>>Now how do I block out the grumblings without otherwise compromising the sound?

If the grumblings are coming from outside the HT room then a second layer of drywall with a slight air gap works really well.

If the grumblings are coming from inside the room then treating the area around spouse's seating position with 2-4" thick rigid fiberglass or foam will absorb a lot of the offending frequencies.

It's normally easier to preclude or delay the grumbling by doing something nice just before the speakers arrive than it is to block out the grumbling after the fact.


M60ti, VP180, QS8, M2ti, EP500, PC-Plus 20-39
M5HP, M40ti, Sierra-1
LFR1100 active, ADA1500-4 and -8