German online audiophile magazine Fair Audio published an in depth review of the MU1. Editor Ralph Werner did a long interview with Eelco Grimm and part of his review is a well written narrative of that – an interesting read. Of course he also enjoyed the MU1’s music playback. In his words:
“If you’re looking for the complete opposite of a one-note bass, here you have it. Even with a run-of-the-mill bass line like in “Compersion, Pt.1” from the new Arab Strap album As Days Get Dark it is clear: with the Grimm it comes across as powerful, elastic and rich in information.
(…) the decisive factor is the high-resolution spirit that the Grimm MU1 shows – in a “multifaceted” way: be it across the frequency band, be it with impulses and the onset and fading of tones, be it in spatial terms – the Grimm server is a model student and traces everything meticulously.
(…) I’ve often listened to “Teclo” from the legendary PJ Harvey album To Bring You My Love. The little bell halfway to the right at the beginning usually comes across quite well – but there is a difference between “quite well” and “almost frighteningly holographic”. As if Grimm were using a very fine, sharp modeling spatula, as if scraping off the last frayed edges, the MU1 uncovers this little bell completely; one almost has the impression that you can pluck it like an apple from the tree. Wow, one rarely experiences such a blatant holographic show. (…) Then Polly Jean starts to sing and I secretly christen the Grimm MU1 “Stage Sculptor”. It’s not every day that sound is so sculptural.
(…) Grimm Audio’s MU1 is one of the best music servers I’ve seen so far. Don’t be fooled by the elegant, understated look – the little box, weighing just four and a half kilos, is in the heavyweight class in terms of price and sound.”
“Almost frighteningly holographic”
Ralph Werner, Fair Audio
