If you live in an apartment, how late do you listen?

Someone in my building called me (anonomously) and asked me to turn my music down for the first time in my three years of living in my coop.

It WAS after 11, but it WASN'T that loud. This person said I listen too late in the evening and too early in the morning. The morning part simply isn't true, but I do occaisionally listen late at night (at fairly low levels).

I live in a pre-war building (on the first floor) and like I said, no one has EVER complained before. While I don't want to disturb anyone, I thought this woman's refusal to state who she was was pretty weak. She said she had spoken to all the people in my line of apts and they all agreed (even those six floors above me?).

As far as I no, people can do whatever they want (within reason) between 9A and 11P.


Any thoughts?

Or am I just plain inconsiderate?

 

If she refuses to reveal her identity, ignore her.

I live in a townhouse and have only had someone call on me once. And I was really tearing the paint off the walls then

I usually feel no guilt about going full bore till 11pm. If I listen after 11pm I usually kick it down 7-10db or I use headphones.

9 times out of 10 it's the bass that's the culprit. The low freq. waves penetrate walls like they weren't there.

 

Years ago, I lived in apartment with very thin walls. I lived next to this a**hole who banged on my wall and knocked my pictures down even if I had my stereo on very low in the middle of the afternoon. He used to threaten me with physical violence. All I had to do is threaten to call the police. He didn't want the trouble because it would mess up his government security clearence.

The place I live in now is great. My neighbor is almost deaf! He plays his TV very loud at all hours of the night, and I play my stereo loud at all hours. Life is good! Who needs headphones?

 

Same thing for me last night...

Except the jerk upstairs started pounding on the floor so loud I thought he'd fall through!
My building is pre-war as well. Most of the rooms are carpeted but, lucky me, the guy upstairs has hardwood floors. He walks around like a rhino and is constantly dragging stuff on the wood floors, always redecorating or something.

The rules are no loud noises after 10. It was only 7! And not very loud either.
Actually, I wouldn't even be able to get my system loud enough to repay him for that damn New Years party of his I had to live through.

Yeah, wish nice deaf elderly lady would move in
I feel your pain.
Dan

 

Another opinion:

I have my system in the only room of my apartment that doesn't share a wall with another apartment unit: my master bedroom. Nevertheless, I sometimes worry that the bass rips thru the walls and annoys the neighbors, even with a 3.5 watt 2A3 SET amp.

This is the reason that I don't own a sub.

I also work a job when I can work all 3 shifts in the course of a 5 day work week. In the summer sometimes I go 30-35 days without a day off (one day 1st shift, next day 2nd shift, next day a double shift consisting of a 2nd and 3rd shift. So I know what its like to have the neighbors make ungodly noise when I'm trying to catch a few winks.

Basically I guess theres a way to talk to people, and try to make them understand your point of view. And of course it cuts both ways. But if someone threatened me with physical violence, I'd have a great time jerking his chain.

 

I also live in a townhouse and listen to music and watch movies late into the night. Generally, after 9pm I will slip on the old STAX Pro Lambda's, but I still prefer to listen through speakers.

Once the neighbor rang the bell on a Sunday about 1 year ago and wanted to know if we had defective walls!!!

She said that almost eveyday at around 4:30pm (the time I usually get home from work) thumping comes through the walls.

The funny part was that they also have a Home Theater, and I can hear it through my walls also, but it is not very bothersome. So I make mention of this while inviting her in to see that at the time she rang the bell I wasn't playing the music that loud. At that she became apologetic - I guess my invite indicated to her that I couldn't have been listening that loud - even if they could hear the bass through the walls.

I haven't heard from them again on this issue - and I play more music then ever - and louder than 1 year ago. This is probably due to the new XA777ES as well as my re-introduction into the vinyl world after not having a TT hooked into my system for over 10years.

The only complaints I seem to get are from my wife when I am watching a movie and the subwoofer shakes the pictures from the wall.

 

This could be a problem in a house too. Once my next door neighbor had a karaoke party going way past midnight. They were so loud that I couldn't sleep. Finally the cops came to shut them down. Thank goodness because their singing really sucked through the roof/walls!

I agree with Gabe about the hours. The thing is that people have different schedules so it may not fit everybody. If you really want to be 100% sure, check the local ordinance and with the landlord.

In the end, most people wouldn't want to have more enemies hating their guts. Your stereo may "sound" loud in the quiet of night even if its volume is turned way down. If it's not hot, close the doors and the windows. You may want to put on the headphones just to see if that lady still bitches about your being too loud.

 

GabeG,

I am an apartment assistant manager and you have every legal right to make as much noise as you want between 8am. and 11pm.

Tell your anonymous caller that if they don't like it to call the police. That'll usually shut em' up! Chances are that they (the police) won't even show up and even if they do, thay'll be telling the neighbour that there's nothing wrong here and to stop harassing the neighbours.

Been through it myself. Sometimes a**hole neighbours are apart of life, but most likely they'll be gone before you are.

Besides, if you really want to be a jerk you can call the police and tell them you're getting harassing phone calls from this person (assuming that you have caller ID.)

PS. Check your local city ordinance laws for your local appropriate times

 

Hmmm, around here, the city ordinance is from 6AM to 10PM.

 

Hey Steve,

Should I 'fly' my speakers like they do at large arena concerts?

Anyway - if you didn't do such a good job of mastering those LPs and CDs - and instead removed the bass instead of making it clean, clear and distinct - maybe we wouldn't have this problem.

 

What does the trick is buying a flat in a house where all others are rented.

 

The secret of living in NYC and playing music loud is to find a 140+ year old Brownstone with very thick walls and huge ceilings. The only person who hears me is my downstairs neighbor. We have an agreement, If he likes the music, he comes up, if he does not like it, he plays his own equally loud. However, I tend to play light jazz after 11 PM.

 

Kayaker said:
"We have an agreement, If he likes the music, he comes up, if he does not like it, he plays his
own equally loud. However, I tend to play light jazz after 11 PM."

Now that's a great agreement! I love that!

Reminds me of my college days. We used to tell neighbors "We are having a party tonight, don't call the cops, stop by for a beer instead!"

 

The best audio equipment I ever purchased was my totally detached single family house.

Prior to that I owned a two-family house, which worked fine until I rented to a couple that fought back - they bought their own high end rig and gave me a dose of my own medicine.

Back when me and the missus were starting out - we rented a flat. On moving day, the lanlord saw the equipment being moved in and told me flat out - "you won't be playing that at night, will ya?" So in answer to the topic question: 9PM.

I repeat - the absoulutely best equipment you can buy - if this is your hobby - is a SINGLE family house. It's (probably) also the most expensive piece of high end gear you will purchase.