Grimm MU1 Streamer - Really "The Best"?
I've recently become interested in the Grimm MU1. While reviews of top end players from Innuos, Aurender and Antipodes and others are typically all very positive, the tone of the many pro reviews of the Grimm MU1 go far, far beyond, with some reviews resorting to using superlatives and gushing of positive system transformation and not being able to stop listening to material, etc.. HiFi Advice and Steve Huff (actually calls it "magic") have such reviews.
Given the delay in availability of the Innuos Pulsar which I'm told will be better than my current Zenith Mk3 + PhoenixUSB reclocker, I am interested in replacing my streaming setup with a one-box solution that includes a high-precision clock. The new streamer will continue to feed my Gryphon Diablo 300's DAC module, which I have no interest in replacing.
I'm actually a fan of Innuos, after they improved the sound of my Zenith with firmware updates and after I added their PhoenixUSB reclocker. I appreciate this commitment to improving sound quality which is why I was so interested in the Pulsar.
The trigger for considering an upgrade is not for improved sound, but rather, to solve some issues I have with too many Audioquest power cords coiled and clumped together. I will get to lose one of them and one of my USB cords with a one-box streamer. I've noticed my sound is very sensitive to positioning of my AC cords and find I often need to re-adjust the PC feeding my amp to get proper sounding vocals at center stage. One of my subs also seems to be picking up AC noise when the crossover is set above 60Hz. The second trigger is simply system simplification, removing one box. All that said I don't really have any complaints regarding sound, and the PhoenixUSB reclocker truly did improve the sound of my Zenith.
While the Grimm MU1 has it's 4X upsampling up it's sleeve with reviewers absolutely glowing over this feature and it's extreme ability to separate tones to the left, right, front, and back far better than the rest, I don't see that Grimm has gone to any lengths with regard to power supply management in the way other brands do including Innuos. The MU1's ultra-simplistic interior doesn't bug me, but the lack of transformers and power management makes me wonder....
Are there any updates from folks who have directly compared the MU1 vs similarly classed streamers from the competition? Did you find it to be as revelatory as the pro reviewers found it? And, how does it compare to other streamers with it's 4X upsampling disabled? Does it sound like it suffers from it's lack of power management? I do see that the clock should be very good...
Also just got an MU-1 (replacing a Lumin x1) into a Weiss 501. Just thrilled. 4x over sampling! Who knew? Darling where you been? It’s a better Roon box with playback that is more enveloping and all the usual superlatives. Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em. |
@lalitk Yes. When toggling between native and 4x it’s quite obvious. Have the JCat feeding it. I should try it without but nah. |
@lalitk A public shout out to you. You have been very helpful and I very much appetite it. |
@fastfreight Now look what you have done! Won't the mod void the warranty? But pease PM me your guy who did the mod. I recently had a hiccup w/ the Grimm MU1. It stoped working correctly and all that was needed was an over the web re-set done by the, we’re on it, folks in the Netherlands. I had a delightful call with Eelco Grimm. Love it when the owner is in the store. If needed, Grimm support is topnotch. All it takes is a single one or a zero to go off and go off it did Service on both sides of the Ocean was fantastic. John in California did considerable hand holding and presto. Also praise can be said of Lumin service. I had an issue and got high level resolving help. Hint, always ask your dealer for a name. My network off Agon is absolutely gah gah over the M2. Over the years I have heard a lot of extolling of stuff but the M2 seems to be universally drooled over. Better than the Chord Dave, Esoteric Grandioso D1X w/ bumbled with a high end streamer (just random examples)? That much better? Smoke 'em if you got 'em. |
@fastfreight I have a second system just set up. (need to update systems page but that's not pressing) The room isn't a nice as system and needs treatment. How nice would it be to have the MU2 or MU1 ac the core? KiSS system set up too with a three in one component. |
