Speaker Grilles On Or Off: Which Way Sounds Better?

[3db]

I voted grills on because I would only lose them if I separated them from their speakers. I do listen to them occasionally without grills . There is no difference in sound that I can detect.

 

[Beave]

@Beave and @Verdinut – You're both right.

I missed it by that much. If you remember Don Adams in Get Smart
View attachment 28303

I loved that show as a kid.

 

[shadyJ]

Hey Guys, I cleaned up a bunch of off topic discussion. If you want to debate how ports work, that is fine, but start a new thread for it, so we can keep this thread's discussion to the subject at hand, which is speaker grilles.

Don't take offense if your posts have been deleted!

 

[Danzilla31]

Hey Guys, I cleaned up a bunch of off topic discussion. If you want to debate how ports work, that is fine, but start a new thread for it, so we can keep this thread's discussion to the subject at hand, which is speaker grilles.

Sounds fair to me Shady I'm guilty as charged and promise I'll clean up my act! Lol No more port talk from me!

 

[GrimSurfer]

Hey Guys, I cleaned up a bunch of off topic discussion. If you want to debate how ports work, that is fine, but start a new thread for it, so we can keep this thread's discussion to the subject at hand, which is speaker grilles.

Don't take offense if your posts have been deleted!

No offence taken. Gets things back on topic!

 

[Verdinut]

Hey Guys, I cleaned up a bunch of off topic discussion. If you want to debate how ports work, that is fine, but start a new thread for it, so we can keep this thread's discussion to the subject at hand, which is speaker grilles.

That sounds fair to me too.

 

[snakeeyes]

Don't know why, but there's something I find enjoyable about seeing the woofers dance when it's cranking.

I voted grills off too but I’m a bit lazy to pull off subwoofer grills most of the time.

 

[Danzilla31]

I voted grills off too but I’m a bit lazy to pull off subwoofer grills most of the time.

I love having the grills off Ive always been that way with every speaker I've owned

 

[snakeeyes]

I love having the grills off Ive always been that way with every speaker I've owned

My white gloss Canton Vento’s have silver aluminum drivers. You can’t hide those babies.

 

[one more time]

If one can't tell the difference by listening for themselves and have to ask the audience for the answer, what does that tell you?

 

[Danzilla31]

My white gloss Canton Vento’s have silver aluminum drivers. You can’t hide those babies.

Oh yeah?! Well well my black drivers on black svs towers looks just just.... Ok... I'm just gonna stop now

 

[ryanosaur]

From the acoustic perspective... what is audible in terms of diffraction effects, spl changes, etc. Seamed like many of the examples were pretty good. Thanks!

 

[Danzilla31]

From the acoustic perspective... what is audible in terms of diffraction effects, spl changes, etc. Seamed like many of the examples were pretty good. Thanks!

It Kind off reminds me when you were worried about diffraction effects due to the placement of your TV relative to your speakers. Didn't you post that at one time? There was some good info in that thread

 

[shadyJ]

From the acoustic perspective... what is audible in terms of diffraction effects, spl changes, etc. Seamed like many of the examples were pretty good. Thanks!

There is some evidence that diffraction can be audible, but no one really knows how audible these quantities are. The paper cited in the article that demonstrated the audibility of diffraction effects can be read in full here. In a normal listening environment, diffraction caused by grille frames isn't likely to be a serious detractor from the sound quality- unless that grille was just terribly designed. As was discussed in the article, poor speaker placement is going to cause much worse diffraction than most grilles.

 

[Kvn_Walker]

I voted grills off too but I’m a bit lazy to pull off subwoofer grills most of the time.

I will be honest- with the T&As' slat mounted metal grilles, it's such a hassle that I don't remove them as often as I would had they been traditional cloth/frame/pegs. Removal requires a hook which I always have to look for since I'm absent minded, and I get scared that I will scratch the cabinets when I put them back on.

I am thankful for the added protection but I do wish they were a bit more user friendly.

 

[Danzilla31]

There is some evidence that diffraction can be audible, but no one really knows how audible these quantities are. The paper cited in the article that demonstrated the audibility of diffraction effects can be read in full here. In a normal listening environment, diffraction caused by grille frames isn't likely to be a serious detractor from the sound quality- unless that grille was just terribly designed. As was discussed in the article, poor speaker placement is going to cause much worse diffraction than most grilles.

Still knowing how OCD we can be about the sound every little bit helps even if it's only for our peace of mind.

I'm wondering with items like acoustically transparent screens just how transperent are they? Or could there be subtle issues of diffraction as well?

Good thought to chew on maybe dig into myself

 

[3db]

If one can't tell the difference by listening for themselves and have to ask the audience for the answer, what does that tell you?

Keep them on so yo don't lose them?

 

[3db]

There is some evidence that diffraction can be audible, but no one really knows how audible these quantities are. The paper cited in the article that demonstrated the audibility of diffraction effects can be read in full here. In a normal listening environment, diffraction caused by grille frames isn't likely to be a serious detractor from the sound quality- unless that grille was just terribly designed. As was discussed in the article, poor speaker placement is going to cause much worse diffraction than most grilles.

I believe there would be some diffraction as well but well below audible limits.

 

[Danzilla31]

S

Keep them on so yo don't lose them?

Some grills I've owned I wouldn't have minded losing!

 

[ryanosaur]

It Kind off reminds me when you were worried about diffraction effects due to the placement of your TV relative to your speakers. Didn't you post that at one time? There was some good info in that thread

I’ll read the paper he posted in a bit... just curious though about learning where the threshold is since I’m kinda getting into speaker design and building.

The paper cited in the article that demonstrated the audibility of diffraction effects can be read in full here.

Thanks, Shady!