Did you read this post, which was quite informative and relevant I think?
Speakers are designed differently. For example many of the BBC designs have thin walls that flex with the music. Making them stiffer will obviously change the sound.
The SL-2 cabinets are super well made. By Hornslet in Denmark if my memory serves me correctly (I’m sure Richard can confirm). The engineering on these is quite something including the cabinet construction. I believe they are veneered on the inside of the cabinet; again Richard can confirm!
Thanks for the response. Yes i read some of those posts about changing the foam in the tweeter compartment and the positive effect it had. Did you change the foam which on mine is in a state of crumbling to pieces. I just leave it alone though. Without a source for this i will just leave alone i think
I haven’t changed the foam on mine. They’re still fine. I did change the foam grilles though as mine had gone a nasty mix of crumbly and a big gooey in places. Tom Tom audio provided the replacement grilles snd they are indistinguishable from the originals.
Yes i know that many speaker’s are made very differently and most try for a completely damped cabinet.
That’s exactly the same status as mine then. Just need to get them to France where I’m sure they will do a much better job.
I am sure they are well made for their time, but that doesn’t answer why a paint finish on the out side would change the sound.
I have read that you can place extra baffles, stiffing bits etc inside to tune a speaker sound etc, but on the outside and especially when the finish is just paint over say stain.
If you was was putting say an extra layer off mdf on the out side then i could see, why that might change the sound, due to its greater depth, stiffness etc.
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Anyway to the original poster, if you like them i would get them, as even if the paint finish has O so slightly changed the sound, i would bet that a greater deterioration has already gone on due to the age of the cabinet, drive units, cables and crossovers, so probably nothing to worry about anyway
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Snake oil in the paint perhaps 
I would agree, but you can’t use oil paints these days its all water based lol
It won’t just be a couple of coats of paint. To do piano finish properly you put a lot of coats on including lots of high build primer and undercoat to start off with.
I don’t doubt it Richard. I just went with my gut feeling and tried to inject some humour
Wow - thats what I love in the naim community. Its not only about technical stuff - but also about feeling (in heart and gut also :))
I am a little in between.
One one hand I definitely know, that even if the paint does something (maybe even to the better end? - in my personal opinion) the SL2 will sound very good . And I will never get one to such a bargain price…
One the other hand I know myself. Once I think to hear something, that is not right - I will be fixed to the idea that it is all about the paint. For me it is better to be on the safe side - only for the feeling that it is like new and how it is supposed to be. No second hand naim without recapping, for example 
Difficult …
Haha indeed
In ‘guitar land’, there is much talk about how the lacquer type affects the sound, all I know is that whether its coated with the modern stuff or the classic finishes, neither help with my terrible playing!
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If you are having to think twice, they are not for you. It’s very simple. Who would possibly want someone else’s bodge job speakers? That’s why they are cheap.
Not as bad as some people rattle canning their knobs 
I would need a grey rattle can for my knobs if I bought one of thise ‘tin’ coloured amps. Using regular black ones just looks like they can’t be bothered.
I was having a dig and joke at @bruss for spraying his silver knob black
No idea why to be honest and i would not like to speculate
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