grilles on or off the speakers??

To Stringreen

I know Vandersteen feels strongly about that. I owned his 2Ci speakers (which were great), and taking those grilles on and off would be no easy task

To Audiofeil

Not sure why a thread usually ends up with someone being condescending and mean spirited. Of course I, and most anyone interested in audio, set our systems up to our liking and our listening taste and our satisfaction That doesn't mean discussion is a bad thing and we are all neurotics and stupid.
I was interested in the opinions of many of the knowledgable people on this site, as to whether or not they think a speaker can actually (you know... scientifically, using physics) tune a speaker with its grille to improve its fidelity. Of course it sounds different with the grille..my stereo also sounds different when I hear it through a door or wall.
And finally, learning through magazines and online forums is a good thing...reading is good.

To LoomisJohnson,

Yes, there are Totems and Revels that don't include the grilles, and others like Paradigm with their "specially designed grilles" and don't recommend using their speakers without them. That is why I was interested in the group's feeling on grilles, and their experiences.

Thanks for your input

To Audiofeil

All is forgiven. Let us enjoy the music

Let's muddy the waters even more. When I first took the grilles off my speakers (and this was after having them for quite a long time), I found foam plugs in the four (2 per speaker) vent ports at the bottom of the speakers. These are apparently used for shipping.
Taking those out, I found the speakers too "twangy" and singing voices a bit shrill. The bass lost some of its tightness, and the soundstage became diffused. Grilles on, grilles off...still not right.
So I jammed the foam plugs back in, and all is well. They sound great again.
Comments??

To Johnny53

THANKS! I had actually spoken to the speaker distributor, who told me they were for shipping purposes only and should "definitely be taken out". I thought I was losing my ear for music entirely. James Taylor sounded like Mickey Mouse and James Blunt was a shrill little girl. I felt a little silly thinking these speakers only sound good with packing material stuffed in them. Your explanation makes perfect sense.
By the way, have you seen such a thing (provided foam plugs) in any other speakers for the purposes you mentioned?....because I have not.