Speaker Grills?

[PWFD81]

Just looking for some feedback on what some of you think about keeping the speaker grills on your speakers?  I know if you have little fingers that are going to poke your speakers they should be left on.  Speakers have a much better sound without the grills on they.  Other than keeping them safe from getting poked or ripped do they serve a purpose?  Dust, sun, anything??

Thanks!

Tim

[Matt Heebner]

Actually, depending on the speaker, some are designed for optimal performance with the grills on. My speakers, Paradigm Reference for example, supposedly sound better with the grills on according to Paradigm. It's even in the manual.

But I tend to agree, if you don't have WAF to worry about (wife acceptance factor), I think most higher end speakers look way better with the grills off ESPECIALLY if you have some really cool looking woofer material.....B&W's kevlar in yellow, or Paradigm's gold with the bullet phase plug !!

Matt

[Paul S.]

Actually, depending on the speaker, some are designed for optimal performance with the grills on.

Matt

What Matt says be correct

[audiopile]

This is a gross generalization - but in general grills that are constructed such that nothing except cloth is forward of the the tweeter or midrange have a good chance of being transparent in terms of audio. I truly can't  hear the grill fronts on my Paradym Studio 20's.
        On the other hand the the classic "picture frame" grill structure of a lot of speakers will have a big impact on stereo imaging and don't do anything for the flattnes of the overall speaker frequency responce.
    You're essentially dealing with two problems:
1.) Near field refelections into the tweeter or mid-range can actually steeply attenuate certain frquencys by simply mechanically canceling them on the cone or dome.
2.) In a really classically bad front baffle design - say a 60's JBL for instance - if you have a 90 Deg. edge all around the perimeter of the grill front - this edge will act like a aray of small tweeters at high frequencys - really screwing up stereo localization.

[bubbaridesfast]

In the vast majority of speakers I doubt that the grills negatively affect the sound and in some cases are esigned to disperse it in a specific pattern. Methinks taking the grills off is kind off a macho thing like a guy on a Harley gunning the throttle under bridges and at stoplights - it sounds cool to him. Ever notice women riding Harleys rarely do that? It's a guy thing. Sorry if I offended anybody who likes to examine his tweeter while listening to tunes but I call em like I see em.

[Matt Heebner]

I have had the grills on, and I have had the grills off, and I tell ya I could not hear a difference. THe speakers did LOOK better with the grills off but with two smaller children in the house, I felt safer with the grills on.

Just my opinion.....

Matt