Audioholics: Choosing between Sealed and Ported Subs
One of the more common questions on the Audioholics forums is the matter of which is superior: sealed or ported subwoofers. Unfortunately, there are a lot of popular misconceptions out there: you might hear some folks say that ported subwoofers are no good for music, and are only useful for delivering big sound effects, or conversely that sealed subwoofers are musical, but lack the depth to deliver the bass called for in todays blockbusters. While some subwoofers may certainly fit these stereotypes, the truth is considerably more complex. Ultimately, sound quality is far more a function of good engineering and choosing the right tool for the job rather than a question of sealed vs ported. Nonetheless, each alignment does come with specific strengths and weaknesses, the balance of which may make one type more suitable to your situation than the other.