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Speaker Grilles - Have Monitor Audio made a new discovery?

Fri, Dec 28 2012, 9:27AM

pete321

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Joined: 20 Aug 2008

Posts: 1078

I was quite pleasantly surprised when on Christmas Day after setting up and listening to my new MA RX6's I found there was next to no difference to the sound with the speaker grilles off. Every other pair of speakers I've owned have sounded better with the grilles off. With my last Proac Studio 140's it was as though a blanket had been lifted from them, soundstage and clarity really opening up with the grilles off.
I'm glad I can leave the grilles on the RX6's without feeling I'm missing any sound, as lovely as the MA drivers are, I prefer the grilles for protection and looks. Have Monitor Audio discovered a new material for the grilles or is it just the character of the speakers?

P.S. The Monitor Audio De-Tox CD has worked a treat for shortening the speaker burn-in time. I don't think my German Shepherd appreciated it though!

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Naim Nait XS | Monitor Audio RX6 | J River MC18 | Teac UD-501 DAC | Oppo BDP-105 | Pioneer PDP-LX5090 | Yamaha YSP-4100 | BK XLS300/PR Sub | Chord Odyssey 2

Fri, Dec 28 2012, 12:43PM

#1

tyranniux42

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Joined: 23 Jun 2010

Posts: 194

RE: Speaker Grilles - Have Monitor Audio made a new discovery?

pete321 wrote:

I was quite pleasantly surprised when on Christmas Day after setting up and listening to my new MA RX6's I found there was next to no difference to the sound with the speaker grilles off. Every other pair of speakers I've owned have sounded better with the grilles off. With my last Proac Studio 140's it was as though a blanket had been lifted from them, soundstage and clarity really opening up with the grilles off. I'm glad I can leave the grilles on the RX6's without feeling I'm missing any sound, as lovely as the MA drivers are, I prefer the grilles for protection and looks. Have Monitor Audio discovered a new material for the grilles or is it just the character of the speakers? P.S. The Monitor Audio De-Tox CD has worked a treat for shortening the speaker burn-in time. I don't think my German Shepherd appreciated it though!

possibly a double dose of snake oil?

__________________

Main System: Naim CD5XS or DAC Magic -> Naim Nait XS -> Naim Ovator S-400

2nd System: Naim Unitilite -> B&W 602s3

Headphones: Naim CD5XS or DAC Magic -> Graham Slee Solo -> HD650

Home Cinema: Sony KDL 40D3500, Sony BDP s370, Sony DAV-IS50, XBOX 360, PS3 & PC all into DACMagic for passthru or decoding

Fri, Dec 28 2012, 1:03PM

#2

Hi-FiOutlaw

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Joined: 20 Apr 2011

Posts: 874

RE: Speaker Grilles - Have Monitor Audio made a new discovery?

tyranniux42 wrote:

pete321 wrote:

I was quite pleasantly surprised when on Christmas Day after setting up and listening to my new MA RX6's I found there was next to no difference to the sound with the speaker grilles off. Every other pair of speakers I've owned have sounded better with the grilles off. With my last Proac Studio 140's it was as though a blanket had been lifted from them, soundstage and clarity really opening up with the grilles off. I'm glad I can leave the grilles on the RX6's without feeling I'm missing any sound, as lovely as the MA drivers are, I prefer the grilles for protection and looks. Have Monitor Audio discovered a new material for the grilles or is it just the character of the speakers? P.S. The Monitor Audio De-Tox CD has worked a treat for shortening the speaker burn-in time. I don't think my German Shepherd appreciated it though!

possibly a double dose of snake oil?

Here we go again...

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Livingroom

Rega RP3 / Goldring 1012gx # Synology DS213 > QED Performance USB > Rega DAC > QED Performance RCA > Rega Brio R > Supra Classic 2x4mm > Dynaudio Excite X12 and some times BK XLS200 MK II

Bedroom

SBT > G&BL teflon line RCA > NAD 3020i > Supra Classic 2x4mm > Monitor Audio RS1

Fri, Dec 28 2012, 2:06PM

#3

steve_1979

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Joined: 14 Jul 2010

Posts: 2117

RE: Speaker Grilles - Have Monitor Audio made a new discovery?

I find that there's next to no difference to the sound of my AVI Neutrons when the speaker grilles are taken off.

I think that the same can be said for most speakers.

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PC > AVI Neutron Five 2.1

32GB Sony NWZ-A846 Walkman > Westone UM3x

Fri, Dec 28 2012, 7:28PM

#4

toyota man

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Joined: 22 Apr 2009

Posts: 1201

RE: Speaker Grilles - Have Monitor Audio made a new discovery?

My old mission 752s used to sound better without the grills on bigger image and a little more open and some sibilance which rather defeated the benefits of removing the grills Ive not realy listened to the atcs without the grills but I will and report back if there are any benefits

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Musical fidelity M6i Roksan caspian M2 cdp Atc scm 40s Tellurium Q black speaker cable chord chamelian xlr graham slee novo sennheiser hd598

Fri, Dec 28 2012, 8:52PM

#5

tyranniux42

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Joined: 23 Jun 2010

Posts: 194

RE: Speaker Grilles - Have Monitor Audio made a new discovery?

Hi-FiOutlaw wrote:

tyranniux42 wrote:

pete321 wrote:

I was quite pleasantly surprised when on Christmas Day after setting up and listening to my new MA RX6's I found there was next to no difference to the sound with the speaker grilles off. Every other pair of speakers I've owned have sounded better with the grilles off. With my last Proac Studio 140's it was as though a blanket had been lifted from them, soundstage and clarity really opening up with the grilles off. I'm glad I can leave the grilles on the RX6's without feeling I'm missing any sound, as lovely as the MA drivers are, I prefer the grilles for protection and looks. Have Monitor Audio discovered a new material for the grilles or is it just the character of the speakers? P.S. The Monitor Audio De-Tox CD has worked a treat for shortening the speaker burn-in time. I don't think my German Shepherd appreciated it though!

possibly a double dose of snake oil?

Here we go again...

...helo darkness my old friend...

my ovators sound best with the grilles left on... oh wait they aren't removable... scratch that!

.. burn in was quick too, only took a quarter of a litre of petrol, my previous B&W 683's took half a gallon! (UK gallon, not the US gallon!)

regards

__________________

Main System: Naim CD5XS or DAC Magic -> Naim Nait XS -> Naim Ovator S-400

2nd System: Naim Unitilite -> B&W 602s3

Headphones: Naim CD5XS or DAC Magic -> Graham Slee Solo -> HD650

Home Cinema: Sony KDL 40D3500, Sony BDP s370, Sony DAV-IS50, XBOX 360, PS3 & PC all into DACMagic for passthru or decoding

Fri, Dec 28 2012, 9:30PM

#6

Hi-FiOutlaw

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Joined: 20 Apr 2011

Posts: 874

RE: Speaker Grilles - Have Monitor Audio made a new discovery?

tyranniux42 wrote:

Hi-FiOutlaw wrote:

tyranniux42 wrote:

pete321 wrote:

I was quite pleasantly surprised when on Christmas Day after setting up and listening to my new MA RX6's I found there was next to no difference to the sound with the speaker grilles off. Every other pair of speakers I've owned have sounded better with the grilles off. With my last Proac Studio 140's it was as though a blanket had been lifted from them, soundstage and clarity really opening up with the grilles off. I'm glad I can leave the grilles on the RX6's without feeling I'm missing any sound, as lovely as the MA drivers are, I prefer the grilles for protection and looks. Have Monitor Audio discovered a new material for the grilles or is it just the character of the speakers? P.S. The Monitor Audio De-Tox CD has worked a treat for shortening the speaker burn-in time. I don't think my German Shepherd appreciated it though!

possibly a double dose of snake oil?

Here we go again...

...helo darkness my old friend...

my ovators sound best with the grilles left on... oh wait they aren't removable... scratch that!

.. burn in was quick too, only took a quarter of a litre of petrol, my previous B&W 683's took half a gallon! (UK gallon, not the US gallon!)

regards

For me is just a matter of looks... The Dyns X12 look so much cool with the grilles off... The sound is the same to my ears!

__________________

Livingroom

Rega RP3 / Goldring 1012gx # Synology DS213 > QED Performance USB > Rega DAC > QED Performance RCA > Rega Brio R > Supra Classic 2x4mm > Dynaudio Excite X12 and some times BK XLS200 MK II

Bedroom

SBT > G&BL teflon line RCA > NAD 3020i > Supra Classic 2x4mm > Monitor Audio RS1

Fri, Dec 28 2012, 10:02PM

#7

Thompsonuxb

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Joined: 19 Feb 2012

Posts: 478

RE: Speaker Grilles - Have Monitor Audio made a new discovery?

I to hear no difference on my Mission 782se with or without grills - prefer the look of them with grills on.

Fri, Dec 28 2012, 10:49PM

#8

steve_1979

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Joined: 14 Jul 2010

Posts: 2117

RE: Speaker Grilles - Have Monitor Audio made a new discovery?

tyranniux42 wrote:

my ovators sound best with the grilles left on... oh wait they aren't removable... scratch that!

I can lend you a pair of scissors if you like. twisted

__________________

PC > AVI Neutron Five 2.1

32GB Sony NWZ-A846 Walkman > Westone UM3x

Fri, Dec 28 2012, 10:50PM

#9

steve_1979

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Joined: 14 Jul 2010

Posts: 2117

RE: Speaker Grilles - Have Monitor Audio made a new discovery?

Here's an Naim Ovator with two of the grilles missing.

__________________

PC > AVI Neutron Five 2.1

32GB Sony NWZ-A846 Walkman > Westone UM3x

Sun, Dec 30 2012, 9:58AM

#10

shafesk

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Joined: 18 Sep 2010

Posts: 758

RE: Speaker Grilles - Have Monitor Audio made a new discovery?

pete321 wrote:

I was quite pleasantly surprised when on Christmas Day after setting up and listening to my new MA RX6's I found there was next to no difference to the sound with the speaker grilles off. Every other pair of speakers I've owned have sounded better with the grilles off. With my last Proac Studio 140's it was as though a blanket had been lifted from them, soundstage and clarity really opening up with the grilles off. I'm glad I can leave the grilles on the RX6's without feeling I'm missing any sound, as lovely as the MA drivers are, I prefer the grilles for protection and looks. Have Monitor Audio discovered a new material for the grilles or is it just the character of the speakers? P.S. The Monitor Audio De-Tox CD has worked a treat for shortening the speaker burn-in time. I don't think my German Shepherd appreciated it though!

I don't think its very difficult to make acoustically transparent grills, most mid range speakers come equipped with one...I for one would be surprised (and a bit annoyed) if I spent more than 500 pounds on a speaker and it didn't sound the same with the grilles on. For the record my Mezzos sound the same with or without them.

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Denon DNP-720AE network streamer, Mordaunt Short Mezzo 6, Cayin A-55 T, Technics-SLQ210, Denon DP-29F turntable, 540p, Dac-magic, Marantz 5004CD and 6025 Turntable, Mac ,Pure AV interconnects, QED Revelation speaker cables, QED Performance interconnects.

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Akg K702, Grado SR60i, UE Triple-fi, Musical Fidelity X-cans, HRT Music Streamer 2+

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