@ghasley I did have a chance to evaluate the Grimm MU1 in a more relaxing place (my home). Here is my summary if anyone is interested. I am not good at audiophile descriptions so please bear with me. First and foremost, the best output is AES, I used a Shunyata Omega. It probably does not make sense for most but this was the only one I had access to (from my friend). The only other AES cable I had was an Amazon basics cable. Yes I heard a clear difference between the two (do not want “cable makes difference or not argument” so ignore this if you do not agree).
Now to the Grimm Mu1. The sound is sublime, I know the term is very vague. There is no question that it brings out more resolution. I was really surprised as I did not think the digital files had anymore info to be extracted. There is a higher level of detail in every single instrument that the difference is obvious. The tone and timbre is precise and beautiful. There is simply more detail and delicacy at the top end. The mids are precisely laid out, touch more vocal forward. The lows are amazing, well rounded, firm, deep and this is where one is going to appreciate a difference without even going back and forth. I am not much into soundstaging but the staging is precise, everything well laid out. Overall sound is very detailed and engaging/pleasing. As far as oversampling, the Grimm is miles better than Roon and surprisingly it is also better than hqplayer. But I found some recordings significantly better with over sampling and some NOS mode. I can keep elaborating but I am not trying to review.
Something’s to watch out if you are looking at Grimm MU1. No streamer is perfect for everyone. So is Grimm. It does not have Wi-Fi. It’s a major limitation for some. The inputs are very limited. Either Ethernet or USB. Ethernet sounds the amazing. This is extremely well optimized. USB input on the other hand should at best be completely avoided unless there is no other option available. One workaround for those using USB input is to use this to add the music to internal drive and play, if possible. Music from internal drive sounds the best among all sources for obvious reasons. You also have the option of using AES, SPDIF or optical inputs. Only the user can determine if it works or not for their system. please note, these above statements only apply to inputs.
As far as outputs, the one that is clearly optimized for the very best sound is AES. It is limited to 196khz or DSD 64 but I don’t believe anyone can really differentiate this from even higher formats. USB output is good but not to the level of AES. There is no I2S.
After my home trial, I decided to purchase the Grimm MU1 as it fits my needs and my system. It provides such an upgrade to my system, it is a no brainer. I already asked my dealer to send me a new one and hopefully will get it next week. Appreciate all the input received!
|
@svenjosh
Congrats on your speed date turning into a relationship. All’s well that ends well. Settle in and enjoy the music…as an aside re:wifi. I and a few friends have discovered that the Amplifi wifi router imposes little compromise. I use an Alien in one system and I struggle to differentiate between wired and wifi sound quality. Best wishes in all you do.
|
I’ll never get this stink of entitlement that I see on some of these posts. No one is required to help you out by lugging & loaning you their equipment on the outside chance that you might not be anything more than a wishful tire kicking twit. Five Percent to hear how a component that you’re researching sounds in your home with your gear- and you’re whining about having to pay a man for his time and his expertise to bring his piece that he paid for (along with some overhead) to your house? I would have hung the phone up on you and blocked your number because you’re absolutely the whiny tire kicker that you don’t think you are.
’Well, he’ll never get my business!’
As any professional who’s reading of this entitled boyish outrage already knows- it’s a safe bet he wasn’t gonna get in anyway. Forum rules here prevent me from speaking frankly (as grown men sometimes do), but the OP here may benefit from a well placed Don Corleone slap and remembering ’you can act like a Man’.
|
@ghasley, do you use almpifi alien meshwork as Wi-Fi extender and connect to Ethernet or do you use usb dongle?
|
On the Grimm, there actually is a non-official way to add WiFi if you’re so inclined. You can get one of those USB TP Link things and put it into the Grimm. $30 piece. I haven’t tried it but folks on the Audiophile Style thread about the Grimm have done that with success.
|
|
@gents are you a dealer? You sound nice
|
@svenjosh lol… “are you a dealer? You sound nice”
Congrats on your MU1! Should maybe have mine next week if I’m lucky. Could be a few days later.
Just curious, is there a type of music you find that it sounds better in NOS mode vs 4X OS mode? And in the cases where NOS mode was better, are you able to describe why?
|
Also, we live in a post-slap world; Don Corleone was not the correct standard to reference for all slapping related matters…
|
I think gents forgot his pills or anger management meeting this morning
|
@svenjosh
@ghasley, do you use almpifi alien meshwork as Wi-Fi extender and connect to Ethernet or do you use usb dongle?
I have three Aliens in my home and use them as a wifi extender. The “main” alien is connected at my main router via an ethernet cable, the others connect to the main alien via wifi. Next, ethernet cables from the other aliens to a component in each of those rooms. In one system, I have an audiophile switch between the wifi connected alien and the component. Im pleased, YMMV
|
@nyev I noticed that when I listen to classical, especially Piano or Violin (any E concerto), the sound is a bit bright in the 4fs mode. I change to original (the NOS mode is called original in Grimm) and the slight tinge of brightness is gone. The NOS mode sounds amazing in these types of music. This may also be due of my system. The quality of recordings also plays a role. So it’s not universally bright with these types of music.
Any acoustic music (think jazz) sounds phenomenal in 4fs mode. In fact, at the risk of sounding hyperbolic, I would say that if Jazz is your primary genre of choice, Grimm with 4fs is outstanding and I cannot imagine anything regardless of price sounding better.
|
@ghasley Again thank you sharing in detail. I have Ethernet wiring from my main to the audio room as it doubles as my home theater room. So I am connecting my router directly to Grimm. I may try the USB dongle for wireless.
|
Gents Iam sorry sir , the OP is not talking entitlement. Me myself I’ve been Audiophile for 30 plus yrs , I only give my credit card to the dealer when I loan gear unknown to the dealer though , no relationship as well .He disagree on the fee that’s it. He found onother dealer and done. Life goes on , enjoy this hobby and the music.
|
@svenjosh I’ve had mixed results with dongles…from bad to mediocre to “I guess thats ok for when we have company” but I havent tried many.
|
@gents its going to be ok. Exhale….Reminds me of when I was in college and someone jumps in the middle of a bar fight without knowing which side did what or why. I still can imagine there was simply a miscommunication/misunderstanding.
|
svenjosh
You made me laugh. In retrospect, I would’ve just negotiated that price down because that was way too much. No need for a slap. There’s nothing wrong with paying/tipping someone to help you out. The way I see it, I save a lot of money getting it right with an honest home audition. I paid 2 restocking fees this year on DACs and it was pretty well worth it because I paid a little less than what I was going to lose on reselling a full priced mistake (most of us have done that) and reduced my suffering time.
|
Gents nothing wrong giving good tips it’s honorable, in fact if we don’t share our blessings we are just as good as broke? I applaud you. But OP situation is so different from the dealer? Will I pay $650 . No.
|
Gents do you know this dealer? maybe He is just having a busy day when He dealt with the OP,
|
Congrats! You should go back to your dealer and tell him how happy you are with your purchase and how wonderful your buying experience was. He should know.
|
@gents
“you might not be anything more than a wishful tire kicking twit.“
it may have been an oversight, but it looks like you may have missed “doddering dunderhead?”
|
Congratulations on your purchase. Sounds like a great component.
Using a WiFi extender with a high end streamer solves the problem of running Ethernet lines. I know of more than one high end audio system running on a WiFi extender…. And yes the Ethernet cable between the extender and streamer makes a difference.
|
@soix Thank you! I will receive mine tomorrow or on Wednesday. I don’t know if I should rub it in, he knew he lost the sale when I informed him that I will not be using his services for home demo or purchase. Hopefully he just had a bad day and will offer better customer experience in future
@ghdprentice Thank you! I do have a router in the room so that’s not an issue. I need to access my NAS and I am thinking of wireless as there is only one Ethernet input.
|
@svenjosh
I do have a router in the room so that’s not an issue. I need to access my NAS and I am thinking of wireless as there is only one Ethernet input.
Josh, you may want to rethink if you have alot of data. If convenient, maybe a high quality switch and direct ethernet connection? Glad you will be receiving yours in a few short days.
|
I don’t know if it’s as much rubbing it in versus maybe giving him a clue that charging $650 for a one-hour demo is insulting and patently absurd, and maybe it will have him re-evaluate what I’ll call his “going-out-of-business” strategy. He probably left on the order of $4000 of profit on the table for no good reason other than laziness and greed. He deserved exactly what he got — zip, nothing, nada. We reap what we sow, and goodonya for not rewarding his ridiculous business practice.
|
OP,
You should be fine accessing your NAS. No additional connections required. When a connected mt streamers, they automatically found my NAS and asked if I wanted to import it. So, you should be good. I’m sure there is a setting to just access. Although I just stream no… no point in access in my local files except if there is network problems… about once every two years.
|
In the past when I had a local dealer anything that was demo or used, I was able to do like others have mentioned to take home over the weekend. I would never of expected to take a new product home out of the box because then they can’t get retail for it anymore
it sounds like this dealer is letting you demo a new piece of equipment so he’s going to take a hit if you don’t like it
one of my strategies is to shop the online market from places like Crutchfield, and upscale audio and look for a demo unit because they’ve already discounted it from being new that way if you return it they don’t lose anything
|
@dhite71 It is not a new unit. It is a demo unit which is more than a year old. I would not ask a dealer to open a new unit for audition purpose.
Anyway I have moved on and just received my Grimm MU1. I just connected everything. Unit is getting warmed up. Very simple to set up and so far no issues. I selected 1.6 TB of music to be transferred to internal drive. I will do the transfer overnight. Once again appreciate all of the responses in this thread.
|
@svenjosh was just speculating on the situation, didn’t mean to imply you were taking advantage 😉
glad you found something and it all worked out
turn the music up!!
|
Everything is now set! Working great and that special Grimm special recipe for AES/EBU is working its magic!
Now what’s next? Upgrade Holo May to something better? Do it now or wait? Upgrade in steps or jump straight to Wadax reference? Just kidding. First world problems
|
“Now what’s next?”
@svenjosh
Just follow your instincts. Personally, I would wait until you’re fully acclimated with MU1. Holo May is pretty darn good, having said that; I would look at DAC’s that would handsomely compliment MU1 AES output. Two names comes to mind, AQUA HiFi and Berkeley Audio Designs. There maybe more out there :-)
|
@lalitk sensible advice. I will enjoy the Grimm/Halo combo for now. I am happy with this setup and sounds awesome!
I will keep a short list of DACs for the future. Aqua, Berkeley, Mola Mola, TotalDac based on current Grimm owners and experienced audiophile recommendations.
|
@lalitk
+1
Get it broken in… maybe optimize the interconnect and power cord,.. then start looking.
I agree Berkeley and I would add Audio Research. I have had both in my system and slightly preferred the Audio Research… and it was less expensive… more musical.
|
There are 2 different kinds of dealers
Dealers #1) Here to make money.
Dealers #2) Here to make money that you've befriended.
In your story, the dealer is #1
|
@svenjosh
How are things progressing? Please share with us your chain from ethernet cable to Grimm to aes cable, etc.
|
In my 30 yrs plus audiophile samureyex? In Illinois there are only 2 dealers that I be friended and trust , Mick from Quintessence and John from Van L Speakers.and also Rob from music direct.
|
@ghasley, i am lucky to have a direct fiber optic outlet in my audio room. I am connecting my router to Intel NUC server and to my Grimm Mu1. I also have local music on Grimm. All Ethernet cables are Sablon 2020. Grimm mu1 is connected to Holo May using Shunyata Omega AES/EBU. Holo May to preamp. All upstream cables from May are Nordost Odin.
so far everything is working great! One of the best tips you gave was to disable PLL. It got rid of the annoying locking time but also greatly improved SQ. Yesterday I updated the Holo May. After the update everything sounded worse than before. I was not sure what went wrong and started checking everything. I finally realized that the update turned on PLL. I turned it off and everything is back to amazing again. Never thought that PLL was making such a big difference. Not sure why they even have this setting as default.
|
That's disgraceful. My dealer in the UK drove an hour and a half to drop off demo speakers (ATC SCM40), despite me being a new customer to him.
Not only that. Once I'd placed my order for them, he loaned me a pair of SCM19s to tide me over for the entire 3 month lead time.
|
@svenjosh glad to have been of assistance (ie:PLL lock). With some streamer/servers where great care hasn’t been taken (like most most computers and consumer grade products) the PLL lock can be a useful feature. In your case, it is detrimental and based upon your observations, quite audible.
I assume at some point in this process you are going to share the dealer’s name from whom you purchased? Others on this forum could benefit.
Happy listening.
|
@ghasley As I said earlier I don’t want to disparage anyone. I don’t think he deserves a very negative review because of this one interaction. He otherwise has good reviews. Moreover he is not here to share his reasons on why he did it. I achieved my goal of auditioning and purchasing the Grimm Mu1. I am very satisfied with the outcome
|
I received a lot of help from our members in this process. I can try giving back with information regarding Grimm. I am obtaining the Sablon and Nordost AES cables. I have a Shunyata omega that I borrowed from a friend. So I will post my impressions on the comparison.
I have the Grimm Mu1 and my friend has a Taiko extreme server. He came over to my home and was very impressed by the Grimm. He may borrow the Grimm and we may try comparing the two in his system. Ideally we would also want to try both in my system. But moving the Taiko is not an easy task. If we get the time to accomplish this, I will post my impressions.
|
@svenjosh You misunderstand…not the dealer with whom you had a misunderstanding, please share the name of the dealer from whom you evenutaly purchased. The community benefits when we patronize better dealers.
|
@svenjosh
Looking forward to your impressions on different AES cables. I have been out of conventional digital (AES/Coax and USB) cable pursuits but still like to keep up.
|
@ghasley I did not name my current dealer as he requested me not to. He is aware of this thread. The Grimm dealer network is small and he is shipping from another region, he does not want to seem like stepping on someone’s shoes.
If anyone is interested in buying the Grimm Mu1, PM me, I can get you in touch with couple of very good dealers.
|
@svenjosh I don't think you should've told a story like this. You should've just asked about the industry standard and keep it simple.
While I appreciate good courtesy of dealers going out of their way to accommodate. I would not put anyone on the spot like this. He's spending his time, his gas, and his effort on you. He should get something in return. This is at the end of the day, a business meeting, not a casual friend meeting.
I side with the dealer. There's no such thing as a free lunch. I go out to eat and I get charged 20% tip. That's why I don't go out to eat anymore.
|
You have to ask yourself. What would you do if there was no dealer? You buy from a place that hopefully has a free trial and you pay back and forth shipping. Which one is better? That or the 5% fee in the story where he brings it to your room?
Full transparency, I only side with the dealer based on what you initially said. I'm not a fan of the 15% restocking fee or whatever hidden fee awaits me.
|
@samureyex I appreciate your input. I was just trying to find the norm in these situations rather than decide who is right. I actually now purchased the Grimm Mu1 from another dealer. So all good
Just fyi, there are a good number of dealers who send in a demo to your home for 2 weeks with only return shipping paid by the potential buyer. This will be waived if you end up buying the product. Most are in the west coast or Midwest. If anyone is interested, PM me.
|
|
Just an update, I now have the Nordost Odin AES/EBU coming later this week. I already have the Shunyata Omega and Mogame cables. I will also get the Sablon soon. I am trying to get the Jorma cable too. I am unable to get the Ansuz. I know there may be others but these are the ones I am interested in. My goal is to see if there is a significant difference between these cables. If so, how much of a difference and how do they change the sound character. I will post the findings in a separate thread. I am not sure if these cables will sound the same in your system but at the very least you can get a general idea.
|
I want to add a couple of details. As far as availability and pricing goes, Grimm Mu1 is starting to become more available and they have caught up on the back log. I never paid MSRP for any audio purchase. The Grimm Mu1 had a recent price increase but there are dealers willing to offer it at the previous price. I got a further discount so I think I got a great deal. I will not add any details regarding dealers or price on this thread. I will reply with more details if you PM me.
|
