What Does That Hole in Your Subwoofer Do?
Have you ever looked at a subwoofer, or a speaker cabin containing a woofer and you asked what this hole or this slit was for? Obviously, like almost all subwoofers have one, he must have an important function, but what?
It turns out that this opening is a key element to obtain deep bass and shaking, and the reasoning behind is quite fascinating.
The basics of speakers
This hole in your speakers is called a “port”. It is an opening (generally round) in the speaker cabinet. The firm of a speaker is a key element to determine what the speaker will look like, and put one or more ports in the cabin is essential for setting the bass.
The ports are not only found on subwoofers, it’s just that they are tall and prominent on dedicated subwoofer units, so people tend to notice them more.
How the ports improve the bass
The ports operate on the principle of Helmholtz’s resonance – in large part, the same physique that blows on top of a bottle produces a tone. The air naturally resonates in a cavity with a neck. In the case of a bass reflex port as on a subwoofer, the cavity is set to strengthen and extends the low -end response of the speaker.
This effectively means that you can get a better bass response from a speaker than that would be otherwise possible. It also means that the real speakers’ cabin can be smaller than you need to get the same bass without the port.
Subwoofers worn vs sealed
Of course, having a port is not the only way to ingest a subwoofer. The so -called “sealed” subwoofers (alias. The woofers of acoustic suspension) have the driver to work against a closed speaker. Sealing subwoofers are often popular with lovers of its because this design gives you narrower and more precise bass. However, it is much less effective, so you need more power to get the same output, which has a training effect on components and cost.
The compromise is generally worth it for the needs of the theater at home, where you mainly appreciate rumble films like explosions and earthquakes, rather than listening to detailed music.
Why your subwoofer has this hole
Thus, your subwoofer has this hole in it because it is an opening precisely designed to a specially adjusted resonance chamber which helps your Subwoofer driver above its weight. It is set to a specific frequency range, so that when your Subwoofer speaker reaches its natural limit, it gets a boost.
Where the hole is also placed. A front port tends to be more indulgent for placement in your space, while a rear port interacts more strongly with the walls – sometimes reinforcing the bass, sometimes confusing it.
The disadvantages of ports
The ports are not perfect. At high volumes, they can create unwanted “port noise” (a “Sound to Chuffir” or a Whooshing), especially if the design is not well executed. It was above the less precise bass problem I have already mentioned. Fast transients in particular can cause problems, such as fast bass guitar riffs.
Because the port can interact with the walls and other objects that surround it, you must also be careful to place your submarine worn compared to a sealed model, which should seem largely in the same way, whether next to a wall or not.
Take care of your worn subwoofer
You may have seen on social networks how some parents find pieces or other small toys inside their subwoofers because this big old hole is simply too attractive for children. This is the main rule with a worn woofer – do not block the hole and certainly do not put any object in there. I do not think that I have to go into details of how small toys and metal parts will have a negative effect on your sound quality, but having, for example, a curtain or a sidewalk, the port is not ideal. It prevents air from moving and echoing.
However, you can buy “port caps” made for useful purposes that effectively transform your woofer worn into a sealed woofer. You will lose the deep end of your sound and a little volume, in exchange for bass more and tighter. These traffic jams only cost a few dollars, so if you are not satisfied with the clarity of the bass of your woofer, you may like the effect that these traffic jams have on your sound, especially if the volume offered is still sufficient after the mouth. You save money by not having to buy a subwoofer. This can also help if you just don’t have a good place to place your worn woofer that does not interfere with the port.
As far as I know, the connection of the Port de Lower with one of these traffic jams should not lead to any damage, but as always, you change your equipment at your own risk.
