A different question: how to distrup ceiling loudspeakers (becuase it's too loud)

[BNK]

A friend of mine asked me a question about a problem his brother has:
A store downstairs installed speakers in their ceiling and are playing them very very loud.
No negotiation was successful.

How do you distrup its music?

[pacificblue]

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.

[BNK]

No illegal stuff Please.

[Godzilla]

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showd...number=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.

[pacificblue]

Originally posted by BNK
No illegal stuff Please.

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.

[BNK]

Actually it's in Paris.
I think the floors there are made from wood.

btw. Tel-Aviv is very warm, but because of air conditioning the windows are mostly closed.

[BHTX]

Get insurance and burn the place down.
Or.. just move.

I really don't think there's anything you can do, at least without spending a ridiculous amount of money. Negotiations have already been attempted without success.

[BlueWizard]

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

[Drew Eckhardt]

Originally posted by BlueWizard
[B]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.

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.

[Cal Weldon]

Too much talk. Time for action.

Music should never annoy.

I come to Tel Aviv.

I talk to them

I am persuasive.