The Grimm MU2

Audio Components
486

Interesting to ponder if the canceled PSA music server product would have been a worthy competitor to the Grimm?

487

Does anyone use the MU2 with BACHH for Mac? I donā€™t have either but I am in IT and I do roadmaps. MU2 could very much be soon but I want to make sure with something like my Matrix 2 I can use them together if the MU2 is my pre and dac. And I guess my roon server too.

Also how does one trigger amps (I have BHK300s) if your MU2 is the pre?

488

I have an MU2 and both a BACCH-SP adio and Bacch4Mac. They work very well together. The MU2 can stream to the B4M which then outputs to the MU2 so you can listen to the B4M via the MU2 DAC. As the MU2 does not have a USB input, I used a Matrix 2 to convert USB to either AES or SPDIF. This worked swell. Yes I used a proper external power supply with the Matrix.

Eelco seemed to design the MU2 to work perfectly with B4M. It does.

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489

Thanks Al

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490

The MU2 does not have (sadly) a 12v trigger cable port to turn on amplifiers.
If you already know this, I donā€™t know a work-around.

491

So how do you handle it? Leave amps on all the time or turn on and off manually

492

Another 12v supply that you can switch on and off? It could be a very inexpensive supply.

493

I turn the amps on/off manually. I have 600ā€™s, so, like your 300ā€™s, I want to save power and tube life.

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494

One of these with a 12v input from say the right amperage wall wort gives you a remote on off.

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495

I think having a slave boy turn on your amps for you could be fun as well.

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496

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497

Brian needs a mini-me Brian to do the awful leaning over and hitting large switches stuff. The agony! I hate time away from my chair.

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498

If I wanted to get out of my chair all the time I would spin vinyl

But seriously if the amps are of for a bit donā€™t they need warm up time? I hate waiting

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499

Some have commented that there is some startup time till perfect. I really havenā€™t noticed as I think my startup time is just as long.

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500

They do sound better warmed up.

I do not mind this as I find listening to the sound change interesting of itself.

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501

Mine has a power switch on the front. I turn my gear on an hour before listening. When the amp is glowing orange it is ready.

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502

Considering purchasing the Grimm MU2, and wondering if anyone has tested and compared it against the PS Audio MKII DAC? I currently stream Qobuz from Roon via AirLens to the MKII. Itā€™s a bit disappointing that the MKII DAC isnā€™t receiving more software updates, which was part of the reason I upgraded from the MKI to the MKII. My Norwegian dealer will also no longer be stocking new products from PS Audio, so upgrading from the MKII to the new PMG is not an option for me. Therefore, Iā€™m a bit worried about being stuck with a product that will be difficult to sell on the Norwegian market since there will no longer be a Norwegian distributor of the brand. I donā€™t have the option to test the Grimm MU2 in my setup, so the question is whether itā€™s worth the investment to replace the MKII + AirLens with the Grimm MU2?

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503

In my opinion, if you have the financial means to replace the AirLens and DSD MK2 with a Grimm MU2, do it! The MU2 is a more versatile unit and the vast majority of users (myself included) who have owned both the MK2 and MU2 will confirm the MU2 sounds better.

Unfortunately, the MK2 is already a difficult component to sell. Many are on the market in anticipation of upgrading to the PMG. This will only get worse as many MK2 users have voiced disappointment in the announced trade-in program ($3000) which could further contribute to the high number of units on the used market.

Although Iā€™m reluctant to use the term ā€œinvestmentā€ regarding most elements of this hobby, I expect the MU2 will hold its value better and be easier to resell than the MK2.

6 Likes
504

A Marantz Link-10n is another option. However, with any new purchase, you should consider whether itā€™s absolutely necessary to replace the existing component.

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505

Thanks, Iā€™m completely dependent on selling or trading in my AirLens + MKII at a good price before I invest in the MU2. This might be difficult since my local dealer in Norway has stopped selling PSA products. The MU2 is also not available for home trial or demo or test it in my system, but I have requested a quote for the MU2 from another dealer. Iā€™m very happy with the sound from the MKII + Airlens, but the desire for something new and better is always there :slight_smile: The rest of my setup is a Soulution 331 and Piega C711, which is, by the way, a fantastic combo.

2 Likes