Quote:
Gillian wrote:
 ... I cannot hear a single bit of dialogue, so I know that my neighbors have thought that they were being considerate by keeping the volume at a respectable level. It's the incessant vibrations and reverberations that drive me nuts. |
The mid to high range frequencies won't pass through the floor in the condo as it would have some soundproofing being that it's a condo and building codes usually dictate a certain STC level (60+ I think). Bass will pass through though and STC levels are measured for frequencies above 125Hz (100Hz for IIC). An STC level of 60 will reduce a 90dB sound to 30dB which is pretty quiet but the bass might be 60dB which is definitely not quiet.
In typical condo construction the builder is not going to go the extra mile to improve soundproofing more than he has to. Typically the lowest bidder wins and extra soundproofing could kill the deal for him. Even when using normal soundproofing (ie: double drywall, resilient channel, etc) the contractor can sometimes mess up and the end result is a slightly less than desired STC level. The building inspector isn't going to test sound levels, unless it's grossly apparent, and will just assume from the architectural drawings and rough building inspection that it is correct.
My sister-in-law lives in my basement and is a huge Hip Hop fan. I live in a detached house and have done some sound proofing but the deep bass can still be heard pounding away. The sound energy goes right through the structural supports from the basement to the first level. I can't hear anything on the third level though.
She is playing her music from her computer with a Logitech 2.1 setup (sub + small speakers). She listens to it a little louder than normal. What I did to mitigate it slightly was to put the sub on a rubber pad (I can still hear it though). Your upstairs neighbours, as well as my sister-in-law, really need to respect the volume level they listen with.
My advice would be to speak nicely with your upper neighbours or write them a note. Mention that you can hear that they have a big sound system up there and it's interfering (and you're upset that you never get invited over to watch movies). They probably don't have a clue that they have things too loud as no one has complained (yet). Tell them to turn their sub down, move it to another position in the room, use night mode, or listen at lower volume levels. The other option (if they aren't nice people) is to file a noise complaint with the police or landlord.
Plain and simple though...a HT or stereo with lots of bass isn't appropriate at high volume level in an apartment or condo. It's all about respect and I find a lot of people these days do not consider others.