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Speakers Covers: on, off or doesn't matter?

I heard a difference with the covers installed on my Wharfedale... so off they went.

Since, I replaced them with newer speakers... Their covers are still in their original box as I never bothered to put them on even to see what they looked like.

And I have a 1.5 yo child in the house who's been taught not to touch daddy's toys. No troubles so far... though I admit I get anxious when other people's children enter the living room.

One clawed cat also live in the house... I always thought it would be more dangerous with the clothed grilled on as it would convert speakers into perfect scratching poles.
 
mrb3 said:
One clawed cat also live in the house... I always thought it would be more dangerous with the clothed grilled on as it would convert speakers into perfect scratching poles.
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I can confirm your fears.... and the declawed one also likes it but he just deposits fur onto the grills.
 
The metal grilles on my ADS L9e's definitely choke the sound. Those stay off.

The cloth grilles on my Rega R1's don't interfere with the sound so they stay on.
 
The ADS L1090's live with their grilles on. To me they look much sharper and sound better that way. Klipsch KLF20's and CF-1's could go either way, but I like horns to be visible so they usually remain off. My Tannoy 8's didn't come with the grilles, so there ya go. The Bozaks upstairs always have grilles on, though not original. Velodyne 18" grille comes off if some technically curious visitor asks about it otherwise always on (makes no difference sonically regardless).

There is one fully clawed cat in the house who has never laid a claw on anything, furniture or speaker grilles. WAF is practically non-existent here. She sees how passionate I am about my gear, so she lets me put it wherever and however I want. She does however complain about the volume frequently, even when it's not loud at all maybe 80-85dB. But she has hearing problems so I forgive her.
 
I like using the AR3a's with the covers off, because they are so damn ugly it just shows they didn't give a ****... it's about the sound.
 
My Audio Notes don't give me the option. The owner of the company was irritated that some dealers kept the grills on in demonstrations so he has removed them entirely. The con is you always see the drivers - the pro is that the little holes don't mess up the look.
 

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its difficult to leave the grills 'on' with my Castle Durham speakers..the cabinet veneer and finish (especially at the edges and corners) is simply too good to hide...they sound a bit more open too... :D
 
luddite said:
I like using the AR3a's with the covers off, because they are so damn ugly it just shows they didn't give a ****... it's about the sound.
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I did a thread on this a while back, and I prefer to keep the grills off on my Wharfedale W60E's. They look somewhat similar to AR3's/AR3a's with the grills on, but thankfully they also look good with them off (That's my one problem with the old AR's... When the clothes come off, it ain't a pretty sight... Woof!).

The way I saw it, my W60E's are at least 40 years old at this point, so the grills definitely have their share of dirt. One day I did a comparison and noticed a BIG difference between having them off and having them on. Literally, it was like lifting the veil (and a thick veil at that). With them on, there's a definite attenuation of the highs, and overall they sound less open than with them off. Now that I'm getting proper imaging, I can really-hear the difference. A few weeks ago, I decided to give it one more shot with them on (The grills really-look nice, you know?), but after a couple days, I removed them for good. I buy my stereo gear for it's sound-quality and durability. Looks is a VERY-distant third.

Right now I'm listening to "All Things Must Pass" (vinyl-rip of the UK 1st-pressing 3LP... I also like the 2010 hi-rez remaster). A few years ago, having the grills on might have actually helped the sound of this album, but now that I've got my digital side in check, the grills stay off (If I could make love to an album, ATMP would be my "first time"). I always had a problem with the sound of that album, but now it doesn't bother me anymore since I upgraded my system. Now I just kick back and enjoy it..... with the grills off.
 
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I just keep mine on. Sounds fine to me. Fine enough.

If they were off they probably would sound 'better'. That only makes sense. But my speakers as well do not 'look good' without the grills on.

But I just keep them on anyway because of the nice design of the lattice wood work.

Dogs, cats, kids ... keep them on! Accidents happen.

Hows it go? - An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure? Something like that.

No dogs, no cats, no kids...no problem.

OK, tell me again, how did you ram the vaccumn cleaner into the woofer?

Accident's happen.

Take em off when listening to the stereo, put them back on when done. That's a solution.
 
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My Harbeths are supposed to be run with the covers on. I run them with the covers off...I like the way they look better with the wood baffle and visible drivers. And the subtle change in sound isn't worth me looking at plain, ugly speaker grills. They sound good either way.
 
I run my speakers with grilles on b/c I like a little diffusion. Also, the B&Ws I recently decommissioned were pretty gaudy nekkid. With their aluminum/paper bass drivers, Kevlar mids and aluminum tweeters.

My new (to me) Vienna Acoustics are less visually intrusive with the grilles off, but I prefer them both for looks and sound with grilles on.

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I leave them on to keep the dust off, but Reference 3A recomend's I remove them from my Veena II's the best sound. They seem to sound better off, but then again maybe it's because I want them too!

Many speakers the frames are cut away as far as practical and kept close to the cabinet to minimize the effect. Energy used a special cloth too for nearly transparent sound on an old pair of Pro-22 Monitors. My later energy's took no such measures and use a thich plastic grating for frames held on with magnets that obviously blocks the tweeter, but they sound fine anyway.

Brett a mentioned the diffusion effect's with the covers on, It makes me wonder if for that and other reasons perhaps they sound better with the covers on sometimes.
 
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