Testing the Grimm Audio MU1 streamer at Listening Matters, The Hague
 

'Listening Matters' is the new name of Chattelin Audio.
Ben Van Leliveld took over the whole business, and I think it will even thrive more now.

The streamer that piqued my interest at a couple of events: Grimm Audio MU1:

http://metazahren.com/photography/ge...e/IMG_6675.jpg


It is of course a streamer, but it promises to be much more.
It is also a high quality upsampling device. Grimm's opinion is that if the DAC doesn't have to do that heavy duty, you'll get less calculation mistakes in the D/A conversion.
Further, its FLL clocks are top quality. Grimm is known for its professional clocks, used in recording studios.
It is a Roon core server.
And in future updates (in the next months), it will be a multi-channel streamer, and FM radio too.

http://metazahren.com/photography/ge...e/IMG_6680.jpg

The price of admission is quite steep, a bit less than 10K euro without SSD, a bit more than 10K with SSD (up to 4 Tb).
But if you look at clocks and upsamplers of other top brands (like Auralic, dCS, Esoteric, MSB, Chord), it suddenly makes more sense.
And you avoid the additional cables, as it is an all-in-one device.

We listened to the MU1 that sent its bits to the Hegel H590.
This is the amplifier/DAC that we use at home nowadays.
Speakers: Vivid Audio Kaya 45.
Cabling: Furutech mostly.

We also used a CEC CD-transport to get an impression of the quality of the clocks and upsampling of the MU1.

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The KEF LS50 wireless stood there to see the possibilities that Roon offers.
More about that later.

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First track came from this album:

https://static.qobuz.com/images/cove...105723_600.jpg


Marvellous!
Of course, not everything is comparable to our system at home.
The room is different, cabling also.

But there was the Vivid sound and I do know the Hegel sound too.
Our G2 Giyas offer a bit more body and delicacy than their more modest brothers Kaya 45.
What impressed me here was that there was quite a lot more separation and soundstage depth than I'm used to hear at home.
It was all a bit more lifelike also.

We were in for another surprise.
We thought the album was on the server of the store, but when we checked the pathway in Roon, we saw it was an 'ordinary' Tidal stream!

These findings were confirmed when I put the following album in the CEC tray:

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'Black Coffee' is a fantastic piece of jazz.
Just Ella plus piano.
Her voice was more present in the room than I could remember having ever heard.


This effect became even stronger in the first piece of 'Folk Singer':

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....uatvL._AC_.jpg


The only audiophile blues album it is sometimes called.
I had never heard the venue so well.

Wow, the MU1 transforms CDs into terrific source material!
And Tidal or Qobuz streams undergo the same metamorphosis.
10K seemed more and more reasonable...


From above:

http://metazahren.com/photography/ge...e/IMG_6679.jpg


The gold coloured knob in the middle serves as source selector.
Can be pushed and turned.

.

As the MU1 also is a Roon core, we tried it out with other end points.

http://metazahren.com/photography/ge...e/IMG_6670.jpg


The KEF LSX is an attractive little active speaker with an amazing soundstage and stereo image for such a little thing. And it does do bass!

http://metazahren.com/photography/ge...e/IMG_6671.jpg

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1200€ for a pair.
For our kitchen...? :scratch2:

.

Next: KEF LS50 wireless.
Bigger sound of course.

http://metazahren.com/photography/ge...e/IMG_6673.jpg


2300€ for a pair.
I liked it even more than the passive version, driven by a Hegel H120.
A hifi bargain!

The MU1 didn't object to switching and altering Roon endpoints one single bit.
Ben even demonstrated the 3 playing together, all different things (internet radio, streaming services).
A cacophony for sure, but an indication that the MU1 interiors do function, even if it is still a work in progress.
Updates come rapidly though.

When you add a multi-channel DAC - like Exasound or Merging Nadac Anubis - you'll have a great surround streaming system, that will do almost every file available now.

Some other impressions of the store.

Zanden, oh so photogenic:

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Ben, thank you for the time you took to explain the basics of upsampling, streaming via Roon, jitter, clocking, etc.!

Conclusion

The MU1 has become a top candidate for us, as it does/will do all the things we want in our system.
For high quality surround sound, this is a device that can not be overlooked.
But also for stereo only audiophiles this is a must audition!

Well written review Bart. You may have another calling beyond Medicine. ;)

I find it amazing and a bit bewildering how many high quality devices are being developed in the digital space. Seems this is yet another!

Excellent report...thx for sharing

Very interesting report, thanks Bart.

Craig, thank you.

I think that digital has finally matured.
Also: the transition from silver disc to file based music is not for tomorrow, it is happening right now.

Jacques, it's almost time for another visit!

Welcome Tony!

Eelco Grimm and Guido Tent, Grimm Audio's designers, wrote me that the software update that will allow multi-channel streaming will be launched in 2 more months.
There is an update before that. It will give the possibility to control the volume over AES and also to decode even more hi-res formats.

Review of the Grimm MU1 in Hi-finews

https://www.hifinews.com/content/gri...-libraryserver

I missed this post last year Bart. Thanks for sharing your experience with the Grimm MU1 streamer. No doubt a luxury streamer with excellent sonic performance. My local dealer is a Grimm dealer so I will try to sneak in a listen one of these days.

Serge, you're welcome.

Jacques and I compared it to the Auralic Aries G2.1 last summer:

https://www.audioaficionado.org/showthread.php?t=48374


It is in fact a Roon core, upsampler/downsampler, reclocker and streamer all-in-one.
Edit: it will feature an FM tuner also through a future software update.

I'll give it a read! Thanks Bart. Glad you are enjoying the Grimm streamer!

Serge, since we have had it in our system, we've hardly watched movies.
We come from an el cheapo streamer (a Yamaha which really wasn't bad at all for the 300€ it cost) and the connection with the music is so much more intense now... :music:

A very significant vertical upgrade. :thumbsup: The most important thing is the connection with the music of course as price/features are not an always good indicator of that connection. This product has obviously connected with you and Meta. :thumbsup:

Indeed Serge.
As we couldn't make the big travel we had planned for last summer (I hardly had holidays in 2020), nor had the possibility to spend money in restaurants or theaters, the budget was there!
That was the flip side of the Corona coin.