After trying these footers with the La Diva M2, I was stunned at the magnitude of improvement! To my surprise, this brought the CD transport not just a little, but a lot closer to the Aqua LinQ, and to what I regard as the Aqua House Sound. In my system, it currently lacks conviction and expression.Īt this point in time, I received two long-awaited sets of StillPoints Ultra SS V2. Now, the MU1 sounds very much in line with how I perceived most Roon-based servers all along: very smooth and organic, but quite lush and relaxed, which is not how I prefer it. However, the MU1’s last two firmware upgrades, combined with the recent Roon updates (now on version 2.0, Build 1143), significantly changed the server’s sound. And that is why I added it to my stable of reference components. Somehow, even though it runs Roon (version 1.8 at that time), it managed to sound almost on par with the Aqua LinQ using UPnP or HQPlayer. Inexplicably, the only deviation that I found to this was the Grimm MU1. Throughout its many versions, Roon has always sounded pleasant, but to my ears, most of the time a little too much on the smooth and relaxed side. I should also not be too dramatic about this because it also ties in with system synergy and personal taste. Sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. I absolutely love the Roon interface but I think it’s known among audiophiles that its sonic presentation has a tendency to change with every software update. But the bigger reason is that the Grimm MU1 music server has changed.Īs I make comparisons with other equipment all the time, I was already aware of the MU1 having changed as a result of recent updates but it wasn’t until I listened to the La Diva M2 again that I noticed just how much the MU1 had changed. One reason for this is that it was now positioned on an Artesania KSH2 Krion shelf that itself sits on top of an Artesania Aire floor platform, which is basically a very low version of the Exoteryc rack. Upon first listening using the transport’s own compliant rubber feet, the La Diva M2 sounded very familiar, but no longer quite as laidback as I remembered it. Fortunately, Marco was happy to bring it around. But now, this has changed. How? I’m glad you asked! My explanation is a little long-winded, so please bear with me.įor a recent review of the Jay’s Audio CDT3-Mk3 CD transport, I asked Marco Oudheusden of Hexagon Audio (our local Aqua distributor) if I could borrow the La Diva M2 once more to serve as a reference. The M2 scored points in many areas over the original Diva (refinement, flow, low-level resolution, and soundstaging, to just name a few) but its rather smooth and relaxed nature made it not sound quite as expressive and lively as I had anticipated. Both these components represent what I feel is the Aqua house sound and this meant that I approached the new Diva with some reservations. It’s just that I am intimately familiar with the Aqua Formula xHD DAC and the Aqua LinQ. Not better, mind you, but very different nonetheless. When I first reviewed the Aqua La Diva M2, this was when I had just heard the original Mk1 Diva which sounds quite different. In short, with one provision, I now think it is the best CD transport that I have heard. But more pertinently, I have made a very interesting discovery that led to a newfound admiration for the Aqua La Diva M2 drive. Of late, ongoing changes on the streaming front have led to my reassessing the CD medium.
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