Port Plugs and Why You Should Use Them!

Link to svs port plugs:
www.svsound.co...

[@djx-factor992]

Relevant, practical and useful content as usual. These speaker manufacturers out here need to pay attention to you... Your channel is a hidden gem.

[@Kpaceguy]

I greatly appreciate it!

[@zelko0768]

Interesting. How big is your room? Mines 15x20 so not sure if it qualifies for this test

[@Kpaceguy]

@@zelko0768 mine is a tad bigger than yours. It's worth a shot

[@zelko0768]

@@Kpaceguy Cool. I'm running one PB16 WAF in play, and mostly in extended mode. Do feel like it's a bit suffocating for music when in extended.

[@dataliteuk]

Good informative video. I use Hifi Floorstanders (Q Acoustics 3050) that only suitable place in my lounge is to be near the wall, resulting in far too much deep bass. Port plugs dramatically tidied this up, and the overall sound even at mid range appears more defined. You make good points about experimenting, and the trade offs involved. Some foam plugs come with a centre hole, and this can be another area to tweak - depending on the diameter of the hole this can increase port output, or even found for a small diameter hole can tighten bass further than the fully plugged port - go and figure. Great video, you've got a new subscriber from the UK.

[@Kpaceguy]

I appreciate it. Welcome to the crew

[@puddleduckist]

Nice explanation, just bought my first svs pb1000 pro and it came with port plugs. Now I know a bit more about them and what they do, thank you for sharing!

[@garyslivka]

PB-2000 pro here, ordered some plugs for a 12x13 room after reviewing this video. Thanks for the video.

[@Kpaceguy]

Thanks for watching

[@brucermarino]

Another really great video. Thank you! Port pugs go way back in my memory. I had actually had already written a few sentences about the different slopes in sealed versus vented enclosures when you mentioned it in your video. Another option worthy of experimentation is to only partially block off the port. So imagine a cylindrical foam port plug cut in half lengthwise. Here's to socks! Keep up the fine work!

[@-303-]

While some of the reasoning around why these port plugs work is... questionable... it's good to know that this is another thing you can experiment with to get better sound in your room. I have only experimented with room placement, acoustic decoupling and acoustic treatments before. I have used REW and a reference mic to find the best bass response with what I already have. I am definitely going to add port plugs to my list of independent variables!

[@szeredaiakos]

Technically that is not how it works. If you plug the port, you are modifying the free-air resonant frequency of the enclosure. More specifically you are lifting it. Yes, that can sound better in certain rooms. It can also burn out your speakers. Anyhow, check out Helmholtz resonance for a more detailed explanation. Bass has little to do with how close to the wall a speaker is ... well, up to a point. You get cancelation of 35hz at roughly about 2.5m and enforcement at 5m. But the sound moving across the hard edges of your speaker and mixing with the reflections from the wall can create some artefacts especially on the highs. Sometimes changing the angle of the speaker a few degrees makes all the difference.

[@keepingupwiththejones2933]

Love that new intro neon sign. Very cool 😎

[@kewlbug]

I'd like to see some REW measurement comparisons

[@sheek1982]

Great info, but i just want the plugs to ensure bugs stay out the speaker while not in use 🙃

[@sergelanglois753]

Good idea 👍🏽. I will try It soon. Good post Kyle 👏🏼👋🏽

[@landrec2]

Subscribed. Too many audio people bury the main goals for good sound design -in a pool full of theory, irrelevant nuances, and smugness. This is just what I was looking for.

[@Kpaceguy]

I appreciate it my friend

[@EverythingHomeTheater]

Very good video. I know think that I will be plugging my JBL Studio 590s since they will be behind my screen and I didn't want to waste the space of putting them away from the wall so far. Thanks for the informative video

[@Kpaceguy]

Thanks for watching

[@TylerStout]

I might try this on my mains as I do have them close to a wall but they are front ported which is ok with that but definitely getting a lot of reinforcement that audyssey has to fix.

[@user-ff9rx7kq2g]

Thank you

[@macydezort]

I'll definitely try it out to see the difference. Great video. Thanks

[@Kpaceguy]

Thank you!

[@erod9088]

For home theater, you want ports open (cover one of them). For music, you want sealed.

[@victorjohnson8374]

Thank you for putting this together. I’ve got two subs. Both have down firing ports. I think it’ll make a great difference. Keep up the great work

[@Kpaceguy]

I greatly appreciate it

[@victorjohnson8374]

@@Kpaceguy any idea where I can find some port plugs. If I can’t find any. I may just use some isolation foam.

[@Kpaceguy]

@@victorjohnson8374 isolation foam is made from the same material so it could work. I believe you can get them on Crutchfield or other car audio websites make them

[@pablo-zn1mg]

Interesting. I’ve had a pb1000 for a year and only now I tried the port plugs. I heard the levels go down so after compensating with the volume, it somehow sounded nicer. It also feels like deeper bass, but you’re saying you actually get less bass extension. I wonder if what I’m hearing is actually deeper bass or not.

[@Kpaceguy]

Measure it

[@Ryand0523]

I am just kinda of curious do the port plugs, make a pb-16 sound closer to the sb-16? For when I was last at Best Buy, I was testing sub woofers, where I really liked the sound of a rel subwoofer, and so I am just kind of curious, would placing port plugs into the pb-16 or pb-4000’s make those sound closer to the REL, which I believe was a sealed sub woofer????

[@Kpaceguy]

Yes it does make it sound closer to a sealed sub

[@Ryand0523]

@@Kpaceguy okay, thanks for the quick reply, now I will have to do some thinking, for I enjoyed the punchy quick response of the rel sub, and I should of tried the SB-16 as well, but we didn’t… well that means it may take a few more trips out to the store to demo, and make a decision.

[@TheSpeedster46]

Hi mate Im planning to place front ported Klipsh RP 8000 speakers behind the screen in a 13/21 room Does Closing the rear ports make it work better ? Thanks in advance ❤

[@Kpaceguy]

It'll keep the sound cleaner

[@SuperSteamengine]

Thank you kpace guy for the video. Just having this doubt, am having a dual klipsch R 121 Sw sub in my home. The gain is about 50 % and avr trim at - 8. Is it ok to cover the port with plugs or using some socks to get some good punch. Mine feels bit boomy some times. And if its designed to wrk ported , any problems if i restrict the air flow ? I knw big brands having port plugs and all. Thanks

[@Kpaceguy]

@@SuperSteamengine plugging the port will change overall output at lower frequencies and will change your subwoofers tuning so you'll probably lose low bass and you'll have a better chance of reaching your subs mechanical limits at high volumes but it may sound tighter

[@SuperSteamengine]

@@Kpaceguy Thanks kpace.🥰

[@thedynamicd85]

good video. very informative.

[@Kpaceguy]

Thanks for watching

[@dea535]

Should I run EQ calibration after sealing the port. I like the fact that is not booming no more on my Klipsch 10" which is is set at 30% of gain. Please advice.

[@Kpaceguy]

Ehhh no need to rerun it if you like how it sounds.

[@rolandrohde]

You should always rerun Audyssey after you change something. Your EQ has tried to correct for the effects of the port, now you have changed the characteristics of your Speaker, so you definitely have to rerun the EQ!

[@josephbragg1162]

I have a Polk Audio psw 505 that port chuffs like crazy even with the gain down quite a bit so I sealed it with a towel and it made a huge difference in sound quality. Tighter bass response and the chuffing just disappeared. I had no idea you could buy those port blockers. I wonder since my port is a wide narrow slant port if they make blockers for those.

[@Kpaceguy]

Probably can make your own out of acoustic foam

[@josephbragg1162]

@@Kpaceguy How would you cut acoustic foam? Just curious.

[@Kpaceguy]

It cuts like paper with scissors

[@josephbragg1162]

@@Kpaceguy I need to look into that. Hopefully it's thick and dense like Styrofoam. I was wondering, because there is so much air travel through that port I was curious as to how they stay in place without blowing out by the force?

[@Kpaceguy]

@@josephbragg1162 you'll want to cut it oversized and stuff it and it'll hold shape after a while

[@TempoDrift1480]

I got some Rockville subs which are inexpensive but they have seemingly good drivers. Problem is, if I eq my bass drum to sound good, the cabinets just woof and poof and sound like shit.

[@TempoDrift1480]

Does it have X-game mode?

[@johngordon34]

I have Dynaudio Evokes around 6" from my wall so would you recommend the plugs?

[@Kpaceguy]

It's worth experimenting with

[@RandoManFPV]

Well what the heck man I'm 2mins into the video and now I'm looking for the product link. Where it at tho

[@Kpaceguy]

www.svsound.com.au/collections/accessories/products/port-plug

[@howardskeivys4184]

You used the description ‘not so pretty and not such a tight fit’, I didn’t realise you knew my ex wife!

[@Kpaceguy]

Yikes

[@nebtheweb8885]

Sounds like you and your ex have the same problem... Loose Lips.

[@juanrobles2215]

Does this work for any speaker?

[@Kpaceguy]

Yes but it's ideal to make sure it's suitable for your speaker and how it affects the sound

[@juanrobles2215]

Where do you get those plugs from

[@Kpaceguy]

I believe svs will sell you them

[@Edsel76]

I have a small sub.. It produce good bass but the port noise is killing me. Should I plug the port?

[@Kpaceguy]

It'll stop it yes, but it'll also lower your low end output

[@Edsel76]

Thx I'll just increase the sub levels to compensate for the lost output volume and play with the sub EQ as well

[@doormanagency40]

sounds like will smith.

[@dwp1slyfox]

No thanks!!! If I want to cripple my subs (home or car/truck), I turn down the gain.

[@Kpaceguy]

Turning it down doesn't change that it sounds bad

[@dwp1slyfox]

@@Kpaceguy ??? Adjusting the gain/level for your room is a must. I'm curious what you're referring to. Are you speaking of the difference between adjustment at the receiver or the sub?

[@Kpaceguy]

The gain is set. But turning it up or down isn't changing the quality of sound. Plugging your ports is. That was the real point of this video. Assuming the volume and gain was set..

[@dwp1slyfox]

@@Kpaceguy I understand....in reality I have not yet watched the video so did not have proper context, saved it to watch later list. Cheers and keep up producing quality content.

[@Kpaceguy]

Thank you I appreciate it