Here are a couple of facts.
Steve Huff said he would never sell his Heresy speakers. SOLD
He gushed about the Denefrips Pontus DAC saying it was the best he had heard. Not using it.
I think hearing is the only way to go.
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...
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+1 @lordmelton
After auditioning Aurender N20 at home, I bought N 30 which I am happy.with
But N20 is a good value.
N 30 give very slight more details and clarity but may not be worth twice money.
Thomas |
Have you ever read a review of a product in an audio magazine that wasn’t very positive (best ever heard)? Every review is like that. How about the TAS review of the $70k server that the reviewer (Harley I think) states it was the best ever he has heard and this server was in the Axpona room that was voted the worst room of the show by many. Better streamer software is from Roon or Audirvana, then LIGHTNING DS, everything else is secondary. |
I’ve been perusing many, many other forum posts on other sites that substantiate the pro reports, which is really what I was after with this thread (either support or contradict the pro reviews). Speaking in absolutes really gets folks on Audiophile forums going, as there of course are none, and it disrespects other great components that are out there.. My apologies for being absurd! :) General consensus of qualities of the MU1 vs Innuos Statement and Antipodes K50 I found to be:
Yes, each of our experiences may vary from the above depending on tastes, systems, and rooms, but these are common attributes described by a mix of pro reviewers AND individuals. I think this helps my understanding, knowing nothing beats my own ears. I find discussions like this of value because it just such discussions that led me to audition the Gryphon Diablo 300 when I wasn’t finding any amps / preamps I liked in home demo comparisons. I ended up buying the Diablo a few years back and still absolutely love it and haven’t considered upgrading even once. I also find that how people generalize the qualities of the Diablo are 100% consistent with my assessments of it, and why I ended up choosing it when I couldn’t find anything else I could live with in that price range. I even agree with the one or two slightly negative comments on the Diablo 300 DAC module’s sound, but I still love it for it’s good qualities and have no desire to replace it. Hopefully I agree with the consensus on the MU1 when / if I get a chance to audition one, but could easily pivot if I find the consensus to be untrue for me.
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