Grill on or off?

[aevans]

With the invention of canned air, is there any reason to keep the grills on?

I'm building some cabnets for the my galena selah audio speakers and I was wondering if it is even worth the trouble of building the grills. Let me know if you like your speakers in the nude, or if there is a good reason that you keep the grills on.

[budgetaudio76]

mine are naughty always naked. although they were bought in that fashion. second hand. down side is dust build up which can be hard to remove once settled i think correct me if im wrong here.

[markw]

With the invention of canned air, is there any reason to keep the grills on? .Kids, other peoples particularly, stupid guests, and cats.

[kexodusc]

I go out of the way to build grills for my speakers because I have pets, and stupid friends who like to touch things.
Some fabric dome tweeters have a coating on them that tends to attract dust and whatnot, after awhile you can end up with a fuzzy tweeter.

Even acoustically transparent grills will impact sound a tiny bit, but I can think of only 2 speakers I've ever heard that had grills that noticeably detracted from the sound. I think the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks.

Make detachable grills and have the best of both worlds if you're really worried.

[Feanor]

With the invention of canned air, is there any reason to keep the grills on?

I'm building some cabnets for the my galena selah audio speakers and I was wondering if it is even worth the trouble of building the grills. Let me know if you like your speakers in the nude, or if there is a good reason that you keep the grills on.

The question doesn't apply to my Magneplanar 1.6QRs whose grills aren't removable.

It does apply to the Paradigm MiniMonitors in my HT system. This follows Paradigm's advice and their assertion that the grills are designed to reduce defractions.

Finally it doesn't apply to my HT's DIY center channel speaker
...

[GMichael]

Off (for the mains) unless we have company with kids coming over.
On for the rest. I only use them for movies anyhow.

[sgt bass08]

for me i keep the grills or covers on the speakers as they look alot tidy .but at the the same time i found metal grills look kool they should invent more of them :2: .btw i also hear that keeping you grills on your speaker effects the sound quatily as the grills stop air from coming out of the speaker.

[Ajani]

Kids, other peoples particularly, stupid guests, and cats.

Agreed...... those are the major reasons to consider keeping the grills on....

[Ajani]

but at the the same time i found metal grills look kool they should invent more of them

I also prefer the look of metal grills, but If I had to guess; I'd assume that they colour the sound more than the usual cloth materials used for grills... Also, they don't help much in keeping dust out....But they sure look cool

[O'Shag]

The question doesn't apply to my Magneplanar 1.6QRs whose grills aren't removable.

It does apply to the Paradigm MiniMonitors in my HT system. This follows Paradigm's advice and their assertion that the grills are designed to reduce defractions.

Finally it doesn't apply to my HT's DIY center channel speaker
...

Bill, you built that center channel speaker yourself?

[O'Shag]

Depending on the speaker, there will always be a small but generally noticable difference in output. Well-designed grilles should reduce sound output from tweeter and midrange by only about 1db. For critical listening the grilles - unless designed to be left on - should be removed to allow the tweeter and midrange to 'breath' without restriction. Otherwise, they should be left on so as to protect the speaker from dust, dirt, accidental knocks or when the wife throws something heavy - such as a flower pot or if really mad a kitchen knife - across the room to hit you on the head.

By the way, a good tip if your cat or dog pees on the speaker. To train them not to do this, immediately following the event, put on the Sex Pistols, Judas Priest. Ozzy Osbourne or Van Halen. Place cottom buds in your ears. Turn the preamp up to 11 and force your pet to sit right in front of the speakers. This will scare the b'jaysus out of them and they will never ever pee on the speaker again.

[Rich-n-Texas]

As mentioned above... cats = ON.

[Pat D]

With the invention of canned air, is there any reason to keep the grills on?

I'm building some cabnets for the my galena selah audio speakers and I was wondering if it is even worth the trouble of building the grills. Let me know if you like your speakers in the nude, or if there is a good reason that you keep the grills on.

There is no completely general answer as some speakers are designed to be used with the grilles on. Such grilles are designed to reduce diffraction. In recent years, I know a number of PSB and Paradigm models are designed that way and I think the ones I have heard sound better that way. Some still may prefer them with the grilles off in spite of the rougher high frequency response.

On the other hand, judging from some of the reviewers who do good measurements, it seems most speakers seem to do better with the grilles off, and the measurements show this. I suspect with DIY speakers, the sound is probably better with the grilles off, unless you can build non-diffraction grilles.

Check out Figure 4 on this link, which shows the differences caused by taking the grille off a PSB Stratus Mini:

http://stereophile.com/standloudspeakers/629/index4.html

It is clearly better with the grilles on.

[Feanor]

Bill, you built that center channel speaker yourself?

It consists of a Vifa MG18SK09-4 7" mid/woofer plus a Bohlender-Graebener Neo3 PDR planar tweeter. The crossover design is this (http://gallery.audioreview.com/showphoto.php?photo=1298&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=199052).

[O'Shag]

It consists of a Vifa MG18SK09-4 7" mid/woofer plus a Bohlender-Graebener Neo3 PDR planar tweeter. The crossover design is this (http://gallery.audioreview.com/showphoto.php?photo=1298&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=199052).

Excellent work!

[bobsticks]

On for the KEFs, none for the Logans...

[Brett A]

I leave the grills on for two reasons. If I take them off, the Kevlar mid and aluminum bass drivers are just too interesting to look at and distract my attention away from my ears. The system is in my living room and it has an imposing enough presence without sticking the shiny drivers in your face. Also, they sound a bit better with them on...helps diffuse the highs which is welcome with these speakers.