Sealed Loudspeakers?

You are definitely on the "right path" imo. Magico Mini should be on top of your list. In fact, all Magico speakers are sealed designs. Once you hear properly executed acoustic suspension designs, there's no going back to the ported ones.

(disclaimer: i own and love my magico mini)

The Avalon Monitors are *not* sealed. They have a vertical port directed downwards just behind the speaker terminals. They are gorgeous speakers though, with the classic Avalon sound, comparable to the Avatars, just a little less body into the lower end ...

Hey Huard,

Just wondering what it is that you like so much about sealed cabinet designs. I have a pair of Hales Revelation III speakers which I love because of the incredibly tight bass they produce. The speaks are sealed. My Watt Puppy's on the other hand are ported and, although they reproduce bass at a reported 20hz, don't have bass that hits you in the chest like the Hales do.

Is it correct to assume then that this is the chief difference between the two enclosure designs, or is this oversimplifying the issue?

Anyone?
/Lee

or is this oversimplifying the issue

It's oversimplifying the issue. Sealed spkrs will have a higher F3 than the, otherwise identical, ported design but fall off there after with a shallower slope. POrted drops faster.

There are many other considerationa, one of which is that ported design used to be notoriously badly designed. THis is no longer true -- or at least, it doesn't have to be true. You can compute the port parametres (for those designers who are too lazy to do the math -- or can't, which is more often the case).

I have a pair of Hales Revelation III speakers which I love because of the incredibly tight bass they produce. The speaks are sealed. My Watt Puppy's on the other hand are ported and, although they reproduce bass at a reported 20hz, don't have bass that hits you in the chest like the Hales do.

Is it correct to assume then that this is the chief difference between the two enclosure designs, or is this oversimplifying the issue?

Yes this is the main difference when the port is used to extend bass response, as in the majority of designs. In these cases, a ported design will generally have a poorer transient response but will have more energy at lower frequencies (although the roll off will be sharper and there will be more distortion in the LF).

A sealed box is always better in transient reponse