I think whichever you choose is fine, but those stick on spikes are very interesting.
So, since I was sitting here reading your post, AND Metallica 'Blackened' from ...And Justice for All had just come on, I went over to my Crescendo 3009s, turned the volume up till it was LOUD which to my ears is exactly in the 80s db-wise, and put my hand on the rear port.
No doubt, there was air flow going on due to the kick drum and bass, not a ton, but definitely air flow.
The tapered insert that is the port for the Kappas was designed precisely to controll the 'chuffing' effect from the bass, it's one of the very few places you can see the cost cutting in the Crescendo line vs the Kappas, and that ever widening throat of the kappas does what it says it does very, very, well IMO.
That's my theory on why you couldn't feel much air-flow, anyway, the fill diffracts the airflow and the port tube allows it to escape without building much velocity, which is (again, imo) why some ports 'chuff' and distort the sound.
Remember, a ported speaker is using the rear wave, just delaying it enough to be in phase with the front wave, instead of simply absorbing the entire rear wave, as an acoustic suspension does. any velocity airflow that increases due to cabinet dimensions has got to distort the sound if you think about it.
To truly test, you could scotch tape a piece of paper in front of the port taping only the top, and watch the paper move(as it will) it'll probably take lots of volume, but it'll move.
Example.... (weird example but it'll do)
at EDC this year, my stage, 5, (basspod) when music was playing at 120 db, when the front (finger) pyro went off, (it was placed directly in front of the hanging audio array)
Jazzman, I knew I like you for a reason lol. I saw over 80 Dead shows between 1990 -1995
The heat and flames totally changed the sound from the high stacks, it was a very, very odd thing acoustically to hear, like a wide filter was just splitting the highs up, diffracting them.
and, the song is Whisky in the Jar, a traditional that's OLD. Metallicas version is one of my least favorite, but I fell out of love with them decades ago, ever since the napster debackle, and especially after they fired Jason even Though I absolutely adore Trujillos bass playing, (Suicidal Tendancies forever!)
Check out Jerry Garcias version off of Shady Grove, that whole album is absolute magic, as is the Pizza Tapes.
. I've had thoughts of selling them and putting that money into a gamma fund. I just doubt I'd ever find a pair this nice again and tha keeps them here.
