Grimm MU1 Streamer - Really "The Best"?

Updates! First, I fixed my MU1’s hard disk myself. After Eelco mentioned in his note that the issue may be related to the hard disk’s USB connection not being connected, I thought that would be the simplest thing to fix. So tonight (while watching M3gan with my daughter, so I desperately needed something to do while enduring that pain…) I opened the chassis, and sure enough, the USB connector wasn’t inserted in the PCB’s port. Plugged it in and problem solved. And I got to check out the inside of the MU1 and snapped some pics of the PCB’s and cabling.

Second, I disabled the MU1’s volume control. I don’t know if this has a positive impact on sound quality, as it apparently does with some DACs.

Third, I toed in my speakers quite a bit more.

The results are breathtaking. Everything on the MU1 sounds absolutely perfect now. Soundstage depth is full, even and natural now. And vocals are spectacular and intimate. Like a “window into the recording studio” as some have said. The level of of precision is stunning. I think Innuos still has a more full body but this is bloom which is not as realistic. The 4X OS is more noticeable over NOS now - but still more subtle than I expected. It’s as if some barriers are removed and everything becomes ever so slightly more free and extended. I hear it in the upper mids and treble the most - becomes sweeter and more free sounding. Punk and grunge music with blaring guitars sound absolutely vicious in such a good way. All this detail and it’s really the opposite of fatiguing.

Tonal balance on my overall system sounds great - overall full balance with lots of bass that is so, so well defined and controlled, and as I mentioned before the impact and slam is just way more solid than my Innuos setup at all frequencies. Price point wise, not factoring the added cables, the Zenith Mk3 and PhoenixUSB cost a bit less than the MU1. But the MU1 still costs less than an Innuos Statement (non Next-Gen).

Another thing. As I mentioned I’ve been having issues with poor quality power lately. Yesterday around dinner time was the absolute worst I’ve ever heard - everything became a soft spongy mess while I had my Innuos gear running. Not enjoyable to listen to. Switched it over the MU1, and it sounded like music again. There was enough separation and impact that the MU1 was able to cobble together a coherent musical presentation with a worst case poor quality power scenario.

I think the speaker placement adjustment made a huge difference. Was needed to deal with all the extra detail that is coming through now.

Pretty happy with the MU1 at this point! The detail and impulse control reminds me of what is more easily achieved with an excellent headphone setup. Which is not easy for a full system to be able to do. And most importantly it’s very, very musical -  however you want to define that.  For me it means it sounds like people making music that conveys emotion and a feeling, as opposed to a HiFi system. Not dry/cold/analytical/lean at all!

Oh one other thing, I see Mola Mola advertises that the Tambaqui has specific filters for each input - USB, AES, etc.  So these differences presumably have an impact. 

@thyname , I didn’t mean to imply the Innuos sounds fuller in tone or body; I meant a fuller soundstage depth. But now that I think about it, the Innuos is slightly fuller in body. The MU1 is by no means lean in tone however. It’s got a very even balance to my ears and things definitely don’t sound leaner or brighter with the MU1.

important to re-emphasize just how basic my cabling is right now - I have the cheapest possible AES cable (with the MU1) and balanced interconnects in my system currently, and will be about to go to the other end of the spectrum in a few weeks. With my Innuos gear I have my Audioquest Diamond USB cables which I’ve found to be fantastically transparent with great depth and I found to be great value compared with far more expensive cables (Nordost Valhalla 2 for example). So, currently my Innuos gear has an advantage over my MU1 in my system I think. The new interconnects will add depth and separation too so I think things will change dramatically for both Innuos and the MU1 when these cables arrive.

The ONLY thing that bugs me slightly about the MU1’s sound - and I really think I should probably be saying what bugs me about my really old basic Cardas AES cable’s sound - is that the soundstage depth doesn’t totally sound consistent / even / linear compared with Innuos / Audioquest Diamond. I notice this the most with vocals.  Could be that my speakers need some placement/toe-in adjustment as well.

Unexpectedly, the Innuos gear has a fuller and more natural depth presentation

Right there….

I would personally NOT want to replace a piece of gear with those two attributes with an alternative that yields a lesser result. Less full, and less natural depth.

But that’s just me.

On another note, my friend who was getting the Grimm MU1 is going silent. I don’t want to bother him with questions. Give him the proper time to evaluate 

My initial thoughts on the MU1 (streaming until I get my hard drive issue resolved) - fantastic. As expected. Perfect solid tangible detail.

I’m also using an old, non-current generation Cardas AES cable until my premium cable arrives. The dealer who sold me this old cable (purchased while traveling) wasn’t even able to identify the model - we only know that it is green! We found a few examples of sales on Audio Mart to figure out that it was pretty much the most entry level AES HiFi cable you can get, and it was old.

With that HUGE caveat - and I can’t stress that enough - I really enjoy the sound of the MU1 and I really enjoy the sound of my Innuos gear, both feeding the Tambaqui. The MU1 is clearly more capable when it comes to detail - the details and texture of electric guitars leap out of my speakers in such a tangible, raw yet refined, and different way. The Innuos by comparison is smoother, but not in a way that you notice missing detail unless you do a direct comparison. Unexpectedly, the Innuos gear has a fuller and more linear, 3D depth presentation - but I think that may be due to my very basic AES cable I’m using currently with the MU1. The MU1 has way more, I was going to say hardness but that would give the wrong impression - more impact and grit than Innuos. From snare drums to kick drums and bass, the impact and pacing is fantastic and better than with the Innuos. I’ve also now noticed that the Innuos Zenith plus PhoenixUSB Reclocker have a forward presentation of mids and treble. This makes vocals “pop out” a bit more, with very smooth vocals and treble. The vocals are slightly more enjoyable on the Innuos currently due to that “pop-out” effect and the smoothness.

Again, so important - I am probably just describing the limitations of my current very basic and old AES cable, so it’s not as if I’m forming any conclusions whatsoever with the MU1 at this point! I also notice very little difference between the 4X and NOS modes, but again, that is likely due to being performance-capped by my AES cable.

I also tried the MU1 direct to my Diablo 300 DAC and it sounded very enjoyable - with less detail than with the Tambaqui but really enjoyable. Do I like it better than the Innuos in this configuration? I think so, but too early to say definitively.

Not sure where every combination will land in terms of what I will LIKE the most, but I’m going to wait until my cables arrive to figure that out! I expect the cables to change a lot, especially in terms of spatial positioning/imaging, dimensionality and depth.

It is great to hear from the actual user’s point of view. Different users could have different experiences of course. I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the MU1! 

@dchang05 I tried the N20 with an Audioquest Diamond USB and also a Diamond AES.  While the Omega is certainly better than the AQ Diamond, I would not expect the Omega to have more detail.  In the past (with my Innuos gear) I’ve tested a Nordost Valhalla 2 USB and found it to be better than the AQ Diamond, but it didn’t have any greater detail (but I didn’t think it was worth the cost).  The Diamond is known to be a revealing cable.

With that said the N20 had less high frequency detail and dimensionality than the Zenith and PhoenixUSB.  However, I’m starting to think my Innuos setup may achieve that be slightly boosting these frequencies or presenting them in a more forward way.  Either way, there were certain instruments, high hats etc that I heard loud and clear with my Innuos gear that was very difficult to hear with the Aurender.

I also noted above how Aurender says their AES interface will be better than their USB interface, due to the high precision clock that is only used with AES.  It’s stated right on the N20’s web page in the first feature bullet.  That said I could not reliably tell the difference when comparing the Diamond USB and AES cables.  I thought the AES sounded better, but if it was it was so close that I couldn’t be certain.

@nyev Hi, this is a long thread so I didn’t read every post. I noticed you tried out an Arunder N20 recently that I am interested in. Which USB cable did you use to pair with it? Did you think the N20 is not as detailed as Innuos MK3 plus PhxNET? I have a Shunyata Omega USB that provides great details, and I think it maybe a good match with N20. Thanks!

@thyname I see the network share option but do not know how to type it!

@nyev it either seems to be getting better or I seem to be appreciating it more!

@jedclampet great to hear.  Currently flying home and get back late tonight.  Will be able to listen to my MU1 with my Tambaqui late tonight, as I purchased a basic AES cable while travelling (an older Cardas), while waiting for premium cables to arrive.  Will be listening to Tidal Streaming as I still have the hard disk issue that Grimm will get back to me on.

Why is it that so many MU1 owners end up pairing it with a Tambaqui (or vice versa)?  It it just due to precedent, that they are both Dutch, and have both had a common designer that had a hand in their design?  Or, does this pairing actually sound better than other alternatives?  For me it’s the former I suppose.

I connected mine last week and the jump in SQ was huge coming up from Roon/Quboz on my PC with NAS to an Auralic Aires G1, KS Emotion usb to my Tambaqui. Now the Grimm feeds the Tambaqui with KS aes Elation to my Audionet Humboltd to YG Haileys. You guys will be blown away on many levels, easily my favorite source at this point. Bonus since Roon is in it it’s more user friendly too.

Thanks Bill.

@fastfreight : if your Roon database is in your network, then I think you will need to do "add network share" in your Grimm before you can access your files. I am sorry I cannot help much not being there. You can also try to copy the Roon database from USB hard drive to the internal storage of your Grimm, but I really don't know whether this is possible. 

Thank you @thyname ,  I have tried all of this, and I have done this before on my room nucleus. But when I go to Roon and try to restore back up, I can’t see any of my back ups. They are on a USB hard drive that was plugged into my nucleus. Now I have it plugged into my laptop, which is on my net work. I can see the back up folder on the raid hard drive, but I can’t seem to get it into the MU one folder, which should not be the heap folder, correct? 

@fastfreight , hope you are getting your issue resolved.  Just wondering if you’ve noticed any burn-in effects of the MU1, assuming you’ve been running it 24 hours? @ghasley mentioned he thought it should only require a few days.  Any changes in the sound?

Eelco Grimm sent me a note indicating that their support engineer would be in touch with me on Monday and he had a couple of theories as to what could be going on with my drive issue.  He also noted that he has seen this thread.  Maybe this thread has helped them sell a few MU1’s….

@fastfreight :

BUT, I have so far failed at being able to restore my roon database from a backup.  I have a bunch of playlists so I want to do this.  I have found the instructions for this confusing.

That’s because you did not restore from back up initially when setting up your Grimm as the new Roon Core:

1. Since this is your first time launching your new Core, you will be asked to log-in. Instead of logging in, click "Restore A Backup" in the lower-left hand corner 

However, you can still restore from existing backups (of the database). Go to Settings (on Roon), then Backups, then pick at the bottom Find Backups/ Browse. I hope this helps

@fastfreight , glad to hear everything is sounding great!  Looking forward to hearing how the sound changes from my Innuos setup feeding my Tambaqui!  Detailed yet unstressed is definitely what I am after as well.  Sorry I can’t help you with your particular issue.  I trust that you can access your MU1’s internal storage without the issues I have (assuming you opted to include storage in your MU1)?  

@fastfreight Have you tried the Roon user forums? They have a few topics dedicated to Roon database restore issues.

Hello @nyev and @Lalitk, I received my MU1!

I was able to deauthorize and unpower my Nucleus+ and start Roon Core on the Grimm fairly easily. Somehow I muddled through the confusing internal drive thing and do see the internal drive.  Mine is 8T.  I got Qobuz and Tidal started easily, and have moved some of my files to the internal drive.

BUT, I have so far failed at being able to restore my roon database from a backup.  I have a bunch of playlists so I want to do this.  I have found the instructions for this confusing.

SOUND: Amazing.   I have my JCAT M12 switch upstairs feeding a 20m run of Supra Cat 8, into the MUON PRO filter, feeding the MU1.  Then my K-S Elation AES into my Tambaqui.  I am using a K-S Realization power cable. The music is so 'easy'.  The Tambaqui has always been very resolving, yet now I seem to hear more things but in an unstressed way.  The bass is also much fuller.  It just makes me smile and I want (and have) stayed up very late listening to my favorites.

I removed the Muon Pro filter, but think it adds something.  Not as big as an impact as before the MU1.  I put it back in.

I also have a Network Acoustics Muon AES cable to compare.  It is very good and costs less than its competition.  It is a close second to the Elation.

I have also been streaming to three other endpoints now using Roon Core in the Grimm.  It has worked perfectly.

Maybe everyone know this, but I was slow to realize that running additional Roon endpoints lessens the sound quality.  When I sit down late at night, only running my main system, it always sounds amazing.  I thought it was the time of day or power grid issues.  But it is easily heard adding a second zone while critically listening.

A big thumbs up for the Grimm, but advice appreciated on restoring my Roon Database!

@metaldetektor , after you mentioned that storage status is displayed on the Advanced tab I checked the online manual to see what it should look like.  Sure enough I see there is a bar indicating consumed space.  But I got my wife this time to send me a screenshot of the advanced settings (yes I have a very patient family, considering I’m traveling and call home to get them to troubleshoot my audio gear!).  In the screenshot, there is no such storage capacity bar but the rest looks the same as in the manual.  This confirms that the MU1 is not recognizing the drive and that it’s not user error on my part.  I still think they may have forgot to install the drive!

@metaldetektor , nope, nothing under advanced related to storage. So yeah seems like something may have been missed in the QC process I guess.

While I’ve been traveling for work my 12 year old son has been kindly helping me troubleshoot over FaceTime…. 

On the snapshot page, you clicked “Advanced” and don’t see anything? That’s my first reaction, defer to the Grimm folks for more detailed troubleshooting 

@metaldetektor , thanks, but did both of those things and there is no reference to any hard disk on the overview page. But then again @svenjosh doesn’t see any hard drive info on that page either but has no issue accessing his MU1 folder on the disk from his Mac (not via the MU1’s web interface but rather through the Mac’s Sharing utility).

Pretty sure something isn’t right with my MU1 but I doubt it will be hard to resolve once Grimm gets back to me. I had asked them a question prior to my purchase and they took a few days before responding. So I will be patient.

If you scan the Grimm bar code with your phone, or manually plug in the address in a browser, you’ll get to an overview page. There you can see how much hard drive space remains and or if the hard drive is being recognized.

@adasdad , yes I carefully considered the K50 vs the MU1. I went with the MU1 because 1) The general consensus is that it favours neutrality and precision over fullness and richness, 2) I liked the concept of it’s 4X OS and how much people like it, and 3) the MU1 was cheaper and was just about to increase in price by $2500 USD.

I think I was maybe biased towards “neutral, transparent and precise” after my experience with the N20 (which could have been just in the context of my system of course).

@svenjosh , I was being a bit sarcastic about Grimm abandoning plans to enable FM tuner, I’m not sure anyone at all cares and I certainly do not :)

I didn’t actually think the chances were very high that they would be developing proprietary player software (although I had hoped). I think the chances may still be good that they add something like Squeeze or MPD support. I even this would be massively valued by their audience for any SQ improvements that might realize.

In re-reading Grimm’s statement on the website, I am pretty sure I had misinterpreted their statement:

“For customers who prefer to only run a simple playback system without Roon’s extras, we will offer a solid alternative.”

I think this simply means they are suggesting the MU1 as an alternative to other servers/streamers.  Not that they are developing an alternative to Roon, unfortunately!

@nyev I hope it’s a minor issue and you will sort out everything easily after you are back from work. You can actually see your drive and capacity etc on the network. So I don’t think it’s an issue if everything works as it should. 
FM tuners are tough since most radio stations are going the streaming route. So unless you live in a region with high quality FM stations, it’s not going to be very useful. Even then, not sure how long before streaming takes over. 
I also hate to break the bubble, Grimm is not developing an alternative to Roon according to an interview in early 2022. I am hoping they change their mind on this or at the very least give a third party alternative to Roon. Euphony Stylus will be an amazing option. 
 

@nyev, have you ever entertained the idea of a music server/player like this? https://www.hifi-advice.com/blog/review/digital-reviews/network-player-reviews/antipodes-k50-music-server/

Feature request for a software update I suppose. Not an essential feature but something that would have helped me identify if the drive was actually being recognized by the MU1. Also as a convenience to monitor capacity. I only really care about sound quality so I wouldn’t dock points for this, but Innuos and Aurender have more polished and robust software for sure. Another thing I noticed was just how incredibly light the MU1 is compared to my Zenith. Maybe because it’s missing a hard drive lol…. Again not a criticism (unless they actually forgot to install the hard drive….) as all I care about is how it sounds.

I noticed on the website they state conclusively right in the features list that they will provide an alternative to Roon. That will be very interesting when it happens as I would expect there is a good chance it may sound even better. But not everything Grimm says will happen does happen. Like their plan to enable FM radio capabilities. Bet a lot of people were like “but that’s the reason I bought it!”. Funny that they made a world class high precision streamer/server with low jitter and sophisticated 4X OS hardware and software but they were like nope, too hard, we give up!…. when it came to enabling the FM tuner.

There is no reference to internal drive on the Mu1 anywhere (that I could find). Yes I do see my internal drive on my Mac. 

@svenjosh yes my kids have a Mac so I can try that when I get back home this weekend. But I really think something is wrong with the drive not being recognized by the MU1 at all, as it doesn’t show up like it says it should as sdb1 in the mnt folder in Roon’s storage settings. So the two issues together point to an issue I suspect.

I’m totally comfortable working inside and messing with the drive or replacing it if I need to. But will wait for direction from Grimm of course. I should hopefully hear back before end of week.

As I said the only sign there is an optional internal drive is that it says there is one on the label on the packaging. I almost wonder if they forgot to install it!

@svenjosh (or others), when you navigate in a browser using the MU1 IP address (or use your phone to scan the QR code on the MU1 screen), do you see any reference at all to the internal hard drive?  I don’t, here or anywhere else on the MU1, menu screens. It’s a bit odd they wouldn’t at least show the drive and it’s capacity status.

I am sure you have tried but if you check your Grimm mu1 and get the host name and IP address, you can manually find the hard drive.

@nyev I don’t have a windows computer or laptop. I only have Mac. I can see Grimm in my shared folder and it’s just drag and drop. Sorry that you are having trouble. If you have a Mac, maybe it will see your internal drive. Hopefully you can solve the issue without having to send back.

@lalitk thank you and you are right; can’t wait to get back!  I do have a hunch something is wrong with my MU1 however.  It’s pretty clear in the manual I should see the hard drive on my home network, and it’s not there.  Grimm have a FAQ on their site with this issue and resolution posted and I followed their directions to no avail.  The only indication that there is an optional hard drive at all is on the cardboard packaging.
 

I’ve read others say that they’ve been given detailed directions on replacing hard drives themselves (to increase capacity etc), so hopefully that means there is no scenario where I need to ship the unit anywhere!

@nyev 

Safe travels! I bet you can’t wait to get back and start listening to music and your amazing system. 

@lalitk yes I’ve reached out and from what I’ve seen in other forums yes they provide tech support.  But unfortunately right now I’m sitting on a plane and will be gone for the week unfortunately.

@nyev

Did you reach out to MU1 support team or your dealer to troubleshoot? Do they provide remote tech support like Aurender?

...should come today.

Fed Ex is not my friend.

Received my MU1 (still no AES cable though).  Powered it up and configured Roon.  However, I'm not able to access the internal 2 TB drive to load files.  Also, the instructions say that I'm to add sdb1 to the Roon storage folder (per my serial number as directed by the manual, and because there is no HEAP found), however when I go to the mnt folder per the instructions, there is no sdb1 listed (I see sda1, sda2, sda3 only). 

Also, when I go to the IP address in Windows File Explorer, it takes me to the Roondata folder which is password protected, and not a Music folder like the instructions indicate.

Am I doing something wrong?  Or is there something wrong where it's not finding the hard drive?

I won't be able to troubleshoot until the weekend unfortunately, as I'll be travelling the rest of the week!  @fastfreight I'd be interested in your experience!  @svenjosh , I believe you had a demo unit but if your serial number is higher than 13.0.002.XXX then the process should be the same as with my unit.

Hard to find for unfortunate reasons, but the black cat tron AES is very much worth trying, if you can find one.

@svenjosh , can’t wait to hear of your testing of the Sablon and Nordost AES cables vs the Shunyata AES!  I ended up buying the Shunyata Omega AES (hasn’t arrived yet), after first trying to find a Jorma cable.  If there is any way for you to try a Jorma I suggest  adding it to try alongside the Sablon and Nordost.  Like the Omega and Sablon, the Jorma seems to be mentioned a lot in pro reviews and in forums and is apparently good with the MU1 and K50.  But I just couldn’t find one!  Very interested in Sablon and Nordost though!

@fastfreight we receive our MU1’s on the same day…. What AES cable are you using?

Hello all, My Grimm MU1 arrives tomorrow and will run my roon core and stream directly over AES to my Tambaqui.  Since I have another nice system on my network, a MM Makua with onboard Tambaqui, this system will  receiving streaming over LAN connection.  I am sure from what I have heard the main AES connection to my Tambaqui will be awesome.   I can't wait to try it!  but will the Grimm improve my second (LAN connected) system?  It has been mentioned that the Grimm has less processing power to run Core than my Nucleus+.

So I can move my hot rodded Aries G2.1 to my second system...

I reached out to Grimm:

Dear Ken,

Thank you for checking out the MU1!

To answer most of your questions: yes, the MU1 will replace the Nucleus, no problem. It has similar functionality. Important is to use it for your main system via its AES outputs, but I read you already knew that.

There will be very little to no advantage of the MU1 over the Nucleus for your Zone 2 system since it is just a Roon core with a nice power supply for that.

The Certified Roon End Point function of the next software update (due in quite a few months...) will add little functionality. Only customers with huge databases (> 30000 albums or so) will need a more powerful computer for the Roon Core and they will benefit. If you like to use a second MU1 in your system, you can stream to it without problems. For the track information to become visible however you need to wait until the MU1 has become a Certified Roon End Point.

Please enjoy the MU1!

Kind regards,

Eelco Grimm

So the option of a MU1 as streamer only will come with a software update!

@nyev, sorry I just saw your question. There is no generic cable that came with my Grimm mu1. I am using a borrowed (from friend) Shunyata Omega AES cable.I am also going to try then Sablon and Nordost.

“To me it just doesn’t make sense to put a $10K streamer in front of a $4,500 DAC”

@davespencer , I do get how rationally this may seem unbalanced, pairing a DAC module in an amp to a far more expensive streamer. But in practice I can totally see how this could make sense. The Gryphon Diablo 300 DAC module is absolutely up there with the Tambaqui performance wise, it’s really the nuances in transparency and tone that I’m picking up with the Tambaqui that makes all the difference. I do think it is likely the MU1 will lift my Diablo DAC module and I’m looking forward to testing that configuration despite the fact that I’m really enjoying the Tambaqui.

I agree with you on the multi-box thing. I’m sure that approach yields amazing benefits but thinking about all those cables you were listing, that is not a small cost. If you are at the point where you are out to buy the endgame level of every component and have the funds for the cabling, I can see that making sense. But if not, going for top-tier but fewer boxes makes sense I think.  IF the MU1 and my Diablo DAC module are enough for me, an AQ Dragon cord would be an elegant addition to a minimalist system approach. Certainly couldn’t afford Dragons for an endless number of boxes.  And I really find going up the power cord chain on digital equipment makes a really big difference.

I still have not ruled out the possibility that the MU1 could lift my Diablo DAC module and that I may end up selling the Tambaqui, although I think the chances are small. The Diablo DAC module has a charm with its bolder, “front row” presentation, but not one I’d pick over the Tambaqui. But just maybe, when combined with the MU1 some of the DAC module’s weaknesses will be mitigated. Looking forward to finding out.

Also I should re-emphasize how much I enjoyed the Merason DAC1. Which today I’ve sold for about what I paid for it. That DAC is one that I could get sentimentally attached to, for both the sound and the way it looks. Really is a special product. Listened to it a final time last night and while it doesn’t resolve as much as the Tambaqui, it’s sound is really pleasing to listen to. Quiet, clean, smooth, rhythmic with an inviting sound. I can imagine people describing it’s sound as “analog”, unlike the Tambaqui which I would say is digital without the associated flaws. Another case where a far more expensive streamer could elevate it.

“Baetis Reference series.  It sounded like music in a way nothing else did.”

@john1 

What other servers you have heard and compared to draw that conclusion? 

I was at the Audiofest show In Toronto Canada a few months ago & by far & away the best sounding server, in at least 2 rooms, was the latest Baetis Reference series.  It sounded like music in a way nothing else did.  I did not run into Grimm server so cannot speculate on that comparison, but not listening to a Baetis server if you're in the market for something of extraordinary audio quality, is a complete non starter. Especially since if you buy it direct from them, they'll upgrade less expensive models to close to the reference level, for a lot less.

To me it just doesn’t make sense to put a $10K streamer in front of a $4,500 DAC

That's what I thought too. So I proceeded to upgrade my DAC - Lampi, BA LABO, Linn Klimax, Weiss 501, Pasithea, Bartok, and finally the Mola Tambaqui. With the Mola and its built-in streamer I felt like I was settled for awhile.

[note: I found it confusing that the Mola distributor STRONGLY recommended adding a $6K Auralic server/streamer + a $3K USB cable! The Tambaqui is $14K!! WTF? Why?? It kept niggling at me... ]

Then I got curious about clocks and jitter. Down the rabbit hole of Master Clocks, cascading clocks, USB to AES Clocks, ad nauseum. Oh, and more cables (bnc, 110ohm AES, USB, etc. etc.).

Early mid-2022 I began noticing increasing media coverage of the MU1. Since playing with all my clocks convinced me that there was significant upside on the streamer side of things [note: Now I get it!] I decided to demo the Grimm unit. Paul, my dealer, told me to forget all my clocking paraphernalia - take it all out of the system and just play the MU1 through the Tambaqui - period.

Well I purchased the unit (anyone looking for a clock?). I won't describe the sound except to say all my streaming music sounds very "analog" and I no longer really care what the resolution of a recording is. That alone frees my mind to focus more on... The Music.

Adding the MU1 cleaned up bunches PC's, IC's, ancillary boxes, AND MY ROON Nucleus+, returning my system closer to that "straight wire with gain" (well, figuratively speaking).

That the MU1 has ROON incorporated is pretty important (and often overlooked) , as Grimm has (with Roon approval) modified the Roon hardware/software to interface and integrate seemlessly with the MU1. In addition to optimizing communication this also serves to eliminate multiple boxes & cables. Let's remember too -  the Nucleus+ with 2tb is $4K.

So now I think I'm settled for awhile. 

@metaldetektor , thanks for confirming.  No SPDIF either.  I will pick up the cheapest AES cable I can find.  Don’t care if it sounds good or bad; really just to have it fully set up and burned in (mostly) by the time I’m home on the weekend.  With any luck the Shunyata cables will also have arrived by then.

Do you have a SPDIF cable? A new Grimm will sound good with that as well. No aes included.