Intro
Contents
New firmware is rarely a reason to update a review, but the firmware of the Grimm MU2 introduces new features and thus increases its usability.
The MU2 is a streamer, Roon music server, DAC, analog preamplifier, and headphone amplifier. Streaming was previously only possible using Roon, but the new firmware introduces UPnP and Tidal Connect.
What remains
The hallmark of the Grimm MU2 is its completely effortless, transparent sound. Everything you can imagine about the sound of a DAC or CD player does not apply to the MU2. The player does not sound ‘digital’, but it also sounds different from a turntable. It is reminiscent of listening to a live concert broadcast through a very good FM receiver from the last millennium. That also sounded so effortless and close, as if the orchestra was plucked from the air.
The other aspect is that all the music you play sounds unobtrusive; it is not about impressive sound but about melody and harmonies. Agnetha and Frida in ABBA’s “Eagle” are in proportion, and you are listening to two excellent singers whose voices blend in a way that is still unique. The guitar solo starting at 3 minutes takes you away. The magic of this music is enduring: expressing so much with so few notes.