bought used speakers and just noticed the foam inside the bass port was all messed up

[olds1959special]

JBL L890's, I just noticed the foam inside the bass port is a bit messed up, it seems like it was not really glued on and has moved around a bit. I tried to fix it with a long stick (piece of my music stand!). Do I need to be concerned?

 

[tineared]

If you're talking about the foam that fits into the front port, it's not supposed to be glued so it can be removed.
The speakers were designed to have the ports open for the bass to have more impact and the plugs are for folks who would rather do without the extra bass either from taste or because it excites too many room nodes.
If you want the plugs in and they are sliding out on their own, you can wrap tape around them to increase their width or just make your own with some open-cell foam.
Or a pair of socks

 

[DVDdoug]

Is the foam behind the port or stuffed-into the port? Typically, ports are open but some people "stuff" them (block them) and a few speakers come with optional removable port-plugs.

I don't think the port in the JBL is supposed to be "restricted" and from what I could find it didn't come with a port plug. Most speakers are designed and optimized "correctly" with or without a port and altering it degrades performance. (There are also some rare "aperiodic" designs with damped/restricted ports/vents.)

If it's behind the port it's probably not critical. It could be intentionally loose internal sound absorbing material or it might just be something that's attached to the back of the port to deter bugs and critters from getting inside.

 

[olds1959special]

Is the foam behind the port or stuffed-into the port?

Behind. The port is open and I noticed when light was shining inside some loose foam behind it. I put in a flashlight and saw some foam layers covering the box on the inside but they were loose and jumbled up so I tried to push them against the sides a bit.

 

[DVDdoug]

I put in a flashlight and saw some foam layers covering the box on the inside but they were loose and jumbled up so I tried to push them against the sides a bit.

That could be normal, or they may have been originally glued to the panels. It's probably not a big deal, even if they came un-glued. If you can get the speaker open you can probably tell if they were originally glued or stapled in place. If the back doesn't come off you might have to remove the woofers to look inside.

 

[terryforsythe]

JBL L890's, I just noticed the foam inside the bass port is a bit messed up, it seems like it was not really glued on and has moved around a bit. I tried to fix it with a long stick (piece of my music stand!). Do I need to be concerned?

Behind. The port is open and I noticed when light was shining inside some loose foam behind it. I put in a flashlight and saw some foam layers covering the box on the inside but they were loose and jumbled up so I tried to push them against the sides a bit.

I would not be overly concerned. Just try to make sure that the foam is pushed away from the end of the port inside the cabinet. Typically, a port needs free air around both ends to do its job properly. Worse case scenario, you can remove the woofer and push it out of the way.