Need help solving neighbor problem (bass escape)
- Thread starter leyenda
- Start date
In reading this, I feel fortunate to be in the sticks of NW CT. Back in the 1960s, when I first built the house, the basement served as a fallout shelter/bunker in case of war with the Soviets. Some portions of concrete are 3' thick down there.
And when we moved in, the only other thing on this mountain was a radio tower.
Fast forward 48 years. Now we have a few neighbors within 1 mile radius. My current system penetrates the foundation and the vibrations can be easily felt in the ground outside the house. On June 30th 2006, I was testing a new subwoofer system I'd installed. I was running at safe levels, but louder than I would listen to in the room. The Korean pop tune I used has a dominant 24Hz bass note in it. I took a walk up the road, about 1/4 mile, with my CEL 201 sound meter. Standing way at the end of the road, the low bass note was putting in 97dB. It had the sensation of when one of the Huey helicopters flies at treetop level over the neighborhood, from that vantage point. I quickly returned home and turned it way down, never to go that loud for an extended period again.
And when we moved in, the only other thing on this mountain was a radio tower.
Fast forward 48 years. Now we have a few neighbors within 1 mile radius. My current system penetrates the foundation and the vibrations can be easily felt in the ground outside the house. On June 30th 2006, I was testing a new subwoofer system I'd installed. I was running at safe levels, but louder than I would listen to in the room. The Korean pop tune I used has a dominant 24Hz bass note in it. I took a walk up the road, about 1/4 mile, with my CEL 201 sound meter. Standing way at the end of the road, the low bass note was putting in 97dB. It had the sensation of when one of the Huey helicopters flies at treetop level over the neighborhood, from that vantage point. I quickly returned home and turned it way down, never to go that loud for an extended period again.
If you sell the 7's you can pick up a heck of a nice pair of headphones and a good headphone amp! Sorry for your dilemma.
The mistake was that you did not buy all of the property within a 1 mile radius
. There is still time, but the property values have probably risen .zz.
You need to put that in a POS car and then just blast it while stopped at a light. It would fit right in here in the Bay Area.
The mistake was that you did not buy all of the property within a 1 mile radius
zz.
The 1/2 acre I rent from the town (my inheritance), for which I pay the purchase price every year in rent (taxes), is surrounded by 14 acres of wetlands. With land going for close to a million an acre now, it's not gonna happen. I'm what's called and 'preexisting nuisance', so when the other neighbors moved in in the 1980s and beyond, they get what they get.
Back in the 70s, the closest thing to a bass pig was when Aerosmith rented the house nearest me and used to have band practices there. My other neighbor makes a lot of noise with his heavy earth moving machinery, usually on weekends and holidays.
As for me, I need two weeks to recover from a listening session. My ribs get pretty sore from the pounding of Johnny Guitar Watson's Moog bass. Besides, it's only every other Thursday that my wife is out of the house.
The 1/2 acre I rent from the town (my inheritance), for which I pay the purchase price every year in rent (taxes), is surrounded by 14 acres of wetlands. With land going for close to a million an acre now, it's not gonna happen. I'm what's called and 'preexisting nuisance', so when the other neighbors moved in in the 1980s and beyond, they get what they get.
Back in the 70s, the closest thing to a bass pig was when Aerosmith rented the house nearest me and used to have band practices there. My other neighbor makes a lot of noise with his heavy earth moving machinery, usually on weekends and holidays.
As for me, I need two weeks to recover from a listening session. My ribs get pretty sore from the pounding of Johnny Guitar Watson's Moog bass. Besides, it's only every other Thursday that my wife is out of the house.
People running and screaming as they leave your house, people getting sick, now your ribs get sore from your system and you need two weeks to recover from a listening session. Is that called a stereo system or a torture device?
Mark, hello. You and I have known each other for a while now. I think I may have just had an epiphany.
The fact that you talk bad things (with a recent thread here at the WBF), or at the very least down-talk about, things that are considered high end......have you ever considered that perhaps you along with others here have a VAST difference of listening criteria? As stated, you have to take two weeks to recover from a listening experience you enjoy. That's all good, no worries. My point is that others here (myself included) dread turning the rig off and yearn for the time we have to listen to it again. No recovery time involved.
As with the OP, we both could not listen at the levels you do even if we tried. To me, that's very impressive no doubt but beyond IMO the scope of accurate reproduction on a finer level. Building, creating and designing a system that can let you enjoy a 20Hz signal along with those upward of the frequency scale at a low to normal listening volume without disturbing neighbors even close to us IME presents a much different system than that which can shake the ground 500' away from the speakers themselves. There is a certain refinement that lower listening levels offer, even with the full range of frequencies and impact being offered. Isolation of gear, speakers and a plethora of isolation tweaks can help this refinement but having a system that can throw a rug with no audible sound certainly would IMO certainly demand different listening criteria than others on this board who spend the dough for the finer end of reproduction (regardless of specs).
Of course this post most certainly will not help the OP to try to isolate sounds emanating from within their residence and for that, I apologize for being off topic. Just thought I would chime in with you, as we haven't really spoke in a while.
Tom
The fact that you talk bad things (with a recent thread here at the WBF), or at the very least down-talk about, things that are considered high end......have you ever considered that perhaps you along with others here have a VAST difference of listening criteria? As stated, you have to take two weeks to recover from a listening experience you enjoy. That's all good, no worries. My point is that others here (myself included) dread turning the rig off and yearn for the time we have to listen to it again. No recovery time involved.
As with the OP, we both could not listen at the levels you do even if we tried. To me, that's very impressive no doubt but beyond IMO the scope of accurate reproduction on a finer level. Building, creating and designing a system that can let you enjoy a 20Hz signal along with those upward of the frequency scale at a low to normal listening volume without disturbing neighbors even close to us IME presents a much different system than that which can shake the ground 500' away from the speakers themselves. There is a certain refinement that lower listening levels offer, even with the full range of frequencies and impact being offered. Isolation of gear, speakers and a plethora of isolation tweaks can help this refinement but having a system that can throw a rug with no audible sound certainly would IMO certainly demand different listening criteria than others on this board who spend the dough for the finer end of reproduction (regardless of specs).
Of course this post most certainly will not help the OP to try to isolate sounds emanating from within their residence and for that, I apologize for being off topic. Just thought I would chime in with you, as we haven't really spoke in a while.
Tom
My design goal was a system for all seasons. Whether it be Vivaldi's or it be a pyrotechnic recording.
I have various listening modes, which vary dramatically with the genre of music.
If it's symphonic music, the volume level will be exactly at the level of a 4th row center listening experience.
If it's pop/rock/funk, I have totally different criteria. It's an excuse to get the bones rattling. And it feels good. But like sex with an amazon, you sometimes need some recovery time afterwards.
Pain and pleasure: it's all a matter of attitude.
I have various listening modes, which vary dramatically with the genre of music.
If it's symphonic music, the volume level will be exactly at the level of a 4th row center listening experience.
If it's pop/rock/funk, I have totally different criteria. It's an excuse to get the bones rattling. And it feels good. But like sex with an amazon, you sometimes need some recovery time afterwards.
Pain and pleasure: it's all a matter of attitude.
After a few days of using the Auralex platform, so far so good! No complaints just yet. I have also moved my speakers closer so I can listen at lower volume. Now the problem is 1) the speaker wobble as the Auralex platform is basically a thin piece of wood with foam underneath, and 2) I miss the sparkle and immediacy of the sound when put directly on the floor. But these two problems are small compared to not being able to listen to music at all...
Hi Leyenda,
Good to hear that it [may] be helping a bit. As discussed, the height of your speakers and the base are nearly identical to my Gryphon Colosseum...I did temporarily have it on there, but the wobbling was not ideal...its is now on Ultra 5s. However, I am not sure that is a good solution for you given what you are trying to accomplish.
If this works...I would suggest 'possibly' trying HRS M3s built to take the weight...or perhaps better, an Auralex but made of even more robust proportions...its basically plywood, acoustic foam and a carpeting on top of the wood. I suspect if you get someone to make these of thicker wood 1.5"-2" thick with the same quality acoustic foam underneath and some form of carpet on top...you probably have a more stable sound-insulating surface.
As for the sparkle...what happens if you try to spike the speakers to the wood of the Auralex? This is why I am wondering if either HRS M3 or a more robust platform helps in this regard.
Hi LL21, I completely understand what you mean by "wobbling" now. Before getting the Subdude I wasn't sure what you were referring to. I now have the speakers spiked to the wood of the Auralex. I don't feel comfortable having my speakers moving back and forth as I touch/push it, but at least it gives me hope that I can still enjoy my music without having to go headphone route
Hi LL21, I completely understand what you mean by "wobbling" now. Before getting the Subdude I wasn't sure what you were referring to. I now have the speakers spiked to the wood of the Auralex. I don't feel comfortable having my speakers moving back and forth as I touch/push it, but at least it gives me hope that I can still enjoy my music without having to go headphone route
Hi Leyenda,
I am glad at least we share the same observations...which is good from a communication standpoint. The Gryphon Colosseum is probably a far more delicate piece of equipment than your speakers...and on top of that, I can honestly say, unless you go pushing your speakers often, I cannot see them tipping over on their own.
My primary concern was that because my CDs are near the Gryphon, I did not want to accidentally bump it and cause it to fall...hence why I eventually switched after the 'experiment' with the Auralex worked.
In your case, you need a bit more than isolation for the speaker...you are isolating from the floor to the neighbour below...So again, if you think over the next 2 weeks it works...you may find a custom pair does not cost very much and it is a good permanent solution.
If you can, see your neighbour...tell him, you've actually bought something to cause him less problems...and then take 10 minutes to crank it and see if you both can hear it in his apartment.
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