Ported Vs. Non Ported Bass Cabinets
Bass cabinets are enclosures for speakers, or drivers. There is a difference in projected sound when openings are part of the cabinet, and these openings are known as ports.
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Non-Ported Cabinets
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Non-ported cabinet design is the oldest of enclosures. This is simply a box with a driver, such as a stereo speaker. These bass cabinets can provide the lowest hertz range, and are sometimes coupled with horns for a wider tonal spectrum.
Ported Cabinets
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Ports are often used in a bass cabinet to make them louder, but they can also be used to provide different ranges of sound. Mid-range tones can be hard to reproduce in bass cabinets, and ports can be included with cone drivers to amplify certain hertz ranges for a fuller sound.
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Volume
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A slight drawback to the non-ported bass cabinets is their short "throw," or distance that sound waves travel. A higher wattage is needed to attain volume levels necessary for larger venues, such as medium-sized concert halls.
Power
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Ported bass cabinets generally require less power, since the ports allow air within the enclosure to be pushed through. The better-ported cabinet designs include a well-tuned match between ports and speakers. This may be why some prefer them over non-ported cabinets, since less money has to be spent on power amps.
Dimensions
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Non-ported bass cabinets are more often made to cubed dimensions, since there is no need to allow for ports. Ported bass cabinets will often be more rectangular in shape, due to the number of ports and cone drivers that must be mounted in the front panel.
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