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Does port location make a significant difference with regard to speaker placement?

Hi all, 

Pondering a speaker upgrade this fall, and with Axpona cancelled I am just going to head out and shop.  If I'm trying to "fix" anything with my current setup it might be some bass muddiness on certain tracks.  I could turn the Loudness off but why, LOL.....

Anyways, as I look for speakers am I expecting too much to say that moving from a rear ported speaker to a front/bottom ported speaker would be worth the effort to clean this up?  My speakers have decent proximity from walls and corners, but suspect I'm not perfect here.  I've also played with absorption behind speakers with some success, some failures.  

So looking for first hand experience in changing speakers and port locations, and the impact on sound, considering same speaker placement.  

Thanks in advance.  

EW
128x128mtbiker29
mofojo
2,186 posts
 
Yes front ported are more forgiving of proximity to the wall. 
noromance's avatar
noromance
9,546 posts
 
 I could turn the Loudness off but why, LOL.....
Turn it off. Move rear ported speakers away from the wall. Stands? List equipment.  
jrbirdman333
105 posts
 
Agree that rear ported speakers need to be well away from the wall. Front port speakers can be much closer. Case in point, I just picked up a set of JBL L82 speakers and they have front ports and sound fantastic at 6 inches away from the back wall.
jrpnde
271 posts
 
   I have another question that may fit into this post.... Have a pair of PSB Imagine B stand mounts (rear ported to enhance bass). They are placed about 3 feet from the wall. I do not need the "enhanced bass" since I am using 2 subs for that.
   Question....Should I plug the ports anyway to see if there is a sound improvement (haven't tried that yet) or just leave the setup as is? The obvious answer would probably be....Try it and see. Would do that but I wonder if plugging the ports on stand mount speakers would affect the performance of the speakers' overall sound.
  
dynamiclinearity
239 posts
 
It's best to keep a rear port away from a rear reflector. Too close can affect the port output which is why a front port is friendlier for a ported speaker close to a wall. Otherwise since port bass is 100% omni it shouldn't matter much.
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