Searching for 8-Inch Car Speaker Grilles and Covers
Some audiophiles prefer that nothing comes between their speaker drivers and their ears, but for those wanting to protect their woofer investment, grilles are a sensible option. A speaker grille (or less commonly referred to as a speaker grill) is typically made of hard or soft material and is placed directly over the face of the driver. Although its main purpose is to protect the driver and other speaker elements from foreign objects, they can interfere with the audio quality. Therefore, buyers need to weigh the advantages and disadvantages for their specific applications to determine which speaker grille to choose.
Types of Grilles and Covers
There are two general types of speaker grilles and covers: Soft and hard.
- Soft grilles are made of woven cloth, foam, or upholsteries. In general, they move synchronously with the sound waves, creating little resistance. Because soft covers absorb vibration, they may rattle less than hard covers.
- Hard grilles are made from metal, plastic, or wood. Because the hard material is not free to move with the speaker's sound, it can affect sound quality. More holes built into a hard metal grill cover will allow more sound to pass unobstructed, but more holes also increase the potential for small foreign objects to come into contact with the driver.
Considerations for Car Speakers
- Most automobile speakers come with metal grilles due to the tight quarters and ease of kicking or bumping a speaker while getting in and out of the car.
- All are designed to prevent damage to the subwoofer cone and surround.
- Stamped mesh-style speaker covers offer the most protection from impact or foreign objects.
- Waffle-style covers are more open than mesh style ones, offering a comprise between sound quality and speaker protection.
- Spoke-style covers are primarily designed to protect against accidental impact, and their open design has the least effect on sound quality.
- Waffle-style grills are generally less expensive than mesh, and intricately designed cast-aluminum, spoke-style grills are the most expensive.
- Grilles are available in round and square designs, depending on the shape of the speakers
- Some manufacturers are making radical-looking grilles designed for aesthetics and minimal sound obstruction.
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