Basreflexdesignen

Basreflexdesignen, or bass-reflex design, refers to a loudspeaker enclosure that uses a vent or port to improve bass output. It is one of the most common enclosure types alongside sealed enclosures and is widely used in consumer speakers to achieve deeper bass without increasing cabinet size.

The principle relies on the port to move air in and out of the cabinet as the woofer cone moves. At the tuning frequency, the port and the loudspeaker acoustically couple to reinforce the bass, effectively extending the low-frequency response. The tuning is determined by cabinet volume, port cross-section, and port length. The driver’s Thiele-Small parameters influence the design and set practical limits for achievable bass extension and sensitivity.

Compared with sealed designs, vented enclosures can provide more bass output for a given size, but may introduce peakiness near the tuning frequency and higher group delay. Port noise or chuffing can occur if the port is undersized or driven hard, and flared or rounded ports and proper damping help reduce these effects. Proper alignment also requires attention to the crossover and the overall system’s impedance.

Design typically involves calculations, measurements, or software to select cabinet volume, port diameter, and port length to reach a target tuning frequency. Real-world cabinets balance efficiency, bass extension, distortion, and listening fatigue. The bass-reflex approach remains popular for bookshelf and floor-standing speakers due to its efficiency and compact footprint.