Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Technical Questions Can you use rear ported speakers in bookshelf

I was ready to order my Axioms when I was told you shouldn't use rear ported speakers in a book shelf cabinet?

Any info out there would be appreciated?

While the rear port is often cited (incorrectly) as the reason, you should not use any speaker in an enclosed area (such as a bookshelf) due to reflections and boundary effects.

However, in real life, compromises must be made, so as long as there's some room around the things, they should be ok.

Hi Bean,

You might want to read this, and #9 in this.

These comments apply to all speakers, not just Axioms. Regardless, I well echo Ken's comment that, often, compromises must be made.

Can you, yes, would I, no....Bass ports filter low bass out of the ports, I would not want to conceal them in a cabinet.

I don't know that I would push someone away from Axioms merely based on port placement--like I said, no speaker is going to sound (as) good enclosed like that.

I agree with Ken on this, the port is not the most important thing here, it is the other boundries. If you can get the baffle of the speaker out just enough so that it is not enclosed you should do fine. Not the best mind you but your results should be satisfactory.

Well, I don't want to start a ruckus or anything, but...

My understanding is that it is ILLEGAL in certain counties to use a ported speaker in a cabinet.

Just another example of the great work our government is doing to protect the masses from themselves. I mean, who KNOWS how horrible our collective audio experience would be if people were allowed to put their own speakers wherever they damn well please, and wherever sounds best to them? Furthermore, I understand that SOME scofflaws actually MOVE their speakers to different locations - even from bookshelves to stands of differing heights - throughout the course of their ownership! Fortunately, there is legislation making it's way through congress right now to ensure that all American speaker installations can only be performed by licensed technicians, and all mounting must be made permanent by chemical or mechanical means sufficient to ensure that moving the speakers after their initial installation will be impossible without dissembling them.



Seriously, ANY speaker is going to sound suboptimal if you put it in a bookcase. Don't worry about the ports. However, if you're going to lay the M22 on its side, too, you might be better off with an upright M2 or M3 instead.

I think it depends on the bookcase. If the bookcase is open shelved, or if the space allocated to the speakers is big enough so that there is at least a few inches above or beside the speakers then the rear porting shouldn't make much difference.

If the speaker is being snugged into a closed space roughly the same size as the speaker then rear porting will be much more of a problem.

I second all the other comments that the front boundary effects are at least as important.

You are essentially sliding the speaker into an open box -- unless the fronts of the speakers stick out a bit past the surrounding shelves the resulting sound is going to be... dare I say it... boxy.

Um... more like the Volvo, I think.