What is the difference between sealed and ported enclosures

An evergreen discussion topic on the home audio forums and blogs, there is no shortage of opinions on the subject. The strengths of each subwoofer type are discussed below, along with the recommended applications and listening environments which will result in optimal performance.

A properly designed sealed subwoofer will typically exhibit less phase rotation, lower group delay, and reduced ringing in the time domain. Sealed cabinet subwoofers are generally more accurate in frequency response and better at rendering instrumentals in a convincing way.

These characteristics make the sealed subwoofer a natural choice for critical music applications and are typically described by enthusiasts as sounding tighter and more articulate or musical, with less perceived overhang. Find the right Sealed Subwoofer for you. A sealed subwoofer naturally has a shallower roll-off slope than a ported subwoofer. The end result is much deeper in-room extension than the quasi-anechoic rated low frequency response would otherwise suggest.

With each successively deeper octave, cone excursion quadruples in a sealed subwoofer in order to maintain the same sound pressure level as a ported subwoofer. In addition, the equalization required to tailor and optimize the quasi-anechoic frequency response consumes amplifier power.

In a ported subwoofer design, a relatively large enclosure size is required in order to achieve both a deep system tuning frequency and sufficient port area to minimize chuffing artifacts aka port noise at high drive levels. A larger enclosure also greatly enhances system efficiency in the deeper octaves, with no need for additional EQ boost to achieve naturally deep bass extension.

This makes the larger ported SVS subs a natural choice for system applications with larger rooms where less room gain is present and reference-level playback levels, particularly on demanding Blu-ray action and sci-fi movies with demanding LFE tracks. Simply put, if you want to most room-energizing, gut-punching, floor-trembling cinematic experience possible, a ported subwoofer will deliver greater dynamic output at the lowest frequencies vs.

One of the most persistent myths in the audio industry is that ported subwoofers perform poorly on music. This reputation was largely earned by the public suffering through decades of small, ported boom boxes so common in 5.

At SVS, we call these imposter subs. SVS ported subwoofers have a flat frequency response, low distortion, excellent bandwidth linearity and a very deep tuning frequency typically 20 Hz or deeper. The deep system tuning frequency shifts port-induced phase rotation and associated group delay below the typical music bandwidth, where we are relatively insensitive to it. The graph shows group delay curves for a variable tune ported subwoofer in 20 Hz ported, 16 Hz ported and Sealed operating modes.

Note the group delay curves for all three modes are coincident from Hz Hz which covers the typical music bandwidth , only diverging at the very deepest frequencies. Both sealed and ported alignments have strengths and advantages, and which type of subwoofer is best for a given application depends on several variables.

All of these factor into the selection process. It would take a couple of articles this size just to introduce the terminology.

For the DIY guys and players interested in obtaining more knowledge, there is a wealth of information available online to learn more about cabinet design. There is also plenty of software available online to help you with calculations. Whether you find information about car audio, home hi-fi, pro audio or bass guitar, the principles are basically the same.

This article will be used for the details I feel will help bass players the most. A speaker produces minimal output in free-air outside of a cabinet. These sound waves must be separated to achieve usable output. If not separated, the output from the front and rear of the cone would cancel each other out. This is further accentuated with lower frequencies, and the main reason for mounting a speaker on a baffle.

The baffle also absorbs vibration created by the speaker. A baffle that does not resonate with the speaker must be made from a solid and thick material. Shaping the low-end bass frequencies below Hz is the reason for choosing a particular enclosure type. Any speaker will produce sound in any cabinet, but optimizing the relationship between the speaker and the enclosure is the key to good bass. Thiele and Richard H. Small, devoted considerable effort to show how specific speaker parameters define the relationship between a speaker and a particular enclosure.

They are a means of comparing speaker performance and finding optimal cabinet conditions. But, for now know that trade-offs are involved in every aspect. If you want deeper bass, punchier bass, tighter bass, more snap, pop, or whatever the desirable adjective, something else will be sacrificed to obtain it. Every amp and cabinet manufacturer has methods to achieve their signature tone.

Speaker performance and cabinet design are equally crucial parts. Designers must prioritize what performance or sonic characteristics they desire from a product and determine what aspects of the speaker and cabinet will make it a reality. Output level or SPL , power handling, frequency range, and size and weight are all considerations.

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How to choose a subwoofer box Sealed vs ported vs bandpass — what's the best? Meet Buck Pomerantz Close. More about Buck Started at Crutchfield in Completed our thorough in-house Advisor training, learning about the ins and outs of our various products Stays up-to-date by attending vendor training sessions for new products Earned MECP Mobile Electronics Certified Professional certification Designed and organized Crutchfield's subwoofer wiring diagrams Authored dozens of Crutchfield articles and hundreds of product presentations, primarily focused on car audio amplifiers and pro audio gear Answers the many customer questions posted in the comments on his articles Semi-retired soundman with decades of experience making other people sound good From to , also worked as a sidelines video camera grip for University of Virginia football and basketball games.

Comments Read comments. Roy, If you like the sound of the two styles blended together, go for it. Hoi, No one really "hears" a 16 Hz tone - it is felt as bodily vibrations, if the subwoofer and amplifier can actually reproduce such a low note with any kind of audible volume. Smokee, Mixing a sealed and ported in the same system will result in muddy, indistinct bass - one won't "clean up" the sound of the other.

As to one over-powering the other - it completely depends on the sensitivity of the specific subs and enclosures. Shridhar, It's best if you visited a home stereo store, so you can audition first-hand what the best sounding suboofer would be for you.

Jayanta, I strongly suggest you go to a car stereo shop and give the two kinds of subs a good listen, and then pick the style you like best, not what someone tells you you should like.