New fantastic room but system pissing off neighbor


I recently moved from a typical tight apartment (though with high ceilings), to a large loft space (35x28X14) and the increase in fidelity I am getting is pretty significant. I think it has to do with obviously having to drive the system much harder, actually opening up the volume pots close to or at 12 o'clock, and mostly giving the speakers much more physical room to breath. I seem to be hearing more detail, better individual instruments and into the music much further. This is aside from the expected added stage depth and width I am now getting.

So that's the good news. However, one neighbor (on the far side of the system over 40 feet away) once casually mentioned to me that sound in this building travels. I was surprised since the building is quite old, of stone, and brick, built like a bunker, was later divided into apartments using cinderblock and sheetrock walls, as opposed to just sheetrock like our old place).

So I looked at what might cause sound leakage, and realized the bathrooms share a common vent. I now make sure to close all bathroom doors before listening, and only listen loud for fairly short times in the afternoon, early evenings, etc. No one downstairs, or in the unit right next to the wall where the system is has complained. Not that it matters that much, but since I play only LP's there is lots of down time in between sides, while LP's are cleaned, periphery ring and clamp is installed, etc, so it's not continuous music by any means.

Now these neighbors that were formerly friendly enough when we saw them in the hallways, seem to not want to talk to us at all, and now seem to go out of their way to be unfriendly. The only thing that has changed is that I got my system up and running.

Should I give up on the idea of playing back music at realistic volumes? (we're only talking about 85 db on average or so, I don't listen that loud)

Should I just forget about it and have the attitude that I'm doing my best to keep doors closed, etc, and that noise is part of urban living, etc.

The funny thing is I've never heard sound from any other apartments, except for faintly, when right next to those bathroom vents.

Listening to music is obviously important and therapeutic for me.

Anyone else dealt with similar problems?
emailists
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So I looked at what might cause sound leakage, and realized the bathrooms share a common vent.
Emailists
How about the kitchen? Is there a shared vent?
How close are your outside windows to that of the neighbors on each side yours.

Then there is the front door. Have your wife stand in the corridor outside your apartment with the door closed. Sound will travel through a door.

And as Jaybo said in his post, loose the sub.

In reading your post several times, there was only a fairly vague mention of sound, one time, by one neighbor and it didn't contain an actual complaint or a request to do anything different.

Now you are divining the level of friendliness in hallway meetings and drawing specific conclusions that it must be all about you.

Rather than read tea leaves, why don't you just ask your neighbors? Maybe you're right and you can find out what needs to be done. Or, maybe you're wrong and it has nothing to do with your music. Could be their dog died, or you're not using enough deodorant.

If you just "assume" you'll likely fix things that don't need fixing.

Asking not only clarifies the real issue, whatever it is, it also shows you're interested in being a good neighbor. Most people respond quite well to that approach.
Soundproof the adjoining walls with your neighbors. Use 545THX Quietrock Drywall. Even better if you can use it on all walls in the audio room. The cinderblock walls between units actually act as transducers. Decouple the speakers and the sub from the floor with spikes or raised platforms that eliminate as much contact with the floor as possible. These improvements will also improve the audio reproduction in your room. It's a win-win situation for you and your neighbors.
http://www.quietsolution.com/html/quietrock.html?gclid=CNjjtbKYr5kCFRFWagodaDABJw
I lived in appartments three times, once in Paris and twice in different cities in Italy.

I used Bose.

My main equipment was left in cartons.

Enough said.