We just bought a new house with an unfinished basement. I'd like to set up our big screen TV with a sound system in there and our son wants a dedicated room for him to play his music (which we prefer not to hear).

What would you suggest we use to insulate the ceiling?

Thanks.

How much are you willing to do? Sound transmission through existing walls and ceilings is tough.

Isolation and adding mass are proven ways of reducing sound transmission. Don't worry about the floor of the rooms above; anything you do there would mostly benefit the basement listener and not the people upstairs.

One of the cheapest and most effective ways of reducing sound transmission is to double the wall/ceiling. Two layers of sheet rock mounted on flexible strips works well. Two layers of sheet rock separated by a layer of green glue or other deadening product may work. The image below is of a very elaborate system, but it illustrates one way of mounting sheet rock on strips. The layers of foam etc may not help that much. It is worth adding fiberglass insulation to the stud bays and between ceiling joists if the walls are open.

Replace hollow core doors with solid doors (this could save someone's life ;) ).

If there are common HVAC ducts that conduct noise between the basement and the rooms above, look into replacing some part of them with ducts having interior insulation. Inserting a loop of flexible ducting can also help.

Now the bad news. Nothing you can do a reasonable cost will completely contain loud music or movie soundtracks within the basement. When the dinosaur stomps those low frequency sounds travel though the air and building structure. For that you have to rely on negotiation, threats, bribes, appeals to the angels of his better nature. My wife has tried all of these (and one other ;) ) with me; it will be amazing if they work better with a teenager. The Dolby Night Mode setting, however can help.

Thanks for replying. I was thinking that using something like an engine compartment insulation might help with the ceiling but didn't consider the issue of a sub-woofer beating down the walls.

Maybe the easiest solution is somebody else's house. :rolleyes:

Maybe the easiest solution is somebody else's house. :rolleyes:
You can't do better than that. ;) However don't give up; there are relatively low cost things that you can do that will help.

Gyp board on flexible strips rather than screwed or nailed to the studs/joists. Stuff the area between the joists and studs with insulation. Install a solid core door.

Take a look at this illustration (inadvertently left off earlier). Ignore the foam and the other stuff- most of the reduction comes from the gyp board on the flex strips and the insulation between the joists. Gyp board on the joists/studs and then a second layer on any kind of flex strips will do a good job. Not sound proof but quieter.
http://www.soundproofing.org/images/ceiling_proof.jpg