It all depends upon the design of the speakers. Some speakers like my Monitor Audio have ports but also come with foam plugs which are removable. Without the plugs the bass is a little deeper but loses some clarity. With the plugs the bass is tighter and more refined. But you really can't compare a ported and not ported speaker because its like comparing apples to oranges unless you have a speaker like the monitor audio or some psb speakers that come with ports and removable plugs.