May
24
Whether you bought your speakers second hand, didn’t receive proper set-up instruction at the time of purchase, or just never bothered to properly place them, it’s time to re-examine your home theater’s speaker placement and specifically your front three channels. (left, center, and right)
Home theater speakers come in many different shapes, sizes, styles and most definitely price ranges but for our purposes today let’s focus on one specific characteristic, ported or non-ported. The port (sometimes called a baffle, although that’s something else entirely) is typically found on the front of a speaker (or rear) and towards the bottom quarter, although that’s by no means the only method or location for porting a speaker.
Ports are designed to allow air to flow into and out of the speaker to improve bass response, however a restricted port can affect more than just the perceived bass response. A restricted (read not enough space for air to flow) can wreck the sound stage, throw off the pace, rhythm and timing, and a whole host of other nasty side effects.
Not all speakers are ported however, some are sealed. The quickest way for determining what type of speaker you have is just to inspect the cabinet. If you see a hole in the cabinet, either a circular opening and or a slot in the front, you’re mostly likely dealing with a ported speaker.
