Everything is a trade-off in speaker design. If there was one "right" way, all speakers would share that design! Each designer weighs the trade-offs to optimize what they think and feel sounds best.
Sealed boxes tend to give the best definition and resolution but at the expense of extension and ability to play loudly. Ported designs, including Thiel's radiators give better extension but at the expense of low bass timing being a bit slow.
One "good" source of info is the Audio Perfectionist Journal, archived on the Vandersteen website (under Resources, Richard Hardesty memorial). In particular, I suggest Volume 3 for trade-offs of vented and sealed enclosures. (I would add hot links but Audiogon's link feature does not work for me).
Sealed boxes tend to give the best definition and resolution but at the expense of extension and ability to play loudly. Ported designs, including Thiel's radiators give better extension but at the expense of low bass timing being a bit slow.
One "good" source of info is the Audio Perfectionist Journal, archived on the Vandersteen website (under Resources, Richard Hardesty memorial). In particular, I suggest Volume 3 for trade-offs of vented and sealed enclosures. (I would add hot links but Audiogon's link feature does not work for me).