Improving speaker aesthetics or Lipstick for the Pigs.

All good suggestions, thanks. Incredible setup you have there!

Rear-ported, and not nearly enough side-to-side room if they were pushed into the nook. And unfortunately, one-year olds are not particularly cooperative with not pushing in speaker cones

Another great idea, thanks. And yes, at 100lb each, they are VERY stable. At least for now. I ordered the speakers with custom bases that extend 2" in each direction which will provide more stability if my kid gets freaky strong.

 

Wow, I didn't realize. Isn't the bass too much pushed against the wall like you have them? Is there a front-port option on them? I know there is on Pendragons which are rear ported by default.

 

Vox guitar amps have a striking basketweave grill cloth, so maybe you could get some Vox-design fabric and make speaker grilles. As an example, a friend had to keep his amps in the basement as his wife didn't like how they looked. But when he brought home a Vox, she took a look and said, "That one should stay up here." (Photo from Vox AC30 - Abbey Road Institute Amsterdam - Blog )

If that doesn't work, you can always get some monkey and/or astronaut figurines and set them around the speakers. You'd have to play Also Sprach Zarathustra a lot, though.

 

Big difference between an 10" column behind a speaker and a wall. No bass issues so far..

 

That cloth is a fantastic idea! I will look into that one.

Speakers have been named Dave 1 & 2. When you look into the rear bass ports, they are full of stars..

 

I’ll say it again with visuals. Swap it out for White for that space.

 

I don't think those speakers are ugly at all. I think they look perfectly fine, with the grill covers on.

 

With the grills off, those speakers send subliminal messages to toddlers to "climb me."

I agree that the console could be updated and the TV mounted on the wall. As for TV placement, if you generally watch from a couch, don't place it too high on the wall.

Table runners, doilies, and plants reek of garage sale, wood-grained 70s speakers with water stains. Don't do it.

 

I'd convert that audio/video nook into a closet - add some nice white bi-fold doors - and flip the room around. You get a jacket closet or extra space for the wife's clothes - which is a win win.

 

Only planning on staying in this place for another year, so the color choice was based on the long game. Otherwise that's what I would have gone with in this particular setup.

If I wasn't renting the place, that would be a fantastic plan.

 

Man I don’t see “ugly” only awesome in those Impacts. An automotive finish is the only thing I can think of.

 

I think all but one is in a “tweeter” role. The rest is lower.

 

If you need toddler protection, maybe get some barbecue grilles and mount to keep curious finger pokes away. I thought the Genelec sub grille would also make a good post-apocalyptic cooking grid, do the reverse for your speakers!




If you want to change the speaker's look more substantially than shelf paper, Parts Express has iron-on melamine (like the fake wood on 70's desks) along with adhesive veneers; results:

 

Maybe a stupid question, but - do the grills make a difference sound wise? Mine are pretty shot and so removing them would be aesthetically nicer but I'm worried they serve some other purpose besides hiding the components of the speaker.

 

TV is better sitting back from the speakers. It is better for your sound stage the way you have it.

Since it is a cove, the TV and equipment stand look like they were made for that space.

 

Hey Phill—GBV!

Yeah, you have a little too much speaker for your space. They just dominate, and honestly, that room doesn't allow you to place them far enough apart to get the best results, IMO.

Mazzy suggested the same speaker in white, I believe, and I think he is onto something. Look around the room at the other dominant colors. Any grey or tan etc.? If so, you might be able to recover the speaker grilles with an alternate acoustically similar fabric that would help them recede a bit. Just a thought.

 

I like this idea. I'm also looking into Plasti-Dip as a spray-on solution that is easily peeled off. Combining that with the diamond pattern speaker covers would look great. A quick Google search showed me that there are a few companies that do custom speaker grill cloth work, they will silkscreen any pattern you want.

Yes, great idea and fairly easily executed. Thanks!

 

My wife will only accept black speakers.

 

Standing anything on top of them will affect the sound.
My black Russell K Red 150 speakers have figurines on them, but they come off when the music comes on.

 

I

hope that means or at least includes, "piano" black finishes.

 

Well, I suppose I am going to be the one to disagree. I looked at your pics with and without grills, and for me, without grills gives me that uncomfortable Cerwin Vega feel for some reason, so many drivers and lots of tweeters, real busy, but it's probably a very good design, and I'm sure they sound wonderful, but IMHO, they look, not just nice, but VERY nice with the grills on. With grills off, a bit like a car going down the street with the hood removed. Just because they are large is no black eye, they look majestic, looks to be that polished Steinway black finish, and your entire system looks beautifully set up and to me, makes a great audio/video statement, so we are on two sides of the fence, with those grills on, your entire system "to me" looks Top Shelf, refined, and that should be the last word, because I'm right!

 

Yep. The Red 150s are gloss black and my old MA GS60s were piano black.

 

I couldn't find that information. Very odd looking array.

 

There’s a guy on YouTube that does reviews that said it. Not New Record Day but another guy. Zero Fidelity. Look up Tekton Double Impact Speaker Review and scroll down to youtube. He was impressed.

 

I am the last person on the planet to figure out how to post pictures, but I notice most folks have their systems set up with amp, TT, etc. on a shelving arrangement in the middle flanked by their speakers. I have a World Market cabinet in the corner with the Rogue and VN on top and the speakers on the perpendicular wall, a few feet out, flanking the window. Obviously one has a few more feet of cable to the speaker than the other, but it sounds good to me. Anyway two Pendragons (Uther and Ygraine) about eight feet apart with a window in the middle, looks ok to me. I like the look of your set up fine. The whole point is good music and if it delivers then there is nothing to argue about in my world.