A portable electronic device has an acoustic port having an aperture in a housing having a speaker and pressure sensing transducer incorporated therein. During normal use of the portable electronic device, the aperture of the acoustic port may become obstructed during handling, holstering or surface placement, resulting in reduced sound quality and a waste of energy from a battery powering the device. The pressure sensing transducer detects an obstruction of the acoustic port by detecting an increase in acoustic pressure within the housing or within an acoustic chamber coupling the aperture of the acoustic port to the speaker. In response, acoustic characteristics of the obstructed port speaker's audio are altered to conserve power or enhance audio. Furthermore, acoustic characteristics of speakers of unobstructed acoustic port apertures of the device may also be altered in response to detection of the obstruction.