sick of downstairs neighbors!

cstmar01

freakin' A seriously. I have my music probably at a moderate level, the fan in my bathroom is louder and they come aknocking on my door. seriously its a level 3 on my pre.

I know I'm in an upper but seriously? its 9 my TV is louder than this. any advice of what to do? I've had it with them this time and refuse to answer my door seeing they have even complained about me "talking too loud" to someone I was on the phone with, and I was not yelling or anything like that.

Pycroft

Not sure what you can do other than move. It's tough with apartment living. Ask what kind of music they like, and play it every once in a while?

Best of luck!

cstmar01

Pycroft wrote: »

Not sure what you can do other than move. It's tough with apartment living. Ask what kind of music they like, and play it every once in a while?

Best of luck!

christian music. yep thats all they like. yet I have to hear them yelling at the top of their lungs all the freakin' time at each other as he doesn't have a job and she just got done working two shifts in a row and blah blah blah.

I guess next time I"m just going to say call the cops on me if you don't like it seeing the cops wouldn't be able to hear anything if they came.

sorry I just really needed to vent. Has anyone else run into a problem like this? All the other places I've lived I've never had a problem accept here. Before my old place I would blast and I mean blast music so the whole place was rattiling until 5 in the morning, here even if its a whisper its like forsaken.

dkg999

Record them yelling at each other and have it ready to play back to them the next time they knock on the door. Reality bites.

jimsvm

Call the cops on him.

lanchile

just put carpet or move out.;)

cstmar01

jimsvm wrote: »

Call the cops on him.

I should.

and what bothers me too is the first time he came and complained he tried to walk into my apartment at which I got mad and closed the door enough so he couldn't. He also was looking around at the stuff in my place and kept asking for the "true owner" to come forward at which I was like I'm the only one that lives here. I'm not sure if he thinks that its odd for a person (23 years old) to live in my apartment by myself or what, or if he's just nosy.

maximillian

Could be the bass that travels more and doesn't seem that loud to you. Have you tried "night mode"?

billbillw

Buy a house. I lived in apartments for about 7 years and had problems with neighbors in just about every place I lived. One time were were on the verge of getting evicted due to the numerous complaints by the family (2 young kids) living in a small 2 bedroom below us. They complained the night I moved in. They complained every time we played music. They called and complained one night because I was making brownies and was tapping the pan on the counter to spread out the batter! Bottom line, apartment living and hi-fi do not really mix well.

cstmar01

maximillian wrote: »

Could be the bass that travels more and doesn't seem that loud to you. Have you tried "night mode"?

I don't have a night mode on a 2 channel system.

and I was going to buy a house, however there were problems and the deal feel through (they didn't winterize the property correctly causing all the pipes to freeze and would not come down on the price as I would have to gut it and redo everything) so that was a no go and haven't found anything close to the price/(original)condition that I would buy here. Plus I will probably be getting a different job in 2 years so it didn't make sense for me to buy a house right now as its a lot easier to pack up and move when you are a renter. (was going to make it into a rental, butttt I don't want to have to be tied down to something here that I can't watch myself) I'm not paying a ton right now for the place I am at, so don't really want to move as it doesn't make sense (for the deal I got) besides them down there.

They just don't seem to understand the concept of apartment living. The person before me was an 80 year old woman that had to move into a nursing home, so they were used to dead quite living thats what the land lord told me. I've never had anyone else complain in my building about me besides them.

Echosphere

dkg999 wrote: »

Record them yelling at each other and have it ready to play back to them the next time they knock on the door. Reality bites.

Second the notion.

BTW try this: Next time when they knock be polite and ask if you can come down for a sec to see how bad it is. Two things will happen; they'll say no or say yes. If they say no, then say call the police next time and bid them a nice day (they are lying or the place is meth lab). If they say yes, then you might have an issue. Bass frequencies are clingy unique buggers and could be infecting them.

Btw, are you sure you didn't piss them off in the past and they are using this excuse to mess with you? Are you sleeping with her? Those loud arguments late night about her having a "headache" etc.

Anyways, go down and actually listen to it if they say yes. Like a crappy Bose reflex system you might find that your bass leaks down there. I had a neighbor 1 floor below and then 2 places over who could hear my music bass in her place, but the downstairs neighbor REALLY could not hear it, I checked.

Meaning it has to do with the wall construction and most importantly, load walls and beams. They can transfer and amplify lower frequencies which your Polks most defiantly have right?

Don't always discount others but also investigate like the fuzz.

Yeah, you might have to move to enjoy your music if it is true that your bass is coupling to the downstairs. In the interim you could put them some folded towels and/or polystyrene to help decouple them. You won't like it, but less knocking.

Oh, and when they yell, just go down and ask them to quiet down as you can't hear Rush Limbaugh yelling over them. That'll confuse em.

Good luck and let me know how it works out.

zarrdoss

headphones or move, this will only get worse.

Echosphere

After reading about the old woman, zarrdoss is right. They are used to a non person living above. You walking at night to pee will annoy them. Anything will annoy them.

Just have to say "just buy a house" isn't always an option.

Jut play it louder, till you can move out. Still, I would politely ask if you can come down to hear it.

Remember also, if their arguments are of a threatening nature, it is your obligation to report it the authorities.

If they walk into your place uninvited you should call the police. Immediately.

That is not about retribution, but required by law.

Last note: What if you ask them about a good time during the day and week to play? See what they say.

TouchOfEvil

I have had similar issues in the past. The neighbor three apts down the called the cops on me when nothing was on except my computer...which was not loud. Cops came asked what i had on told him just my comp. He never heard anything so he basically told them do not call again unless there is a real problem.

cstmar01

well I have done a bit of research. See I have a two bedroom place, they live in a one bedroom. Right below the one bedroom of mine is the laundry room at which is also a closet that goes a bit under my 2nd room. One day for kicks I took what I had the first time they complained (TSI 100 and a yahama AVR) and moved it into the room right above the laundry room. I had to have the dial turned to about 0 before I could make out any sound (and no the dryers nor anything else was on, I was alone in the place as it was a Saturday and everyone was gone) so there was not any outside noise to interfere. I normally listed at a -30.

I'm going to do it again maybe this sunday and move some stuff into the room and listen and see if I can figure anything out.

I will try the recommendation of asking to come into their place to hear, because even though I heard in the one bedroom it could be different in the other who knows.

cstmar01

Echosphere wrote: »

After reading about the old woman, zarrdoss is right. They are used to a non person living above. You walking at night to pee will annoy them. Anything will annoy them.

Just have to say "just buy a house" isn't always an option.

Jut play it louder, till you can move out. Still, I would politely ask if you can come down to hear it.

Remember also, if their arguments are of a threatening nature, it is your obligation to report it the authorities.

If they walk into your place uninvited you should call the police. Immediately.

That is not about retribution, but required by law.

Last note: What if you ask them about a good time during the day and week to play? See what they say.

I tried this once and had the door slammed in my face. So I took it as a not ever type of additude. I try and watch to see when there car is around (as they never park it in their garage) when I can play stuff louder but sometimes its just annoying to have to keep a look out for something that I feel I shouldn't have to do.

Oh and they did tell my girlfriend once too that someone walked too loudly in my place when they saw her coming over one day so yeah they just used to no noise which to me is annoying.

Conradicles

Have you tried becoming friends with them?

TouchOfEvil

A nice set of headphones and a good amp might go a long way.

tonyb

TouchOfEvil wrote: »

A nice set of headphones and a good amp might go a long way.

Yep,wireless cans maybe even better for him.

gtu2004

i guess even though you think it wasn't loud, it may still be bothering them. it's not like they made up the story abt you playing music when you didn't. Fact is they heard, and it annoyed them.

zarrdoss

probably people that are not used to living in apartments and your right they don't want to hear ANYTHING, you live in an apartment, especially these cheap made ones today and you will hear your neighbors. But like I said you will never get them to understand that or reach a compromise, so move, apartments suck anyway, like a sick social experiment.

ben62670

Recording someone without permission is a felony in some states. I know.

TouchOfEvil

ben62670 wrote: »

Recording someone without permission is a felony in some states. I know.

just vocals is illegal?

ben62670

Video is OK. Voice is not.

Echosphere

TouchOfEvil wrote: »

I have had similar issues in the past. The neighbor three apts down the called the cops on me when nothing was on except my computer...which was not loud. Cops came asked what i had on told him just my comp. He never heard anything so he basically told them do not call again unless there is a real problem.

Well, you are Evil?

Echosphere

Conradicles wrote: »

Have you tried becoming friends with them?

Fack that, get a subwoofer. Tell them, as you bring it up the stairs: "Say hello to my little friend" (no disrespect corn)

TouchOfEvil

Echosphere wrote: »

Well, you are Evil?

Just a Touch though. I'm the diet coke of evil hehe.

WastelandWand'r

As a rule of thumb, unless you are an employee of the federal govt, and only then certain, uhmm... agencies in it, would you be safe recording someone without their consent or knowledge.
About the only other instance would be if you are standing there in a uniform and they know they are talking to the 5-Oh.

There are some other obscure instances but they dont really apply here.

Sorry to hear about the situation. Remember, some people are only happy when they are pissing and moaning about things and it sounds like they may be that type.

Best of Luck,
Nathan

Echosphere

Common sense:
If you record in your own private residence and sound is coming from outside. It is legal.

If it is of a public nature you can record video and audio. True, wiretapping laws do have more issues about when not to.

The neighbor walked into his place. They will not talk to him. They confronted his girlfriend. People have a right to walk and breathe.

Sadly you need to turn it down a bit.

Btw, do they know the old woman's name? Just curious. It establishes dialog and legal medaphor.

Have you talked to the landlord?

They just might need to leave themselves. Don't kick yourself out, yet?

Echosphere

WastelandWand'r wrote: »

As a rule of thumb, unless you are an employee of the federal govt, and only then certain, uhmm... agencies in it, would you be safe recording someone without their consent or knowledge.
About the only other instance would be if you are standing there in a uniform and they know they are talking to the 5-Oh.

There are some other obscure instances but they dont really apply here.

Sorry to hear about the situation. Remember, some people are only happy when they are pissing and moaning about things and it sounds like they may be that type.

Best of Luck,
Nathan

That is very true. Sigh. I hate Palinland.

Mon40CSMM10

First, go stand in the corners of the room nearest and opposite the speakers (and subwoofer, if installed) and turn the volume to the listening level that is getting complaints (best done when they are not home). That's more or less the bass level the downstairs neighbors are likely getting transferred to their ceiling, that they may be complaining about.

Second, accept that in an apartment it will usually not be possible to have the deepest punchiest bass even at lower levels (unless all the residents in nearby apartments like to turn up their music and movies) due to lack of soundproofing in many apartments, so find a decent balance. If using a subwoofer, adjust it so it is just slightly above the bass level output by the mains, then recheck the corners of the room. (That way, there is some dimension to the lower bass, but it certainly won't as powerful as what is apparently getting complaints.) If not using a subwoofer, the only other possibility is maybe use the crossover setting on the receiver (or install passive crossovers) to attenuate the lower bass for as long as they haven't moved out. With the bass attenuated, it won't sound as full frequency but then again the volume level can also be turned up that much louder.

Then, hopefully enjoy the sound of your sound system with less complaints. Once they move out, you can probably go back to your original audio setup.