Port plugging floorstanders

adam2434

I did a search and didn't find anything on this topic.

My LS90s can sound a little tubby in the bass. I have them about 14" from the back wall and they are not near any corners. I really can't move them any farther into the room.

I was wondering if port plugging could help. I know that some speakers even come with plugs that you can install to tame the bass.

I contacted Polk CS, and they said there is no risk of damaging the speakers with port plugging.

So, is this a good thing to try or will I be messing with the design and tonal balance of the speakers?

Also, I'm curious as to what this would do to the frequency response, since I think a tuned port only produces a specific range of bass frequencies, not the whole range played by the drivers themselves, right?

Thanks in advance for any input.

Adam

AzN_plyR

Well I tried it to my R30's last night sounded the same to my noobie ears, but with less bass...

heiney9

Certainly nothing wrong with experimenting. I'd seriously take a look at placement and room treatments. Those will probably have a larger impact than simply plugging the port. The port is part of the design and if it didn't work as intended they wouldn't have used it. Placement/set-up has the single biggest impact in changing the dynamic of a pair of speakers.

H9

steveinaz

I wouldn't recommend it. The speakers weren't engineered to have the port plugged. Try these first:

1. Spike them (get them off the floor) and place them on tile (see my sig)
2. Ensure all the mounting screws are tight on the cone frame
3. Try to bring them further off the rear wall
4. You might try experimenting with different speaker cable; AQ Type 4 & Kimber 4TC both tend to lean out bass a little.

adam2434

Thanks for the suggestions, folks.

Steve, I like the tile and spike idea. My LS90s don't even have spikes, just adjustable feet. They're on carpet/padding over the concrete floor in my basement.