I've begun putting up fiberglass screening stapled to the joists. The electrical and plumbing is so complicated anything solid would be impossible to put up other than a hanging ceiling which would end up probably 6' off the floor. I figure the screening should prevent a vapor barrier while keeping the fiberglass from being disturbed and releasing particulates into the air. I keep a dehumidifier going in the cellar all the time that keeps it at 45-50% humidity so there should be little opportunity for the insulation to get damp. I also keep an air purifier going down there and am in the process of sealing the walls and floor with Drylock Masonry Waterproofing. Overkill? Perhaps? I never have water other than occasionally at the bottom of the sump pit.

The post above yours tells you why. The drop ceiling isn't for leaks only; it's for access. Your major systems run from basement to the upper floors. We have been in the ceiling of our basement two story home two dozen times in the past year alone. Rewiring, running telephone, cable tv, stereo to other rooms, the door bell issue I posted above, accessing a duct making noise, all sorts of things, even fishing wires from the basement to the second floor for ethernet or or other jacks for the bedrooms. Having a drop ceiling on every floor would be the most practical way of fixing anything, but most people don't want that. Not because it isn't practical, but because they don't like the way it looks. It's all fine and dandy to drywall until you have to do *anything* in the ceiling of the basement, and then you have a huge mess trying to find what you need to access, and repairing the hole. We had a problems with the ejector pump from our sump and it ran through the ceiling. Imagine the problems drywall would have caused. We were able to pop up the tile and replace a loose connection in miutes with no sign of repair. Most people I know simply don't make the changes they need in their home if it means cutting the drywall, even those who swore they'd never need to. If you have a drop done professionally, it can look really great. Besides, no one is going to be fooled that is isn't the basement! Good luck with whatever you decide to do :-)

Go ahead and use a 'sound deadening' membrane...it will attentuate impact noise somewhat. But don't expect an absolutely quiet result in a nail down or staple down installation. Sound will travel via the mechanical fasteners (nails, cleats and staples) into the floor system, so expect some impact noise from the room above.

The basement ceiling height of the house we lived in when our kids were teenagers wasn't much higher than yours. My husband sprayed the underside of the main level floor matte black, covering all pipes and ducts. If you DIY, be sure to use a good respirator mask. Our son was the same height as your husband (now slightly taller) and my husband was just a tad shorter. Neither one was bothered by feeling as if they were about to bump their heads. We had no issues with dust. As for noise in the basement, I think it was only noticeable when someone overhead wore high heels. I didn't find that the sound of video games or movies in the basement carried upstairs any more than in a later house with a drywall ceiling. My family liked the look and I was happy to put the money that would have been spent on a finished ceiling toward other things in the house.