I guess I'll add my 2 cents. I have four dachshunds. I know, the minute I remove the subwoofer covers (X3s), the dogs will go into "high" play mode and "crash" into one of the subwoofers. Gotta keep them on for my own sanity. I could remove the mid range cover but the WAF will object, as she has in the past.
So, better sound or not, the covers in my situation, stay on.
Marcus