Grilles on or off? Which sounds best to you?

[robruffo]

I'm trying to decide whether the added risk (dust... dog hair...) of leaving the Sierra grilles of is really worth it., so I thought I'd do a wee survey of all you fine sound connoisseurs.

Please vote, if you have a moment:

1 - Sierras sound best with grilles off, difference huge.
2 - " " difference significant
3 - " " difference tiny.
4 - No difference either way
5 - Sierras sound better with grilles on.

If you have time to explain why, all the better, and thank you all in advance for your time.

P.S. for those who like to answer "whatever sounds best to you" please avoid posting. That cannot be considered useful advice or information. Many of us here are trying to get accurate sound, not just something we like on some particular track. Accurate sound means we are hearing what was recorded, as intended, whether we like it or not. This has value in that it gives us direct communication with the artists, and, in my case, because we use our Sierras to do movie sound mixes.

[Mag_Neato]

If you get mixed responses, where people prefer them off and others prefer them on, with no clear winner, then yes, it will ultimately be your decision based on your preference. People all hear differently.

Personally, I had them off simply because I was living alone and had no kids/pets to worry about. I don't really think there was a difference, at least big enough to notice, but I liked the "idea" that there was less between the drivers and my ears. My daughter was over once, and started pushing the woofer in and out. I quickly stopped her, but it illustrated the need to leave them on if kids are in the picture.

If you are accustomed to true fidelity and deal with sound mixing, then you have a leg up on most of us when it comes to what accurate sound is.

[ebh]

i don't think there is a big difference if any. I took them off b/c I think the Sierra's look awesome without the grills. However, my wife could not stand that the drivers on the center channel were not symmetrical when laying down so I put the grill back on it. So the L and R are bare, and the center channel has a grill. I can't really think they would sound better with a grill, so taking them off would be the way to go even if it offers no or just a tiny improvement.

[jvillas]

HI robruffo, there was at one time a review posted on the sound and vision forum (no longer there). Measurements were taken with the grill on and off and it was found to be virtually no difference one way or the other. The Sierra grill is quite transparent.

[curtis]

HI robruffo, there was at one time a review posted on the sound and vision forum (no longer there). Measurements were taken with the grill on and off and it was found to be virtually no difference one way or the other. The Sierra grill is quite transparent.
I was going to post the same thing.

Mine are on.....I have kids.

[robruffo]

Thank you for your comments. No kids here in the studio, but there is a lot of dust, as this neighborhood has the same density as Manhattan, and lots of renovation work.

Can dust harm a speaker?

[debo]

Grills Off and I do hear a difference on the higher end of the scale.

[Rÿche 1]

My grills are off, just 'cause I have no kids...

[dallas]

Grill off FL and FR, Grills on the other Five channels because the grill makes them invisble with my wall color. Seriously people walk right by them and don't see them.

[azanon]

It is my understanding that it is not a subject of debate whether a speaker sounds better with the grills off. They simply do to whatever extent. Grills aren't there to enhance the sound; they are there to help protect the driver and for visual/aesthetic enhancement. If anything, I'm sure they're designed to "minimize the damage" to the sound while serving their real purpose.

Even if you guys confirm what is already known, I probably would never go "grills off" because to me, raw drivers just aren't that aesthetically pleasing. I also like the protection aspect too since I have a 5-year-old.

Raw driver says to the 5-year-old - "please poke me with your finger"

[dallas]

daves grills are awful "thin" too, on purpose no doubt to minimze any impact.

[Mike^S]

I take the grills off every once in a while on my Sierras. It's just fun to look at the drivers working during intense movie scenes or when you have the music turned up. The downside of this is, is that it's kind of distracting and I end up watching the speakers more than the television. :p

[davef]

It is my understanding that it is not a subject of debate whether a speaker sounds better with the grills off. They simply do to whatever extent. Grills aren't there to enhance the sound; they are there to help protect the driver and for visual/aesthetic enhancement. If anything, I'm sure they're designed to "minimize the damage" to the sound while serving their real purpose.

Excellent post!

Speaker grilles are a necessary evil... although we do spend considerable engineering time trying to minimize the negative effects -- from the shape and thickness of the frame, to the cloth material, to the actual dimensions of the grille...

[dmitchell]

I prefer the look (and sound) of my Sierras with the grills off, but I have a 21 month old daughter that has already pushed in the tweeters on my Totem Sttafs and Paradigm Atom v5's.

The grills stay on.