Why remove grills from speakers?

[lovinthehd]

some speakers just shouldn't be......

FWIW their newer models have been prettied up a bit, but still.....

 

[shadyJ]

FWIW their newer models have been prettied up a bit, but still.....View attachment 19078

These are speakers that were built for blind listening tests- and by that I mean they are a test as to whether the listener is blind.

Seriously, I don't care how good they sound...

 

[lovinthehd]

These are speakers that were built for blind listening tests- and by that I mean they are a test as to whether the listener is blind.

Seriously, I don't care how good they sound...

Oh, but the unusual looks are what got these guys noticed in the first place, isn't it? What fun would "blind" listeners be in audio?

 

[Johnny2Bad]

It's said that loudspeakers sound different with and without the grills attached. When you listen to your system, trying it both ways, do you hear a difference?

If you do, do you prefer one over the other?

If you don't, then it makes sense to play your system in the safest mode, that is with the grills on the enclosure.

I almost always hear a difference, but it's subtle and somewhat dependent on the other equipment in the system.