For years I’ve tended to leave my sbls grilles on, just as a matter of convenience as much as anything else. Over the last year,
especially when listening to my turntable, I remove them. Am i alone?
especially when listening to my turntable, I remove them. Am i alone?
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I used SBL’s for around 13 years and always payed with the grilles on.
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I’m sure most speakers that have grilles are they’re for a reason and been tested and approved as being the best way to use them.
Otherwise I would expect like some companies to use some sort of mesh arrangement.
I’m sure I’ve read that Naim did much research into this and like others IBLs and SL2s are best with them in place. 
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Mine started to fall apart so I took them off. I don’t think I detected any difference in sound, but my ears are probably not what they should be.
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I do not have SBL speakers (Celestion SL6Si), and I read a review that they were better off than on. I did a simple test of waving the speaker grill vertically in front of the speaker drivers and could distinctly hear a difference when the grill passed in front of the speaker drivers.
For the past 30 years, I have listened with the grills off. Give it a go and listen if you can hear a difference. The grills go back on when children are around.
Warm regards,
Mitch in Oz
I realise you cant do this, but I did pose the question to the makers of my Spendor 7.2 Speakers, and they confirmed that they are designed for best SQ with grills off. I find them clear with the grills off. My old Naim Credo’s were better with grills off IMO
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I don’t have SBL or 300DR experience, but think that grilles on/off is system, plus music , plus room, dependent.
For me, covers mostly on when I plug in a 250, or for the likes of most Jack White (excludes a couple of his acoustic or ‘gently’ albums). However, it is covers off for anything less bright than Jack (i.e. most music) when using other amps.
My speakers are quite lively and my OH is resistant to any more room treatment than we already have in the shared listening area, so YMMV.
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The cats and i are habitual listeners to my sibbles without the foam grills, and the music is remarkably just as enjoyable listening with them on or off.
SBLs look more interesting without grilles, plus the patten of the wood grain too, but best of all it’s nice to take them off and photo them just to annoy the grille purists who believe they should stay on! 
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No grilles for me.
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They all say. Reality is you can tune the frequency response a tiny bit by removing them so as always, do what you feel sounds best 
Yes, i think they look nice with the grilles off… I guess it’s more in keeping with recent trends too.
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I think they sound better with grilles off, but the difference is definitely subtle. I guess the other variable is that my grilles aren’t originals. My current pair of SBLs didn’t come with any grilles, so I sourced some new ones from the an the popular auction site. They seem to be slightly denser than a pair similarly sourced for my original pair of SBLs when their grilles disintegrated.
If grilles are an integral part of the design, why are they removable ?
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Good point! And I do actually think they sound ever so slightly better removed…
Given the “sticky material” to hold the foam on I think they look a bit odd with them off.
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I believe the speakers were designed to be used with the grilles on. When I tried removing them on my Sibbles, I felt they lost their sparkle a bit and so I haven’t removed them since. I guess JV et al knew what they were doing and I’m happy to go along with their designs as they are.
However, they DO come off easily and if folk prefer them without……
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Yes they sound more musical and coherent with the grills on.
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10 years with the grilles on. Looks better, imho.
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Could be may reasons:
To facilitate transport without damage?
Because you can affix foam to wood permanently without damage?