Hi, I have 2 Paradigm Signature Sub 25s in my second Floor Home Theater and they vibrate my room when i watch movies. I wonder if this causes any structural damage to my Home . Each sub is sitting on top of 2 Auralex Grammas and i beleive the virations are coming from the sound rather than the physical vibration of the Subs itself. Do you think this will cause any structural damage to my House?
You should be very concerned. I'm not sure how they do it but Paradigm and a consortium of other high powered subwoofer manufacturers have managed to keep out of the media headlights well documented cases of subwoofer vibration completely destroying otherwise structurally sound buildings. Google "the 2009 Edina, MN apartment building collapse mystery" and read between the lines. It's scary stuff, but it gets even worse. Several victims of subwoofer abuse had hired a lawyer who was going to orchestrate a class action lawsuit on their behalf. Within days, he's walking down the sidewalk and a piano falls on his head. Freak accident -- I think not! Be afraid my friend, be very afraid.
It is a proven fact that subwoofers reduce the structural integrity of homes. The vibration causes the nails to slowly work their way out of the framework of the home until it finally collapses and all that is left is a pile of rubble. This is especially dangerous with second floor home theater systems as it is known to create the "Trickle Down Effect". I recommend having your home inspected regularly for this unusual phenomenon.
A sound home structure should not be affected by acoustic vibrations. If Suburban SUV passas by with huge subwoofer screaming, it doesn't mean that structure integrity of surrounding homes should be jeopardised. Make sure you've got it all insured and covered. Do frequent home inspections as previously advised.
Question for Rrog: I haven't previously seen any articles definitively proving that. I'd be curious to see that and what the specifics are that they are mentioning and which frequencies they may deem to be particularly problematic or if it's related to SPL. Would you be able to share the research?
Many years ago I played the M&K Realtime direct-to-disc recording "The Power and the Glory," which features organ music played on multiple giant organs in a large church. The album notes indicate that there were a total of 11,848 pipes, including at least two 32 footers.
My system did not have a sub, but the speakers were rated to 24 Hz +/- 2 db. I played it at volume levels that were by no means particularly loud. What I heard through much of the recording was the music in competition with the sound of windows in my house vibrating and rattling. Afterward, I found that a number of paint chips had descended from the ceiling onto the floor. I haven't played that record since :-)
I have never encountered anything like that with any other recording, not even with the Telarc 1812 Overture and its cannon blasts, other Telarcs with their notorious bass drum beats, or even the Saint-Saens Organ Symphony.
Can a subwoofer wreck a house? It sounds like fantastic claim made by an ultra expensive cable company. I think its far more likely the people that live on the once quiet street got some revenge.
Absolutely they can damage your home. My wife became so enraged by the eruptions of base during her yoga sessions in the next room that she punched a hole in the wall.
A lot depends on the material used to cover the wall studs and ceiling joists.
If drywall was used it would then depend on whether the drywall was hung using nails or screws, and whether the drywall was glued to the wall studs and ceiling joists.
I have seen in the case where only drywall nails were used, no glue, the drywall compound that was used to cover the recessed head of the nail popped loose exposing the nail head......
As for plaster and lath I suppose the vibration could cause the white coat to crack and in the event the bond of the white coat to the brown coat was poor there could be some loosening damage of the white coat and subsequent flaking off. .
Dont have any issues with my neighbours as they are too far from my house. I am only worried when i watch movies, my floor and seats vibrate and wondering if it loosesn the nails of the structure in the long run. I dont watch movies at very loud voumes. at 70-75DBA for voice. But when actions sequences come it goes to 100-110 DBA. If i reduce the volume, the voices are not clear.
I would be careful if I were you. I live in a 110 yr old Victorian with plaster walls and plaster detail. Each of the three main rooms in the middle floor have a large ornate plaster "medallion" around the ceiling light fixture. My listening room used to be in the floor above (it is now on the main floor). Only the ceiling of the room directly below the then listening room (subwoofer) has suffered cracks in the plaster and the medallion almost fell off the ceiling. Coincidence?
Today I played Cowboys and Aliens, the source being a DirecTV HD-DVR. Our pair of Velodyne HGS-15s shook the room so violently I attenuated their level 6 dB with the SMS-1 to watch the movie in comfort. I assume such shaking must eventually loosen studs.
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