Reflex port
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The distinctive feature of a very popular variety of loudspeaker enclosures (Bass reflex) is the reflex port which enhances the reproduction of the lowest frequencies generated by the woofer. The port generally consists of one or more tubes mounted in the front (baffle) or the rear side of the loudspeaker. This allows extending the (deep end of the) frequency response of the system, which means that the loudspeaker can reproduce the sound of musical instruments that generate bass in a better way than that of an equally sized sealed enclosure.
Though advantageous in regards of deep bass, the bass reflex cabinet is known to have poor transient response compared to the sealed enclosure cabinet at frequencies near the lower limit of the frequency response. In some cases the frequency range in which the transient response is subjectively adequate can be widened due to the drop in the lower frequency limit.
Achieving a balanced bass reproduction from a sealed box is simpler than properly aligning the components of a bass reflex system, and home constructors often select a sealed box for their first project.
Technical description
Reflex ports are preperly described under the lumped component model. Refelex ports can cause sound quality problems when the lumped component model breaks down. They form part of a loudspeaker topology.