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...
A rational conclusion if this were to be the outcome. @sns is right. Whichever signal path output/input a given brand has chosen to "optimize" will be their best sounding. Most concentrated attention and focused efforts (Design and implementation) subsequently determine the sonic performance. Charles
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I suppose this “competition” I’m about to run when my N20 arrives is not just between Innuos and Aurender, but also between USB and AES on my Diablo DAC module. As it is my only DAC, sadly I’ll be unable to see if the results are generally consistent on other DACs. I know Gryphon has put a lot of focus on the USB interface of my DAC (including a supercap that powers the USB instead of the source device) but I have no idea about the AES interface. But it seems people on this thread suggest, if I understand correctly, that the input device takes over when AES is used, implying the DAC AES implementation quality matters less. Not sure if I got that right. |
The Cable Company is the easiest USA access point for Jorma. Much of the adverse feedback over the years for The Cable Company comes from those The Cable Company have cut off from their generous return policy. You see some people exploit the return option vs paying the appropriate fees to access their lending library…and then they do it over and over. Then, once cutoff, they come on forums and whine about it.
Use the The Cable Company, they have them in stock and ship promptly. |
I do like advice of using Cable Company, I used them extensively years ago when trying to determine the value cables of all kinds bring to systems, very enlightening! Never had issue with returns and I must have gone through hundreds of cables in total.
@nyev I'll be very interested in outcome. SPDIF/ AES/EBU is intriguing in that at least some high end streamer manufacturers use it as their reference scheme. I presume its easier to implement in dacs as well, perhaps even in dacs with optimized usb, AES/EBU could provide best sound quality, you're comparison could enlighten here.
I also really like the Innuos Statement with new Sean Jacobs ps, and they continue to believe in usb, provide optimal, perhaps best usb rendering. For anyone thinking I'm dissing on Aurender, I consider Wadax, Taiko Extreme the two big dogs, up to now Aurender W20SE, Innuos Statement, Antipodes K50 tied for third, Statement may now be pulling ahead of Aurender, Antipodes with new PS and optimized usb for me. I've done my due diligence on streamers for quite some time, go to the most experienced streamers on audiophilestyle and whatsbestforums for advice. I believe all of the above streamers can provide highest sound quality, the best for any single individual's setup is the determining factor, this is choice for that individual to make. Just because I went in different direction doesn't mean I don't highly respect all of these manufacturers. |
