Rear ported speakers

petrichor

Wammer
Wammer
May 29, 2013
1,189
376
128
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Why do many manufacturers make their speakers rear ported? I would assume the majority of the buying public do not live in mansions where they can give speakers the required rear space for them to perform at their best when rear ported. Is there a technical reason why certain brands need to be rear ported?
 

Andy Stephenson

Legend Wammer
Wammer
Feb 8, 2022
9,227
11,813
148
North East England
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Why do many manufacturers make their speakers rear ported? I would assume the majority of the buying public do not live in mansions where they can give speakers the required rear space for them to perform at their best when rear ported. Is there a technical reason why certain brands need to be rear ported?
Is it not just as simple as that the output is less obvious than front ported speakers?

I have Tablette 50s and have to say I've never noticed any of the 'chuffing' that seems to put some people off.

Andy
 

The Hifi Gallery

Wammer
Wammer
Sep 1, 2005
1,236
40
93
Kinross
AKA
Paul
HiFi Trade?
  1. Yes
Some ported speakers ‘chuff’ some don’t, it doesn’t matter where the port is.

If the port is on the front it can (as said above) be more obvious, aesthetically it can be a challenge too.

Sometimes (not always) when we assume we can ‘hear’ the ports, we are in fact hearing a room node, ie the port is not the problem per se. If you had a sealed speaker with energy at the same power and frequency can sound boomy too.
 

lazycat

Wammer Plus
Wammer Plus
Dec 20, 2007
3,559
6,660
193
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
My Proacs have 2 ports each. They seem to work well in a small room - about 27cm from rear wall.

No chuffing that I can hear, perhaps someone else would. Sound good to me tho'.
 

Music At Home

Google Bot
Wammer
Jul 31, 2011
268
190
73
Argyll
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Why do many manufacturers make their speakers rear ported? I would assume the majority of the buying public do not live in mansions where they can give speakers the required rear space for them to perform at their best when rear ported. Is there a technical reason why certain brands need to be rear ported?
A couple of possible reasons:

i) with a compact speaker, more space on the rear panel.

ii) mid-range sound leakage from the port will be less audible from in front of the speaker, unlike the intended bass tuning frequency which will be omni-directional.
 

Lawrence001

Mega Wammer
Wammer
Jul 21, 2015
5,956
3,535
168
London
AKA
Lawrence
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
(a) Fashion
(b) Stupidity
(c) To hide the ugly port where you can't see it
(d) They're male speakers. So the chuffing hole is round the back
(e) Because wide bodied speakers with no ports and adequately sized woofers are more expensive to make and transport
(f) Edward III in 1346
More relevant to Edward II in 1327.
 
  • Like
Reactions: VanDerGraaf

Jazid

Wammer
Wammer Plus
Oct 13, 2009
4,861
1,556
193
London
AKA
James
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
As Audio Note speaker fans can attest, they make a better sounding loudspeaker when designed to go close to a corner. Otherwise nup, not a clue.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ozzric

maddog_007

maddog_007
Wammer
Oct 17, 2018
1,145
1,678
183
Waterfoot ,Glasgow
AKA
dennis
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
My Proacs have 2 ports each. They seem to work well in a small room - about 27cm from rear wall.

No chuffing that I can hear, perhaps someone else would. Sound good to me tho'.
Same here with my Forests...though I like to bring them further into my listening space for a 'proper session'!.
 
  • Like
Reactions: lazycat

Strider

Show me your Fooses
Wammer Plus
Jan 16, 2006
5,604
3,576
193
Here and there
AKA
Mark
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Back in the dark and shameful days of my first foray into better audio I purchased a pair of Mission 762, a large standmount with an 8" bass driver and front ported.
With certain music I could hear the port produce a disturbing boooooob (not that kind you beasts) but distinct port output , they could go outrageously loud but the flappy booooooobage accompanying Sisters of Mercy put me off I can tell you
 
  • Like
Reactions: savvypaul

lazycat

Wammer Plus
Wammer Plus
Dec 20, 2007
3,559
6,660
193
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Same here with my Forests...though I like to bring them further into my listening space for a 'proper session'!.
TBH I was astonished that they worked, but they do. Any closer tho', I'd be using them as headphones.
 

Strider

Show me your Fooses
Wammer Plus
Jan 16, 2006
5,604
3,576
193
Here and there
AKA
Mark
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
To throw a curved ball into the thread, how about bottom ported speakers?
My ProAcs are bottom ported and as per another thread I commented that the speakers are pretty agnostic regarding placement.
 

John (big)

Wammer
Wammer
Nov 3, 2012
1,126
1,927
158
West London
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
To throw a curved ball into the thread, how about bottom ported speakers?
My ProAcs are bottom ported and as per another thread I commented that the speakers are pretty agnostic regarding placement.
My son has a pair of floor standing narrow front TDL speakers (not transmission line) that originally had a rear reflex port, the previous owner (in the trade) sealed the rear port & placed it low on the front panel he also re built the x-overs + bracing, just for experimentation/fun.

Like Strider's ProAc's they are unfussy regarding placement I have heard them in a small room here & in the large lounge in his own house where they are placed against a long wall sitting on a long low solid wood sideboard 8 feet apart. Importantly they sound balanced with good, deep bass mid's & treble no chuffing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Strider

Linear

Wammer
Wammer
Nov 7, 2022
287
438
83
Lancashire
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
I have limited space, so have to position speakers back to wall. For this reason I would use front ported or even better sealed enclosure.
Having said that my pervious speakers were rear ported and didn't sound too bad,
 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
113,444
Messages
2,451,263
Members
70,783
Latest member
reg66

Latest Articles

Wammers Online