Neighbour friendly BK Monolith?

[nugget2014]

Hi all

planning on ordering a bk monolith in 2 weeks but first i want to know if theres any steps i can take to minimise annoying my downstairs neighbour..

will be on the top floor (2nd floor) of a flat above a neighbour and want to watch blu rays without any problems on my home cinema kit when i have it and want to keep the neighbours happy

i have seen things such as placing the sub on a granite slab..but does this have any effect if i wanted to just keep noise travelling downstairs to a minimum?

i would buy the superspikes from BK (put spikes on, above the slab) i am guessing

hope i can get some suggestions as i really want a sub as they blown me away demoing them at richer sounds and superfi.

 

[ClassAct]

See my recent post nugget2014, I'm in a similar sort of situation. Is the BK Monolith a push/pull sub?

 

[nugget2014]

See my recent post nugget2014, I'm in a similar sort of situation. Is the BK Monolith a push/pull sub?

what do you mean by push/pull sub?

 

[nugget2014]

Looked on both threads. all seems a bit too much effort tbh. Might just do with slab and spikes

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

The Monolith is the BIGGEST sub in BK range, so or you have a big living room or you will provide a home theatre experience for the all neighbourhood...

I live in a concrete building, with double walls, my living room is 45sm and i only have a XLS200 DF and sometimes everything shake...

i have a slab of granite with some rubber between the floor and the slab and no spikes on the sub, it vibrates less that way.

 

[ClassAct]

I meant as in how the sub fires for example my PV1D is sidewards firing. A downwards firing one is not recommended for use in an apartment especially second floor. It does seem like an effort but I want to ensure I remain on good terms with my neighbours in the apartment below who have a baby and a toddler. It does seem like granite slabs are proving the most cost effective option

 

[nugget2014]

Meh like people say just get the best sub u can afford and keep it at volume which is reasonable. I'm sure I can use it with the slab and maybe other stuff to have less vibrations providing a couple hours of home cinema without disturbing anyone. Unless I decide to have a 10 hour marathon. I hope my downstairs neighbor will work all day every day

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

Meh like people say just get the best sub u can afford and keep it at volume which is reasonable. I'm sure I can use it with the slab and maybe other stuff to have less vibrations providing a couple hours of home cinema without disturbing anyone. Unless I decide to have a 10 hour marathon. I hope my downstairs neighbor will work all day every day

it's your money, and i'm not your neighbor... So, go wild! :twisted:

 

[jonathanRD]

Hi Nugget, thanks for making me smile this morning just before leaving for work

I'm not sure you can get a neighbour friendly BK Monolith unless you invite them up at film time.

Anyhow, I assume you will get a FF (forward facing) rather than a DF (downward facing) sub. With a DF you will have to put your neighbours on earthquake alert :rofl:

 

[MajorFubar]

What a brilliant thread, made me smile. It's a bit like asking which pit-bull is likely to get on well with an 8 week old kitten.

 

[nugget2014]

Bloody hell, so basically no subwoofer will be half neighbor friendly? Lol if worse comes to worse I'll have to use the sub for music in bedroom if I can't use it for even moderate volumes taking the measures into account. What's the max safe spl you think I could play without annoying him? Maybe 70-80spl?

 

[MajorFubar]

We can't possibly know that, it depends on the tolerance of your neighbours and the insulation in your flat. My brother once lived in a flat and his downstairs neighbour moaned as soon as his music was louder than a gnat fart. No sub either. The problem was a combination of factors: next to no insulation in a modern (1990s) purpose-built flat and an elderly intolerant neighbour who basically sat in silence all day every day and expected everyone else to do the same.

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

The way I see it, if you get a XLS200 FF it will be more than enough, or even a Gemini with a slab under it!

 

[jonathanRD]

The way I see it, if you get a XLS200 FF it will be more than enough, or even a Gemini with a slab under it!

What speakers are you getting Nugget?

When I was looking for a sub to match my MA Bronze speakers, the XXLS200 had basically the same spec as the matching Bronze sub. So if you are getting similar sized speakers (BX2, Zensor 3 etc) it is more than likely that the XXLS200 will be similar in spec to the sub from their speaker range. And it will be better for music than the Monolith (as advised by BK when I asked for advice).

I was just greedy and got the XXLS400 but the only people I have underneath my floor are Australians and they haven't complained yet

 

[nugget2014]

The way I see it, if you get a XLS200 FF it will be more than enough, or even a Gemini with a slab under it!

What speakers are you getting Nugget?

When I was looking for a sub to match my MA Bronze speakers, the XXLS200 had basically the same spec as the matching Bronze sub. So if you are getting similar sized speakers (BX2, Zensor 3 etc) it is more than likely that the XXLS200 will be similar in spec to the sub from their speaker range. And it will be better for music than the Monolith (as advised by BK when I asked for advice).

I was just greedy and got the XXLS400 but the only people I have underneath my floor are Australians and they haven't complained yet

the speakers I have are Dali zensor 3, will be getting matching centre and some cheap surrounds probably the wharfedale diamond 9.0. Along with the denon avr-x2000. I will be using it for mostly movies and would rather have a better time watching films than music so a ported sub such as the monolith is what I originally wanted. Read reviews and didn't really care much for xxls400 or even svs sb1000.

 

[nugget2014]

The way I see it, if you get a XLS200 FF it will be more than enough, or even a Gemini with a slab under it!

What speakers are you getting Nugget?

When I was looking for a sub to match my MA Bronze speakers, the XXLS200 had basically the same spec as the matching Bronze sub. So if you are getting similar sized speakers (BX2, Zensor 3 etc) it is more than likely that the XXLS200 will be similar in spec to the sub from their speaker range. And it will be better for music than the Monolith (as advised by BK when I asked for advice).

I was just greedy and got the XXLS400 but the only people I have underneath my floor are Australians and they haven't complained yet

the speakers I have are Dali zensor 3, will be getting matching centre and some cheap surrounds probably the wharfedale diamond 9.0. Along with the denon avr-x2000. I will be using it for mostly movies and would rather have a better time watching films than music so a ported sub such as the monolith is what I originally wanted. Read reviews and didn't really care much for xxls400 or even svs sb1000.

the trouble is I wish I could demo and see if an xxls400 or 200 would be good enough for my needs..

 

[jonathanRD]

Joking aside, when do you move into your new flat?

I would suggest that once you move in, setup everything else and get a feel for the building and it's dynamics. If it is solid as a rock, and the neighbours seem ok, this will give you a better idea of what you might get away with. Play some music and films, ask the neighbours what they can hear. Go gently at first to get a feel for the place and people.

The Monolith is big and everyone seems to be a little nervous to say it will be fine (for your neighbours) without really knowing your new flat.

Patience may not be your thing but if you get it wrong your next post will be in Aunty Angelina's Problem Corner.

 

[scene]

I look forward seeing the posts when you get the monolith delivered...

It's huge and comes on it's own mini palette. The delivery people will be cursing you...

And I'm enjoying this thread as well I've been debating between a monolith-df and an xxls400-df and my living room is 40sqm, with a concrete floor. If you've got wooden suspended floors in your flat, you might want to bolt your furniture to the floor

 

[nugget2014]

Joking aside, when do you move into your new flat?

I would suggest that once you move in, setup everything else and get a feel for the building and it's dynamics. If it is solid as a rock, and the neighbours seem ok, this will give you a better idea of what you might get away with. Play some music and films, ask the neighbours what they can hear. Go gently at first to get a feel for the place and people.

The Monolith is big and everyone seems to be a little nervous to say it will be fine (for your neighbours) without really knowing your new flat.

Patience may not be your thing but if you get it wrong your next post will be in Aunty Angelina's Problem Corner.

will first see my flat tomorrow night moving most of the stuff in friday morning and afternoon. will see what it's like. maybe spend 1-3 months playing music and films see if neighbour has ANY problems first test is seeing if he has any problems with the house warming party music levels xD i'll try to be a respectfull neighbour once i get that out the way i'll buy my tv, centre speaker, surrounds, av/r and get everything set up except the sub (5.0 ) then see how it works.

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

Joking aside, when do you move into your new flat?

I would suggest that once you move in, setup everything else and get a feel for the building and it's dynamics. If it is solid as a rock, and the neighbours seem ok, this will give you a better idea of what you might get away with. Play some music and films, ask the neighbours what they can hear. Go gently at first to get a feel for the place and people.

The Monolith is big and everyone seems to be a little nervous to say it will be fine (for your neighbours) without really knowing your new flat.

Patience may not be your thing but if you get it wrong your next post will be in Aunty Angelina's Problem Corner.

a very wise post!!! :clap:

:cheers:

 

[nugget2014]

just found out from my dad that the living room will have floorboards and carpet..the 2 worst known enemies of subwoofers or bass?

damn..what to do!!

 

[Al ears]

Carpet up, polystyrene slabs and laminate flooring down, carpet back down, purchase small forward-firing sub, .... sorted!

 

[nugget2014]

So a sub will not work at all really with floorboards? I was really looking forward to having a sub can't afford to be changing the flooring for over a year

 

[jonathanRD]

So a sub will not work at all really with floorboards? I was really looking forward to having a sub can't afford to be changing the flooring for over a year

If the floorboards are on joists that have your neighbours ceiling directly attached under the same joists then that's the same as you get in a normal house - like having your HC in the bedroom, with mum and dad it the lounge underneath. You might as well invite them up.

Looks like your sub budget may get used for flooring instead

Just move in first, then describe to us exactly whats between you and your neighbour. Lets hope they are not reading this

 

[MajorFubar]

Very wise posts telling you just get a feel for the place first. You might even find out that you really don't need a sub.