Grimm MU1 Music streamer
"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" Audiogon Forum
"The best I have heard" read the review by HiFi and Music Forum
“The MU1 was reaching the parts many other streamers had failed to reach.” read about it Kevin Fiske, HifiCritic
"The Grimm MU1 Music Streamer and Server is another one of those rare “special” pieces that sit amongst the most pleasing I have experienced in HiFi" read the review by Steve Huff
Grimm gets Stereophile Recommended Component award
"The MU1 is based on an Intel twin-core i3 processor running a Linux-based operating system. It incorporates a Roon Core and is fully integrated with the Roon Server app. It can be controlled by rotating and pressing a top-mounted, bronze-colored disc. (A high-precision digital volume control and other functions can be selected with this control.) While its Ethernet and USB ports can be used to send audio data from the Intel board to a DAC, the MU1 upsamples PCM data and downsamples DSD data sourced from its AES/EBU outputs, using what Grimm calls a "Pure Nyquist" decimation filter hosted in a Xilinx FPGA. (Measurement revealed that this is an ultra—fast-rolloff filter, reaching full stop-band attenuation at half the original PCM data's sample rate.) JA very much preferred the sound from the AES/EBU outputs, finding that the upsampling of CD-resolution data reduced congestion, added depth to the soundstage, and increased the separation among acoustic objects in that soundstage. JA recommended the MU1 highly as a streamer, writing that it can also operate as a network bridge with legacy D/A processors that don't have USB or Ethernet ports, and that it can be used as the sole source component with active speakers that have digital inputs. A 1TB SSD adds $225; 2TB SSD adds $430; 4TB SSD adds $805. An FM tuner function is promised. (Vol.44 No.3 WWW)"
We wanted to develop the most accurate audio source we could imagine. In our experience, the human hearing system shows an incredible sensitivity to anomalies. Even unimaginably small aberrations appear to be audible. In principle, digital audio does offer perfect reproduction. Its sonic quality, however, is limited by the implementation accuracy of the physical and mathematical laws that affect the conversion from one format to another. Grimm Audio strives to bring you confidence that all technical details are taken care of to the greatest extent so that the reproduction system steps out of the way of the music.
With the MU1, our goal was to set a new benchmark in music player design. The Linux based computer system brings solid data integrity. Our in-house-designed FPGA interface board, which forms the heart of the MU1, offers breakthrough performance levels in format conversion and receives automatic updates whenever we have pushed the boundaries again.
Needless to say, the MU1 features our trademark ultra-low jitter clock. This is a music player worthy of the name Grimm Audio. Once excellent sound quality is ensured, the quality of a music player is then defined by the user experience. For this, we partnered with Roon Labs, who in our opinion are in the lead when it comes to a rich and engaging music experience that appeals to your whole family.
The MU1 runs the Roon Core server, so no extra installs are necessary. Just pick up your tablet and experience the music. For customers who prefer to only run a simple playback system without Roon’s extras, we will offer a solid alternative.
video review - give 10 secs to load. Skip to sound 15:00 - 17:00 minutes, conclusions from 19:30 mins
The Best Roon Server I know - Video - Sound at 10 mins, conclusions 15 mins
Specifications
- Roon Core and Roon End Point integrated
- Ultra high conversion precision
- Ultra low clock jitter
- Seamless integration with LS1 series
- Excellent source for 3rd party DACs
- All sample rates and formats supported
- Surround playback option with 6 digital output channels
- AES, spdif and optical digital stereo inputs
- Outputs RCA and balanced XLR
- Output impedance of the MU2’s analog output is 47 ohms for single-ended (RCA) and 94 ohms for balanced (XLR). The outputs are in parallel so only one set can be used at a time. This low impedance ensures compatibility with virtually all amplifiers.
- High performance FM receiver
- Internal SSD, external USB and NAS storage
- Tidal and Qobuz support
- Spotify Connect support
- 5 year limited warranty
- 355 x 85 x 295mm (WxHxD)
