New Neighbors... Loud Bass... Help!

Cognisseur

Hey guys,

I live in an apartment complex, and the apartment next-door that I share a wall with has been vacant for a while. Recently a couple moved in and they have a tendency to blast their music. Usually, I can't hear the actual music, but I do hear the thump of the bass quite well. And when this goes on for hours, that bass-thumping gives me a headache.

I've gone over and spoken to them twice so far that the volume isn't an issue, just the bass, and if they could just turn the bass down everything would be totally fine. Nevertheless, I have a feeling this problem will persist. If I have to, I guess I'll keep going next-door to ask them, and if things turn hostile I can always talk to the landlord (there's some clause in the rider about not doing anything that makes others' uncomfortable).

I'm wondering if I have any other options though. Fans drown out the sound of higher-frequency noise, which is nice, but don't seem to make any impact on the sub-woofer sound. Could I adapt that theory and use a sub-woofer to block out low-frequency noises? Like, is there some low frequency tone, or low-frequency static noise that could block that sound out?

Or do you guys have any suggestions? Or devices that exist for this? Thanks!

Captain Vash

while, on a purely mechanical level what you're asking may be possible, please do not spend money on not offending dick neighbors. Just talk to the landlord if they won't respond to your completely reasonable request.

Pheezer

Make a list of each date/time you spoke to them about it, once you've got three instances listed, call your caretaker, if nothing changes, call your landlord. They need to smarten up, it's really not your problem.

matt has a problem

Like the other sub thread, who had the opposite problem (his sub WAS the problem), what you're hearing isn't the actual sound, it's the vibration created by the sub resonating through the walls and floor. You'd have to acoustically dampen your apartment to prevent it, and that requires more than just some egg crate and carpet. A white noise machine would have little effect.

RUNN1NGMAN

Call your landlord, and if that doesn't solve the problem, call the cops. You've already tried the "neighborly" method and it's not working, so it's time to escalate.

Don't be all apologetic when you make the calls. Don't say it's only the bass that's an issue, the volumes ok. Just say, their music's too loud.

WildEEP

Escalation Steps:

Dates, Times, and Duration.
Record it all, everytime. Keep asking them to stop..but record everything - including the visits to ask them.
If it hasnt cleared up over a two week period - head to the landlord w/ the data.
After speaking w/ the landlord, CONTINUE RECORDING.
After two more weeks, if no improvement, return to the landlord and ask that they deal with the issue again, or you'll be forced to contact the property owners. (Aka, Silly goose landlord not doing his job)
CONTINUE RECORDING.
If it continues, contact the property owners (you can call the local City gov to find out who they are, if needed).
Still no resolution? You may have the option to break your lease and move. Be careful here, because you'll need to read your contract terms, and have ALL of the correspondence (in writing) that can detail the problem.

Finally - note the noise ordinances for your local area. If it comes down to it - contacting the police for excessive noise from someones sound system is an option, but only during certain hours.