Sealed is Not Acoustic Suspension in Loudspeakers

Many of today’s vented subwoofers and full-range tower speakers offer port plugs for sealing the cabinet and making them behave like sealed speakers. But this does not result in a true acoustic suspension system, which is quite a different animal altogether from a merely “sealed” speaker. Let’s explore the difference between acoustic suspension and sealed and see if today’s designers aren’t missing an opportunity to make some great products.