I always see the ports extending INTO the box...what if the port was on the OUTSIDE of the box?

Would this make any difference?

nope, as long as the internal air space is still the same

i've seen them outside before. usually extensions for guys who want a daily setup that they can take the extensions off for an SPL setup for comps. kinda a neat little trick but hard to seal the port up well without looking dumb

A good number of the Euro SPL guys with tiny cars are doing monster aero ports that extend outside the box a great deal.

Aero outside = better flow. It also allows you to put the port output furter away from the speaker which can help to better put front and back waves in phase. It also allows for easy tuning changes with out removeing the port ends. There is really no point in putting a slot port outside of the box. IMO.

Aero outside = better flow. It also allows you to put the port output furter away from the speaker which can help to better put front and back waves in phase. It also allows for easy tuning changes with out removeing the port ends. There is really no point in putting a slot port outside of the box. IMO.

I disagree with your last statement.

Reasons:

1) Space and configuration. Say you want to run up the back wall of an ext. cab truck, it is pretty hard to have a large diameter round port.

2) Flexibility. I don't know about you, but I can fab a slot port pretty easily while making a long round tube of a specific diameter isn't very easy.

3) Cosmetics. Good luck hiding a big arse round port, but it is real easy to make a square blend into something, especially since you are making it out of mdf.

4) Tuning. As stated above if you want multiple tunings, it is pretty easy to extend/shorten a slot port by building a bolt on bracket all out of mdf. You can have as many as you want for a few bucks worth of wood. Sure you could remove the whole port as well, but there will be plenty of instances where just adding on to it is much easier.

i'll second sean. and it's something i have done in the past. it can indeed be made to look good, whereas a round port is just that. without hiding it inside a trim panel, you really can't blend it with anything.

wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

i think round ports can be made to look good sticking out though. say you had two round ports in an ex cab truck extending from the top of the box. you can put them at either end of the box and blend in the round 'towers' with a little fiberglass cosmetic trim. and you could get a slip on collar to extend the port i suppose. but it is my personal opinion that slot ports do look better than round ports sticking out

ports outside the box do give you more internal room to work with, and if you figure that your port needs to be longer than you can comfortably fit inside the box, you could extend it out too. this could be especially the case in the trunk of a small car. if the trunk lid brackets prevent you from building the box more than X inches tall on the ends of the box but you've got several more inches in height between the brackets, you could build the box a uniform height and extend the port over the box a few inches (assuming you leave plenty of room for the opening) and it works out for everyone.