Red Line = 1.5 Cycles Group Delay (commonly accepted perception threshold) Courtesy Audioholics PB13-Ultra Review (used with permission).Purple Line = 16 Hz Ported Group Delay Curve Blue Line = 1 Cycle of Group Delay (inaudible).

Black Line = 20 Hz Ported Group Delay Curve.

Simply put, if you want the most room-energizing, gut-punching, floor-trembling cinematic experience possible, a ported subwoofer will deliver greater dynamic output at the lowest frequencies vs. This makes the larger ported SVS subs a natural choice for system applications with larger rooms (where less room gain is present) and reference-level playback levels, particularly on demanding Blu-ray action and sci-fi movies with demanding LFE tracks. The result is 2-4X more peak dynamic output in the 18-36 Hz octave as compared to a sealed subwoofer in the same family/price range. A larger enclosure also greatly enhances system efficiency in the deeper octaves, with no need for additional EQ boost to achieve naturally deep bass extension. In a ported subwoofer design, a relatively large enclosure size is required in order to achieve both a deep system tuning frequency and sufficient port area to minimize chuffing artifacts (aka port noise) at high drive levels.

Size Matters - No Replacement for Displacement These characteristics make the sealed subwoofer a natural choice for critical music applications and are typically described by enthusiasts as sounding tighter and more articulate or musical, with less perceived overhang. Sealed cabinet subwoofers are generally more accurate in frequency response and better at rendering instrumentals in a convincing way. Best for Critical Music ApplicationsĪ properly designed sealed subwoofer will typically exhibit less phase rotation, lower group delay, and reduced ringing in the time domain. The strengths of each subwoofer type are discussed below, along with the recommended applications and listening environments which will result in optimal performance. At the risk of sounding ambiguous, the answer is ‘it depends’. Add in a few die-hard myths and generalizations, and it’s no surprise this is one of the most common questions asked of the SVS Sound Experts team. Which type of subwoofer cabinet design is better – sealed or ported? An evergreen discussion topic on the home audio forums and blogs, there is no shortage of opinions on the subject. SVS SoundPath RCA Audio Interconnect Cable SoundPath Tri-Band Wireless Audio Adapter

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