Disarm the fuses, if they are accessible and the power failure does not affect your friend's brother as well. 
But of course he risks a law suit, if e. g. things in a fridge get spoiled as a result or any damage is caused by the blackout. Anyhow this kind of self-justice is not recommendable.
Usually there are noise limits one has to cope with. If direct negotiations have no effect the short term solution is calling the police. The long term solution is suing the store owner.
All other solutions (except moving out) are against the law in most countries, because they involve either violence or destructive action.
But of course he risks a law suit, if e. g. things in a fridge get spoiled as a result or any damage is caused by the blackout. Anyhow this kind of self-justice is not recommendable.
Usually there are noise limits one has to cope with. If direct negotiations have no effect the short term solution is calling the police. The long term solution is suing the store owner.
All other solutions (except moving out) are against the law in most countries, because they involve either violence or destructive action.
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&Partnumber=300-300
Something like the above could be placed on top of the rear of the speaker to reduce sound getting into the apartment above. Maybe suggest buying them if the store will install them.
Something like the above could be placed on top of the rear of the speaker to reduce sound getting into the apartment above. Maybe suggest buying them if the store will install them.
BNK said:
Which leaves you with the police and/or a law suit.
Do you have an idea how the sound is coupled into the flat? By mechanical vibration? Decoupling the speakers might help then.
Or through walls, ceiling, doors, windows due to bad sound-proofing? There is no cheap solution for that. Those plastic bowls might actually help a little with that, but don't expect too much.
Tel Aviv sounds like warm climate. Open windows most of the time? Hardly a chance to do anything there except for turning down the volume.
First you (or your friend) don't have an right to live in absolute silence. Too often these problems are provoked because one party assume they should be able to live their lives unaware that other people exist in the world, while at the same time completely ignoring their own intrusion into the lives of others.
So, we live in a world full of people, people make noise, get used to it.
However, that noise can become overbearing and unbearably intrusive. There is a limit, a social and legal limit to how loudly their music can intrude into your life.
So, compromise is in order. Go to Radio Shack or a similar electronics store and get an SPL (Sound Pressure Level) meter, and measure the level of sound intruding into your space.
Likely when the speakers were installed, they simply cut holes into the ceiling and mounted the speakers. What they should have done is back up the speaker with a degree of sound absorbing material to prevent sound from entering into your (or your friends) space. As well as the police, you could also contact the building inspector, and who ever is in charge of electrical standards.
These speakers don't seem like they were very professionally installed, and given the level and power of unions in France, I suspect the installation is illegal, not professionally installed, and not inspected and approved by the building/electrical inspectors.
If you suspect that is true then a threat of calling the unions and building inspector may be enough leverage to get the offender to act. If not, then call them.
If it is rattling furniture and pictures on the wall, it might also be wise to get video and audio evidence of this, in case things go to court or you need to present evidence to the building and electrical standards people.
Steve/bluewizard
So, we live in a world full of people, people make noise, get used to it.
However, that noise can become overbearing and unbearably intrusive. There is a limit, a social and legal limit to how loudly their music can intrude into your life.
So, compromise is in order. Go to Radio Shack or a similar electronics store and get an SPL (Sound Pressure Level) meter, and measure the level of sound intruding into your space.
Likely when the speakers were installed, they simply cut holes into the ceiling and mounted the speakers. What they should have done is back up the speaker with a degree of sound absorbing material to prevent sound from entering into your (or your friends) space. As well as the police, you could also contact the building inspector, and who ever is in charge of electrical standards.
These speakers don't seem like they were very professionally installed, and given the level and power of unions in France, I suspect the installation is illegal, not professionally installed, and not inspected and approved by the building/electrical inspectors.
If you suspect that is true then a threat of calling the unions and building inspector may be enough leverage to get the offender to act. If not, then call them.
If it is rattling furniture and pictures on the wall, it might also be wise to get video and audio evidence of this, in case things go to court or you need to present evidence to the building and electrical standards people.
Steve/bluewizard
BlueWizard said:
It depends where you live. In some places (ex Boulder, CO) any "objectionable" sound can be stopped by the environmental police regardless of how loud it is. Piano players have been forced to switch to keyboards with headphones by neighbors who didn't like them.
In Menlo Park, CA you can't make sounds that are audible in another apartment over 45dBA during the day time and 35dBA at night which is pretty close to saying you can't match the existing noise floor.
You want to look at the local laws. Some places they are _very_ biased towards the offended party.
Hey, Cal, you don't have to go yourself - just send your speakers over. If the apartment dweller plays some antithesis music* on those, the store will surrender unconditionally.
For those who don't know, Cal's speakers play, um, reasonably loudly. When conversations at 10 meters were inaudible, we moved back to about 25 meters - conversation was still inaudible.
* antithesis music: music which is the opposite to what the downstairs guys are playing, e.g., if they're playing metal, play Beethoven; if they're playing cool jazz, play big band; etc.
Regards.
Aengus
BNK said:
Oh, oh. Paris is a noisy place to start with. And a wooden floor does not help in that situation.
A technical solution other than sound-proofing the store would be noise-cancelling. I. e. pick-up the noise with a microphone, invert the signal and play the inverted signal over your speakers.
It was implemented in the 80s in Lotus cars, later discarded again, because sports car drivers want it noisy. Actually Toyota/Lexus seem to be using a similar technology in their top class models.
Sounds easier than it is actually. While pick-up, invert and playback is technically simple, you have to make sure that not all noise is cancelled out. Otherwise no conversation would be possible anymore. E. g. do not put microphone and speakers in the living room. Phase-shifts from the microphone's to the speaker's location can interfere with the cancelling efficiency. And the frequency response of the system must match the noise to be cancelled. But it might ease the situation, if your friend's brother is willing to make such an investment.
I. e. if the music is only acoustically coupled. Mechanical coupling needs a treatment at the source.
BlueWizard said:
It's not me or my friend. It's he's brother.
And as I've been told it's severe.
Think like you can't relax even for a moment, or hear your lovely speakers and check their SQ.
Cal Weldon said:Too much talk. Time for action.
Music should never annoy.
I come to Tel Aviv.
I talk to them
I am persuasive.
You are welcome to visit Tel-Aviv
but the problem is in Paris ...pacificblue said:
Actually it must be in the right phase & with no delay.
I think in this case you must anticipate the music that will play.
Engine sound is different as it can be anticipated.
BNK said:
Not really. As far as I know those car manufacturers are also relying on simple pick-up with microphones. And of course they never cancelled the noise entirely, only reduced it to a certain level.
Yes, the phase may become difficult, because the phase angles will be different over the entire frequency range. And one also moves in a flat, while you can probably only compensate perfectly for a certain place or area. Delay should not be an issue with electrical signals traveling at nearly the speed of light.
There would be trial-and-error involved, and maybe something like a Behringer DCX2496 is necessary to compensate for the actual frequency response and phase shifting. Maybe it can at least alleviate the situation, while not solving it totally.
First of all however, your friend's brother must be willing and able to invest quite some money and time into that. Considering that somebody else is responsible for that nuisance, he will probably not be.
If the relationship with the store owner is not completely soured yet, perhaps you could "volunteer"? to "Improve your sound system" (Ceiling speakers) Some thick cotton batting applied behind the drivers...Perhaps Half a meter square by 200mm thick? My guess is the drivers are 'sounding' thru the floor at an intolerable level & the application of a sound absorption material will not only cut down your sound levels it will also make the store owners ceiling speakers sound better!
Get what you want and sell the idea to him!
__________________________________________Rick........
Get what you want and sell the idea to him!
__________________________________________Rick........
I still say it is worth checking with the building inspector.
If the owner will let you try to improve the speakers, as well as putting fiberglass or other heavy sound absorbing material between the speakers and your floor. You might also consider using some rubber washer to mount the speakers. Rubber washers are hard enough that they won't diminish the sound of the speakers, but they will help prevent the sound from being coupled into their ceiling/your floor structure. Isolating the speakers in this way, as I said, shouldn't hurt there sound quality, but might help prevent them from vibrating the floor and ceiling.
Just a thought.
Steve/bluewizard
If the owner will let you try to improve the speakers, as well as putting fiberglass or other heavy sound absorbing material between the speakers and your floor. You might also consider using some rubber washer to mount the speakers. Rubber washers are hard enough that they won't diminish the sound of the speakers, but they will help prevent the sound from being coupled into their ceiling/your floor structure. Isolating the speakers in this way, as I said, shouldn't hurt there sound quality, but might help prevent them from vibrating the floor and ceiling.
Just a thought.
Steve/bluewizard
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