Speaker grills, on or off?

outlander
outlander Posts: 218
edited March 2006 in Speakers
Hello,
Just wondering how many people take their speaker gills off during a serious listening session? For anyone that hasn’t tried it you should check it out. Without a doubt it’s one of the biggest improvements you can get for free. Try this experiment, sit in your favorite listening position and have someone remove a grill. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
O
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited May 2005
    Once upon a time, before dome tweeters, beaming of HF was an issue. Heavy grill cloths were employed to help defract/ diffuse their energy.

    Today grill cloths are virtually transparent, so mostly mine stay on. But every once in a while my speakers like to play naked. I generally remain clothed, however.

    ASIDE: Grill Cloth may be one of the last areas of home audio to exploit for profit. Run down to Hancock Fabrics, buy a bolt, apply a little "snake oil" and make a million.... hmmmmm...
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • billbillw
    billbillw Posts: 6,852
    edited May 2005
    Mine are always on. Its easier for them to sonically "disappear" if you aren't constantly staring at the drivers (IMHO).
    For rig details, see my profile. Nothing here anymore...
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  • BobMcG
    BobMcG Posts: 1,585
    edited May 2005
    Been taking the grills off for serious listening for over thirty years and will continue to do so. A mental thing? Maybe, maybe not but I'm not changing the way I do it now.

    HT is another story. The grills have always remained on and will continue to do so.
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  • BobMcG
    BobMcG Posts: 1,585
    edited May 2005
    I've always found that my speakers sonically disappear when I close my eyes, which is the only way I listen to music.
    Eyes just distract from the experience IMHO.
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,201
    edited May 2005
    Generally mine stay on. Kids , wife, and anyone who could come over and touch. When I sit to listen to 2 channel, Sometimes when I'm in the mood, I like to look at the drivers.

    Dan
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • outlander
    outlander Posts: 218
    edited May 2005
    Same here BobMcG, been doing it for over 30 years. They come off on Friday night and go back on Sunday night. During the week the stress level is so high it really doesn’t matter. I only do this for stereo listening, when it comes to HT I’m not as serious about the listening. As far as the speaker grill being transparent Tour2ma, no disrespect but I’m not sure I buy that one. The reason you can’t see through them is they are blocking light and also sound. Just give it a try and let us know what you think. I suppose it could be all in my head but I don’t think so.
    O
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  • Airplay355
    Airplay355 Posts: 4,298
    edited May 2005
    i can see through my grills, i dunno what ur talkin about.
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  • BobMcG
    BobMcG Posts: 1,585
    edited May 2005
    Dan, You mean you have other people around the house who would actually dare to TOUCH your GEAR????? :confused:
    Man, I'd keep my eyes open too......... or lock'em out! :p

    Sleep with one eye open too??? :D
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,780
    edited May 2005
    "A speaker designer can engineer the speaker to compensate for the inherent flaws all grills introduce, but they cannot remove the flaws. Even if they boost the tweeter output to compensate for the aborption above 10kHz, they cannot reduce the diffraction and passive delay introduces, not to mention the comb filter effect of the openings."

    - COF S&V
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • outlander
    outlander Posts: 218
    edited May 2005
    Ok I can see through mine too if I hold then up to a window, but I wouldn't want to read a book through them.
    O
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  • michael_w
    michael_w Posts: 2,813
    edited May 2005
    oulander what speakers are you running... my lsi7 grills are very transparent and yes I could read a book through them pretty easily :D I have also tried taking them off and I can't notice any difference so yea I keep them on just to keep dust and fingers off them.
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  • outlander
    outlander Posts: 218
    edited May 2005
    Hi Mike,
    For my main listening I'm running Monitor 10B's in the stereo mode. I tell ya man, I can really hear the difference with the grills off. Maybe it's because the 10B's are ~18 years old?
    O
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  • michael_w
    michael_w Posts: 2,813
    edited May 2005
    Yea I'm thinking grill cloth has gone along way in 18 years :p .

    Check out my grills (sorry for the bad pics in a dark room with no flash lol)

    grill1.jpggrill2.jpg
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  • rskarvan
    rskarvan Posts: 2,374
    edited May 2005
    Best results: grill cloth off & eyes closed. Grill cloth gets in the way of the sound. For sound to be accurately interpreted, you need to free-up brain bandwidth for acoustics by eliminating visual noise. Remember, your brain is the final component in the audio stack. Some people could definitely use an upgrade.
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  • madmax
    madmax Posts: 12,434
    edited May 2005
    Just take any present polk speaker and feel the air from the port with the grille on. Take the grill off and feel the air from the port again. Night and day... It simply has to sound much different. Feel it!
    madmax
    Vinyl, the final frontier...

    Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... :D
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,780
    edited May 2005
    You also gotta remember that the grill cloth usually flaps back and forth with the speaker, so that should effect the sound too...
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • audiobliss
    audiobliss Posts: 12,518
    edited May 2005
    Originally posted by rskarvan
    Remember, your brain is the final component in the audio stack. Some people could definitely use an upgrade.

    ROFL!!!!


    I like to listen to my Klipsch with the grills off every time I get a chance. Doest it make a difference soundwise (that / notice)? No. But I sure do like the way those Cerametallic woofers look! :D
    George Grand wrote: »
    Jstas wrote: »
    Simple question. If you had a cool million bucks, what would you do with it?
    Wonder WTF happened to the rest of my money.
    In Use
    PS3, Yamaha CDR-HD1300, Plex, Amazon Fire TV Gen 2
    Pioneer Elite VSX-52, Parasound HCA-1000A
    Klipsch RF-82ii, RC-62ii, RS-42ii, RW-10d
    Epson 8700UB
    In Storage
    [Home Audio]
    Rotel RCD-02, Yamaha KX-W900U, Sony ST-S500ES, Denon DP-7F
    Pro-Ject Phono Box MKII, Parasound P/HP-850, ASL Wave 20 monoblocks
    Klipsch RF-35, RB-51ii
    [Car Audio]
    Pioneer Premier DEH-P860MP, Memphis 16-MCA3004, Boston Acoustic RC520
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  • Dennis Gardner
    Dennis Gardner Posts: 4,861
    edited May 2005
    Grills off (naked) is the audio equal to chrome wheels instead of caps or standing around the open hood of the car with the engine runnin'. Its a guy thing.:)

    I agree that for some music, I find myself wanting to see the drivers. Usually during bass heavy passages.

    For HT, I cover for less distraction.

    For serious listening, lights go down low enough that grills don't matter. The less visual distractions, the better the soundstage depth, afterall it is SDA!
    HT Optoma HD25 LV on 80" DIY Screen, Anthem MRX 300 Receiver, Pioneer Elite BDP 51FD Polk CS350LS, Polk SDA1C, Polk FX300, Polk RT55, Dual EBS Adire Shiva 320watt tuned to 17hz, ICs-DIY Twisted Prs, Speaker-Raymond Cable

    2 Channel Thorens TD 318 Grado ZF1, SACD/CD Marantz 8260, Soundstream/Krell DAC1, Audio Mirror PP1, Odyssey Stratos, ADS L-1290, ICs-DIY Twisted , Speaker-Raymond Cable
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  • Polk65
    Polk65 Posts: 1,405
    edited May 2005
    Nekkid here 24/7.

    I have always liked the look of the black 6.5" drivers. If they were blue or silver, I would personally find that distracting.
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,201
    edited May 2005
    BobMcG,

    They all know not to touch, but you know how it is when "your not allowed"...

    Dan
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • BobMcG
    BobMcG Posts: 1,585
    edited May 2005
    Dan

    Yeah, the "forbidden fruit" syndrome.
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,201
    edited May 2005
    Exactly
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • Frank Z
    Frank Z Posts: 5,860
    edited May 2005
    http://clubpolk.polkaudio.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22765&highlight=grills+on+or+off

    http://clubpolk.polkaudio.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=19650&highlight=grills+on+or+off

    http://clubpolk.polkaudio.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=15336&highlight=grills+on+or+off

    http://clubpolk.polkaudio.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5946&highlight=grills+on+or+off

    http://clubpolk.polkaudio.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5990&highlight=grills+on+or+off
    9/11 - WE WILL NEVER FORGET!! (<---<<click)
    2005-06 Club Polk Football Pool Champion!! :D
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  • BobMcG
    BobMcG Posts: 1,585
    edited May 2005
    What are you getting at?????? :D
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  • Frank Z
    Frank Z Posts: 5,860
    edited May 2005
    Well crap! Seems that my fat little fingers need to be dipped in coffee a few more times this morning. Should have read.....

    Lot's more on this subject can be found here....

    followed by the links. Sorry about that.
    9/11 - WE WILL NEVER FORGET!! (<---<<click)
    2005-06 Club Polk Football Pool Champion!! :D
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,214
    edited May 2005
    My RTA-11's in my main system become to bright if I leave the grills off while listening. I do the same as many here have suggested, listen with eyes closed. Visual distractions can be a real problem.

    For my Athena AS-B1's on my 2nd system, grills are off. Partly because they look very hi-tech naked and since the actual grills aren't flush dust will get to them anyways.

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited May 2005
    Originally posted by Frank Z
    Lot's more on this subject can be found here....
    You mean a topic has actually been repeated??? That's it... I'm outta here...
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • Frank Z
    Frank Z Posts: 5,860
    edited May 2005
    Originally posted by Tour2ma
    You mean a topic has actually been repeated??? That's it... I'm outta here...
    Like we haven't heard that before!!!;)
    9/11 - WE WILL NEVER FORGET!! (<---<<click)
    2005-06 Club Polk Football Pool Champion!! :D
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  • Pinktulip7
    Pinktulip7 Posts: 249
    edited May 2005
    Take it off Dude,it will looks better!!!
    TV :>Panasonic TC-P55VT50
    RECEIVER :> HARMAN KARDON AVR 7300
    FRONT :> L & R :> POLK RTI A9 500 W
    AMP :1> PARASOUND HALO A21 250 W
    AMP :2> EMOTIVA UPA-1 200 W
    CENTER :> POLK LSiM 706c 250 W
    SURROUND SIDE :> POLK RTi A3 150 W
    SURROUND REAR :>POLK FXI A6 150 W
    DVD PLAYER(HD) :>TOSHIBA HD X-A2
    DVD PLAYER(BLU-RAY) :>Panasonic DMP-UB900
    POWER CONDITIONER :> PANAMAX M5400-EX
    SUBWOOFER :A> SVS SB16-Ultra 1500 W Front
    SUBWOOFER :B> SVS SB16-Ultra 1500 W Rear
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  • scottnbnj
    scottnbnj Posts: 709
    edited May 2005
    often, more than the fabric, it's the frame that holds the fabric that does the dirty.

    )
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