Does Plugging Bass Port Affect Pace, Rhythm and Timing?


Hi, I recently purchased a used pair of Monitor Audio Silver S1 bookshelf speakers for, well, my bookshelf. :\  As expected, the presentation is a little muddy, and the highs not as extended as they might be otherwise on these speakers known for the quality of their tweeters.  I am about to try plugging the ports to see if any improvement could be had. I was wondering if there is any downside to plugging the ports on a bass reflex design as far as bass accuracy and speed. 
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Showing 2 responses by prof

Thanks erik,

It's been a very long time since I have been the details of speaker design.  I burned out on the technical side of this hobby years ago and don't follow it near as much (that's one reason it's taking me forever to get around to setting up my subwoofers.  To do it right is such a hassle I never get around to it.  I just sit down and listen to my system as it is...)

I'd always noticed, though, that plugging the ports of a speaker seemed not only to tighten up the lower response, but also seemed to reduce the sense of dynamics, making it a bit more lifeless.  So that seemed to at least subjectively ratify that myth.  Perhaps that was just due to the loss of lower bass...(though I have both the larger and the slightly smaller version of the Thiel 3.7 and 2.7 speakers, the only difference being a 2" smaller woofer on the smaller speaker and not as deep bass, but it certainly sounds as dynamic or more than the bigger speaker with the lower bass....)