All the old furniture was sold or donated, and decades of accumulated stuff was subjected to triage (sell, donate, or store). All my audio equipment, parts, and tools suffered the same fate. Downtown, my listening was via pretty decent headphones (B&W Px8, Audeze LCD-XC) connected to a Mytek Brooklyn II DAC and my PC. Meanwhile, we were very busy shopping to equip the "new" apartment.
I have never really enjoyed headphone listening (and now I know it's likely I never will), so our recent return home was a relief in so many ways. We still have a "punch list" of things we're not satisfied with or that simply have not yet been done. Furniture and other appurtenances arrive on someone else's schedule. And I can't overnight resurrect a complex and evolving audio system with a new wiring arrangement; nor is it trivial for an apartment dweller to find storage space for all the now-empty cartons.
An all-in-one streamer-DAC-preamp would not have held much appeal for me if my old system was up and running. This, however, was a different time, and I was offered the Grimm MU2 for review with ideal timing. I had just unboxed two of the KEF Blade 2 speakers (the third was still stuffed in a shower stall with other paraphernalia), and I thought I knew where the Benchmark amps were in our basement storage shed. All I had to do was scramble for a few cables, and the MU2 would let me turn on the music in my home for the first time since last Thanksgiving.
What's new in the MU2?
While unpacking the MU2 and getting all my ducks in a row, I went back and read John Atkinson's favorable review of the MU1,2 a task I encourage; doing so will reward readers interested in Grimm's digital technology. Comparing that information with Grimm's documentation for the MU2, we learn that the MU2 is an MU1 streamer with an added DAC and a basic analog "preamp" controller, packaged in the same chassis as the MU1.
Denne historien er fra August 2024-utgaven av Stereophile.
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Denne historien er fra August 2024-utgaven av Stereophile.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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My last Far East trip
First comes the anticipation, that initial jet of warm water, that miraculous searching, finding the sweet spot, then heaven on earth as it cleans and caresses.
Riding the Common Wave
In the e-commerce era, brick-and-mortar dealerships must give customers compelling reasons to stop by. Los Angeles hi-fi dealership Common Wave's owner Wesley Katzir keeps customers coming through the door with a simple idea: that music matters in our everyday lives and that what he enjoys, other people will enjoy, too.
Mind Games to the bottom of the rabbit hole
After a wild decade in the biggest pop music group ever, John Lennon's post-Beatles years were spent in protest, in various kinds of therapy, in immigration court, and in search of a new musical identity.
Trane meets the Motor City
Detroit became a destination for migrating African Americans early, starting with the Underground Railroad; the city's proximity to Canada was convenient for those seeking to escape Southern slavery.
Vital art never rests
At this late date, it seems impossible that there could still be \"lost\" albums lingering in the vaults by musicians as important and successful as Johnny Cash and Paul McCartney.
DUKE IN 10
TO COMMEMORATE THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF DUKE'S DEATH, ROBERT BAIRD SELECTS A DOUBLE HANDFUL OF EXEMPLARY TRACKS FROM PERHAPS AMERICA'S GREATEST MUSICAL GENIUS.
Piega Coax Gen2 811
It's funny how we discover some music in unexpected, twisting ways.
Pass Laboratories XP-27
One of the pleasures of reviewing-and also using-products from Pass Laboratories is an encounter with Nelson Pass's writing, which can usually be found in the owner's manual and is always competent, insightful, and sometimes funny.
EMT 928 II
Modern turntables are a paradox.
Dynaudio Contour 30i
Ah, Denmark. Land of the Vikings and blue-eyed, blond-haired folk with faces sculpted just so.
