Noise Control Solutions We Don’t Recommend

Noisy neighbours? We feel your pain. Sharing walls with someone who makes a racket on the regular can be a nightmare. But what’s the best way to resolve the situation?

Having a calm conversation is probably a good place to start. The emphasis here should be on ‘calm’ — marching next door and angrily giving your neighbour a piece of your mind at 2am may feel tempting, but it’s probably best to avoid causing a row that could escalate.

It’s also a good idea to avoid these passive-aggressive strategies for dealing with noisy neighbours…

The ‘Zhenlouqi’ (Floor Shaker)

China’s densely-populated cities have a combined population of around 914 million. And with people living so close to one another, it’s no wonder relations between neighbours can get a little strained.

During Covid lockdowns, apartment block residents became so fed up with their neighbours making nuisance noise through their walls or ceilings that they turned to an extreme method of retaliation. Some bought themselves a ‘Zhenlouqi’ or floor shaker, a vibrating device attached to a supporting pole. This can be placed against the ceiling and turned on using remote control; the resulting vibrations cause the floor of the apartment above to shake.

Does it prevent neighbours from making noise? The jury’s out on that one. It’s more likely to make them angry, with reports of fights breaking out between warring residents — and police being called to remove the controversial devices.

‘Anti Square-Dancing’ Device

The tradition of ‘square dancing’ is another problem for Chinese folk with sensitive hearing. All around the country, enthusiastic dancing grannies regularly take over town and city squares to shake their stuff to loud music.

These choreographed routines drive some local residents mad, to the point where one company has started marketing an ‘anti-square-dancing device’ — a remote control that can stop any speaker at a distance of 50-80 metres. Guaranteed peace and quiet (until a hoard of angry grannies turns up at your front door).

Bluetooth speaker hack

If you have a neighbour who plays their music loud, you could always try to connect to their Bluetooth speaker and stream a song that’s more to your taste. Or take the lead of Matt O’Brien, a man who went viral on social media for hacking into his neighbour’s sound system and playing a unique version of Edvard Grieg’s ‘In The Hall Of The Mountain King’, over which he sang words to the effect of: “Please be so kind as to turn your music down,” with the addition of a few expletives.

Amusing? Yes. But also probably more intrusive than the original offence.

A magnetron

A magnetron is a slightly more subtle way of cutting off neighbourly noise at its source.

The electromagnetic generator emits a pulse that stops all nearby electronic devices, making it perfect for shutting down a TV or stereo that’s blaring through your walls. What’s more, there’s no way of it being traced back to you. Although there is a catch — it will disable your appliances too.

The Noise Stinger

This noise control solution is at the more aggressive end of the scale. The stinger is an ultrasonic device that emits high-frequency sounds. Some are so high that they can only be picked up by the ears of people aged under 21. And for that reason, some British councils have tried using them to disperse groups of noisy teens.

The trouble is, these frequencies can also be picked up by dogs’ sensitive ears. So while you may have solved the problem of antisocial youths, you’ll have to listen to a chorus of upset hounds.

Wiltech Acoustics offer socially acceptable and effective noise control solutions to many people and businesses. Get in touch to find out how we can help you manage noise safely (and without any neighbourly disputes!)