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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...

 

 

nyev
grannyring's avatar
grannyring
6,696 posts
 

Yes, the Purple fuse elevates the Zenith another level. It actually stopped me from considering the Grimm which I find very intriguing. The sonic gains were large and quite shocking. Music sounds less audiophile and more natural/real. A small bit of glassiness or audiophile exuberance was removed allowing for a more natural and engaging sound. I could easily detect lower noise. I found myself turning it up a bit more as the overall presentation was more at ease.

I compared both the Merason Dac 1 and the La Voce S3 to my Mojo Audio Mystique 3 which I owned at the time. I found the Merason to be wonderful sounding. Very close to the Mojo in all areas except the Mojo offered improved body, muscularity and weight. I would put Mojo Audio on your list to demo.

I was not that impressed with the S3 compared to the Merason and Mojo Audio dacs. It lacked the refinement of the Merason and could not match the realism, muscularity and linearity of the Mojo Audio dac. I guess I found the S3 a tad boring or less engaging than the other dacs. Pleasant sounding, but just missing something.

I have added SR Purple fuses to my Circle Labs integrated and noticed nice sonic gains, but not near the level I experienced with the Zenith 3. I will be trying them in my Tron Electric Signature dac soon. I don’t think the Purple fuses are necessarily a sonic home-run for every piece of gear they are placed, but the impact in the Zenith is special.

 

nyev OP
1,033 posts
 

Thanks @grannyring.  Question regarding the purple fuse - since I have the PhoenixUSB should I consider trying adding one there as well?  Or only on the Zenith which feeds the PhoenixUSB? In my current system, the PhoenixUSB plays adds air, upper detail, and dimension that is not there with just the Zenith on its own.

grannyring's avatar
grannyring
6,696 posts
 

I would start with the Zenith first. Good to see what this one move does on its own. SR fuse direction runs S To R when looking at the label. Here are the instructions on fuse placement from the Innuos site:

https://innuos.com/kb/replacing-the-fuse-on-innuos-products/

The S end should face the units interior while the R faces the the exterior/back. Fuse direction is very, very important. The fuse will need 24 hours on it before showing its potential. The first 24 hours is not the time to judge sonics. No need to play music for burn in, just make sure it is on. Get a 5mm x 20mm Slo-blow 3.15A fuse.

 

 

nyev OP
1,033 posts
 

Thanks @grannyring.

fastfreight
1,288 posts
 

Hello @nyev ​​​​@lalitk and others!

I have ordered my Grimm MU 1.  It will be paired with my Mola Mola Tambaqui.  I have an Elation KS AES coming as well.  The Grimm will replace my Nucleus + , and I will move my Aries G2.1 to my Makua based system   This is of course if the Grimm sounds better than my Aries with the Sean Jacobs power supply!  I also still plan to use the Muon Pro filter in front of each.  That will again be an interesting test.  Yes, as others have mentioned, the MU2 is interesting.  I had not heard it was a joint venture with Mola Mola…but since I own the Tambaqui already, here we go.

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