@erik_squires wrote:
Raising the cut-off frequency AND sealing the box greatly reduces woofer distortion by controlling excursion, another benefit. Of course, at the end of the day what matters is whether the listener likes it or not.
I don’t block the dual ports of my subs-augmented main speakers (haven’t tried either), but the dual 15" woofers are high-passed just below 85Hz, 36dB/octave L-R, and with 100dB sensitivity here I’ve never seen the cones visibly move, even at bonkers SPL’s, so in that regard blocking the ports should see no real advantage. Question is whether there’s unintentional port contribution seeping through from the upper range, but at least listening impressions don’t point to this. Interesting tip though..
My tip(s): be critical; challenge audiophile conventions; keep/have an open mind; read, listen and observe all you can; experiment; listen to live acoustic music; let sound be the determinant - not price (or looks, brand or other); go DIY and 2nd hand; include pro as well as hi-fi segment (whatever works, works); go active configuration; physics rule with speakers (i.e.: let form follow function, not the other way ’round); implementation is king; a lot matters, but not all equally; forest for the trees. And, at the end of the day: make up your own mind.