Speaker Grill Cloth, On or Off


I was wondering how many members use their speakers with grill cloth removed? I realize that speakers may have been voiced/designed by manufaturer with cloth in place, but this is just another variable that effects sound. I do it both ways and seem to get slightly more detail with cloth removed. I also wondered if dust becomes a problem with cloth removed, especially in tweeter.

Probably any home with children will have cloth in place, just too tempting to touch that shiny tweeter dome.
Anyway what are members approaches to this.
128x128megasam
i have no choice with my vandersteens!haha,hey wait come to think,my tannoys werent even made with covers,hmmm
I take them off any chance I get. I have Legacy Classics and I don't know if it's a visual thing or not, but I swear they sound better with them off. My wife thinks they are ugly, so when shes around I leave them on, but when the cat's away....
I leave the grills on my B&W 802 III's off all of the time, except the tweeter grill which doesn't come off(as far as I know). The grill on the mid fits so tight that it is a pain in the butt to remove, I'm afraid I'm going to break it in half, so both the mid and woofer grills are always removed.
You had to ask. This thread will go on for a year. Oh yeah, the grill comes off for listening. :)
I have some Osborn Epitomes w/extra woofers, that have a very transparent mesh grill on the speakers (you can actually see the drivers through the grills).I therefore leave the grills on at all times.
I have Merlin VSM-SE's and I always leave the grill off. There's a noticeable difference. I think Merlin recommends leaving them off too. They still sound great with the grill in place, but they lose a bit of high-end and immediacy. These speakers use the Esotar tweeter, so the high-end is very smooth.
Landmarkbldrs, just to let you know. Great post, very sensable and well thought out.
The Harbeths are voiced with the grills on, so that's the way I listen. AND Martin Colloms said they sound better that way. Yet, some people prefer them with grills off. So, it all depends. Try it both ways and see which you prefer. If you have a live room, probably better to leave them on. If you have a lot of soft furniture and curtains or sit a long way from your speakers, you might prefer the grills off.
My Harbeth C7 have a "Supergrill" designed to stay on. (In fact, it is a bitch to get them off and peek under the hood.) I, like Dekay, tend to get fixated on beautiful round things, if I am not careful.

Are we cool now, Brittany?
I have the Dunlavy SC-5(s) with Audio Research electronics and without question the soundstage is more tightly focused and dynamic with the grills off. I am careful, however, to keep the grills on at all times other than when I'm doing some concentrated listening.
Megasam, like you, I et more ambience on my Gen Vs with the grill off. However, I have to dust -- VERY CAREFULLY -- ever so often.
Take care with the dusting!!
Megasam: Easy answer to your question . When you have some really nice equipment you can hear slightly more detail to your sound. When listening to music take those grills off, when you are done put them back on to protect them and keep them dust proof. You said you could hear the difference when you took them of yourself. Enjoy your music the way you would like it best. Good luck.
The wood veneer on my speakers look great with them off, but the sound gets brighter, so I leave them on.
my avalon eidolons have grill covers meant to be left on; they have a layer of felt, about 1/2 thick, under the cloth, which serves as a part of the speaker's design. when i had my avalon ascents, there was an "option" available for a time that had the same kind of felt attached to the speakers cabinets sans grill cloth. i thought it made a beautiful speaker fairly ugly. -kelly
I usually leave mine on due to an abundance of cat hair floating around, plus I have a tendency to stare at the drivers if they are exposed, which to me is the equivalent of staring at a wall (don't want to get the nickname "Stemo"). That aside it depends on the recording as to which I prefer.
I leave mine on my Dunlavy's. I have tried both ways but hear no difference at all. Leaving them on helps keep dust off the cones I figure. J.D.