Audiophiles and apartments: Oil and water?


I live in an apartment, and am thus constrained when it comes to the volume at which I listen. However, I tend to view this as a glass-is-half-full kind of situation, because when I do have the opportunity for serious listening (when the downstairs neighbor is gone) I appreciate it that much more. How do you handle your situation in an apartment or other close-living quarters?

Tim
smorkinlabbit
I was lucky enough to find an apartment that was of steel and concrete construction and they advertised it as such. I still didn't go absolutely nuts but I never received a call in the three years I lived there.
I was fortunate to visit Mitch4t's downtown LA artist's loft last Sunday. Artists are a very forgiving group of people. They'd have to be with Mitch's FOUR Pass Labs X600 monoblocks and Velodyne DD18.
I solved my Audiophile apartment problem, by moving into an apt complex for the deaf.
one solution is to find a pair of speakers which sound good at low volume levels.

as it happens i don't play music loud and live in a one
family house.
I've found it helpful to get to know my neighbors. That way, if there are any volume issues, things are more likely to be settable amicably. Also, common sense--no loud music past 10, generally play at a moderate level, avoid boomy systems (e.g. even if your speakers are high quality, get them on the proper stands). I've been in dorms and then apartments for almost 20 years now. I've never had a complaint (except in the dorms, when my neighbor decided to try to blast me out of my room--being a man with a big stereo, well, one must retaliate).

I think that as more people get "home theater" systems with horrible, boomy subwoofers, people are getting more used to hearing their neighbor's music.

I've lived in college towns the whole time, so most of the people around me have been younger.