Grimm MU1 Streamer - Really "The Best"?

Just did a quick check in. Nothing much changed from last night. Maybe a bit more punchlines and rhythm in the bass but not sure.

The sound with the DAC1 on my basic RCA cables (big caveat) is not similar to the sound when the N20 was in my system, even if it sounds that way. Not at all. The N20 had an incredible density and flashiness that is not at all how the DAC 1 sounds (yes I realize it’s weird to be comparing a DAC and a server!). The N20 had an incredible blackness to the sound, and the effect reminded me of when I demoed an Audioquest Niagara 5000. Again, the Merason has none of this. And as above, there is no clamping of the upper frequencies.

I am starting to see in the Merason what reviewers have been referring to “rightness” of the sound, even if performance isn’t all out through the roof.

I can see how people say that this DAC encourages you to listen to music and says, “stop worrying about all that HiFi stuff”. It feels like that old pair of jeans that is maybe a bit worn but just fits right and is comfortable. Which may not be the most exciting thing in the world, but it’s just friendly and inviting. First time I fired up the N20 in comparison, to continue the analogy, it was like a brand new pair of designer jeans that needed assessments still for proper fit. Totally different sound with the N20!

I’ll also say this.  You know those odd tracks that never never quite sound right on your system?  Maybe it’s a me thing.  But u2’s One has always sounded weird on my system.  For the first time ever it sounds totally at ease with the DAC 1.

Still waiting for my MU1 and fancy cables.

Today I learned from Merason that the DAC 1 can only do 176K on USB. 192 is supported on AES and SPDIF however. Which is exactly what the specifications state. I suppose I wasn’t sure what that meant, as I thought that would seem odd. This will not make the MU1 happy in 4X oversampling mode when playing 44k source material.

I’ve asked Grimm if there is any way to force the 4X output to always be 192k (which would be fine for the DAC1) and never 176k. But I doubt there is a way, at least, I doubt there is without compromising SQ (maybe Roon could “pre-upsample” to ensure the 192k cap is hit with 4X oversampling but that wouldn’t be good for sound). Anyone know if there is a solution? Guessing not.

It’s a shame because I really like the DAC1. I even love the way it looks. I like how you can see the circuit boards through the top and how the orange leds illuminate the inside when the lights are low.

My Gryphon DAC is more resolving but that’s probably due to the limitation of my $500 RCA interconnects I’m currently is using while waiting for my new cables. But the DAC1 sounds more natural, open, and musically involving. Vocals are more expressive on the DAC1 not due to performance but due to it being more neutral than my Gryphon DAC which I now understand to be quite coloured. I have mixed feelings on this coloration. The Gryphon’s tone sounds great overall but it makes vocals much smaller. The Gryphon DAC’s bass is bigger and rounder (and more detailed) but the DAC1 has far punchier and rhythmic, “carved” bass. This along with the expressive vocals is what makes this more musically involving than my Gryphon DAC.

All of this would improve with the new cables and the DAC 1 could be upgraded to the MK2 version for presumably better resolution. But very sadly, that won’t ever happen if I end up keeping the MU1, due to the limitation of the DAC1’s AES output not doing 176k. Zero issues with Innuos though, using USB!

I feel like the DAC 1 has some heart and soul to it. Too bad…. But it’s taught me a lot about my Gryphon DAC even without the balanced cables.
 

@nyev 

A couple of observations and a little cajoling to follow.

First of all, the Merason DAC1 can be end game for some but based on this thread, it was likely to never be more than an external dac proof of concept in your system. You needed and deserved a reference point to see where your internal dac board measured in comparison. You have discovered that it will stack up nicely and that its merely different. In fact, there is a growing body of evidence among many users that zoning in on bit rates rather than the sound as a whole to be an unfortunate use of one’s time. Does it sound great or not? 

When you get your MU1 and the fancy cables, set the MU1 for 2fs and forget about it for a while. Do NOT do any upsampling via Roon…that would be the wrong direction since the MU1 will be your Roon core the anticipated benefits of doing so in my opinion would not outweigh the negeative impact caused by taxing the cpu. I can switch between 2fs and 4fs on the fly and I find the differences to be so minimal that its probably confirmation bias on my part. YMMV.

There are numerous exceptional dacs on the market in the $10-20k range. The MU1 will help you determine if the Gryphon dac board can be satisfying to your ears and be a stopping point for you, however, if you find the Merason more satisfying than the Gryphon dac board then all you’ve learned is a pretty decent external dac is better than a pretty decent dac board. Then you would likely begin trying different external dacs. Ive had too many dacs to re-count for this thread…most of which presented my music wonderfully: Lampizator, Nagra, Playback Designs, Chord Dave, Meitner, etc, etc. I’ve settled in with Totaldac, others have settled in with other brands and found happiness. Thats what its all about. Settle in and listen for a while when the MU1 and your cables arrive. Set the MU1 for 2fs and forget about it. Do you like what you hear? Do you like it a week later?

At the end end of this next phase of this exercise you will discover a few salient data points. 

1) Does the MU1 maximize the performance of your Gryphon dac board and is it enough to be a stopping point for you?

2) Does the Merason improve upon the Gryphon dac board to the point that it leads you to believe the apex performance of the dac board is more similar to the entry point of better dacs?

3) Is the cost differential and added complexity worth it to you?

4) Keep it simple, you won’t learn nearly as much about a future spouse by speed dating as you will if you take the time to get to know them well. The same applies here.

@ghasley 

I can switch between 2fs and 4fs on the fly and I find the differences to be so minimal that its probably confirmation bias on my part. YMMV.

I find this very likely to be the case. I believe that there’s a potential in getting to caught up with numbers and tech sometimes. 4f does not have to be the default “best” setting for every DAC and circumstances. Great advice to take your time, relax and listen.

Charles

Makes good sense @ghasley and thank you as always.  I am really quite interested in the MK2 version of the DAC1 too.  In theory it should compete at a much higher level, but there are no reports on how it sounds yet.