9 Devices For Dealing With Noisy Neighbors

Dealing with noisy neighbors is not a task that anyone might ever look forward to. 

Finding common ground with someone who makes a lot of noise can be frustrating and difficult, especially if they have a difficult personality and fail to acknowledge the needs of those around them. 

But there are ways to deal with noisy neighbors, and these days, they come in the form of specialized devices, some of the most effective ones are listed below:

Dynamic Vs Static Devices

No matter the type of noise that your neighbors might be making, there are two main ways of solving your problem. 

Using a pair of good-quality headphones, for example, can be considered a passive way of coping with the noise. 

This is called a static device.

devices for dealing with noisy neighbors

If you are looking for a device that actively blocks out the noise then you will need a more dynamic solution. 

In the following section of the article, we’re going to look at both of these categories and the types of products that you can opt for depending on your needs, preferences, and budget. 

Dynamic Devices For Dealing With Neighbor Noise

1. White Noise Machines

White noise machines produce a type of noise that not only manages to block out the sound that you’re bothered by, but they have also been found to have a soothing and calming effect

For this reason, they are commonly utilized by people who do not want their sleep to be bothered by anything. 

They’re also commonly used by parents who have young children who might wake up from any soft sounds in their environment. 

The downside to relying on this type of solution is that the frequency that such a gadget emits doesn’t work on all people. 

As much as our sense of hearing might be similar, from one person to the next, we sometimes hear things differently, which is why some individuals are able to pick up even the quietest sounds. 

2. Ultrasonic Sound Devices

If the noise that your neighbors are making consists of a dog that barks all day when they’re away to work, you can rely on an ultrasonic sound device to convince the animal that it’s time to be quiet. 

Ultrasonic units can emit audio frequencies in a number of ranges depending on the exact species you want to calm down.

Just pick the right one.

Some even work on insects such as mosquitoes, so they’re quite handy to own and utilize. 

The effect that these devices have on animals hasn’t yet been fully analyzed, so we don’t know the kind of feelings they produce in pets.

If you are an animal lover, you do have to consider this.  

3. Vibration plates

A vibration plate can be defined as an electromechanical device that transmits vibrations through walls or the ceiling. 

If you live in a sharehouse, for example, it is a nifty gadget that can allow you to tell your housemates that they’re making too much noise without you having a direct confrontation with any of them.  

The best thing about vibration plates is that they are a breeze to set up and use.

Best of all, they can be controlled via a remote, meaning that even if you’re in front of the computer, you can turn on the gadget and have it produce vibrations on your ceiling. 

Most models come with a range of variable strength high-frequency vibrations (some go up to nine different ones). 

Last but not least, they’re small and easy to work with, and they can be installed on most ceilings of rooms that have a height of no more than 9.9 feet (that’s about 3 meters). 

Vibration plates can be very hard to find online however concrete shakers do more or less the same job and are far easier to get hold of:

4. Speaker jammers

If you’ve tried your best at convincing your neighbors that they have to turn down their speakers and listen to music at an acceptable level and you’ve had no success, perhaps a speaker jammer might be up your alley.

The video below explains exactly how to do this.

A word of caution: your jammer should not be connected to an antenna wire which is precisely 52 inches long as this will significantly increase it’s range making it illegal to use.

5. Magnetrons

This is a device that acts as an electromagnetic generator and as a result, it stops all of the electronic devices that are turned on in a specific range. 

While it is a great solution for times when you want to go to sleep, and your neighbors are still playing loud music at night, you probably don’t want to use it during the day if you want to utilize other electronic gadgets yourself. 

6. High-frequency antennas

As their name suggests, high-frequency antennas produce a sharp sound that can be bothersome to any human ear. 

The noise they make resembles that coming from the interference between a speaker and a cell phone located close to one another. 

The obvious disadvantage to using this device is that you are also going to be hearing the sound, and while it is on, your home will be anything but peaceful and quiet. 

On the other hand, the noise these antennas make is usually so hard to bear that your neighbors will sooner or later stop playing music or at least lower the volume to an acceptable level. 

Noise-canceling gadgets for the outdoors

If you’re constantly bothered by the noise that’s outside your home, such as your neighbors having people over and making barbecues every weekend, a noise-canceling gadget for the outdoors might be a good option.

Unfortunately, these devices tend to cost a pretty penny. However, they are amazingly effective when it comes to blocking out the noise that’s coming from outside your home. 

They work by muting out annoying sounds and noises — pretty much any noise frequencies that travel by air. 

So, whether your neighbors are making noise or you just want to block out traffic sounds or those coming from someone doing a remodeling nearby, they’re going to work in all of these situations. 

1. Noise stingers

Stingers can be defined as reciprocal devices. They can be either manual or automatic. 

With the first, you’re manually going to have to turn on the noise stinger whenever you start being bothered by the racket that your neighbors are making. So you don’t have to know any audio frequency of the noise.

Automatic noise stingers, on the other hand, have to be customized in order to do their job properly. That means that you should discover the audio frequency you’re most bothered by (it’s usually between 70 and 90 dB). 

You can also be smart when it comes to customizing your noise stinger in that you can set the right setting based on the exact type of neighbors you have. 

For example, children, teenagers, adults, and seniors hear things differently, and some frequencies can bother them more than those that can be frustrating to hear by other age categories. 

Do keep in mind that some audio frequencies can be so harsh that they can produce disorientation or nausea. But if your neighbors become quiet, the device will stop on its own, and so will the effects of the frequency. 

Static Devices For Neighbor Noise

1. Earplugs

Earplugs are perhaps the most affordable option that you have at your disposal when it comes to dealing with noisy neighbors. 

While it is true that they might not be the best at canceling the sound, they are going to lower its intensity so that you can at least focus on what you have to do.

However, if you tend to be bothered even by the lowest intensity of noise, you might not find earplugs to be a good solution to your problem. 

2. Noise-canceling headphones

Investing in a great pair of noise-canceling headphones that you can use for sleeping or working is an excellent idea, especially if you need peace and quiet when spending time in your home.

There are two types of noise-canceling headphones that you can purchase these days. Some simply block out the sound, allowing you to sleep better while your neighbors are being noisy as usual. 

But there are also models that allow you to listen to whatever you want while tending to your chores or work, all the while canceling the noise. 

Although both are static devices, you probably get more enjoyment out of using the second type. This kind is generally a bit more expensive.

Other ways to deal with noisy neighbors

Headphones, earplugs, and electronic devices all work great, but you can also block out some of the noise that’s coming from your neighbors’ place by making changes to your living space.

You can seal your windows and doors if the sounds are coming from the outdoors. You can also invest in thicker rugs (fitted with rubber backing) if the noise is coming from the neighbors you have under you. 

Rearranging your furniture, installing acoustic fixtures or ceiling clouds, or getting sound-dampening curtains are three other things that you can do to handle the problem. 

It’s true that it can be very frustrating to have to make changes in your home to deal with the issue that someone else is causing, but these modifications are geared toward making your life easier. 

What else can you do?

Before you resort to investing in a potentially expensive gadget that you might have no use for if your neighbors move out at one point or the other, the first thing you should do is to have a talk with them. 

While some people can be quite accommodating and will understand that they’re not supposed to make noise in a specific period of time, others are not going to be as empathetic, so they’ll ignore your requests. 

In fact, some individuals might even play loud music just out of spite or to frustrate you. 

In that case, getting a device that helps you manage the problem without you having to talk to your neighbor ever again is the best way of going about things. 

If nothing seems to work and your quality of life is greatly affected by noisy neighbors, just file a complaint. If they live in the same building, talk to your landlord, and they’ll take action on your behalf, so you can avoid a useless confrontation. 

Something that we do not recommend would be for you to start leaving notes or compete with the noise they’re making. 

If you start playing loud music yourself and turn it up, they might as well do the same, and then you’ll all bother your other neighbors, who might as well be quiet. The last thing you want is to turn your whole apartment building against you. 

Calling the police should always be the last solution you resort to for the simple reason that it’s likely to happen after you’ve already talked to your neighbors and achieved nothing. 

police

If you’ve also filed a noise complaint and the problem is still there, if you call the cops on your neighbors’ party, they’re going to know who reported them. 

You probably know this by now, but people can be extremely unpredictable, and they can play a lot of tricks on you if they start considering you their enemy. 

Conclusion

From pets to loud music, and loud stomping around, neighbors can make a lot of noise.

Sometimes, it might not bother you as you might not be home. 

But if it becomes a habit, you might want to approach the problem differently and get a device for blocking out the sound. 

Passive devices are more or less effective and cheap enough not to break your budget. 

For nighttime noise, we recommend dynamic devices as they solve the problem conveniently and allow you to enjoy your sleep even when your neighbors are being very loud. 

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4 thoughts on “9 Devices For Dealing With Noisy Neighbors
  1. where can a person get one of those noisy stingers.

  2. What can I use for a neighbour that plays very loud music with heavy bass from their huge shed?

  3. Hi I want a device that I switch and it automatically jams that noisy neighbours speaker.

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