Is the Grimm AD1 DSD A/D converter still the best?

RWetmore

New Member
Apr 13, 2013
12
0
0
By 'best' I mean the most accurate and/or true to the source. Not necessarily preferred.

It only operates in 64x, and now most people like to record in at least 128x. But the Grimm sounds so good and true to the source because its ultra low distortion design priority. What do people think?

The Grimm brothers have yet to release an 'AD2' that could do 128x with equally low distortion. Whether they will go that route with their next design is up in the air still I understand.

My experience listening to recordings at 64x, is the AD1 is by far the best still. There is just a tightness and trueness that is unmatched by other converters that sound...well 'soft' and 'gooey' by comparison. Just not as crisp and lifelike.
 

bmoura

Well-Known Member
Sep 6, 2013
417
3
248
An interesting comparison of the Grimm AD1 with another ADC can be found at NativeDSD Music in their "Members Only" area (available by creating a Free NativeDSD account).
There they offer a recording of the same performance of "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" by the Budapest Festival Orchestra conducted by Ivan Fischer.
This recording was made simultaneously with the Grimm AD1 and the Merging Technologies Horus Analog to Digital Converter (ADC).

Listeners were asked to download DSD versions of this classical recording and asked which they preferred on the CA Forum.
The results showed an almost 2 to 1 preference for the version recorded with the Merging Technologies Horus ADC over the Grimm AD1.

I'd suggest downloading the Free DSD Editions of the music (Grimm and Horus) and making the comparison yourself.
You will find it to be an interesting test!

3 - Mendelssohn Session - A Unique DSD Comparison.jpg

https://members.nativedsd.com/albums/mendelssohn-session
https://www.computeraudiophile.com/...ltaneous-DSD64-and-DSD256-Session-Recordings/
http://blog.nativedsd.com/free-dsd-tracks-playing-multichannel-dsd-chopins-last-waltz/
 

RWetmore

New Member
Apr 13, 2013
12
0
0
Thanks, but I don't have the ability to play back the DSD files. I do know though that Jared Sacks at Channel Classics says he still thinks the Grimm sounds the best out of all the converters he's tried, including the Horus. And even though it only operates at 64x.
 

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