Forward/Backward firing bass reflex ports

[mattc76]

Please correct me if I'm wrong because I'm just guessing but.....

.......speakers with backward firing ports need to be "out in the open" ie away from walls etc to avoid any erroneous bass reflecting strangely and causing boom etc!?

Surely then, speakers with front firing ports, as long as the ports etc are unobstructed and facing towards you can therefore be placed anywhere without problem, and therefore in a room where space is tight and you are limited with speaker position because of funny room shape / config, front firing ports would be better!?

 

[Anonymous]

Probably. Many speakers with rear ports benefit from placement near a wall to get their full extension but clearly this is down to taste. For example, I listened to the Proac Tablette Ref 8 Sigs in open space and they simply didn't dig deep enough and needed a wall nearby. A front ported or sealed box will allow much greater freedom of placement and the type versus sound is down to taste. Ports in themselves can introduce nasties, apparently more so for small box speakers. Examples are chuffing, boom and resonance (particular bass notes may sound overblown).

 

[the record spot]

Only ever had front firing bass ports on my speakers, but they tend to sound better at least 1m away from a rear wall. The current Missions certainly so. Probably varies, but the larger the speaker, the further out it has to be very generally speaking.