The Grimm MU2 Sound
Contents
How do you describe loving your child? Or your life partner? If someone were to ask me to put into words the love for my son or wife, you would get – probably – a lot of uh’s and uhmmm’s…. To then perhaps regurgitate some clichés. But hey: the clichés are mostly true, aren’t they?
Invisible
At the Grimm MU2, we don’t want to fall into clichés. But I’m afraid we’re not going to escape that. How do you describe a device that doesn’t want to ‘be there’? How do you describe the reproduction of a device that steps out of the chain to allow you – the listener – to listen to source as best you can?
So what the Grimm MU2 does incredibly well is to be invisible. We didn’t actually notice this until we start comparing it to other – also good – streamers and dacs. The biggest difference is in the blackness and calmness that the Grimm MU2 manages to realize. We just get very, very calm from the presentation of this player. It plays with such incredible ease and authority that it seems like it’s all effortless.
Think of a big, luxury car with a V12 driving down the highway at 100 Kmh: it does so without any effort. And if it needs to overtake, it does so in a flash. Without drama… without noise… That’s the MU2… no matter how complex the music gets: there is always room for more layers, dynamics or detail.
Martijn puts it aptly in his notes when talking about Hania Rani’s “Buka.”
But what is truly amazing is the microdynamics in the notes. This gives the playing humanity and you hear someone playing, rather than a stream of notes.
Headroom
What strikes your author above all is the headroom in this streamer and also pre-amp. Because let’s mention those separately: the analog pre-amp is just amazing! Unbelievable. It is a transparent hatch with a striking refinement, neutrality and tranquility. As mentioned before: there is really no need for a separate pre-amp with the MU2. In fact: chances are that it makes the reproduction less good.
But back to the headroom. There seems to be no saturation point in the Grimm MU2. We hear layer upon layer upon layer on the test tracks we play. Martijn has a knack for acutely complex pieces. Think “Colin Currie Group – Music for 18 musicians.” (No, not necessarily nice to listen to, but terribly difficult for many a system and therefore interesting as a test track). The Grimm MU2 puts it down with no problem. When we next take our Sonnet Pasithea, it is still very good, but a little more intrusive. So yes … there is something special going on here.
Grimm Sound?
It can also be heard in the review video what we think of the Grimm MU2. This written version goes a little deeper into the technology. And it adds some measurements. But what your author would like to elaborate on is the “Grimm Sound.” Although it may be a bit silly to call it a “Sound”. After all: these are devices that precisely do not want to be present…. right?
Yes indeed! But what is striking is that the Grimm MU2 is reminiscent of the Grimm LS1be. That was one of the first active systems that completely blew your author away. And not by sounding spectacular. On the contrary. It played extremely refined, tight, controlled … but without brushing emotion away from the music. It was a speaker system that managed to translate the core of the music. Without drama or fireworks.
It never left us. The Grimm LS1be is and remains a very desirable speaker. Just as the Grimm MU2 is a very desirable streamer / dac / pre-amp. And will continue to be. And that… is actually quite spectacular again.
Jaap — The “Notify me of new posts by email” has never notified me.
I wonder what effect your almost entirely not evaluating the better tube gear is affecting your view of what’s possible. It’s the question I asked myself after many years with a PS Audio Directstream I dac.
That is odd. It should work, although it only works for news for some reason. Check your spam. Maybe its there.
I can check tube gear. It is not that i am avoiding it :-).
Thanks, that’s helpful. Should I take it you don’t deal much with tube gear? I’m under the impression that LampizatOr being Polish is ubiquitous at shows in Europe, invariably with top end systems, and has a good following there. VAC being American (Florida), I’m not sure about, although in the U.S. their amps/preamps often show with Lampi and Von Schweikert speakers.
Hello Gene. We don’t review or compare tube equipment a lot. We’ve done some comparisons or used equipment with a tube in the past, but it is not our field of knowledge.
I do know that, although tube is being associated with ‘warm sounding’, it varies a lot too, depending on the design.
But although Grimm is very open sounding, natural and agile, in character it would probably not fit what most lovers of tube based components are looking for.
It’s funny, Hans Beekhuyzen characterized the MU1 as warm and in his comments said the MU2 is the same.
I would say it sounds very fluid and natural. Easy going… But not warm.
Thanks. Btw, your notification system doesn’t work.
Hey Gene! What notification system are you referring to?
I had a grimm mu1 on test, it wasn’t a bad device, but I personally don’t like what’s inside the box and the mu2 didn’t convince me either, no linear power supply, too small a box and too few parts which in my opinion are not worth 18000eur, MU1 played clean, detailed but to me it was a bit sterile and clinical and also thin with less space. For a similar price, I finally bought the playbackdesigns MPD8, which seems to me more musical, fatter and at the same time very detailed, but I would definitely like to listen to the MU2 as well
The number of parts is definitely not a criterium in my book. I will never understand people judging equipment like that. Just use your ears, as far as I am concerned.
not quite, why should I pay 18k for cheap accessories, for example? just because of the brand? I agree that parts are not everything, but there are manufacturers who worship a lot for nothing
I’m not saying it’s a case of grimm, I heard mu1 and my ears said, for example, this is not the sound you want
There is a sound for everyone. If we all like the same, it would be boring, right?
Yes of course 😉
Maybe it was not the sound that you needed. It’s always the combination of a whole lot of parameters from which the Grimm takes a few. It could be a mismatch with your setup no matter the quality level. The most important thing is to level the equipment and the room to a certain level. Find a good balance and from there it’s a matter of tuning. In the end it’s always difficult to point out which device is most natural and which is less. This is where reviews kick in. I think the ultimate sound should be for everyone’s taste.
True
Hi, I know Bruno Putzeys has worked together with the people at Grimm and I think as designers they are a little bit of the same school. In Bruno’s Mola Mola Tambaqui DAC he has also some novel ways of doing D/A conversion. It would be interesting to hear if there are similarities in the sound of the Grimm MU2 D/A converter compared to Mola Mola Tambaqui.
It sounds like the Grimm MU2 D/A converter is really special. If it’s that good it would be of interest to see a pure consumer D/A for all of us that don’t stream. It sounds like Grimm are already doing D/A converters for professional use. Best regards.
I have heard the Tambaqui a few times, but I am not very familiar with it. I have heard a lot of different DA converters though, and I cannot recall any other DA converter that doesn’t sound so unlike a DA converter as the MU2. So that rules out the Tambaqui as well.
It is very hard to put down in words. No, it isn’t like vinyl. No, it doesn’t sound ‘more analogue’. It is not HiFi anymore. It is ‘just music’.
Informative review. Before I upgraded from ATC SCM 40A to the 50 ASLT (and subs), I questioned others online about the Grimm active speaker(s). In particular, I asked if it had at least a touch of warmth, which I find need of for musical enjoyment vs. hardware listening. Without exception, Grimm owners steered me away. In light of that, I’m wondering where the MU2 fits in. I currently use a Lampi Golden Gate 3 dac, VAC Master preamp and modified digital only Oppo as a primary source for CDs and files from an SSD (USB). Streaming is in the future. Thanks,
Hi Gene, if you are looking for warm(ish) sound, the MU2 is not for you. The MU2 is very natural and neutral. I don’t know the equipment you are listing, so I have no auditory reference.