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?
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I've been on both sides of this one. It is absolutely not your right to listen to music as loud as you like. Check the laws, there are loudness ordinances where I live. I called the police regularly on one particular neighbor who used to crank his subwoofers whenever he felt like, $100 tickets finally convinced him otherwise. I now have my peace and quiet (my right) along with an enemy, this exchange has been ok with me.

As an audiophile, I too have the need to crank my system, I'm just much more considerate, have foregone a subwoofer and crank only when other neighbors not home.

Listening to your system is not a right when it infringes on other's rights to the peaceful use of their own property. Considerate use of one's audio system is mandatory, its a moral imperative to consider the impact on others. Those who fail to acknowledge this are subject to the consequence of laws designed to enforce morality.

Having said this, it is still worthwhile to seek out compromise with the neighbors, many above suggestions are very good. Sounds like you listen at a moderate level, very likely a bass issue. If that is the case, there is very little that can be done, bass waves travel through most building materials quite readily. Stand mounted monitors, foregoing bass may be your only answer.
Thanks to everyone for offering suggestions. My Cerious Too/Bass do have separate woofers, that are decoupled using cones. The monitors also sit on sistrum stands that are cones on each end of the stand.

As I mentioned I don't hear anything from any other units in the building.
They are a retired couple, so perhaps their idea of quiet is different than mine.

I'm off on vacation for 10 days or so, so they can enjoy their quiet.

My dream of course is to one day (maybe soon) buy a place that has enough space to build a dedicated double walled sound room with floating floor.

Since this is a rental, I can't do much to modify it. I did put up 6 2'X4' panels I put up to absorb bass.
Tread softly my friend.....was that not a "retired couple" in 'Rosemary's Baby" ??
Spikes or cones cause coupling to the floor. You want to isolate. If you already have carpet, and already have spikes on the speakers, put a slab of maple or slate inbetween. This will not affect the sound and will keep the speakers from mechanically driving the floor. However, it will not stop the acoustic wave energy from affecting the floor, ceiling and walls. That would need to be dealt with by increasing the mass of the walls.
Living in an apartment or relatively close space and playing music at "realistic levels" just plain doesn't mix. I have a great stereo and would never even consider the possibility. -Lars-