Sealed or ported subwoofer — which should I buy?

Across the reviewers we read, the rule of thumb is consistent: sealed cabinets (like the SVS SB-1000 Pro) trade some output for tighter, more articulate low end that specialist communities repeatedly describe as more 'musical,' while ported designs (like the Klipsch R-12SW) move more air and dig deeper for movie effects at the cost of some control. Pick sealed for music-first systems and ported for home-theater impact.