One certainly isn't better than the other, but the port can make the speaker sensitive to certain types of placement. Some have a port on the back, which can get muddy if the speaker backs are near a wall. I have floorstanding speakers with the port aimed straight down into the floor. It has a subtle, less directional effect. I have a pair of bookshelf speakers that didn't come with plugs, but I used to keep socks in the ports because I liked the tighter sound. They're out now because I changed my mind. I have a towel in the port of my sub to tighten it up.