I live in an apartment and I am currently using an Infinity PS8 sub which provides ample bass but is not really controlled. I am considering the LFM2, but I am wondering if the downward orientation of the speaker and port will be firing to much bass through the floor. the current ifinity is side mounted woofer with side ports. anyone think this will make a difference in how annoying of a neighbor I am compared to what I currently have?

Thanks for your advice

anyone on this forum?

Cptnjosh,

LFE travels in all directions...thus subs are not easy to control. So imho, the smaller the woofers in the sub, the better off you'll be concerning annoying the neighbors. You'll most likely get a tighter bass as well.

And now that I actually did a little research...they are both 8"ers. With woofer orientation, I don' think there is going to be that much of a difference. Subs and apts. not a good combination for bass enjoyment. Unless your neighbors are deaf, and they don't have anything hanging on the walls. Don't know if that is much help. Best to try and listen to both...if you can.


AK

Unfortunately I have neither an LFM-2 nor a downstairs neighbor, so I can't speak to the specifics of your question. I have seen reports of people in apartments using isolation devices such as the Auralex Gramma to help reduce the vibrations transferred to the floor from a subwoofer

thanks for the replies

I lived in an apartment for a few years with a couple side-firing cube-type subs. The flooring was hardwood over joists covered in carpet. Beyond the usual acoustic energy being transferred via the air to walls, floor and ceiling, there was a good deal of vibration from the cube directly transferred to the flooring. I ended up raising the subs about three inches off the floor on vibration damping materials. Not that my feet are calibrated instruments, but I could tell a small difference. With the damping materials in place the floor seemed to transfer no more or less energy than the walls did. So my vote goes to something like the Gramma mentioned by gonk as your best bet in making at least a small dent in the energy transferred to the flooring, regardless which direction the sub ‘fires’. The walls? That's another story.

Is your flooring wood on wood joists, cement with rebar on steel I-beams, with/without carpet, or…? If wood-on-wood or another option without as much mass as cement, you could also try changing the resonance of the floor near the sub with the addition of a good deal of weight (mass) on the floor.

Cptnjosh, how about running a test - turn your Infinity sub so the speaker faces downward (holding the corners up with 4 blocks or books if necessary), then play some material typical of what you enjoy and ask your downstairs neighbors if they notice the sound, vibration, etc. Actual experience has a wonderful habit of answering questions.

I think I may try a Gramma, even though my floors are concrete.