Ported or sealed box speakers. Which do you prefer?

[Lindsayt]

I wish my Bozak Symphonies were more easily portable. Then I'd take them round to a few bake-offs.
They have a midrange and treble that is beatable. But the bass, combined with their neutral tonal balance, does make the bass from every slimline ported speaker I've heard sound average to below average to poor.
They also make the bass from the non sealed big Tannoys I've heard from that era sound "bloomy" and lacking in definition / ability to start stop.

There are other sealed speakers that can do this too. Terrybooth's NVA speakers being one example.

After living with Bozak Symphony speakers I really notice the bass shortcomings in slimline ported speakers, as well as quite a few larger non sealed speakers. Because the bass drums and guitars are so fundamental to driving along the rhythm of the music I enjoy listening to.

It's one of those things where I wonder how many owners of slimline ported speakers realise how poor or average their speakers are at replaying bass drums and bass guitars? Simply because when they go to their dealers, all they have is slimline ported speakers, or the odd tiny (not very good) sealed speaker, eg ATC SCM 11's.

[karatestu]

Hey Lindsay.

I see you had a good response rate over at pfm. Waiting for the arguments to start

It's one of those things where I wonder how many owners of slimline ported speakers realise how poor or average their speakers are at replaying bass drums and bass guitars? Simply because when they go to their dealers, all they have is slimline ported speakers, or the odd tiny (not very good) sealed speaker, eg ATC SCM 11's.

Some may wonder, others are probably not bothered or:
wife won't allow anything else
they used to frequent whathifi forum too much
Dave down the pub told them they were the puppies nuts
they don't realise other designs exist
they have never heard anything else
content with what they have and just devote their time to finding, buying and listening to music

I have never heard the Cubix or Cubix pro speakers like Terry's. My diy semi omni 3 ways with isobaric 12 inchers are enough for me to agree with what you said about Terry's speakers. The ability to start and stop quickly (even though they are doped) and the ability to go deep cleanly.

There is far more information in the lower registers than many have ever heard and with that brings benefits to the mid and high frequencies too. (imo of course).

Stu

[Lindsayt]

I started this poll and the one at pfm, mainly to gather information after being accused in this thread: https://www.avforums.com/threads/whats- ... 326/page-2 of being in a "majority of one" in my views of slimline ported speakers

I wasn't really interested in participating in the ensuing debate on the pfm thread. But I am grateful for everyone that has voted in that poll and this.

I wanted to make sure I wasn't talking a load of when I said that there's a forum where sealed boxes are preferred by the majority of members over ported.

Edit, BTW, if Richard were still alive, we all know which way he would have voted.

[karatestu]

Wow, oldcootstereo really was gunning for you. I think you were the one that strictly answered the question and stayed on topic.

I see oldcootstereo got a warning for questioning a moderator

[CN211276]

Dealers are doing themselves no favours by using thin WAF floor standers for demos. There is no way I would have bought the Chord Mscaler had I not been alowed to take it home on loan. Those awful Spendors masked everything it added, not just concerning bass performance, which was considrable on my NVA system.

[savvypaul]

I was going to jump in, straight way, but it could be perceived that I have a 'dog in the game', so...

I don't rule any design out, but all the speakers I've enjoyed most have been sealed box. I currently use Cube 1, Cube 3 and Klipsch Heresy 3. The Cubes have the benefit of semi-omni configuration which I find exceptionally natural with classical music and the Klipsch have brilliant immediacy and coherence (I value high efficiency for this reason, and the 12" woofers don't hurt, either).

I can usually hear a port in a small speaker - even if it does not 'chuff' then I am pretty quickly disappointed with the negative impact on timing. I include slim floorstanders as 'small' given that the drivers are no larger.

The most disappointing thing about ported designs is that they are so prevalent. Most money spent on WAF, cheap small drivers, bung in a port for perceived bass...Hobson's choice.

[Simon Hickie]

I'm going to be a bit contrarian and say 'neither'. My open baffle experiments have worked well, to the point that I'm unlikely to go back to a box speaker of any description. I will add that I'm about to build a Distributed Mode Loudspeaker (DML) type section for the mid & top section of my OBs. DML speakers work more like bipoles or omnis than dipoles or monopoles. As far as I can tell, DMLs offer less in the way of dipole peaks and front/rear wave cancellation.

Of course, OBs require plenty of free space, especially behind the speakers. Fortunately, I have about 4 feet to play with.

[Jammy Dodger]

Flogged a fine pair of Zingali rear ported speakers.
Bought a fine pair of Falcon closed backs.
Miss my fine wee Mission front ported.


???????

[karatestu]

I see the parallel thread on pfm is on page 10 now and plenty of pretty graphs for us to marvel at. The majority prefer sealed box with no preference being a close second.

Have you pointed your friend on avforums to these threads yet Lindsay ?