Neighbours complaining about TV volume

[DisneyDreamer2023]

Hello, not sure if this is the right section of the forum to post.

I live in the UK in a top floor flat above one other neighbour.
I have a SamsungQE50Q80B QLED 4K Tv.
I don’t have any surround sound speakers or anything like that, the only volume is coming straight out of the TV speakers
I usually have my volume around 25-30/100
My TV is around 6 inches away from the wall on top of a cabinet that is around 18 inches high.

I work 9-5 Mon-Sat but by the time I travel home and then eat and shower and get chores done etc I’m usually ready to chill with a film around 7:30-8pm the latest.

My new neighbours are saying they can hear my TV and it’s keeping them awake as they go to bed early and they are threatening to report me for watching TV at night and keeping them awake.

Any solutions? I didn’t think volume from just tv speakers that’s positioned on a tall cabinet away from the walls would create that much noise! I would have understood if I had surround sound.

It would suck if the only time I can watch and enjoy a Blu-ray would be once a week on a Sunday daytime! I have a backlog to get through! Haha.

[Rzzzz]

Can your phone connect to your tv for sound with bluetooth? Mine does. If it does, get some of these...

https://www.amazon.com/JBL-Tune-510BT-Ear-Headphones/dp/B08WM3LMJF/ref=asc_df_B08WM3LMJF?tag=bingshoppinga-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80195744242430&hvnetw=o&hvq mt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=79899&hvt argid=pla-4583795273001166&th=1

I have an iPhone and Samsung TV.

[314carpenter]

Move

[JohnnyF]

Yeah- your best option is a Bluetooth headphone but aside from that, if you can place your tv in a different room/part of the room that could help.

Otherwise turn on the subtitles and keep it super quiet.

[Dankwai]

I don't know about Samsung but LG televisions have a Hotel mode where you can set the maximum volume the internal speakers on the TV can go to - amongst other things. For LG, I found out how to access it on youtube. I do this and set the maximum fairly low as I found I habitually set the volume too high and it's better for my hearing to reduce it.

Another option might be to buy a sound bar which has a subwoofer and that should allow you to redirect the sound (especially bass) away from the neighbour's wall. I have a cheap Sony s40 soundbar (wired version, I don't know if the non-wired version would be better) and the subwoofer is connected by HDMI so i was able to move the subwoofer to the opposite wall using a long HDMI cable. I can move the surround sound speakers a bit too (although less flexibly as i cannot extend the leads on them as they are not connected using HDMI)

[Hombre1]

Most Tv-'s have a audio setting for wall-mounting or cabinet and some sort of dynamic compression.

For late-night TV viewing, consider enabling a "Night Mode" or "Dynamic Range Compression" setting, which can reduce loud noises like explosions and make quieter sounds, like dialogue, more audible without needing to raise the overall volume. This can help prevent disturbing others in the house while still allowing you to follow the program.

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

1. Locate the Audio Settings:
Use your TV remote to access the Settings menu. Look for sections labeled "Audio," "Sound," or similar.

2. Identify Night Mode or Dynamic Range Compression:
Many TVs offer a "Night Mode" or "Dynamic Range Compression" (DRC) setting, sometimes within the "Sound Mode" options.
If you don't see these specific names, look for options that adjust the dynamic range of the audio or enhance dialogue.

3. Enable the Feature:
Select the Night Mode or DRC option, or choose a sound mode that emphasizes speech, like "Speech," "Dialogue," or "News".
Some TVs have an "Amplify" mode that can also help boost voices.

4. Optimize further (Optional):
If you're still having trouble hearing dialogue, consider turning off other audio enhancements like "Bass Boost" or "Surround Sound," which can sometimes muffle voices, according to a YouTube video from 2021.

For even finer adjustments, some TVs allow you to manually tweak individual sound frequencies, like bass and treble, to improve speech clarity.

Originally Posted by DisneyDreamer2023

Hello, not sure if this is the right section of the forum to post.

I live in the UK in a top floor flat above one other neighbour.
I have a SamsungQE50Q80B QLED 4K Tv.
I don’t have any surround sound speakers or anything like that, the only volume is coming straight out of the TV speakers
I usually have my volume around 25-30/100
My TV is around 6 inches away from the wall on top of a cabinet that is around 18 inches high.

I work 9-5 Mon-Sat but by the time I travel home and then eat and shower and get chores done etc I’m usually ready to chill with a film around 7:30-8pm the latest.

My new neighbours are saying they can hear my TV and it’s keeping them awake as they go to bed early and they are threatening to report me for watching TV at night and keeping them awake.

Any solutions? I didn’t think volume from just tv speakers that’s positioned on a tall cabinet away from the walls would create that much noise! I would have understood if I had surround sound.

It would suck if the only time I can watch and enjoy a Blu-ray would be once a week on a Sunday daytime! I have a backlog to get through! Haha.

[BiggusDickus]

I used to live in a flat that was a converted old house and the floors were wafer thin. The woman upstairs had her TV on late sometimes, and in my bedroom below i could hear it at night, quiet but distinct. I never imagined a TV above me that was not facing towards me in anyway could reach me at low(ish) sound levels, but acoustics combined with thin walls/floors can have an effect.

In the next flat i moved into, i started using wireless headphones when i watched TV, so as someone suggested, bluetooth headphones might be a good option, if you want to keep your neighbours on your good side.

[Doc Samson]

When I lived in an apartment, I used these religiously. They work on a radio frequency so there isn't any latency. They just plug right into 3.5mm or White/Red RCA. All controls are on the headphones themselves and then you just dock them back on the stand to charge.

https://www.amazon.ca/Sennheiser-RS-...zcF9hdGY&psc=1

[Doomhunter]

I don’t think folks have a leg to stand on for any noise before 11 pm. Or at the earliest 10-10:30 or so. And I’m sure police would say the same about noise complaints

[AKORIS]

Originally Posted by Doomhunter

I don’t think folks have a leg to stand on for any noise before 11 pm. Or at the earliest 10-10:30 or so. And I’m sure police would say the same about noise complaints

I was going to say the same thing. It's common knowledge that noise before 10pm is generally acceptable, especially from regular TV speakers that aren't that loud. Watch your movies at 7:30 0r 8 and finish them by 10.

If that's not good enough contact your manager/landlord... they (neighbors) are being unreasonable...

[Shane Rollins]

Originally Posted by DisneyDreamer2023

Hello, not sure if this is the right section of the forum to post.

I live in the UK in a top floor flat above one other neighbour.
I have a SamsungQE50Q80B QLED 4K Tv.
I don’t have any surround sound speakers or anything like that, the only volume is coming straight out of the TV speakers
I usually have my volume around 25-30/100
My TV is around 6 inches away from the wall on top of a cabinet that is around 18 inches high.

I work 9-5 Mon-Sat but by the time I travel home and then eat and shower and get chores done etc I’m usually ready to chill with a film around 7:30-8pm the latest.

My new neighbours are saying they can hear my TV and it’s keeping them awake as they go to bed early and they are threatening to report me for watching TV at night and keeping them awake.

Any solutions? I didn’t think volume from just tv speakers that’s positioned on a tall cabinet away from the walls would create that much noise! I would have understood if I had surround sound.

It would suck if the only time I can watch and enjoy a Blu-ray would be once a week on a Sunday daytime! I have a backlog to get through! Haha.

They're just jealous because your hardware's nicer than their's! Be a pal and just turn it up a bit so they can hear it better, and they'll love you!

[BiggusDickus]

Originally Posted by Doc Samson

When I lived in an apartment, I used these religiously. They work on a radio frequency so there isn't any latency. They just plug right into 3.5mm or White/Red RCA. All controls are on the headphones themselves and then you just dock them back on the stand to charge.

https://www.amazon.ca/Sennheiser-RS-...zcF9hdGY&psc=1

Nice! A bit more modern than my Sennheiser pair - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00SBBMFLC - which i got in 2017, still a nice set, replaced the rechargeable batteries and the ear pads at least once ...

[filmbuffTX]

If you live in a multi-family dwelling then there's a reasonable expectation that you will regularly hear sounds coming from your neighbors' unit(s). You're just watching TV, it's not like you're hosting loud parties every night. You also were living there first. Hopefully your neighbors can just chill and get used to it.

[critterdvd]

Not sure about UK law, but in California you can legally make as much noise as you want (obviously within reason) between 8am and 10pm.

[Doomhunter]

Take with a grain of salt as AI

IMG_2686.jpg

[R3P0]

Originally Posted by DisneyDreamer2023

Hello, not sure if this is the right section of the forum to post.

I live in the UK in a top floor flat above one other neighbour.
I have a SamsungQE50Q80B QLED 4K Tv.
I don’t have any surround sound speakers or anything like that, the only volume is coming straight out of the TV speakers
I usually have my volume around 25-30/100
My TV is around 6 inches away from the wall on top of a cabinet that is around 18 inches high.

I work 9-5 Mon-Sat but by the time I travel home and then eat and shower and get chores done etc I’m usually ready to chill with a film around 7:30-8pm the latest.

My new neighbours are saying they can hear my TV and it’s keeping them awake as they go to bed early and they are threatening to report me for watching TV at night and keeping them awake.

Any solutions? I didn’t think volume from just tv speakers that’s positioned on a tall cabinet away from the walls would create that much noise! I would have understood if I had surround sound.

It would suck if the only time I can watch and enjoy a Blu-ray would be once a week on a Sunday daytime! I have a backlog to get through! Haha.

Check with your apartment complex. They may have used thin drywall and no insulation in between the studs. If this is the case you have 3 options

1. Get them to put insulation in place.
2. Headphones
3. Buy soundproofing to put over the front of the wall.

Your neighbors may also have 0 standing. in my town in USA we have a 11pm quiet time rule by law. It is possible you have something like this over in the UK. You can also contact complex and file harassment against your neighbors (I would not recommend this option as if they hate you now they will hate you more)

Also 30 can be pretty loud, my sons room down from ours and on my Sony 30/100 is clear as day in his room down the hall. Try turning it down to 18 and then ask the neighbors if you can come over to check the volume.

Whether they go to sleep early or not 8pm is ridiculous to assume you will adhere to their schedule.

[Jay H.]

This thread is bringing back ugly memories of my apartment days...

[Shane Rollins]

Originally Posted by Jay H.

This thread is bringing back ugly memories of my apartment days...

At my aunt's apartment, her neighbors would add their two cents to whatever we were saying through the walls. That was fun.

It also reminds me of a bit in a Cosmopolitan magazine I read once. I'll clean it up a bit, but it should be obvious. "When we were done, I sneezed, and the neighbor next door yelled, 'Bless you!'

Needless to say, my date never called me back."

[HotRats]

UK law is nowhere near as strict as Swiss but it is pretty tough. Noise complaints aren't handled by the police, the local council will have a complaints unit and will send out staff to hear the noise and if they think it's a nuisance and causing distress to the complainant they'll send warning letters. If the noise continues they'll begin legal proceedings which will end in a court case.

British buildings are shoddy and poorly sound insulated, flat conversions are the worst because the floor/ceiling void. Much of British housing dates back to when the loudest thing available was a Dansette, if you were rich enough to afford one. Sound insulation is difficult to retrofit as it's usually the bass frequencies that cause the most nuisance and are hardest to break up. Carpet or thick rugs with a dense rubber crumb underlay is a good place to start and rugs may be hung on the wall for decoration and sound muffling.

Cheapest solution is headphones, if you want to block out other people's noise then the Sony MX range are the class leaders but they are hot when worn for prolonged periods. But the sound leakage from open back headphones shouldn't be a problem, so find any that suit and if you want more comfort look at replacement pads by makers like Yaxi

[Deadend45]

Try using a soundbar close to you if you dont want to use headphones.