Grimm Audio keeps improving its streamers long after they leave the factory. The Dutch company has released a new firmware update for the MU1 and MU2, and at the same time the JPLAY app now offers full integration with both players. With Grimm Audio JPlay support, MU owners get a smoother way to control their music from an iPhone, iPad or Mac.
For Grimm, software is clearly part of the product. Earlier updates added UPnP rendering and Tidal Connect, and this new round builds on that work.
New firmware for MU1 and MU2 ahead of Grimm Audio JPlay integration
The update brings the MU1 to version 2.0.8 and the MU2 to version 1.0.8. On the MU2, Grimm has improved the sound quality of the DA converter and fixed a possible click in the audio when the sample rate changes. On both players, UPnP stability is improved.
That stability matters, because UPnP is the foundation of Grimm’s “JPlay Certified” partnership. Grimm invites all MU1 and MU2 owners to run the update; the instructions are in the software manual, and a change log for each model is available on the Grimm website.
Grimm Audio JPlay: full integration
JPLAY is an audiophile music playback and control app for iOS and macOS. With version 1.4.3 of the app, the integration with the MU1 and MU2 is now complete.
The key is a feature called UPnP Eventing. The MU1 and MU2 support it, and JPLAY now uses it. As a result, the app receives status changes from the streamer in real time. Turn the volume knob, pause playback with the IR remote or use the GRUI web interface, and JPLAY knows about it immediately. Because communication now runs in both directions, control feels seamless. JPLAY also configures all settings automatically when it streams to an MU1 or MU2.
Two months of JPLAY Premium for free
To celebrate the Grimm Audio JPlay partnership, JPLAY offers Grimm customers a free two-month trial of JPLAY Premium. Owners can redeem the offer in the App Store on an iPhone or iPad, after which JPLAY finds the MU1 or MU2 automatically. After the trial, the subscription renews at the standard yearly price, and you can cancel at any time. The offer is limited to one redemption per Apple ID.
Praise from the press
The Grimm Audio JPlay news comes at a good moment for Grimm. In Stereophile’s Brilliant Corners column, Alex Halberstadt describes the MU2 as one of the rare components that “nails both functionality and performance”. Dutch magazine Alpha Audio reviewed the MU2 a second time to try the UPnP and Tidal Connect functions, and The Absolute Sound published an extensive interview in which editor Robert Harley talks with Eelco Grimm about his design philosophy.
Regular readers will remember our coverage of the previous MU1 and MU2 firmware update, which laid the groundwork for this release.
Pricing and availability
The new firmware is available now, free of charge, for all MU1 and MU2 owners. JPLAY 1.4.3 is available in the App Store, and the two-month JPLAY Premium trial is offered to Grimm Audio customers. More details and the change logs are on the Grimm Audio website.
Key specifications
- Products: Grimm Audio MU1 and MU2
- Firmware: MU1 v2.0.8, MU2 v1.0.8
- MU2 improvements: better DAC sound quality, fix for possible click at sample rate changes
- Both players: improved UPnP stability
- App: JPLAY v1.4.3 for iOS and macOS, full integration via UPnP Eventing
- Offer: 2 months of JPLAY Premium free for Grimm customers
- Price: firmware update free of charge
Do you control your streamer with its own app, or would Grimm Audio JPlay integration make you switch?
