First, I have read that front ported speakers are not sonically viable. Any credence to that minority opinion? There's all sorts of misconceptions or beliefs about the audibility of ports vs. sealed speakers. Is there another myth that the position of the port matters? Second, I am finding them enjoyable in my near-near field garage system. Then why on earth ask others if they sound good? Your ears are the only one’s that matter when buying. Looking to add a third under $800, new or used. Any suggestions? Really not sure what you are doing here. Are you collecting speakers to have different listening experiences, or are you looking to improve something you feel missing? Triangle Bro3 Only heard the Triangle’s ages ago with a McIntosh stack. Painful ear drills to me, but again, your ears matter more than mine. Maybe letting us know what you like of your current speakers, and what you’d like more or less of would give you better suggestions. |
In my experience front ports interact with the room differently than rear ports. Since all of the bass is coming out the front the in room bass response is more uneven with front ports. |
@jon_5912
Can you give me an example of a front ported speaker you feel this is true for?
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I had a pair of B&W N804s about 15 years ago and they excited room resonances far more than other speakers I had in the same location. |
My Harbeth Super HL5 Plus seem to be pretty "viable". Spend a little more and get some Harbeth P3ESR speakers if you want some small speakers for near-field listening and sell the rest of your collection to help fund the purchase. |
The best imaging most enthralling speakers I ever heard were the front ported Linaeum Model 10. For a more recent example, Tekton seems to be taking the audio world by storm. I really never heard of this crazy front ported rule thing before.
A fairly safe rule of thumb is any time you hear someone say something technical is never the way to go, listening to them is probably never the way to go.
Unless, of course, its me.
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I had a pair of B&W N804s about 15 years ago and they excited room
resonances far more than other speakers I had in the same location.
Looking at the Stereophile measurements I wonder if this isn't more due to the port tuning? It's set to a pretty low frequency. |
Back when I had the 804s I was making measurements using a real time analyzer, measurement mic, and test tones. They definitely interacted with the room very differently than other speakers I had in the same spot. |
Erik,
Not all myths are opinions nor should one shirk from justifying one's beliefs by playing the relativity card. That said, specifically I like my speakers to separate the instruments with detail. I enloy the element of surprise. I know recording and sources do much of this, but some speakers seem lazy and smear the sound. Also just seeing if there are any reinforcing opinions or contrary thoughts about front ports. And asking for a modest suggestion for a third non-rear port speaker. Wharefedale 225 has a bottom porting system. Considering those also. My garage systems are about learning different amp presentations and different mid-level stand mounters. Eclectic music, no particular genre. Classical piano one week, Radio Paradise the next. I don't think my giant garage lends itself to rear ports and since I listen so close to the speakers the front ports will connect the bass to my ears without time for it to disperse improperly. Obviously I have no clue about bass dispersion. Hence my thread. Joe
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There are many different designs that have been successfully implemented, while all design types have less successful examples. I am somewhat skeptical of any categorical judgment, such as Magico's claim than ANY ported design is defective. Basically, they argue that people liking the fuller sound of ported speakers have been brainwashed by familiarity to liking something they shouldn't like.
My own speakers are, front ported, but, not in the conventional sense. The "ports" are long slits along both the left and right sides of the front baffle (Jensen-Onken design). I like the sound, but, I've heard very nice sound from all sorts of other designs. |
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I have a pair of original Snell Js and a pair of Genesis 11s- both front ported.Sound great. |
A vote here for front ports. Rear ports need too much wall setback. And full enclosures, even with 22Hz bass, just sound boxy. Again, your results may vary, but those are mine. |
IF ports, front ports only to retain directionality of bass and those bass note's overtones.
IF subwoofers, a small stereo pair, same reason, and sub self powered, wired so that the bass chores are eliminated from both the main amp and main speakers |
My last two speakers have been front ported. Original Aerial 6's and now my current Aerial 5T's. Both were easy to place in a small apartment.
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I have a set of those Wharfedale 225’s with the slot port on the bottom. You can literally set the bass in the room by how close they are to the wall behind them - the closer they are too the wall, the more bass you get. I like them.
-Geoff
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Bass rolls around things, which is why any speaker is bass reinforced by walls regardless of port locations (I was in Portland ME last week...coincidence?)...when using a pair of old KEF front ported "uni-Qs" for mixing they would blow little puffs of air into my face...known as NEWS (Nearfield Eye Watering Syndrome). My current Heresy IIIs are un-ported and sound great with 2 un-ported subs, although the portholes in the room need to be tightly shut in a storm. |
@jpwarren58 Did you end up purchasing the Triangle Bro3 speakers? If you did how do you like them? I am thinking about purchasing a pair. Great buzz about them with the usual you tube reviewers. |
On backorder. So with corona virus deal may be Fall. I will do a quick review/compare.
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@jpwarren58 Thanks, hopefully it won't take that long to receive it. In any case I will look forward to your thoughts. |
As mentioned above, I am also in the market for a pair of inexpensive bookshelf speakers and likely will purchase the Triangle BRO3, for being $550 not to much on the line if I don't like them. They have received the usual buzz from the you tuber reviewers but then one step above.
Erik, a lifetime ago I owned the Triangle Antals, which sounded fine with my Museatex Metiner preamp and monos, but yes a bit forward due to their metal dome tweeters. These new bookshelf speakers have a soft silk dome tweeter.
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