Why not acoustic suspension?

When I was young, late 60's early 70's, the sealed or acoustic suspension speakers were quite commonplace. Now bass reflex, ported speakers seem to be much more common. My understanding is that both speaker designs, assuming competent design will perform very well. Perhaps with the ported getting a slightly lower bass response and higher efficiency gives it the edge. Thinking efficiency though, amplifier watts don't cost that much more today so it doesn't seem like a deal maker. What I don't understand from a pragmatic corporate standpoint is why more acoustic suspension speakers aren't available. My understanding is that the sealed speaker box can be smaller which would be a plus from a cost standpoint, both in less material, lighter cabinet and more speakers could be shipped in a truck reducing shipping cost. Any thoughts as to why the industry has shifted so hard in the bass reflex direction?

61falcon01-13-2026 12:59am

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motown-l Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 347 posts 01-13-2026 at 07:05pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete Back in college, I had a pair of large advents in the proletarian vinyl cabinets. They were powered by a hand me down Heathkit AR15 and made for a great sounding system. Bass was tight but quite solid. Am currently using a pair of smaller stand mount Revels which are rear ported. I still prefer sealed box subwoofers. I am using a near vintage Velodyne SPL 1000 to great effect. I find it has less bloom than similarly priced ported units and will replace it with another sealed unit when this relic finally expires.
elliottbnewcombjr Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 7,741 posts 01-13-2026 at 07:43pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete I’m a big fan of sealed boxes which I think have better imaging than those with ports, the bass a bit less extended, but after chasing low bass in my youth, I much prefer sealed front dispersion only. I remember visiting the AR Booth on a mezzanine level at Grand Central Terminal in the 60’s when I was in college in Brooklyn, NY 1966-1970. My 1st decent speakers, bought in 1968 with wedding money, from Sam Goody’s were AR-2ax, compact 3 way with 10" woofer, designed to fit in/on a bookcase. I loved them until I was ransacked and they were stolen. A discussion here about ’what past component do you miss?’ inspired me to acquire and refurb a pair of AR-2ax for my garage/shop system. They sounded so good that I moved them into my office, and restored a second pair for down there. https://www.audiogon.com/systems/10092 Meanwhile, my main system speakers are a new enclosure with drivers from 1956, with an optional rear vent which I used open in a prior location with no wall behind the speakers, but it is closed here. So, these are sealed Vintage 4 way Acoustic Suspension with a 15" woofer They are over 100 lbs, on 3 wheels, I alter the toe-in if a friend listens with me https://www.audiogon.com/systems/11516 I just realized, my small home theater, DBX100 main L and R are sealed acoustic suspension also I do have an ’un-sealed back’, I cut huge access/cooling openings in the AV cabinet’s back, then I made a hanging/sliding/removable back in matching wood, so the wires would not be seen against the white painted wall behind when viewing thru the cutouts from the front And, a former favorite, JSE Infinite Slope Model II’s are also sealed https://www.audiogon.com/systems/11418
elliottbnewcombjr Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 7,741 posts 01-13-2026 at 08:05pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete Smaller spaces, smaller enclosures, easier stocking/shipping, customers can fit them in their vehicles, larger sounding, greater range in specs, separate stands, separate self-powered subs, I think a combo of advantages is why so many makers are using ports, and I suspect many younger people have never even heard fully sealed designs. I gave my JSE Model IIs to my son, they were too big for his wife, so he gave them to a mutual friend, who enjoys living in an old firehouse he bought and converted. They sound awesome there. He got a 2nd pair. Another friend took my advice and got a pair in his large room. So, after I'm gone, and after Donna's gone, or if she moves after I'm gone and is willing/needing to part with them, my son is not going to want my awesome sounding speakers, and while my son has a TT, and some LP's, I doubt that he is going to want all the CDs and LP's either. Maybe my son's friend will want them, he brings his equipment and music here frequently, loves their sound, he has room to swap them in/out, and he's 27 years younger than Donna and me.
dynamiclinearity Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 363 posts 01-13-2026 at 08:13pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete Your 15" closed boxes are just that but they are NOT acoustic suspension. Acoustic suspension is closed box.. The reverse may not be true and your boxes are not acoustic suspension. All closed boxes can have superior bass damping if properly designed. Acoustic suspension adds a smaller box for similar bass response at the cost of lower efficiency. As I implied previously, though, a good closed box has superior fidelity to a goo ported box. Ported boxes(including passive radiators) are boom boxes compared to closed boxes assuming proper design. But closed boxes can boom. A well known example is the BBC LS3/5A which is way under damped albeit for a logical reason.
signaforce Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 549 posts 01-13-2026 at 08:35pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete @mitch2 Looks like a 2270. Had one of those back in the day. Drove a pair of Rectilinear 3’s. But those were ported.