Whereas bass is enjoyable, you don’t want your neighbors to hate you for disrupting their comfort. That’s most likely why you want to know whether bass goes through walls.
The truth is that bass sounds can go through walls. That’s why you shouldn’t be surprised if you receive complaints about your subwoofer.
Fortunately, there are various ways of avoiding escape. Here’s a discussion of why bass goes through walls and how to prevent such a situation. Read on!
Why Does Bass Go Through Walls?
There are various sources of bass, including people with relatively deep voices. Other sources are musical instruments such as the kick drum, bass guitar, and keyboard’s bass key.
Regardless of the source, the bass is usually associated with low frequency. It is surprising to hear that this sound can go through a wall.
Whereas the frequency is low, such sound waves don’t diminish as quickly as the high-frequency ones. Since they don’t diminish or vanish quickly, the bass is bound to reach the walls.
Equally important, low-frequency sounds have an impressive manifestation. That’s why people, including the deaf, easily feel and hear these sounds.
Nevertheless, the source of disturbance is mostly never the volume as people often assume. On the contrary, the issue is usually vibration which travels through walls, ceilings, and floors.
How to Prevent Bass from Going Through Walls
Whereas bass goes through walls, there are things you can do to avoid it. Some of your options include the following;
Installing Bass Traps
By design, bas traps jeopardize low frequencies. They are similar to typical acoustic foam, but their composition and structure differ slightly.
Thanks to their designs, bass traps, as the name suggests, ensure that no bass escape the room. However, remember that they reduce reverberation and echo by dampening the bass waves.
This working mechanism rules it out as one of the best ways to handle bass. Only use it if you are more about avoiding and not enjoying the bass.
Ensure that you place your bass traps at the room’s corners. Preferably, put one in every corner for effectiveness.
Seal Any Crack or Gap
If your home has a crack or gap, seal it. Combined with other possible mechanisms, it plays a significant role in preventing bass from going through walls.
Due to their similarities to heat, expect sound waves to pass through tiny spaces. So, don’t underestimate what sealing it could do in this case.
Is there a crack between your window and the wall? If nodding, expect this small space to increase vibrations.
After all, it has a way of amplifying the bass frequency waves. Fortunately, that’s avoidable if you seal that gap.
Consider weather stripping for gaps around your windows and doors since it boosts thermal insulation. It also applies when soundproofing.
Equally important, acoustic caulk can convert sound vibrations into heat energy. Combining the two is even more effective.
Soundproof Curtains
Regarding sound wave leakage, doors and windows are total weak points. Soundproof curtains have proven to be effective in handling these areas.
Some people even hang such curtains on walls to enhance their effect. Upon hanging the curtains, you ensure that bass doesn’t go through walls.
Expect these curtains to be thicker than their normal counterparts. After all, it has an extra layer that dampens bass sounds.
One can’t insist that the method may require complimenting tricks to make the result excellent.
Additional Construction
It is a trick often used when building a home theatre room. The best approach is building a room inside an existing wall.
The air gap between these two walls will prevent the bass from escaping. The inside walls should also have acoustic foam for vibration absorption.
Whereas it is expensive and complex, the effect is fantastic. The more mass you add to the floor, walls, and ceilings, the higher the absorption rate.
Correct Bass Levels Adjustments
Did you know that adjusting your bass levels wrongly could make it go through walls despite how soundproof they are? That’s why you should ensure that the levels are ideal.
Some adjustments to be keen on include the phase switch, gain, and crossover. Test them until you settle for the best levels for a great listening experience.
Equalizer Frequency Adjustment
The adjustment is responsible for the vibration frequency. So, use it to ensure the vibrations are as low as possible.
It eliminates the bass that hurts your ears. Interestingly, it is a simple fix that works excellently on most speakers.
Concrete Tubbing
Create a concrete tube and fill it with sand. The role of the sand is to soak up its vibration and give the speaker substantial weight.
Under such circumstances, it will be hard for bass to go through your walls.
Cinder Block
Cinder block isn’t resonant, and that’s the property that makes it ideal for the situation. It will ensure an air space between the source of the bass and the wall, thus preventing the bass from escaping.
Buttkicker
It is most suitable for home theatres and gaming rooms. You will attach this small device under a couch or chair.
Its role is to get rid of any bass sound. Interestingly, you will still get a vibrational effect if it should be in the video game you are playing, the music you listen to, or a movie you are watching.
Lower the Volume
The lower the volume, the less the vibration. Consequently, not much escapes through your ceiling, floor, or wall.
This approach ensures that you enjoy your bass without inconveniencing those around you. Isn’t that a win-win situation?
Decoupling Your Wall
It involves isolating the two sides of your wall. The space ensures that sound waves don’t pass through that surface.
Use double studs or their staggered counterparts. It is a great option thanks to the components’ excellent insulation layer.
Isolation Box
It applies when dealing with small appliances, including boilers and computers. Its soundproofing property makes it ideal for the task.
What Sound Frequency Goes Through Walls?
Various sound waves have different frequency transmissions. This parameter determines the barrier the sound can penetrate.
For instance, a wall can control the sound transmission between 30 and 100 Hz. That’s relatively higher than windows can control since it is as low as 15 to 30 Hz.
