PYP

Please let us know what you hear as you lower the fixed setting. I'm currently experimenting with a fixed setting of -7dB. Very interesting...

agree that it is hard to describe the differences of excellent DACs. @nmcleod did a great job, and I'd like to give it a try too, mostly because I've been thinking about the differences for more than three months now. The MU2 is wonderfully musical, but why? Whether a DAC like the Tambaqui disappears (so to speak), depends on getting many things right. It is more sensitive to power cords, for example, than the MU2. And more sensitive to the quality of the AC (SQ varies more during the day and night, for example). As I listened more to the MU2, I became convinced that some of the excitement folks report about the Tambaqui is actually an emphasis on certain frequencies. I believe that it was voiced (very tastefully) that way. The MU2 is more linear. Emphasis on certain frequencies will more easily draw one's attention to the gear rather than to the music, but the ear/brain adjusts to this if it isn't too exaggerated (it isn't) and then one's attention goes back to the music. But I think that the adjustment takes some effort (brain power) and the lack of that effort is experienced as relaxation while listening. That doesn't mean if the music has great rhythm that you won't get up and move around when listening to the MU2. The very low jitter (I assume) gives it PRAT that equals the Tambaqui (a great strength of the Mola Mola DAC). Somehow, you simply hear more music with the MU2 (when I first heard it the thought bubble above my head was: now I can hear all the music). It allows you to hear a layer that was missing with the Tambaqui, at least in my setup. And it doesn't highlight anything to present the additional information. It is just there. Part of that information is the subtle interaction of the musicians. You can hear a musical conversation that you hadn't heard before. Pretty cool. Lastly, I would add that tone and timbre is more "natural" (whatever that means to different people). Since musicians spend so much time perfecting their own tone, this is important to me as a listener. Likewise, I want to hear as much as possible the sound of the particular type of guitar/piano/etc. that the musician chose and/or tweaked. Sometimes, when we get a new piece of equipment, the greater focus we give the listening experience can yield these kinds of results. We listen more intently. But when you are still having that experience three months later, even during casual listening, something that the gear is doing (or not doing) is significant and desirable.

Perhaps Eelco will comment. I typically follow the recommendations of the designer; however, I like to experiment and I go with my ears (not, of course, if that would damage the equipment or void the warranty). I am now listening with Roon's volume control set to Device Volume. It sounds great too. Perhaps some of the differences are so small that you need to get into hyper-analytical mode to hear them. That isn't how I listen. I understand your issue is different since you hear the "typical" settings as too hot.

One MU2 owner reports on another site that he uses a -7dB setting and in Roon's audio menu setup he uses the Fixed Volume setting instead of Device Volume. I have the MU2 at 0dB fixed volume. For a long time, I've been using Roon's Fixed Volume setting, but I'm going to try Device Volume and set at 92 volume level just to determine if there are any differences in sound. I have had no issues/complaints with the former settings. As long as you are NOT setting the MU2 above 0dB when using a preamp, I cannot imagine any operating problems occurring during experimentation. I know that is not what you intend to do.

The following is from the Grimm FAQ: #2 Playback sounds distorted with Roon at volume ‘100’. When using an external preamplifier and using the MU2 with fixed volume at the maximum Roon setting of ‘100’, distortion occurs on some music. The MU2 has 8 dB of exces gain at the top of the scale. This is intended to only be used with soft sources and can cause clipping with loud sources. The display of the MU2 shows “+8 dB” when Roon is set to 100. When using the MU2 with an external preamplifier, please do not use levels above ’92’ in Roon, which equals “0 dB” on the MU2 display.

As one would expect from digital gear, it improves quite a bit over time. From my perspective, the break-in is from the midrange out, meaning that the midrange sounds great early on, but the refined HF and low, lows develop over time. I thoroughly enjoyed the Tambaqui for five years (especially once the MU1 was added), but honestly think the MU2 is on another level (I know not everyone agrees with that and that results are system-specific and all about synergy and ones preferences).

entering your cool listening room must be like entering a spaceship. that you can get them off their phones is amazing. 😉 Looking forward to the article...

I believe that @Marcin_gps has posted here that he has used (or is using)his own server without additional switches and had a very good result. There are other streamers/servers that are also mostly immune to upstream noise (I use one as a result of having been through a process of adding multiple upstream devices as you describe, but this thread isn't the appropriate place to discuss other products). Still, I use a passive filter which makes a slight improvement in my particular network. My point is that what you are looking for may already exist (that is, mostly noise immune streamer/servers or streamer/DACs). Audiophiles will always experiment and tweak. As streaming has grown and become one viable path toward high fidelity sound (could we say five years ago? And some will disagree that high fidelity can be achieved with streaming) and folks have finally acknowledged that there is noise carried by the network signal, the marketplace has grown accordingly. While I myself try to achieve simplification, and my streamer/DAC is one such measure, I do not see the advantage of combining routers and switches. Folks like me, who desire convenience of TV/internet connections with built-in troubleshooting capabilities (ie, excellent app), will continue to use the router provided by the ISP.

Thanks for the fun read, Chris. Live in Munich is now in my listening queue. I have learned a lot by reading John Swenson's posts. He should be better known for his knowledge and contribution, both to these designs and to UpTone Audio where his partnership with Alex results in very high quality products at a reasonable cost. "This is what I want and why I got into this wonderful hobby in the first place, back in what my twelve year old daughter correctly calls the nineteen hundreds." LOL. You have raised her well!

I hope this is not too personal, but have you thought about whether you crave danger? I mean, your avatar is a female in a praying mantis pose leaning against the bait. Perhaps sharing good music can be dangerous too.?!

I usually reply: "This is a crazy hobby." And they know what I mean. One time, two electricians walked in and both stared at my speakers. Once I explained the work that needed to be done, I went into another room. I heard one say: "Do you know how much they cost? They cost $xx,xxx!" He was correct on the current price! I said from the other room: "Correct. It is a crazy hobby." They both laughed. Because that is what a reasonable person does when they realize how much crazy audiophiles spend on their gear. Although, now that I'm thinking about it, I consider myself reasonable and never laugh about how much I've invested.

"Everyone likes music and everyone is interested in taking little break in the work day to experience something they didn’t know existed." Agreed. And when it is possible, it is also fun to play the system while they work (an open floor plan makes this easy). For a painter who was working in our dining room, I put on some Brazilian guitar music without his asking. After about 10 minutes he commented that it was "prefect" for what he was doing. Worked for us too since he did a perfect job. Someone who worked on our kitchen for two days enjoyed classical on day one and jazz on day two (he made positive comments both days). His work was also exemplary. Of course, I know they do great work for all their clients. That is who they are. But that they had a unique, pleasant experience was gratifying.

here is one vote for you to just keep doing product announcements/"reviews" the way you enjoy doing it. It is a unique approach and fun to read, especially because it is written by a music lover who enjoys live performances as well as music I don't typically listen to. And you often introduce products I wouldn't know about otherwise and that gives me a greater perspective of the total marketplace. It is fair for folks to ask for something that very specifically satisfies their criteria, but given how many readers there are we all have to acknowledge that there is no way to satisfy all those requests.

Very interesting. Might future plugins work with the Grimm Audio MU2 which, I believe, uses a Linux OS?

Your questions would seem to suggest that you cannot arrange an in-home demo. I assume you have contacted the distributor in your area: https://www.squarewavehk.com/grimm-audio/ Or are you trying to decide if you want to arrange an in-home demo and asking MU2 owners to help you decide by providing an overall assessment?

Quite a few of the "professional" reviewers are very good at describing the MU2's qualities. Here is one with bolding added: “Due to the unique built-in DAC, the shorter signal paths and the ability to omit an external digital connection protocol, I expect a different sound. How much different, I discover as soon as I hear the first chords flowing from the MU2 that has been warming up for a few days. Clearly, this newcomer is immediately recognizable as a genuine Grimm product. In other words, here is that typical relaxed character again. A playback without any stress, without any exaggeration, offering high resolution without emphasis. It’s also immediately clear that the MU2 extends these ‘Grimm virtues’ even further than the MU1. The music sounds liberated, it sounds remarkably effortless even with complex music, and it flows in almost the same way as top analog sources such as high performance record players and reel-to-reel machines." https://www.grimmaudio.com/reviews/music-emotion-mu2-liberates-the-music/

Last night, listening to Wolfgang Haffner's Kind of Cool, I understand exactly what you are saying (although I'm not a drummer :) ). The opening song, Hippie, is very propulsive and a good indication of one's setup has toe tapping capability (even better if the whole body is engaged). I've listened to this song many times as my setup has changed. This time, the drum sound was more realistic and the entire complex interplay of musicians was now the star of the show. The song became more than a display of drumming. The change was not subtle but completely natural and enjoyable.

Many of us, myself included, become hyperbolic when describing a new piece of gear that fits well with their setup (synergy being a critical factor), therefore I was reluctant to write what I was thinking yesterday as I listened to a lot of music: This is a masterpiece. There, I wrote it. 😉 It took a while to fully settle-in/burn-in for my setup, but the wait was well worth it (note: it sounded good right out of the box). After about 30 days, I could see the point of folks who compared the MU2 to the MU1 + Mola Mola Tambaqui (my previous streamer/DAC) and found the choice a matter of personal preference. While I clearly preferred the MU2 at that point, they didn't seem significantly different. What I'm hearing now is something of a revelation. Well, perhaps hearing is not the right term. I was hearing further into the music from the early days of having the MU2, thus my preference and purchase. Now I would say it is more about my increased emotional reaction to the music. A "something" that slightly separated me from the performance has been removed. The MU2 has soul.

You have all the fun... from a photo of the N1 (seen elsewhere), it seems there are 5 RJ45s and 1 SFP. By chance, did you try the S1 Eco without the N1 switch?

will be interested in how that goes. As someone who only streams music, I'm interested in how a good CD transport would compare. Have fun!

Love the clickbait title! And glad you have your Schitt together (sorry). I purchased a Modius DAC when my usual DAC (at the time) needed repair since I wanted to use the same AES input cable and balanced output cables. What a surprise! Really enjoyable from the moment I plugged it in. At that price, astounding. Had expected to listen mostly to background music to get me through the weeks needed for the repair, but ended up enjoying it on all kinds of music. Schitt gear is the perfect demonstration of diminishing returns.

Among other qualities, the reviewer mentioned the high frequencies "...the treble was open, lively, and sonorous, and its clarity and energy made me shake my head in disbelief and awe more than once." Now that I've had the MU2 for three months (and not before that length of time), I agree that this is the perfect description of what I'm hearing too. It seems to me that it might take three months to fully break in the MU2. Have other owners found that it takes a while for full break in. This phenomenon reminds me of an interview with the designer of the Antipodes line of gear who said digital gear continues to break in for one year and has approximately three month cycles of improvement. Perhaps he is onto something...

just curious about the size of the room, if you could approximate the dimensions and ceiling height.

I did not intend to imply that optimization does not work with the MU2. I myself use a passive filter after having tried active solutions. After reading several nervous posts (on another site) asking about the "best" optimizations from folks who have not heard the level of reproduction from an MU2, it made me think that there are audiophiles who want to try streaming but may not have the inclination, budget or space for some of the extensive optimizations that have been mentioned. Under the philosophy of "get the big things right first," I would suggest to those folks that the biggest single factor in hearing truthful reproduction from streaming is to get the streamer right, that is, find the streamer that works for your setup. Since the MU2 includes a DAC and volume control, it can easily be slipped into your setup during an in-home demo. I assume that all networks are different, starting with the service provided by the ISP (which can also include the router/wifi/modem unit). Then there is the wiring in your home, etc., etc. My assumption is that some networks will require more care than others. If one hasn't optimized the network, it makes sense to me that the server selection should come first. You might find, as I did, that simply plugging an ethernet cable into the MU2 resulted in a very engaging musical experience. Then, as budget, time and space allows, start your optimization experiments.

My favorite sentence was: "The MU2 suits me." I nodded when I read that and thought "exactly." In the end, that is all that can be said and all that matters.