How loud is too loud?

[Nopenotrightnow]

New neighbours (moved in today) have just knocked on the door and asked us to turn TV down as it's "disturbing their peace". Our TV volume is at 20 - we could go to 99. Is that really loud? I'm aware that as we get older (late 50s now) were likely to get deafer but it's the first time anyone has suggested that we might already have a hearing problem.

Depends on your tv, but ours is usually at 6 or 7, up to 10 max if the washing machine is going or something. Have visitors ever commented?

I would turn it down TBH. Put yourself in their shoes...

TV volumes aren't standardised, so I don't know how helpful it would be to know?

My Samsung smart TV is on 12 max (or lower 7-10), but my older (Hitachi) one can be anything from 20-22 up to 28 or so, although that's generally for Youube videos where the sound is a bit shit.

If you're disturbing your neighbours then it's probably too loud unless your walls are like paper. Can you hear theirs?

I have mine at 5
I've had to speak to my neighbour. She wasn't happy and said she only had it at 50! It's blaring through the wall

Our telly volume is usually around 12, but different televisions and sound bars etc. will be louder or quieter at different volume level numbers, so I don't think that is a reliable way of ascertaining how loud your television might sound to others.
If you have your windows open the sound will carry more. You probably just need to turn your sound down a little and shut the windows, if either or both are practical. I wouldn't expect to hear my neighbours television from my own house.

It might also depend where it is OP. If it’s touching a shared wall then the sound could travel and be really loud next door when it isn’t that loud for you. We had a similar thing with our upstairs neighbours, things sounded so loud in our flat that weren’t that loud at all in theirs! We were looking into various sound proofing options but moved in the end!

Our Tele is at 20% of the volume we could turn it up to. Their current screaming match has us at 75% and phoning their landlord.

Hard to say without hearing it but our LG smart tv goes to volume 99, we tend to have it around 8. Occasionally we'll put it to 12/13 but very rarely. It's way too loud above that tbh.
Put your subtitles on and maybe consider where your telly is too. If it's mounted to a fireplace wall for example it will definitely sound loud to your neighbour through the wall.

Wait? What? You now have it at 75? That seems ridiculous by anyone's standards.
Is the screaming match about your noise or something else? Presumably if you can hear them that well you'll be able to tell...

Highest for us is 12 and even then it's pretty loud tbh

Their screaming match is about her being a dry bitch and him not being able to deal with that! I fail to see why we should have to listen to that. Apparently our peace doesn't matter?

Well this is a good start....

@Nopenotrightnow fair enough. They sound delightful 😳
It's good you're able to contact the landlord at least. And also that they're not the home owners!

@Nopenotrightnow hope you're ok OP. Also hope I didn't sound horrible in my comment earlier- I meant it's ridiculous that you're having to put it to 75 because of them.

Depends on the walls. If they are masonry or stud walls. It would have to be fairly loud for the sound to go through masonry walls.

Well I'm sat here listening to shit dj at the party behind us 'braaaaap-ing' away, and playing shit bhangra. Can't even play the decent stuff.

Think I'd prefer an argument and/or loud tv tbf.

Apparently our peace doesn't matter?

From their point of view it seems you think neither does theirs.
They’ve just moved in and discovered the are going to be listening to your tv every night. Then, after they ask you to turn it down, you turn it up to 3x as loud as if in retaliation.

I’m not surprised they are arguing.

Thank you for concern. We're fine, having a fit of the giggles and debating whether having loud "wet" sex would make neighbour relationships better or worse :-)

You didn't bother to read the post about their argument?

I did, yes.

Moving day is stressful and tempers flare enough without then realising you are now living next to noisy neighbours whose tv you are going to have to hear each day. I’ve lived in 2 houses where I could watch my TV with the sound off thanks to neighbours blaring their tv.
An argument will be a brief disturbance, I’m sure you raise your voice on occasion, they now know they will have to list to your TV the whole time they live there.
The twat next door to us, when we politely asked him to turn the tv down, started shouting slamming the doors and turned the TV up.
Your neighbours have my sympathy because living next door to my two tv blarers was absolute hell.

TV is off, DH has gone to bed and they're still screaming at each other. Sorry you find us inconsiderate. Happy to swap neighbours?

In some semi-detached houses you can hear TVs next door even when they’re at a perfectly normal volume, especially if one or both rooms has uncarpeted floors or very little furniture.

TV volume scales aren’t standard, so ‘20’ is meaningless in comparison to other people’s TVs. But if yours goes up to 99 I doubt it’s particularly loud.

I think you’re over-embellishing your story with the details of the row though.

Were not "noisy neighbours"! TV is at 20% volume when it's on and they've spent the last couple of hours arguing (louder than our bloody tele!) with each other!

Our tv we have at 15, maybe 20 if listening to the radio but would need to be about 35/40 for the tv (lower for the ads)