Grilled, or Un-grilled?

[similost]

Do you prefer the looks or sound of your speakers with grills on, or grills off?

I'm looking at mine trying to decide.. It's a bit of work to get them off the mains, so trying to decide before I go through all the work.

I usually like the looks without the grills, but then again your room doesn't look as refined.. but more technical though.. :scratch2:

BTW.. I've got two cabs, one 18" and the other cab one 15" and a 4 by 10 horn.. with two ports... would look really different bare..

 

[Blue Meanie]

I prefer the appearance of all of my speakers with the grill(e)s off. I think most of my speakers sound better 'naked'. It also helps that I live alone, and have no pets or small children to poke at things.

On the other hand, my Paradigm Reference Studio 100(v2) speakers actually SOUND better with the grill(e)s on!
I thought I was hearing things, until I read the manual. But Paradigm claims they sound better with the grill(e)s on, so I WASN'T hearing things...

Jeff

 

[Rybeam]

Careful, pets, broom handles and elbows have all been stopped by fabric grills from doing driver damage at my place over the years.

 

[needforspeed]

For serious listening, They come off (Or when SHE'S) not around. Also the pedal
goes to the metal, As far as volume is concerned.:yes:

 

[similost]

Careful, pets, broom handles and elbows have all been stopped by fabric grills from doing driver damage at my place over the years.

I thought about the cat, but she stays real far away from the Thunder Monsters... I've usually kept most my grills off, and have never damaged a speaker.. I was just looking at my subs for a while with the grill off, and they just don't look as good.. Now I'm debating on my mains.. it would take a good half hour or more if I do take them off and decided I don't like them.. hhhmmm

eh... your probably right.. knowing my luck.

But I am curious what others prefer..

 

[deaner33]

It depends. I have a 2 1/2 y/o, so any speakers in his reach have the grills on. My Bose 301's on a bookshelf don't (foam grills disintegrated) and my Insignia's don't - they look better without them.

 

[Urizen]

On the other hand, my Paradigm Reference Studio 100(v2) speakers actually SOUND better with the grill(e)s on!

Yep, I had the same results with pairs of Studio 20 (v2 and v3).

Other than those, I prefer the sound, and look with the grill removed, if possible. I enjoy seeing the drivers move. If I have company over with young children, the grills remain on, and I always replace grills after listening to keep out dust as best I can.

 

[macaltec]

Grills off on my Cornwalls when in use. The A7's have no grills. JBL's either way but look better without. Those big round thingies with the smaller round thingy in the middle :drool::drool:.

 

[Blue Meanie]

Yep, I had the same results with pairs of Studio 20 (v2 and v3).

Other than those, I prefer the sound, and look with the grill removed, if possible. I enjoy seeing the drivers move. If I have company over with young children, the grills remain on, and I always replace grills after listening to keep out dust as best I can.

Did you like the Studio 20s? Were the v3 version a lot better than the v2 version, or just a little better? Obviously, they BOTH should be augmented with a sub. I use the Servo-15 with my 100s, but only for HT. For music, the sub goes off. I also NEVER put the grille on the sub.

Jeff

 

[ozmoid]

Ultimately I'd like a grill that's sonically transparent. That way I'd have the protection without the damping! In practice, I rarely pull the grills off my AR's.

 

[Urizen]

Did you like the Studio 20s? Were the v3 version a lot better than the v2 version, or just a little better? Obviously, they BOTH should be augmented with a sub. I use the Servo-15 with my 100s, but only for HT. For music, the sub goes off. I also NEVER put the grille on the sub.

Jeff

I regret selling the v2. It is a beautiful speaker, with the rosenut sides.

The v3 has a better tweeter, and digs a little deeper, with a touch of bloating.

Great monitors, the both of them.

 

[Wolfmother]

If the grill is on, then what can you see vibrate when its turned up? (except the windows and small animals)

 

[macaltec]

If the grill is on, then what can you see vibrate when its turned up? (except the windows and small animals)

That's just wrong, animals are people too ya know :stupid:.

 

[alexkerhead]

If the grill is on, then what can you see vibrate when its turned up? (except the windows and small animals)

Indeed, I like my stuff loud, but do not want to pop my woofers. Keeping the grilles off helps me watch the excursion on the woofers, and to make sure they do not pop.

 

[gearhound]

Grills on.......too many creatures roaming around the house.

Steve

 

[fiddlefye]

Around here it's grills on wherever possible. On the Vandersteens and B&W's there isn't any choice really. Most of the others (Klipsch KG4's, various EPI's) aren't anything much to look at without them anyway. In fact the only speakers I have that look half decent naked are my 3a apogees and I'm not exactly crazy about the sound of them anyway.

Of course, my wife HATES them with the grills off, though this obviously has no influence....

 

[Dan ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ]

I can think of several drivers that benefit from having a grille in front of them, whether to tame them down a bit, or to aid in dispersion because they are beamy. That being said, I own two sans grilles, one of which I modified the driver to tame down slight ringing and a tilt on the top end.

 

[merrylander]

Always with the grills on, I imagine that their designers voiced them with the grills in place simply because most people use them that way.

 

[PioneerGuy75]

Generally....Grilles OFF!

Also depends how nice the front is....

My CS99A's look gorgeous with them off....However some older stuff (KLH and Advent come to mind) look better grilles on.



Cheers

 

[Blue Meanie]

Always with the grills on, I imagine that their designers voiced them with the grills in place simply because most people use them that way.

Probably. But isn't the general belief that most speakers sound better with them off?:scratch2: Is this a myth?

Jeff