Port or non Ported subs?

[jpaul]

Greetings,
Question, What is better, buying a bass woofer that is ported
or buying one that isn't ported?
I had always thought that a bass woofer needs to breath (air)
to have a true quality bass sound. But, I'm seeing a lot of purchases
of subs that aren't ported.
Thansk
Jpaul

--------------------New system started finally
Sony 40" Bravia flat LCD tv
Denon AVR 3806

 

[j_garcia]

Depends on what you are after. Generally speaking, sealed subs have a "tighter" sound to them, while ported can more easily hit higher SPLs while also going lower (depending entirely on the specific design). Sealed subs also need a bit more power to achieve the same levels as a ported design, but they also are usually much smaller physically in size.

How big is your room?

 

[Johnd]

In a word, accuracy. Any ported design will introduce some distortion. There are benefits/flaws with each design. Typically, one starts with a budget, and chooses from the now narrower available options.

 

[Sheep]

Either design can yeild good results. You just have to build different boxes for each design, Right MacMan?

I prefer a sealed sub. Takes up less space, and I like the sound. Though I have heard some excellent ported subs.

SheepStar

 

[Pyrrho]

Greetings,
Question, What is better, buying a bass woofer that is ported
or buying one that isn't ported?
I had always thought that a bass woofer needs to breath (air)
to have a true quality bass sound. But, I'm seeing a lot of purchases
of subs that aren't ported.
Thansk
Jpaul

--------------------New system started finally
Sony 40" Bravia flat LCD tv
Denon AVR 3806

The quality of the subwoofer is not determined by whether it is ported or not, or, for that matter, whether it is front firing or down firing. Do not buy based upon such things. Buy based upon actual performance of the particular subs in question (and, of course, including other important factors, like size and price, which should be remembered without saying).

 

[Buckeye_Nut]

Which is better??

It all boils down to personal preference and your intended use. My HT is setup exclusively for movies, and I prefer large ported subs. Some music lovers love massive ported subs, while others prefer small sealed subs that you can hide. I guess it just comes down to what you want from your sub.

 

[JoeE SP9]

Why don't you just audition some subs and make your own decision. It is your ears that will have to live with your purchase.

 

[jpaul]

Does the Ported give a more true sound replication than the sealed bass?

 

[Sheep]

Does the Ported give a more true sound replication than the sealed bass?

Ture sound? That sounds like something from bose.

Either can give you a transparent sound. They just need to be designed and built properly for the given driver and amp.

Is there any models you have in mind?

SheepStar

 

[Mike Dzurko]

The quality of the subwoofer is not determined by whether it is ported or not, or, for that matter, whether it is front firing or down firing. Do not buy based upon such things. Buy based upon actual performance of the particular subs in question (and, of course, including other important factors, like size and price, which should be remembered without saying).

WELL said

 

[jpaul]

Room size : 24x24
Models: Axiom EP500, SVS, Deftech Supercube, Velidyne
Are some I'm considering.
What is Transparent sound?

 

[Sheep]

Room size : 24x24
Models: Axiom EP500, SVS, Deftech Supercube, Velidyne
Are some I'm considering.
What is Transparent sound?

Transparency is what it sounds like.

Example: A window that is clear, will show you what is on the other side with minimal differences almost like there is no window at all.

A blury window will distort the image and make it seem like it is something it is not.

Same goes with music and movies. You want the speaker to play what is on the disk, not what is in its driver, box, or crossover/amp.

Can you give us any specific models from SVS, Deftech, and Velodyne?

SheepStar

 

[jpaul]

Thanks, Very good explaination.
Does the subs have Timber matching also? and would I need to purchase the sub from the
same company?
Models: SVS box - PB12-Plus, Deftech Supercube 1, Axiom EP500, Velodyne ? not sure, depends on price.

 

[Sheep]

So far, out of those models, the PB-12plus is the only one with a chance to fill that room.

If you can swing it, a PB-12plus/2 would be sweet.

SheepStar

 

[jhan1000]

Thanks, Very good explaination.
Does the subs have Timber matching also? and would I need to purchase the sub from the
same company?
Models: SVS box - PB12-Plus, Deftech Supercube 1, Axiom EP500, Velodyne ? not sure, depends on price.

At low frequencies, timber matching is not a requirement. I have compared an Axiom EP500 (ported sub) to a Rocket UFW-12 (sealed), and could only detect subtle differences for music.

For the most part, ported designs are more efficient. As a result, you will be able to hit lower and harder with ported subwoofers if costs are kept equal. Are you going to use this for mostly HT applications or music?

 

[jpaul]

Thanks,
Both, We like Good quality sound in Music, Jazz, Symphony,Rock.
We also like ( and most likely use more) HT sound, I want to be on the runway. I'm looking at Deftech towers bp7004 and centers with bipolar rears,
and the Axiom M50 with same, Also I'm wondering how Polk speakers, Infinity and Paradigms compare with these.
Unfortunatly I don't have a lot of places to audition them.

 

[Buckeye_Nut]

Unfortunately,
You'll have to hear them with your own ears to judge. Each brand has it's fans, and the 'which sounds best' kind of question wont help you much.

IE.....What sounds great to me, might sound awful to you. For example, I love Klipsch, while others cant stand them. Who's right??? LOL..... we both are!!

hahahaha

Only you can decide what sounds best to your ears.

 

[WmAx]

If bass quality is important, the poster must not overlook room treatments for upper bass response linearity and parametric equalization for low bass response correction. If you do not want to measure/set-up using a separate device, get a sub-woofer with integrated measurement/auto-equalization such as some of the Velodyne products offer. The best quality driver in the world will not sound good if the room's characteristics are poor and left uncorrected.

-Chris