What white noise does about the neighbors
The hard part of apartment noise is how uneven it is, since a quiet hour makes the next door slam feel twice as loud. White noise is a bright, even hiss, and it blurs voices, dishes, and hallway movement better than a deep rumble does. Waves add slower movement so the result feels less like a machine left running. What it can't do is soundproof anything, because the sound still comes through the wall and all you are doing is giving your ears something steady to sit with. Bass through the floor is a different problem, and a deep rumble suits that better than hiss.
Move things around before you turn it up
Put the speaker between you and whatever keeps bothering you, if that's possible without running a cable across a walkway. A closed door, a rug, or a bookcase against the shared wall often does more than another few notches of volume. Start quiet and add only as much as it takes to stop noticing the hallway. White noise sounds louder than a rumble at the same setting and it wears some people out, so if it starts to grate, pink noise is the softer version of the same idea. For noise that is genuinely out of hand, your building or the local process will get further than anything you can play.
Set the balance to the noise you actually have
Street noise and voices are the case where the hiss earns its place, so leave white noise in charge and keep the total volume modest. If the building already hums on its own, take white noise down to around 50% and let the waves do the softening. When single swells keep catching you, lower the ocean a few steps until they blur together. Judge all of it from the chair or the bed you actually use, because standing next to the speaker tells you nothing useful.
Explore the sounds in this mix
Listen to each layer on its own: White Noise and Ocean Waves. Or start from scratch in the free online sound mixer.
Frequently asked questions
Does this block noise from next door?
No. Nothing you play can stop sound coming through a wall. It adds a steady background so the noise stands out less, which is a different and smaller thing.
Where should the speaker go?
Between you and the noise when you can do that safely, and then listen from where you sit or sleep rather than from beside the speaker.
Can I drop the white noise and keep the waves?
Yes. Switch white noise off and raise the ocean to a level you like, though waves on their own cover much less of the building than the two together.