Do you keep your speaker grilles off?

I leave the grills on all speakers, high low, guitar amps, etc.
I do not like metal grills. I think I can hear them ring.
Crappy old grills protected old speakers from old cats even though the grills got destroyed.
My current cat likes music and taps her tail in time. Screwy.
 
What Speakers?? You mean there are some behind those Grills/Curtains? I thought those cabinets were big enough to hold the Band! Who would have ever Thunk there were Speakers in those??
 
What Speakers?? You mean there are some behind those Grills/Curtains? I thought those cabinets were big enough to hold the Band! Who would have ever Thunk there were Speakers in those??

I take it you don't own Bose Acoustamass :D
 
Three dogs.... the grills are on during the day, and off at night when I can do some active listening.

I hear a difference with them off.
 
I have at least 1 off all the time, only because the previous owner put some ugly-ass grill cloth on them and I just haven't yet restored them to their original glory (Norman Ten).
 
My thoughts are this: Speaker manufacturers design the grills for two reasons, aesthetics and protection. I place protection as my foremost consideration. I suspect that many (if not most) of this forum's members are in their 40's, 50's or 60's, and so are not likely to have young kids running about anymore, except for grandchildren. But in my world, shit DOES happen. I can think of two occasions when the grills have saved me from myself. For example: I was vacuuming one day and was changing the bag on my upright when the handle came down. I tried to catch it, but I was too late. The handle hit the grill right where the 12" driver is located on my JBL L150A. It would surely have punched a hole through the cone had the grill not been in place. I am anything but cavalier when it comes to safe guarding my equipment. Most of us own equipment that hasn't been in production in decades. The exceptional quality of that equipment can't be overstated and finding used replacements is becoming increasingly difficult, if not impossible. I would no more leave the grills off my speaker cabinets to gaze upon the speakers than I would prop open my refrigerator door to gaze upon the contents. I apologize if I sound preachy and trust I haven't hurt anyone's feelings. But this thread posed the question and well, there you go.
 
I was vacuuming one day and was changing the bag on my upright when the handle came down. I tried to catch it, but I was too late. The handle hit the grill right where the 12" driver is located on my JBL L150A.

The little hairs on the back of my neck stood up when I read this!
 
Best of both worlds.

I can 'see' the works and have protection at the same time.

Nice : )

Bobby A
 

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The grills are currently on, and they are usually on during a session. Every once in awhile, I'll get a wild hair up the kazoo and play them with the grills off. :music:
 
I don't have the option to use grilles on my main speakers- I never got to installing the hardware for them. Historically, the grilles were in place if I was not performing any sort of real listening (i.e. background music) or when the system was off- This was mostly because of an irrational fear of spiders.

However, when listening critically, or for relaxation, off they would come.
 
On for the ones that have grilles. We have a very furry cat, and honestly they are even uglier with grilles off. I don't hear much of a difference with these particular speakers anyway.
 
Definitely on :D

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On. Speakers are designed with grills. I got a Bang&Olufsen speakers collection. Fine stuff designed 1961 - 1980.

But fine only WITH grills...

:yes:
 
with cerwin vegas and klipsch..off
and my dad's pioneers look better when they're off but im too lazy to take em off and put em back on xP
 
I prefer the sound of my Icon Parsecs with the grilles off. The grilles have a thick foam piece that surrounds the tweeter, and I'm guessing it's the broader disperson pattern that I get w/o the grilles that I prefer. That, and since my primary system is in the attic I can keep the cats out. My downstairs system speakers (B & W DM330) keep their grilles on at all times, and I've only just started trusting the cats and leaving the bath towels off of 'em.
 
I try and keep them on if they look nice, and if the speakers came with it, If not i will shine up the wood, and make them look nice without them. When i restore my AR-3's i am going out of my way to make original looking grilles for them, i like the off white color a lot.
 
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