A speaker grille (or speaker grill) is usually found in front of many consumer and industrial

loudspeaker A loudspeaker (commonly referred to as a speaker or, more fully, a speaker system) is a combination of one or more speaker drivers, an enclosure, and electrical connections (possibly including a crossover network). The speaker driver is an ...

s, and consists of either a hard or soft screen/ grille mounted directly over the face of the speaker driver. Its main purpose is to protect the driver element and speaker internals (and possibly other audio components) from foreign objects while still allowing the

sound In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the br ...

to pass clearly. Small fabric membranes are commonly used in mobile phones and earbud headphones to protect loudspeakers and microphones. Similar to grilles on larger audio systems, these membranes safeguard against moisture, contaminants, pressure fluctuations, and physical intrusion. The grille or membrane interacts with the sound produced, as it lies in the path between the loudspeaker and the listener. To ensure minimal impact on sound quality, the reduction in sound—referred to as transmission loss—must be quantified. While more robust grilles offer greater protection, they also result in higher transmission loss, requiring a balance between protection and sound quality to be achieved based on the specific application.

Types

Soft Grilles

Soft grilles can be made from any well suited

cloth Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, and different types of fabric. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is n ...

weaving Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal ...

, stitching,

foam Foams are two-phase materials science, material systems where a gas is dispersed in a second, non-gaseous material, specifically, in which gas cells are enclosed by a distinct liquid or solid material. Note, this source focuses only on liquid ...

fabric Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, and different types of fabric. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is no ...

upholsteries and other similar materials. In general, soft grilles impose little resistance on the speaker driver because the material is free to move synchronously with the sound waves. Because the grille is capable of absorbing this vibration, softer grilles are (in general) less prone to rattling except at extremely high

sound pressure level Sound pressure or acoustic pressure is the local pressure deviation from the ambient (average or equilibrium) atmospheric pressure, caused by a sound wave. In air, sound pressure can be measured using a microphone, and in water with a hydrophone ...

s. Soft grilles offer protection from small, lightweight objects, and may be water resistant to some degree but could be susceptible to being torn, or even stretched enough to reach the driver.

Hard Grilles

Hard grilles can be made from many types of construction material including metal, wood or plastic. Some solid grilles are made from a board or sheet of material with holes drilled or cut for the sound to pass, while others are made with thin strips of material either crosshatched together or equally spaced in parallel. Because hard material is not free to move with the speaker's sound like soft material, the speaker's output level must be considered when designing the grille. A grille with more holes will allow more sound to pass but will offer less protection from small objects. A speaker with too much material in front of the driver will begin to distort at higher sound pressure levels, and in severe instances could damage the speaker, resulting in unwanted rattling at the least.

Practicalities

Some types of speakers have such unique characteristics that a grille would interact too much with the sound to be practical.

Studio monitor Studio monitors are loudspeakers in speaker enclosures specifically designed for professional audio production applications, such as recording studios, filmmaking, television studios, radio studios and project or home studios, where accurate ...

s, for instance, are required to reproduce audio so accurately that anything in the path of the speaker could obscure aspects of the sound, and thus are rarely seen with grilles. On the other hand, high powered

subwoofer A subwoofer (or sub) is a loudspeaker designed to reproduce low-pitched audio frequencies, known as bass and sub-bass, that are lower in frequency than those which can be (optimally) generated by a woofer. The typical frequency range that is ...

s (such as those used in high-end

car audio Vehicle audio is equipment installed in a car or other vehicle to provide in-car entertainment and information for the occupants. Such systems are popularly known as car stereos. Until the 1950s, it consisted of a simple AM radio. Additions si ...

applications), produce such violent

sound wave In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the ...

s that a grille may be susceptible to rattling or damage while the driver is under load. All but the most sparse grilles also possess the possibility of diminishing or distorting the low frequency waves being produced. Grilles on domestic loudspeakers have been shown to affect their performance; however, they are commonly included to provide protection required for the home environment. Some speakers simply don't need a grille, perhaps because they are enclosed in a case (such as speakers found inside

personal computers A personal computer, commonly referred to as PC or computer, is a computer designed for individual use. It is typically used for tasks such as Word processor, word processing, web browser, internet browsing, email, multimedia playback, and PC ...

) and are not meant to produce

high fidelity High fidelity (hi-fi or, rarely, HiFi) is the high-quality reproduction of sound. It is popular with audiophiles and home audio enthusiasts. Ideally, high-fidelity equipment has inaudible noise and distortion, and a flat (neutral, uncolored) ...

audio, but only audible tones and noises.

References

{{Reflist Loudspeakers

Types

Soft Grilles

Hard Grilles

Practicalities

See also

References