Grimm SQM , TPR vs Studer (blue) and Studer (Yellow and Black) RCA Interconnect and matching with UMI

Letter from Hong Kong (24-5): ELO fails to better "Studer" Cable

First of all, I wish you a happy and prosperous Year of the Loong (gone is the evil Western dragon). Good health and wealth and improvements to your stereo setup!

I have always been interested in Grimm's products and I had read a lot of rave reviews of SQM. MRSP is about $5600 in HK, which I think is a bit over my budget. When I noticed it's selling at half the price second-hand on R33, I immediately took the plunge! After all, it has been voted as best interconnect in 2020; gotta have some bearing on the sound quality! I hooked it up between my Aiyima A08 Pro and UMI and started listening. My initial impression was that it is very even through the spectrum and it sounded really neutral with no edges. I let the music play for a few days and then assessed it seriously. I decided to listen for 3-4 days before making a conclusion subjectively.

Before the purchase I got another "Studer" cable in blue coating but the sound was not at all the same as the old one I have been using at. My old "Studer" with the black and yellow tweed cotton sheath had long become an integral part of my system. Doctorjohn still thinks it is Sommer SC Club Mk II in disguise (see here; Ed: Keep in mind the tweed cloth sheath does have an effect on the sound!). Please send me a Sommer to try out!

I seldom host Home Visits lately. Although I think my home system is now probably at its best ever (by far) I do sometime wonder if I'm the only one who feel this way. Finally, one day my friend Dr Lo came and he was quite impressed and said there had been marked improvements since last time. He said the soundstage is wide and imaging if instruments well sized. Decay and harmonics abundant and there is a sense of coherence and overall balance. He reckons his system may have better midrange vocals whch I'd not be surprised about (as well as better microdynamics). Hope I can visit his place soon. He's also impressed by the sound produced by the miniscule and cheap setup. Give you an idea, the amplification part including cables and UMI is less than USD 500! In my listening experience, my system can easily compete with those costing 10 times as much.

Grimm For me, using "Studer" cables at both ends of my UMI makes it sound its best. Replacing even one with TPR (Ed: here was the first time ELO was disappointed by Grimm; I'm surprised he gave the brand a second chance), SQM or the other blue "Studer" the loss of the magic is felt immediately. After prolonged listening to this Studer/UMI setup, let me sum up:

With the Studer/UMI thus wired, I experience Live Music in my Living Room at close distance!  The sense of being there was so immediate that I ran through over 600 of my favorite tracks on Tidal. Every single time I was engaged to my innermost core. Be it classical, jazz, Canto or Western pop, the sound is natural, balanced, spike-free and without grain. There is good layering and microdynamics are preserved. Tonally, it's neither fat nor thin and midrange is clear as a stream. Well, it has everything!

Without a doubt, the performance is approaching new heights! Every now and then, I'm looking at further upgrade but I'm currently in such a great place that I'm afraid any new gear may not match the old! The UMI/Studer is performing like a signal enhancer, albeit one that adds nothing to mask the sound.

I tried so hard to persuade someone that I almost lost him as a friend! That's how much I am a believer! Sorry, dude, that was so unlike me. Currently, 3 other friends jumped on my bandwagon to join a group buy organized by icefox. Hurry up icefox, with all my talk my friends are impatient, LOL.

I should add that, for maximal performance, from Wifi Router all the way to speakers, every single piece of gear is actually grounded with Entreq Micro or DIY Tourmaline boxes.

I watched the latest video by Steve Huff on the new AXXESS Forte all-in-one amp and I was drooling over it. Maybe AAVIK amps? Maybe the newly released Eversolo Amp F-2 (800 Euros). Well, maybe...

聘珍樓初一開年飯

The Garoupa is steamed to perfection

The Crispy Chicken Skin is so crunchy！

The Fried Rice was a highlight!