Hi there, I've got a general question about speaker design and placement. Let's assume I will be getting full range floorstanders, to be used in a 2-channel stereo setup. They need to be placed very close to the back wall. In this case, would it be better to have a front-ported speaker or a rear-ported? I guess what I'm most concerned about is the bass performance and sound. Any thoughts?
Front would be better. But, they still would most likely perform better away from the wall. Usually the manufacturer would supply recommended minimum wall placement and other info with the speakers.
Side wall loading is a concern if the speakers are prone to reverberation and/or resonance as well. A very solid speaker can sit quite close to a wall or corner, the porting is then forced to the front. In a few cases, the bottom, depending on the elevation of the speaker.
As an example, say, a Psb alpha. Very good speaker, 6 1/2x1" bookshelf, rear ported. Put that thing near a wall and the bass is thick and muddy. Pull them front and center, with 2' behind, and thsy clear up quite nicely. On a solid sood stand.
I like the B&W golf ball port on the 702's and 3's, The port works exactly as designed, it is the XO that is not 100%. Good front port.
Yes the KEFiq5's and also the Monitor Audio br5 series also have a similar front port. In fact, the Monitor Audio has a front and a rear port, I wonder how that dynamic would play out...
I've also been playing around and reading the manufacturer's suggestions, like M.R. mentioned. That gives me a good idea of whether the speaker will work close to the wall...