Non-rear ported Speakers

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.

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


 

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.