Hales Design Group Speakers...Removing the Grills

Just grab the grills with one hand on each side and slide them up and off. Easy when you know how.

Have you actually removed the grills on HDG speakers? They do not simply slide up and off either vertically, or laying on their backs on the ground. The grill is actually just a sock over a metal frame which is attached to the speaker body.

It depends on the speaker. I own Hales T-8s and Hales Cinema Centers. On these speakers, Audioparts Inc. accurately described the process. Just grab the grills from the bottom and slide them upwards. For the T-8s, of course, make sure you have sufficient ceiling space (approx. 8.5 feet).

The speakers have something like a big rubber band all around the metal frame to secure the grill cloth. You basically grab it by a corner and pull it out carefully. They are a pain in the *%@! to put them back, and have them look good. It can be done but this is not something I would want to do frequently.

I suspect you have Hales Design Group "Revelation" speakers. The Concept line and the Transcendence line have metal framed grills that slide up and off the speaker baffle. The Revelations have a "sock" that fits in a groove where the baffle meets the speaker body. I have known of these being removed but very difficult to reinstall. If you have the February 1998 Stereophile there is an article about the Revelation 3's and a small blurb about the grill cloth (pg 118). In short it says what I said above "While it's possible to remove the grillecloths, doing so without damaging the fabric is a tricky matter, and replacing them even more so."

If you have ever seen carpet being installed I.E. where the carpet is tucked between the tack strip and the base board with a wide flat metal tool and a hammer you can get an idea of how the cloth would go back on. I mention the carpet only as an analogy. DO NOT use the wide metal tool used for carpet installation and a hammer less you chip the baffle to hell. You could possibly try using a tool used for installing screen in a window or door frame. It is basically a handle with a roller on one end and can be had at any hardware store.

I owned HDG Concept 3's and currently own Transcendence 5's and I can say without question that I prefer the sound with the grills OFF. Hope this helps.

Well, I am going in for a few reasons, namely:
1. Used to live with a smoker, and they are probably filthy
2. To dampen the frame with some rubber wedges, as some have suggested
3. To check the tightness of the driver screws and bolts, as suggested.

I may do it tonight...I've got my whole theater torn apart anyway as my pass is in for service.

Well, a few disappointing things. First, I couldn't figure out where I stored the spikes, and that is just irritating. Second, no matter how I tried to work the cloth, it just wouldn't budge. The one place I tried to "force" it, it just stretched the cloth and made a tiny little tearing sound. I'm starting to wonder if I'm supposed to just cut the cloth off and be done with it.

A friend had a chance to install windows curtain pointed it out to me that the speaker's sock using same mechanism. Take it off is easy as some people already said, in order to put it back as easy and without damaging the speaker, you need a special tool, I don't know what it's call, but it looks like a plastic wheel on a stick, just rolling while pushing would do it perfectly fine.

Hello Conduit. I'll fax you the instructions for the grill cloth removal/re-intallation procedure for the Revelation Series from the Hales owner's manual if you want. The procedure is pretty much exactly as stated above by Arch2. The rubbery cord sewn into the nylon grillcloth material may need some coaxing to to get it to pull out of the groove that holds it in place. The Hales manual suggests starting at the bottom for removal so if you damage the material a bit it won't show as much once the speaker is upright. Note the orientation of the cloth top/bottom so you are sure to re-install it the same way it came from the factory. You can use a credit card or similar object to push the cord back into the groove around the baffle when re-installing the grillcloth.

The most difficult part of re-installation is to avoid excess material "bunching up" at the corners. That's why Hales suggests starting from the top down when re-installing the grill so a little crumply material won't show as much if that happens. Drop me a line if you need the actual Hales instructions. Cheers!
JZ