[Mark Korda]

(http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=113182.new;topicseen#new) ..John Atkinson can you explain what a grill can do to blend the sound of speaker drivers? I want to know what I need to do with fabric and fashion to achieve this as Robert Reina your reviewer told that it was done with grills on in the review? I'm really puzzled?....Mark Korda

[ltr317]

Hi Mark,

John Atkinson doesn't post on this website.  Perhaps you should ask your question on the Stereophile website or on Audio Asylum where he does frequent.  I'll see him next week at a club meeting but you should ask him yourself.

Cheers,
Paul Mah

[Mark Korda]

Hi Paul, thanks for the heads up! I did rewrite the question a little and sent it to (Critics) where I have seen he jumps in now and then. I just want to see if I can get an explanation to what I asked. Paul, the only way a grill can make your speakers sound better between the tweeter and woofer or mid range is to give you the satisfaction that if you have a cat,ect.,he or she won't destroy your investment. Maybe tone controls and L-pads will alter the sound but I think grills cause (muffling and difraction)...am I wrong Paul, I don't care if I am, I just want to learn......thanks Paul for picking up on that.....Mark Korda

[JLM]

Some tweeters are "hot" and can benefit from using the grill. 

But IMO that is like putting a bandage on a sore (unless WAF is critical).   

[ltr317]

Hi Paul, thanks for the heads up! I did rewrite the question a little and sent it to (Critics) where I have seen he jumps in now and then. I just want to see if I can get an explanation to what I asked. Paul, the only way a grill can make your speakers sound better between the tweeter and woofer or mid range is to give you the satisfaction that if you have a cat,ect.,he or she won't destroy your investment. Maybe tone controls and L-pads will alter the sound but I think grills cause (muffling and difraction)...am I wrong Paul, I don't care if I am, I just want to learn......thanks Paul for picking up on that.....Mark Korda

Hi Mark,

JLM is correct, some tweeters are "hot" but an attached grill will only help so much.  It really depends on the design and material of grills.  I have read from a few speaker manufacturers that their grill design or use of material doesn't change the sound on or off the speaker.  From my own experience, almost always I have heard an improvement when the grill is off based on your theory, but there were a few times I couldn't determine whether the grill made any difference.  For example, I reviewed the Silverline Minuet Supreme Plus mini-monitors for Stereo Times and couldn't tell without a doubt if there was a difference.  You can read the review on the Silverline speaker website if you wish to get the full story.
There has been no instance though, where the attached grill improved the sound.

Cheers,
Paul   

[srb]

I have compared grill on/grill off on every speaker I've owned 12" or less from the drivers.  Although cloth materials vary, in all cases I was able to hear some very slight attenuation of the highs while not noticing any difference in the midrange.

I never tried the comparisons at a normal listening distance, but I would imagine the difference might be much harder to perceive.

What is a bit odd is that the underlying plastic grill framework lattice is present over the tweeter but missing over the midbass driver, whereas in most speaker grill construction it is usually just the opposite.  One forum or blog recommended snipping away the lattice behind the tweeter, but because I don't use the grills I never entertained that idea.

Steve

[JLM]

I've seen a couple of designs where the grill frame integrates completely into the front edges of the cabinet to complete the radius, thereby reducing baffle diffraction.

Now with magnetic attachment (intended to leave the speaker 'naked') baffle diffraction and integration of the grill frame are even more rare.