[lcrim]

I need to improve the effectiveness of the barrier to sound transmission in a shared or common wall.  I own a townhouse and I can often hear my next door neighbor's TV.  In fact, a number of nearby neighbors can hear her TV.  Negotiation is not an option as the individual seems to feel as though that would be beneath her.  The homeowners association refuses to become involved.  
I have had a layer of mass loaded vinyl sheeting installed, covered by a layer of 5/8 inch sheetrock.  This was an improvement but not a complete cure.  
Resilient sound isolation clips which are basically a rubber donut that is attached to a clip that carries a channel to which another layer of sheetrock is screwed, have been suggested.  The rubber floats the new layer of sheetrock which is caulked around the sides.  
Is anyone familiar w/ this or have experience using it?  Is it effective from a sound proofing standpoint and/or a cost standpoint?

[DARTH AUDIO]

Try a baseball bat!! Worked for me

[John Casler]

Send her a pair of nice wireless headphones (make sure they are ones that can be worn for long periods without discomfort)

Enclose a note "tactfully" explaning the situation telling her you understand it is hard to hear the TV sometimes (as evidenced by her high volume levels) and you have found these work better than anything.

If that doesn't work then a "baseball bat/blanket job"  is effective  

[John B]

I'm a little confused here...you have an issue with your neighbor's TV sound?  I just looked at your Stereo and HT equipment list...she does not have problems with what you can put out with that rig of yours?  I would think if you could hear her TV speakers, she's either very deaf when your HT is on, or she's thinking "my aren't we having a lot of earthquakes these days"  

[lcrim]

I had the sound proofing installed to keep from annoying my neighbors but perhaps I need to rethink the whole HT thing.  If I can hear her TV then she can hear my HT.
Perhaps there's another way of doing HT.  My living room looks like a speaker showroom.   Maybe a 2.1 system w/ speakers that sound good at lower volumes make more sense.  I came into this hobby through HT but I don't need all that stuff anymore.    
I'm still thinking of doing the sound proofing because I don't want to be irresponsible.
Wrong circle but what speaker/amp combo sounds good at low volumes?

[nathanm]

Is the woman elderly\hearing impaired and that's why her TV is so loud?  If so, chances are she isn't bothered by your music.  Test this by gradually increasing the volume until a U-Haul truck appears in the street and she starts moving all her shit out.  No seriously, I don't think there's a practical solution, I think you're hosed.    The only solution I've found is to keep moving until you find tolerant neighbors.  Hey, I didn't say it was a GOOD solution...  Either that or you're going to have to basically rebuild the building with much more insulative construction techniques.

Somebody should rent out apartment buildings to be shared by deaf people and audiophiles\musicians\loud movie types.  It would be a great combo!  Have one loud guy apartment buffered by deaf people on the sides and top.  Everybody's happy.  Heh!

Wrong circle but what speaker/amp combo sounds good at low volumes?

None!

[warnerwh]

You can use resilient channel. It is effective.  You may want to go to soundproofing.org and read a bit too.  Resilient channel is cheap btw.

[orthobiz]

Luckily my sound room is two floors below the attic and one floor/half a house away from our bedroom so I can play loudly unless people are in the kitchen upstairs. Great for late nite...

Anyway, we were going to have insulation blown into the ceiling and walls through small holes, like when they insulate against the cold in the outer layer of a house.

Having spent 35 continuous years in NY, right next to NJ (the most populated state per unit area) I know all about neighbors. Glad I now live on an acre of land on a lake...

This morning, left the house at 7:13, drove my daughter to school, drove to the coffee shop, dropped mail off at the post office and was at work at 7:35! You can't beat it, I can't go back to the city.

Too bad I can't find a decent bagel or slice of pizza, though...

biz

[Gordy]

Icrim,

You could try one of TX-102 transformer based preamps, like the NOH or Django.  They do not lose detail at lower sound levels like other pre's do!

My next door neighbor is 80 yrs. old and very close to stone deaf.  Very cool for late night listening   She also plays the cello in a local orchestra, quite well too, so I'm treated to many mid-day concerts when her friends are over to practice.  She is all of 4' 10" so the cello looks much more like a bass when she's lugging it around

[orthobiz]

Old lady...
Cello playing with her friends?

Sounds like The Ladykillers (at least the original
with Peter Sellers). They could be plotting a heist
of your stereo gear, so watch out!

biz

[brucegel]

A judiciously placed phone call at 4a.m. putting the fear of god in her will do the trick.A private email will get you some tasty suggestions.

[WerTicus]

dont live in a town house!

[Gordy]

Biz,  Are you insinuating that it isn't normal for elderly women to stop by with cheeseburgers for my Mastiffs?