GRIMM AUDIO | LINEAR TUBE AUDIO (LTA) | ZELLATON |
GRIMM AUDIO | LINEAR TUBE AUDIO (LTA) | ZELLATON |
The Grimm Audio room is always a rather commanding demonstration of the “less is more” philosophy. That is to say, that with the Grimm Audio MU2 DAC/streamer/preamplifier at the helm of any system (as I’m experiencing at home) that system’s ability will immediately rise to a level far above where it had been prior to the MU2, regardless of that system’s cost.
In this room the assembled system—Grimm Audio MU2, LTA, and the Zellaton—a modestly appointed system, at best, put on a performance, the likes of which a number of the big rooms and many others sought to do, but could not. There is an explanation for this (see MU2) but I will not offer it now, in its entirety. Suffice to say, there there was music in this room, that existed on another level above a good many of the systems at the show.
This simple system, comprised of only three components(!) and, of course, its cabling, stands at the open door of Best of Show for AXPONA and easily so.
One imagines manufacturers of the $100k plus streamers and DACs and ‘collections’ thereof must be worried. Given the rather obvious talents of the Grimm Audio MU2, I certainly would, as it is truly a breakthrough component and it is a fraction of their cost!
System:
Grimm Audio MU2 Streaming DAC - $17,500
Linear Tube Audio ZOTL Ultralinear Power Amplifier - $6,800
Zellaton Emotion EVO loudspeaker - $44,750 pr
They took my request of Christian McBrides’ “Fat Back and Green” (xxx) a piece that I know quite well. The the PAP Duet 15’s disappeared, the stage was broad and deep, and there was good articulation and the dynamics were also quite good.
This room represented what was a very interesting phenomenon, which was that several small rooms had orchestrated wonderful systems that the bigger rooms could not match, with a rare exception here and there. This room was one of those rooms and got high points from me to easily being one of the best sounds of the show.