low bass is mostly felt and not heard...

www.parts-express.com

 

[TankTop5]

These are really over built, as I understand it they were intended to be luxury condos. Not only my apartment but my garage even has 12 foot ceiling’s. I stomped around pretty good and could not find a creek in the floor. I’m sure I can easily piss off the neighbors but I think I might be able to find a happy medium so long as I don’t turn the volume up too much. Maybe a -3DB Harmon curve??? I wonder if a NAD M10 would give me the flexibility fine tune it a bit better?

Anyway, any thoughts on isolating the subwoofer from the structure?

 

[TankTop5]

I'd get a couple of these as a backup:

Home

Aurasound AST-2B-4 Pro Bass Shaker Tactile TransducerAurasound AST-2B-4 Pro Bass ShakerAre you getting all the bass you want? Not yet!The Aurasound AST-2B-4 Pro Bass Shaker—also known as a butt shaker, or tactile transducer—works on the principle that low bass is mostly felt and not heard...

www.parts-express.com

but with my fat ass sitting on a couch wouldn’t that directly couple those vibrations to the building in the apartment below and beside?

 

[ryanosaur]

You can do nothing about the soundwaves themselves, and remember that LF wavefronts are very large and powerful.

The transference of mechanical vibrations can be managed somewhat, and you are not far off in you estimation of what is necessary.
To be successful, you need to couple a dampening platform to the floor with spikes. Granite slabs or thick Maple "boards" are the most likely to succeed, mounted on outriggers with spikes (or spikes fitted directly to the platform) punched through the carpet and to the floorboard. Then you need to isolate the Subwoofer from the platform. A good example of this would be a good thick foam pad, Soundpath Isolation Feet, etc. You don't need to spend a ton on isolation, you just want to make certain your Sub is NOT coupled to the dampening platform.

In my room, I have very spongy suspended wood flooring that transmits vibrations like a giant drum head or trampoline. I eliminated almost all vibrations that the Subs transmitted to the structure...
EXCEPT for those caused by the wavefronts themselves. In those situations, the structure will vibrate and there is nothing to do but keep the volume under control.

 

[afterlife2]

but with my fat ass sitting on a couch wouldn’t that directly couple those vibrations to the building in the apartment below and beside?

No it won't it works great for movies. I'm using mine right now the movie ad Astra Holy ass bass workout! You won't feel it unless you're sitting down. It's perfect for those aggravated neighbors.

 

[Hetfield]

I have live in a townhouse with people on both sides of me and I'm constantly, constantly paranoid about the sound. No complaints but I just got a new sub, PB-2000 Pro and there is no keeping it from the neighbors. I try to do my best and turn it down at night. I watched "Ready player one" today and the bass was literally shaking the entire place. It's a balancing act for sure. No complaints yet.
Oh I have a PB-1000 working with the PB-2000 Pro and it has the isolation feet, I will be getting them for the 2000 at some point as well. Anything that helps us worth a shot. Hopefully we will be buying a house in the summer and I'm done with babying the HT. It's like having ferrari but you can only go 25 mph.

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[TankTop5]

I have live in a townhouse with people on both sides of me and I'm constantly, constantly paranoid about the sound. No complaints but I just got a new sub, PB-2000 Pro and there is no keeping it from the neighbors. I try to do my best and turn it down at night. I watched "Ready player one" today and the bass was literally shaking the entire place. It's a balancing act for sure. No complaints yet.
Oh I have a PB-1000 working with the PB-2000 Pro and it has the isolation feet, I will be getting them for the 2000 at some point as well. Anything that helps us worth a shot. Hopefully we will be buying a house in the summer and I'm done with babying the HT. It's like having ferrari but you can only go 25 mph.

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

I’m selling my house now and moving into an apartment, divorce blows! Currently my daughter chews gum to equalize the pressure in her ears two rooms away from the living room. Unfortunately that will change. Hopefully this is a temporary situation and I’m buying a house this time next year. At that point I will go out of my way to intentionally massage the neighbors intestines!

 

[Hetfield]

I’m selling my house now and moving into an apartment, divorce blows! Currently my daughter chews gum to equalize the pressure in her ears two rooms away from the living room. Unfortunately that will change. Hopefully this is a temporary situation and I’m buying a house this time next year. At that point I will go out of my way to intentionally massage the neighbors intestines!

I hear ya, I love living in a townhouse for the ease of it all but it stinks for HT but again I have lived here for 12 years with no complaints. No idea why, knock on wood,

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[shadyJ]

I would contact your neighbor by phone, and while they are on the phone, turn up the bass and ask them to tell you at what point they can hear it. Make a note of the volume level, and now you know where the limit is for being a considerate neighbor.

 

[ryanosaur]

Here's a link to the post in my old BMR thread:

B-M-WOW! A tribute to the BMR, and my journey to them..

remembered I have a perfect way to test: L/R Speakers set to Large. Stereo Mode. Subwoofers are on Standby. Using a 34Hz test tone should activate the subs if a signal is passing. And it did. So there is that. Thanks for the idea to test on. ;) Not all avrs automatically use the sub in stereo...

forums.audioholics.com

My Subs and the Phil 3 Bass Cabinets are all treated the same: I have four pads with spikes and the Soundpath Isolation Feet for each.

 

[TankTop5]

I did notice something about this apartment complex that was kinda nice. All the girls at the pool seemed very frugal and financially wise. Looks like they all saved a lot of money on their swim attire, they definitely didn’t spend any extra on material!

 

[jmm22]

I have dual sealed 18” in my apartment and haven’t had a single complaint. Granted, it’s a loft from a converted factory and everything is concrete (floors and walls). I haven’t heard a single noise from anyone in 3 years either.

I do use the granite with isoacoustics to be safe.

 

[Hetfield]

I have dual sealed 18” in my apartment and haven’t had a single complaint. Granted, it’s a loft from a converted factory and everything is concrete (floors and walls). I haven’t heard a single noise from anyone in 3 years either.

I do use the granite with isoacoustics to be safe.

Yeah that's the other thing at my townhouse, I have never heard anything from the other houses around me either. Maybe my complex was just built really well? There is a foot of firewall between each house. Maybe that has something so do with it?

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[Pogre]

I'd be so evicted if I lived in an apartment...

 

[TankTop5]

I'd be so evicted if I lived in an apartment...

someone on AVS 45 minutes from me just listed a 21” Devastator. Never mind, it sold. I’d be evicted by Tuesday

 

[highfigh]

Get the keys to my new apartment on Monday, they seem very well built with excellent carpet and pad. Even so I’m wondering if some isolation and decoupling could keep my neighbors friendly? I’m thinking something like a thick heavy granite (Newtonian physics) slab with some Isoacoustics and the subwoofer on top? Obviously just turning it down will do the most but I want the highest output that keeps my downstairs neighbor continuing to bring me brownies.

The only way you can prevent the bass from reaching the neighbors is by making the walls , floor, ceiling and doors completely inert. Bass is transmitted in three ways- modulation (through the air), conduction (through structures and materials and anything that is in contact with whatever was affected by the energy and through radiation (materials that were made to vibrate so strongly that the sound is heard in another location).

You'll need to find a way to determine how audible the sound is, from their place, so you might want to do a meet & greet with music playing in your place and a way to adjust the level with your phone.

Learn their schedule, too.

 

[Trell]

someone on AVS 45 minutes from me just listed a 21” Devastator. Never mind, it sold. I’d be evicted by Tuesday

Before or after the apartment building was condemned due to structural damage?

 

[ryanosaur]

Before or after the apartment building was condemned due to structural damage?

I prefer the phrase: "Acoustically Aided Foundation Settling Event," please.