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[NecrosaroIII]

I have a big 4k TV. I want a home theater sound set up. Issue though - I live in an apartment complex. Our sound proofing is okay, but you still occasionally hear the neighbors. I want decent fidelity, but I also don't want to get kicked out.

What can I do?

 

[INC]

Get a decent sound bar with a sub

You can get virtual surround with some, involving calibration with a microphone

Ticks most of the boxes

You can make cheap soundproofing too


Not ideal, but nor is your situation

 

[BigBooper]

Just get some decent bookshelf speakers. Don't get a sub. If you get a sub, you will either be getting complaints or your neighbors will hate you. No matter the soundproofing, a sub will shake the apartment next to you.

 

[Celcius]

Just chiming in to say please don't be that neighbor OP.
1. Avoid subwoofers
2. What about noise cancelling headphones?

 

[A.Romero]

Also, most receivers have options to compress dynamic audio so sounds like explosions have their volume lowered and quieter sounds like dialog have their volume increased so the volume control is more uniformed.

I wouldn't go for a bar if you are interested in positional audio at all. Also, most bars tend to go heavy on the sub.

 

[nush]

What can I do?

5.1 headphones.

 

[NecrosaroIII]

5.1 headphones.

Just chiming in to say please don't be that neighbor OP.
1. Avoid subwoofers
2. What about noise cancelling headphones?

Well there are a couple of reasons

1 - I wear a headset all day for work. After 8 - 9 hours, I kind of don't want to wear more headphones
2 - I have a pair of 3D Pulses for my PS5. They're nice and I use them pretty often. But when I'm watching movies with the wife or friends, that doesn't really work.

 

[nush]

Well there are a couple of reasons

1 - I wear a headset all day for work. After 8 - 9 hours, I kind of don't want to wear more headphones
2 - I have a pair of 3D Pulses for my PS5. They're nice and I use them pretty often. But when I'm watching movies with the wife or friends, that doesn't really work.

What 4K movies are you watching? Streaming or UHD discs?

 

[NecrosaroIII]

What 4K movies are you watching? Streaming or UHD discs?

I have LotR on 4K Blu Ray. Otherwise Streaming

 

[Ozzy Onya A2Z]

If it's just you then headphones.

 

[Pagusas]

Move out and buy a house, it's the #1 reason I bought my first house. Living without a subwoofer is not living at all.

 

[NecrosaroIII]

Move out and buy a house, it's the #1 reason I bought my first house. Living without a subwoofer is not living at all.

The cheapest house in my town is like 700k

 

[Virt McPolygon]

I live in an old apartment complex built in the late 70s and can hear the footsteps and sound above me. Walls are thin so I just use headphones plugged into my DualSense while I watch Plex.

 

[EviLore]

Go without a sub and you should be okay if the soundproofing is decent. The lower the frequency, the more sound will penetrate walls.

 

[quickwhips]

The cheapest house in my town is like 700k

Your living in wrong place. Don't you understand no sub woofer no life. Time to move and start really living. Good luck!

 

[420bits]

Just get some decent bookshelf speakers. Don't get a sub. If you get a sub, you will either be getting complaints or your neighbors will hate you. No matter the soundproofing, a sub will shake the apartment next to you.

This.

"the woof" travels through anything and everyone around and above or below you will hear that bassline thumping like a second heartbeat and driving them crazy.
That's how you get thrown the fuck out of your place.

Subwoofers are for houses or if you live in a bunker.

 

[ÆMNE22A!C]

Just chiming in to say please don't be that neighbor OP.
1. Avoid subwoofers
2. What about noise cancelling headphones?

This.

Edit: saw your reason's regarding headphones.

It's just that I have a inconsiderate bitch living above me and she gave me ptsd blasting her shitty music.

 

[INC]

Some saying don't get a sub, obviously think that a sub = wall shaking bass

With a soundbar, there's basically no low end, the mini sub fills in that space, not about high DB's and rumbling the room lol

Its about balance

 

[West Texas CEO]

Just get a Bose system from Ikea

 

[EverydayBeast]

It’s sad you got to ask not a knock on OP but your place is your place.

 

[NecrosaroIII]

It’s sad you got to ask not a knock on OP but your place is your place.

That's not how it works when you have people living above you, beside you and below you.

 

[haxan7]

I live in an apartment and I'm in a similar situation.

Buy a cinder block and put the subwoofer on that (trust me).

Get a decent soundbar but not a huge one with high watts. Just something small/medium.

I've lived in the same apartment over 4 years and I've seen tenants come and go. One thing I've learned is that a good soundbar actually travels through the units LESS than regular TV speakers. It's the bass that goes through. Since a soundbar has high quality and separate bass, you can put it pretty loud and it won't go through. TV speakers, because the bass is all wrapped up in the normal sounds, travel through the walls way more.

You still have to be mindful of the volume.

 

[Haemi]

-Be nice and turn down the volume after 10pm.
-If you are getting a subwoofer, take a front fire one. Down fire will be worse for your neighbours
-There are these things (iBeam) that you can mount to your sofa and they will shake it according to the bass frequencies. This way you can at least feel the bass.