Build10 min read
Sealed vs Ported Subwoofer Enclosures: Which One You Actually Want
Sealed is small, tight, and SQ-friendly. Ported is louder and lower but bigger. Here's how to pick — and what each one costs you.
The short version
- Sealed: smaller, tighter, more accurate. Great for SQ and music with fast transients.
- Ported: louder for the same power, deeper at the port tune frequency, but larger and more sensitive to build accuracy.
- If your trunk is tight or you listen to a mix of genres, sealed is the safer call.
Sealed enclosures
A sealed box loads the sub against a trapped volume of air that acts like a spring. The response rolls off gradually below the system's resonant frequency, which sounds natural and 'tight'.
Ported enclosures
A port (or slot) is tuned by its length and cross-section to reinforce a target frequency. You get a 3–6 dB output boost around the tune, plus deeper extension, in exchange for roughly 1.5–2× the enclosure volume.
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