Choosing your Perfect Subwoofer | Ported versus Sealed | Advantages and Disadvantages

When it comes to surround sound and home cinema systems, subwoofers are an essential component that really helps create an awesome immersive audio experience. Many people love subwoofers for stereo hi-fi as well. However, not all subwoofers are created equal and hardly sound the same.  The two main types of subwoofers are ported and sealed. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages in terms of sound quality, not to mention sound very different. It’s important to understand the differences to make an informed decision when purchasing or upgrading a home cinema system.

Ported:

Ported subwoofers, also known as bass reflex subwoofers, have a vent or port on its enclosure that allows air to move in and out of the subwoofer. This design allows for more efficient airflow, which can result in a louder and deeper bass response. Ported subwoofers are generally ideal for larger rooms or home theatres where you want to feel the bass as much as hear it. With this design, it can produce a more dynamic and impactful bass response, making it perfect for action-packed movies or music with heavy bass lines.

Sealed:

On the other hand, sealed subwoofers, which are also known as acoustic suspension subwoofers, do not have a port or vent in the enclosure. In contrast, they are completely sealed, which usually creates a tighter, more precise and accurate bass response. Sealed subwoofers are generally, more ideal for smaller rooms or home theatres where you want to hear the bass more than feel it. They provide tighter, more controlled bass response, therefore making them perfect for audiophiles and music genres, but not limited to jazz, classical and acoustic.

Deep Louder Bass:

One of the huge and often sought-after benefits of ported subwoofers is their ability to produce a louder and deeper bass response.  This design allows more air to move in and out of the enclosure, which creates a more efficient airflow.

Advantages and Disadvantages:

Unfortunately, ported subwoofers do have some undesirable disadvantages.  They can sometimes be more prone to distortion at high volumes, because the vent or port can create unwanted noise or vibrations, or port turbulence when pushed at high or extreme volumes. Subwoofer dependant, they can also be more difficult to place in a room. They require more space around the enclosure to allow for proper airflow, which may not be possible in smaller rooms.

Sealed subwoofers also have some disadvantages such as not being as efficient as ported subwoofers. This means that they may not be able to produce as much SPL, volume or deep bass response as a ported subwoofer.

Conclusion:

When it comes to choosing between ported and sealed subwoofers for your hi-fi or home cinema system, it really depends on your personal preferences, the size of your room and simply put what type of bass you are after. Usually people prefer a sealed subwoofer for music as it is fast and accurate and ported for movies for rumbling louder bass. However either or for each is not a right or wrong. Ultimately, the choice between ported and sealed subwoofers comes down to your personal preferences and what you want from your system. For this reason we always suggest where possible to please try and setup an appointment with us for a demonstration for the new investment into your entertainment system.

Ascendo Subwoofers however have a slightly differant approach, please check out our Ascendo Speakers and Subwoofers article.

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