Grimm MU1 Streamer - Really "The Best"?

@lalitk , thanks for sharing, and for the advice.

I may be able to get demos of DACs in simultaneously with the next server, and, depending on the value of the DAC, purchase it too. That might be doable with a DAC like the Holo May KTE (although I won’t be able to get a demo of that one - but this is the level of DAC I could purchase alongside the next server).

The DACs mentioned by others above like the Bartok are more expensive, but are combo streaming DACs. So would a lower cost DAC-only, at the level of the Holo, be reasonable to trial? I see Musetec could also be interesting at an even lower price. But these DACs are a lower cost than the cost of my current Gryphon Diablo 300’s DAC module. So do I actually need to go higher? I know cost isn’t the deciding factor in performance but I’m just trying to plan at what level to engage. I can do another server + a Holo level DAC, but not another server plus a Bartok (which I could demo first but would only do so if I could potentially buy).

Also, somewhere above I changed my go-forward approach to require server capabilities. This is because I discovered for the first time that my system has become revealing enough to make the difference in quality matter to me. Once I settle in on a solution, my plan is to build a library of files but limited only to my absolute favorite material. The rest I will stream.

To be clear, I’d still be considering the K50 (or the MU1 despite that the K50 is more flexible) in conjunction with getting some DACs in as demos, at let’s say the $7k level or lower. Might be too limiting at that level?  While I’m unable to get home demos of the servers I’m interested in here, there are a few other dealers who are more demo friendly that I might be able to borrow interesting DACs from.

I can recommend the Musetec as purchase piece, Holo May KTE great choice as well. I've seen both of these compared to much more expensive dacs, held their own or were preferred in some cases. KTE may be highest resolving R2R dac, and the Sabre 9038 pro chips in 005 are extremely revealing, transparent, both are musical dacs to boot. Both excel with usb input, some have used other inputs to good effect. Both of these dacs not out of place with any system at any price.

Thanks @sns. Evaluating that class of DAC, my thought is to go with the MU1 first, despite the emphasis on AES. My thinking is that the MU1 has a reputation for neutrality and precision, and not injecting a strong character of it’s own. While this is counterintuitive, considering I enjoy a mildly richer sound, there are other factors more important to me than this warmth, and I do feel that between the Innuos and the N20, the N20 has a bit of warmth and smoothness to it. The K50 is also known to be fuller sounding. In really isolating the sound of any DAC’s I’m testing, including my current Gryphon DAC, I feel like the MU1 might be best positioned to maximize the precision and neutrality giving me a good baseline to gauge DACs by. Not only in their character, but also by their performance, assuming that the MU1 is as accurate and precise as people (not just reviewers) say it is. The N20 and K50 can remain options if I want to reintroduce a touch of richness to the sound once I get a feel for the DACs.  That’s my current thinking…

I think my most recent thoughts on the N20 in my current system have pretty much stabilized for the near future, knowing that long term use can change things.  While I still think I hear a slight improvement with AES over USB, it’s so close that I wonder if I only hear it because I expect to.  I will get around to subjecting myself to a blind test, but I am expecting not to pass it.  I’ve also gone back and forth a few times with tiny speaker adjustments - my speakers with the N20 really want to be toed in a lot.  Tried backing off on that slightly for a few days, and just went back to the more toed in marker position.  Immediately it was like “ah, that’s a bit better.”
 

Either way, 

Purchased an MU1. Should have in a few weeks.

Next need to consider the DAC. Will try to line up some demos before buying anything, and at the very least see how the MU1 does with my Gryphon DAC just while it’s burning in. Which I’m very interested in, because in theory it will help me get an understanding of the weaknesses of my DAC, supposedly being neutral leaning and accurate. Want to see if I perceive any negatives that might be common to either of the other two servers, which might be attributable to my DAC. Will try to get demo DAC’s in once the MU1 is burned in.

Yes, I do anticipate a revelation when I try the demo DACs - far moreso than I expect with the MU1. But I wanted a really neutral baseline to test the DAC’s with..

So I know, I’m only partially following your wise advice!

I’m also buying a Jorma AES cable finally, now that I found someone who will sell me one. I’ll need to return my demo Audioquest Diamond AES cable this week unfortunately, so I won’t be able to do controlled A/B tests between AES and USB.

Will continue running the AES on my N20 for 4 more days.  Still hoping something changes there, but probably not at this point.  At some level I’m disappointed in that, as I’d hope that fancy clock in the N20 would do something.  Will be interesting to do the same comparison with a different DAC.  On that note, the dealer who lent me the Diamond cable are a Linn and Moon dealer.  They might have some of their lower end DACs on hand for me to try with the Diamond cable.  But they often can’t as they are a tiny outfit and only have two demo systems in their shop, and most of their gear is reserved for that.  I will ask though.