That’s interesting about the walnut. I have never had anything in walnut so can’t comment. I’ve had and used plenty of different hardwoods and I think everything I can remember seems to darken with age. When finished with a coating anyway.
I’d agree with that, although in my experience it can become more dull and grey with age rather than darker. Good quality walnut is pretty dark to start with, especially when oiled. That especially applies to American black walnut which is expensive. The cheaper European walnut doesn’t have the same rich colour, but it’s anyone’s guess what treatment it might have had to enrich the colour and take out the greyness. Then the finish can darken, but that generally means yellowing in much the same way as oil based paint.
Ultimately there can be all sorts of chemicals underneath, within and on top of the veneer which can darken, fade, turn yellow, orange or grey, and you can only guess what has been used in a commercially made product.
That would be my choice too because I think speakers look better with the grills on (or they look ugly with the grills off).
The walnut I’ve used hasn’t darkened with age after finishing with oil or oil based varnish. Never really thought about it before, but perhaps that makes it an exception to the general rule.
My kitchen worktop is made from black walnut, and if anything it’s a little paler and yellower near the window.
I also have a little cupboard that I made about 40 years ago from European walnut, a mixture of solid wood and veneers, and I’m pretty sure that hasn’t darkened at all. It’s never really been in strong sunlight, and there may be fewer chemicals to change the colour that you might (inadvertently) get from using MDF, woodstains and other chemicals.
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I think it greatly depends on the speaker. In the case of Omega Junior 8 XRS, the grilles really add nothing but minimal child protection. And the speakers sound totally different with them off. That’s not always the case.
The same phenomenons happens with all speakers i’ve owned so far, no matter “plain” veneer or even glossed finish with one exception though, KEF LS50, the original black gloss finish, last pair of black gloss speakers i’d ever buy again.
i’d take this as what makes wood interesting and an unique material. My ebony Leema pairs got a bit darker over time without even having a room flooded with light to say the least. My other pairs of Dali Menuet SE darkened too, those comes in a exquisite glossed burl walnut.
Ultimately I wouldn’t care much about the tan lines even though manufacturers tend to offer grilles ever more complicated in their construction to flatter the front baffle of the boxes, with all kinds of parts. That’s what makes them your own unique pair. 
My pair of B&W PM1s here front baffle is made of a kind of rubberised compound and magnetic grills. Well over time i’ve noticed that the magnets left very small circular prints on the front baffles, and yet it’s no wood. However, the gloss mocha flanks are as good as new 
But i think ChrisSU is right though when he mentioned that it all comes down to the treatment the veneer went through during the manufacturing process. Until recently i tended to think that darker wood will get paler under UV sunlights whereas lighter shades get a bit darker. However, my very own experience showed me that’s not always the case. My Menuet SE are even more beautiful today then when i’ve received them, and yet on day one, that walnut was already a bit dark under the gloss finish.
And after only a year, when i removed the grilles I immediately noticed the difference between the front baffle, just a bit paler than the rest of the speakers, and yet these were standing far from the windows. Just after a couple of months after i’ve removed the grilles, the shades got more uniform.
Really weird but true, and Dali took a very sensible approach as within their manual, they warn that due its very nature, the veneer, even glossed, may change over time. They even go as far as advising to put the speakers under direct sunlights to get the shades harmonised, should that bother the owner.
I’d certainly not go that far without knowing for sure what i’m doing and taking a chance to get unexpected results that cause even more damages.
So to cut it short, if you love wood as much as I do, I’ll just consider this as makes your speakers so unique, like an old whiskey aging and maturing even more beautifully, only waiting to be savoured (is that the right word ?) to the very last drop
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