Grimm MU1 Streamer - Really "The Best"?

I was waiting until this morning to confirm, but the N20’s bass has become fuller rather suddenly. It’s not as big overall compared with the Innuos boxes at this point, but now it’s got so much more drive and solidity in the bass than the Innuos, despite not being as big and well defined. At this point I’d choose the Aurender’s bass over the Innuos bass (which is still more precise, refined, and accurate, but with less drive, focus, and solidity). The N20’s mid and top end still sounds the same as before. But wow, that bass drive is impressive.  There is a grip there that didn’t exist 1 day prior.

It’s for reasons like this that when I get the AES cable, I plan to use it at least for a solid month prior to comparing to a third server like the K50, should I acquire one now. As I said above I’ve heard accounts that the AES circuits do not automatically break in along with the rest of the unit if AES is not used during initial breakin. If I’m not mistaken I think the original owner used USB so the AES may never have been used. Same goes for my DAC’s AES interface.

With the K50, if the seller agrees to my offer (haven’t heard back so maybe they didn’t accept), it’s simply to acquire a used K50 at a decent price while one is available used. My focus won’t shift for some time yet!

And to re-setup your speakers. Its a thing. Seriously.

@ghasley , I probably wouldn’t have believed you on having to reset up my speakers had I not already found the need to do that between the N20 and the Innuos products!  At least I knew from what I was hearing that the speakers needed an initial adjustment with the N20, rather than just assuming the N20’s imaging was messed up, which is not the case at all.  So yes I am expecting further tweaks will be needed once the AES cable goes in.  And the cable will need burning in itself.  My dealer is closed Mondays but I’ll call tomorrow asking for an update on the AES cable.  There is a tendency for an item I’m waiting for to magically arrive at my dealer the very same day I call to ask for an update / remind them. 
 

Still waiting to hear back from Sablon (although I first emailed on Friday), and I am poking Jorma again too.  Seems hard to get their attention; business must be good.

And @ghasley , I do have sharpie marks on my floor for the EXACT speaker positions, much to the chagrin of my wife. All I had on hand was a red sharpie, so my wife was like “OMG IS THAT BLOOD”…. She thought maybe I had truly taken my hobby too far lol…..

I find if the speakers are just a few millimetres off, things sound different for sure. Sometimes to the extent that if something sounds slightly off, I can simply wiggle one speaker without repositioning and the problem can be fixed. I put the sharpie marks at the circumference of the Herbie’s gliders that I use.

I used to use painters tape as you suggested, but I found it to be less precise than drawing 4 small lines around each of the gliders.

Update:  I should also mention that my wife was okay with the sharpie on the floor when I proved to her it comes right off with a dab of acetone / nail polish remover, without ruining the floor in any way!