Is it Ok to Have a Soundbar in an Apartment? Is it too Loud?

Many people who live in apartments are concerned about landlord approval as well as disturbing neighbors with the loud noise coming from a soundbar.

With these concerns, many want to know, is a soundbar ok to put in an apartment?

Soundbars are a great option for apartments, you do not need landlord approval and the sound is unlikely to disturb neighbors.

They are also easy to install, provide good sound quality, and are inexpensive.

However, the type of soundbar you opt to choose matters, some soundbars are louder and produce more bass than others and could disturb neighbors. With that being said there are plenty of soundbars that can produce excellent sound quality but are virtually guaranteed not to disturb anyone, like the Sonos beam (affiliate link). I use this soundbar in my condo and have never had noise complaints even though the walls in my building are not soundproof and do a poor job of blocking noise.

I will go into more detail regarding the beam in the next section.

I will also discuss the best budget soundbars for an apartment later in the article.

Is a soundbar worth it in an apartment?

A Soundbar is absolutely worth it.

The sound quality from a soundbar is far superior to normal TV speakers and will significantly enhance your movie nights at home.

You will notice a significant difference in audio clarity especially when it comes to dialogue as most soundbars have a dedicated center channel

You won’t have to constantly turn the volume up because you can’t hear the dialogue and then turn it down because there a big explosions in the next scene.

I experienced this before I bought my Sonos Beam. Dialogue was inaudible at certain points and loud action scenes were borderline intolerable. Now they are a delight as the Beam has a dedicated center channel for crystal clear dialogue and action scenes are a blast with Dolby Atmos sound.

Soundbars are also significantly less money than traditional speakers.

The worst thing imaginable is to buy a surround sound system for a hefty price and then have your neighbor constantly complain or your significant other complain that all the speakers are an eye sore.

Soundbars look great as you can just put them under your TV and they will fit nicely on top of a TV Stand.

Soundbars can fit into pretty much any room.

And if you don’t like the placement or want to put it in a different room it is no hassle at all.

Soundbars can also be enhanced by adding additional speakers to your setup.

I’ve discussed this in depth in a separate article on this site.

It’s a good idea to test-trial your soundbar and see if your neighbors can hear it first, then invest in some rear speakers to further enjoy your home theater setup.

Can my neighbors hear my soundbar? Is it too loud?

It obviously depends on your living situation.

If you can hear your neighbor’s conversations or them listening to TV then a soundbar will most likely cause noise complaints if you crank up your soundbar volume too loud.

The best option is to use a soundbar before 9 pm as most neighbors are reasonable and don’t expect absolute silence with apartment living.

Also, keep the volume to a lower level, go outside, or stand on the other side of a wall and see if you can hear the soundbar.

Also, develop relationships with your neighbors and have them call or text you if they are disturbed by the noise.

Communication is key and being on your neighbor’s good side can help with their tolerance of the noise as well as discourage any noise complaints.

If you want to not break the bank on your first soundbar then I’d recommend avoiding brands like JBL, Sony, and Bose, in fact I wrote an entire article on why Bose soundbars are so expensive.

You can buy a good low-cost soundbar from companies like Polk and Vizio if you are on a tight budget.

The Vizio 5.1 V series (paid link) is the best budget soundbar on the market.

Polk Also makes arguably the best small soundbar on the market with the Polk Magnifi Mini AX (affiliate link).

Having a soundbar that does not overpower your room or break the bank is very important, here are the top 3 soundbars I recommend for those who do not have great soundproof walls and are on a budget.

What to do if the neighbors can hear the soundbar

Invest in some soundproofing, particularly acoustic panels (paid link).

Acoustic panels dampen the sound when it is traveling and can stop the sound from penetrating through your neighbor’s wall.

But to be honest I find it highly unlikely that your neighbors will complain about the soundbar, if they do it’s because you are playing it too loud and need to turn it down.

The bigger problem that will cause a lot of noise complaints is a subwoofer, which I will discuss more in the next section.

Can they hear a subwoofer?

The biggest problem will be the subwoofer, not the soundbar.

A subwoofer is just not a good idea if you are sharing walls with someone, you can get noise complaints.

Bass penetrates walls easily and your neighbors will definitely hear it.

Most Soundbars will come with a separate subwoofer, some have built-in subwoofers.

I would recommend investing in a soundbar but with no subwoofer if you are in an apartment.

However, you know your living situation better than I do and some walls in apartments are more soundproof than others.

If you insist on having a sub then the Sonos sub mini (paid link)is probably the best bet as it’s designed for smaller spaces.

We have a separate article discussing if your neighbors can hear your subwoofer and what you can do about it.

How loud can a soundbar get?

Soundbars can reach anywhere from 80-125 dB, 125 is for extremely loud music.

I wouldn’t recommend watching movies with a soundbar on at all past 9 pm.

Investing in some good quality headphones can be extremely beneficial once it is nighttime. There are several options out there.

Personally, I use the Sony XM5s (paid link), they have great sound quality with google assistant and can connect via Bluetooth to most modern TVs.

What is the best soundbar for a small apartment?

The Sonos Beam gen 2, Vizio Elevate, and Polk Magnifi Max (paid links) are solid options for those looking for Atmos soundbars.

However, the Elevate and the Max might be too powerful for a small apartment and could cause noise complaints if you don’t have good soundproof walls.

Personally, I own a Sonos Beam Gen 2 in my condo and love it. I’ve had no problems with noise complaints.

If you have a decent home theater setup of a high-quality 4k TV, 4K Blu-Ray player, and a good soundbar then you are well on your way to significantly upgrading your movie-watching experience at home.

This is probably the best setup you can have while living in an apartment.

Especially if you are a beginner to home theater.

If you successfully have had no noise complaints and want to upgrade to a traditional surround sound system then that is a good choice, but the convenience and low cost of soundbars as well as the improved sound quality are making that decision much harder these days.