@lalitk , yes, your experience with conditioners is consistent with mine. They change the tonal balance slightly as there is no way around it when filtering is involved. Others have advised me if this and even Nordost’s support team told me the same thing. And suggested Torus too, along with another consultant I was working with at the time. For many the tonal changes can be okay and it could possibly even help with those struggling with top end harshness or brightness. (Thankfully those days ended for me the moment I got my Gryphon). But for me, conditioners, and yes, the N20 too which IMO has a similar effect, gets you two steps forward and half a step back. That doesn’t mean I don’t really enjoy this sonic effect. The problem is I want to be able to have my cake and eat it too….
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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Agree with the benefits of using a balanced AC isolation transformer. I can see why the Torus RM 20 improved the sound quality. I have a BPT 3.5 Signature +, which is based around a high quality Plitron balanced AC isolation toroidal transformer. It is an excellent asset for my audio system. I’m a strong advocate for these devices in High End audio systems. Charles |
@nyev How much streamers change in future is hard to say, streamer innovations do come fast.
I demoed a variety of power conditioners year ago using Cable Co. lending library. All top of line variety, Shunyata, PS Audio, Audience Adept, none gave me what I was looking for, Audience was close. Like Charles went with BPT 3.5 Sig, 80lbs behemoth. I further modded with Oyaide R1 and PorterPort receptacles and Jantzen Superior Z capacitors. Balanced transformer proved out best, mods only made it better. Amps always straight into wall.
I'd sure like to see top of line streamer shoot out, well over $100k worth of streamers in direct competition would be awesome! All ports in streamer compared using a variety of top flight dacs with various optimized ports. |
Interesting you choose the Oyaide R1 receptacles. When Chris built mine he offered these as an upgrade option and I chose them. This was in 2008. Now 2023 and still no chance my system will be without it. Excellent audio products are really able to withstand the test of time. Charles |
Isolation transformers are are beastly. Mine weighs 88 pounds. One issue I’ve had is that I found that each outlet on it sounds slightly different. Center vocals are the most noticeable variance between receptacles, with the vocals becoming narrower/sharper and more forward or wider and more recessed. Both extremes don’t sound natural, and a few receptacles are just right. Recently went through experimentation to determine the best configuration of what gets plugged where. Before I realized this, I was a devout “plug your amp direct into the wall” disciple. But I realized that the outlet I had been using on the Torus when plugging the amp in was not the best. Found a better sounding receptacle and now have everything going through the Torus. One of the few weird “gremlins” I’ve experienced in my system. |
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