Condo owners, I want your feedback!!!

[liquidice]

Curious if there are owners of condos with the typical construction of 10" of concrete between each unit. If you live in one, I would like to know how your sound travels though to other units, if you would happen to know (probably in the form of neighbor complaints )

Only reason I ask is because I'm looking into getting one, but I'm wondering how much I'm going to have to restrict my volume output. I obviously don't want to movie in and start pissing everyone off.

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by liquidice

Curious if there are owners of condos with the typical construction of 10" of concrete between each unit. If you live in one, I would like to know how your sound travels though to other units, if you would happen to know (probably in the form of neighbor complaints )

Only reason I ask is because I'm looking into getting one, but I'm wondering how much I'm going to have to restrict my volume output. I obviously don't want to movie in and start pissing everyone off.

I don't have one now.... but lived in one in the past... The noise from the neighbors above walking around was pretty significant.... so I imagine the person living above/below (if applicable) would be the biggest issue.

[liquidice]

Beta, didn't you used to have a Blue Meanie as your avatar? Did you know that artist just died?

[ditch-digger]

lived in before i bought the house. had the system in the basement level. 3/4" drywall on either side of of the foundation. and it still could be heard by the neighbors.

good luck

[Nick4Blu_81]

I live in a condo and my neighbors hate me!

[jomari]

it really depends on the foundation and how the building was built. some condos have great insulations, others dont. ive lived in an apartment for some time, and results do vary.

you can only do so much isolation, sound treatments, and other tricks of the trade, but cant really address the neighbors perception. good relations are in order, to keep your head, and theirs, intact.

as much as id suggest, id rather get a home instead. but then again, im not familiar with your contraints mad scientist.

best of luck bud.

[jamacianman83]

Most condos do not have much separating one unit to the next. My neighbors can hear me and I can hear them pretty well. If you don't want to get a lot of complaints better keep the home theater volume pretty low.

[crazyBLUE]

Originally Posted by jamacianman83

Most condos do not have much separating one unit to the next. My neighbors can hear me and I can hear them pretty well. If you don't want to get a lot of complaints better keep the home theater volume pretty low.

Or just know when you can enjoy you're system & not bother anyone ! I come home from work every day & my condo building is empty for 3 hours ! So I can be as loud as I want with A Blu .

[SDBlu]

I'm in a two-story condo now and luckily I only share one wall with a neighbor. I am also very lucky my neighbor is a cool dude. I am certain he can hear and feel when I am watching a blu. The trick is to keep a cool relationship with the neighbors and blast the system at reasonable times. I never blast mine after 10-11pm.

[liquidice]

this is all very depressing to tell you the truth. For where I'm moving, a condo I'm looking at is going to be ideal, at least for a year before I can get serious about a house. I do know that each unit is separated by 10" of concrete, so that should definitely help the sound matters, but I am going to miss those wine fueled nights where I try and see how long I can take listening to 0db setting on receiver!!! Oh well, only a year.

[crazyBLUE]

Originally Posted by liquidice

this is all very depressing to tell you the truth. For where I'm moving, a condo I'm looking at is going to be ideal, at least for a year before I can get serious about a house. I do know that each unit is separated by 10" of concrete, so that should definitely help the sound matters, but I am going to miss those wine fueled nights where I try and see how long I can take listening to 0db setting on receiver!!! Oh well, only a year.

If wear you are moving to has 10" of concrete between the units ice , I don't think you will have that many issues . I would think the concrete would stop the sound from going threw to the other unit . Vibration from A cranked up sub might be an Issue ! Sorry I couldn't help more !!

[MrFattBill]

Originally Posted by MarcosG

I'm in a two-story condo now and luckily I only share one wall with a neighbor. I am also very lucky my neighbor is a cool dude. I am certain he can hear and feel when I am watching a blu. The trick is to keep a cool relationship with the neighbors and blast the system at reasonable times. I never blast mine after 10-11pm.

Have you ever invited him over to partake in the movie enjoyment? I live in a house but still invite mine over from time to time so that if they happen to hear me watching something a little loud at say 2AM on a cool night they at least understand what all the noise is about

To the OP, try and establish a good relationship with the neighbors so if there are times when it's too loud it won't evolve into a feud....nothing worse then living around people you can't get along with.

Bill

[househead]

I'm in a 2 story townhouse with 10" concrete between. I have three 4" x 2ft x 4ft sound absorption panels up on the wall. I also dialed down my sub and added aura bass shakers under the couch. Just do some tweaking and test how far you can push it (in a non jackass way).

My system still gets JACKED up for movies/music and sounds awesome. As someone mentioned the relationship with the neighbor(s) is probably the most important factor.

There's jerks that will complain if they hear you sneeze or a dog bark, and then there's cool people like my neighbor who will let you get away with probably too much (ha!). It probably helps that I mow her lawn for free.

Good luck man!

[SDBlu]

Originally Posted by MrFattBill

Have you ever invited him over to partake in the movie enjoyment? I live in a house but still invite mine over from time to time so that if they happen to hear me watching something a little loud at say 2AM on a cool night they at least understand what all the noise is about

To the OP, try and establish a good relationship with the neighbors so if there are times when it's too loud it won't evolve into a feud....nothing worse then living around people you can't get along with.

Bill

Haven't invited him over as of yet, but that is probably a good idea. I've also noticed that about a month or so ago, I've been hearing some rumblings from what sounds like a subwoofer coming from his unit. I'd like to think that I influenced him to seek out a Home Theater of his own.

[Vento_Dub9]

I currently live in a 2 story condo, but I'm lucky to live on the end so I don't have to worry about it from both sides. My neighbors are young newly weds so I don't think I'll have to worry about it too much. Just have some respect on when you crank it and you should be fine.

[kwayneg]

I live in one and I hate my neighbors. I'm really careful about the noise I make, but I don't receive the same courtsey. Above me they purchased a cheap treadmill and it sounds like a jet engine everytime they run on it and below me the chick purchased a guitar and thinks she's Michelle Branch. Sound proofing is expensive but if you're planning on having movie nights it's worth it and it will add to the value of your unit.

[jdc115]

Originally Posted by liquidice

this is all very depressing to tell you the truth. For where I'm moving, a condo I'm looking at is going to be ideal, at least for a year before I can get serious about a house. I do know that each unit is separated by 10" of concrete, so that should definitely help the sound matters, but I am going to miss those wine fueled nights where I try and see how long I can take listening to 0db setting on receiver!!! Oh well, only a year.

If you have concrete between the units then it might be ok. I live in a condo unit in Singapore which are built of concrete walls and tile floors and very little sound travels between the units. I have actually never heard my neighbors make any noise at all and they have never complained though probably can hear me from time to time.

I do not miss the US style apartments and condos that all use dry wall.

[kpkelley]

Does anyone remember the story last year where a couple of twenty-somethings had their door broken down because their elderly neighbor heard gunshots? Turns out they were merely playing COD: Modern Warfare. You can't tell her it's not realistic

[brettallica]

Originally Posted by liquidice

this is all very depressing to tell you the truth. For where I'm moving, a condo I'm looking at is going to be ideal, at least for a year before I can get serious about a house. I do know that each unit is separated by 10" of concrete, so that should definitely help the sound matters, but I am going to miss those wine fueled nights where I try and see how long I can take listening to 0db setting on receiver!!! Oh well, only a year.

I own a condo, and each unit is not protected/insulated with cement. Our last next-door neighbors (they were renting from the owners of the unit) would get pretty crazy with their movies, and you could really only hear the bass on the super-deep hits. I never went over there to check out their system to see what kind out equipment they had, but my guess is that it was at least adequate. I remember watching them move out, and their TV was a monster Pioneer projection, so I know they probably spared little expense on the audio portion of their theater as well. What I'm getting at is it wasn't that bad. We rarely go past -20db (if that), and that's plenty for us. Not sure what the neighbors think of us, but no one has called us on it or given us dirty looks.

[repete66211]

My condo is on the second floor. I have concrete between the floors, but I don't know how thick it is. I don't know my downstairs neighbor very well, but right after I bought my original 5.1 set (Polk RM6750) I told her to let me know if it is too loud. She's pretty cool and I don't crank my volume much, so I haven't heard from her yet. I'm probably more likely to annoy the neighbors next to me through the drywall than I am the one below through the concrete floor.