Ported Vs Sealed subwoofers – Which of this cabinet designs do you think will be perfect for you? This an evergreen question that has been popping up on blogs and forums lately. It is no surprise that this question keeps coming up, but most of the answer you will get is “It Depends”. The reason why people keep using that as answer is so they do not have to sound ambiguous, so we have taken it upon ourselves to bring you this post with our own answer.
What is the purpose of a subwoofer? Why do i need a subwoofer? These are more are some other questions that keeps coming up when discussing about subwoofers, and it will interest you to know that subwoofers are designed to provide users with more bass sounds and sound clarity. One other thing you need to know is implementing the right subwoofer will definitely improve the overall sound clarity of whatever setup you have.
Ported Vs Sealed Subwoofer
Delivering precise and amplifying sounds is what a high quality subwoofer is going to provide you with, and you will notice the difference in sound quality when you start making use of a subwoofer. Producing dimensional, rich, and full sounds is what the right subwoofer will do for you, and the sad part of it all is that there are so many people today that loves music but are not getting the type of sound quality they desire.
This is where shopping for a subwoofer comes in. Before going to shop for a subwoofer, you need to have a full knowledge of what a subwoofer really is and what it can do for you. We have already discussed that from the beginning of this post, but you also need to know that subwoofers comes in different enclosures. The market today is filled with ported and sealed subwoofers, and you need to know more about them to make a good choice for you.
Sealed Subwoofers
From the name of this subwoofer, you can tell that this is a self-explanatory type of subwoofer enclosure. This enclosure has a sealed box design, and this sealing could be either at the rear or at the front of the subwoofer. Generally speaking, this type of subwoofer design can fit perfectly into a small sized box, and this makes it blend in perfectly into the listening environment. This means it will have a low visual impact on your room’s decoration.
One thing about sealed subwoofer enclosures is they tend to be smaller in size, and the fact that they are smaller in size makes them very easy to build. This is because it comes with no port for tuning, but the choice of wood you use in making this subwoofer box determines the sound quality you will get out of it. Producing accurate low frequencies is what sealed subwoofer boxes are designed to offer its users.
It is able to produce accurate low frequencies compared to ported subwoofer boxes because the air trapped inside functions as a shock absorber, making it possible for the subwoofer to move back and forth accurately and with more control. There is a cone found inside a sealed subwoofer box that requires a high amount of power to generate the same sound volume that a ported subwoofer box will generate.
This tells you that the design of a sealed subwoofer box makes it impossible for you to get booms, thunderous, and roaring bass sounds. The reason for this is because a sealed subwoofer is only going to produce a flat frequency response which plays only full and tight bass sounds, providing a low frequency foundation for the music you are listening to. Exhibiting lesser phase rotation is what you will also get from sealed subwoofers.
Read This – What Is A DSP Audio
Other things you will notice from a sealed subwoofer is time domain’s reduced ringing and lower group delay. It is as a result of all of these factors that so many audio enthusiasts refers to the sealed subwoofer as a subwoofer that will sound tight with more articulation, and a reduced sense of overhang. The air that serves as a shock absorber makes the cone move back and forth smoothly, making it possible for all sounds to be heard evenly.
Ported Subwoofers
One fact about the ported subwoofers you need to know is you cannot build them easily like the sealed subwoofers are built. This is because ported subwoofers are designed to house a woofer and several ports, making it possible for air to leave the box through the back. This is why you will be able to get louder and bigger sounds from a ported subwoofer, because the ported subwoofer makes use of two mechanisms in moving air inside the box.
These mechanisms are the woofer and the ports, and the fact that ported subwoofers have the ability to move a large amount of air makes it possible for them to fill up rooms with loud sounds. This is why so many manufacturers that have designed ported subwoofers described them as subwoofers that can produce room filling sounds. However, another fact you need to be aware of is ported subwoofers contains subsonic filters.
These subsonic filters can either have their frequencies adjusted or fixed, Restricting low frequencies is the role of the subsonic filter, and this is why subsonic filters should be present in all ported subwoofers. Another function of the subsonic filter is to offer the speakers and subwoofers adequate protection. Your woofer will not suffer any hurt or damage if you leave the subsonic filter on, but what it does at the end of the day is to improve sound.
More On Ported Vs Sealed Subwoofers
Now you can see that the ported and sealed subwoofers have good attributes that make them unique in their own way, but finding out which one of these designs is best for a customer has to be be the customers decision. One of the most important feature you need to consider when trying to choose between the ported and sealed subwoofer is the room size.
The demand for bass is going to rise if you are looking towards filling up a very large room with bass sounds, and trust me when i say positioning a small sealed subwoofer in such a room will not provide you with the bass sound requirements that you are looking for. You will need a subwoofer that is larger if you want to fill up such a room with superior bass sounds, and you can deal with this problem by using two or more subwoofers in such a large room.
So many home theater setups nowadays require the use of ported subwoofers based on what type of sound experience you desire, and the size of the room. You will definitely need to go for a ported subwoofer to fill up a large room with sounds, and you are going to need more than one sealed subwoofer if you are looking forwards to filling up a large room with thunderous bass sounds.
Check This Out – How To Install Car Speakers
Final Note – Ported Vs Sealed Subwoofer
Choosing between a ported and sealed subwoofer isn’t a very easy decision for anyone to make, and it doesn’t matter whether you are a music or sound lover or not. Making such a choice is always difficult for everyone. You will be guaranteed an enhanced and improved listening experience if you add a subwoofer to your already existing audio setup, and you can listen to your music as loud as you want it without worrying about sound distortion.
Aesthetic, room decoration, playback level, system usage, and size of room are factors you should not forget to look out for when shopping for a subwoofer, and floor space is also another factor that might affect whatever choice of subwoofer you decide going for. If you have small subwoofers that are already providing you with a good sound quality then consider adding a sealed subwoofer to make the sounds a bit louder.
