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The Hidden Home Ten: systems that end the search

The Hidden Home Ten are the best hi-fi systems we know of, chosen by Dan Crick for anyone who would like to buy once and then simply listen. They are built around electronics from Grimm Audio, Gryphon, Innuos, McIntosh and Mola Mola, with speakers from Ø Audio, Grimm Audio and Sonus faber.

By Dan Crick, founder of Hidden Home Technology. Last updated 15 October 2026.

Each system on this page is complete from the source to the speakers, and each is one I would be happy to stop at. Once we have set it up properly in your room you can get on with listening to music instead of wondering what to change next.

You will notice the same few makers coming up again and again. It is for good reason, so if anything I would apologise for not apologising.

Every system uses Townshend F1 Fractal cabling throughout, and all but the Grimm systems draw their power through Gryphon mains conditioning.

These are the first six and there are more to come. You can read what the critics make of many of the parts in our Hi-Fi Review Bible.

1. Grimm MU1 and LS1c

System 1 pairs the Grimm Audio MU1 streamer with Grimm’s LS1c active speakers and two Grimm SB1 subwoofers, so it is Grimm from the streamer to the speakers.

In my review of the Grimm MU2 I said that an MU1 with a pair of Grimm’s LS1 speakers would make a phenomenal system, so this is that system at full stretch. The LS1c sits at the top of the LS1 range and carries its own amplification and signal processing inside each speaker. The SB1 is the subwoofer Grimm make to partner it.

Grimm come from the studio world and have a deep understanding of clocking and jitter. For records I would add a McIntosh MT10 or MT5 turntable and play it through Grimm’s own PW1 phono stage.

Price: on request

2. Grimm MU2 and PA1

System 2 is the Grimm Audio MU2 with two of Grimm’s PA1 monoblock power amplifiers driving a pair of Ø Audio Icon 12 speakers.

By the time I reviewed the MU2 I had lived with it for about a year, and I summed it up as compact and epic. It puts a streamer, a DAC and a preamplifier in one small box, and I think its relay-based volume control is exceptional. So all it needs is power amplification and a pair of speakers.

Grimm now make that amplification themselves. The PA1 is a monoblock, so one drives each of the Ø Audio Icon 12s.

Price: on request

3. Grimm MU2 and Gryphon Diablo 333

System 3 takes the Grimm Audio MU2 into the Gryphon Diablo 333 integrated amplifier and a pair of Ø Audio Icon 12 speakers. Its power comes through Gryphon PowerZone 3 mains conditioning.

I said in my review that the Diablo 333 is the best integrated amplifier I have ever heard. It starts each note as cleanly as a Chord and finishes it with the tonal colour of a McIntosh. Every player in the mix is there all the time. We have run the MU2 into the Diablo ourselves, and in this system it is the streamer and the DAC.

Price: on request

4. Innuos, Mola Mola and Sonus faber

System 4 sends music from the Innuos ZENith NG server and its PhoenixUSB board to Mola Mola’s Tambaqui DAC, Makua preamplifier and two Kaluga monoblocks. They drive a pair of Sonus faber Maxima Amator speakers.

When I reviewed the Innuos ZEN NG I had it feeding a Mola Mola Tambaqui through the PhoenixUSB board, and this system grows from that front end. The PhoenixUSB made such a remarkable difference that I never went back. I know the Tambaqui well enough to use it as my reference.

Here the server moves up to the ZENith NG, and Mola Mola’s own Makua preamplifier and Kaluga monoblocks carry the music to a pair of Sonus faber’s floorstanding Maxima Amator.

Price: on request

5. McIntosh valves with Ø Audio Verdande

In system 5 the Grimm Audio MU2 feeds the McIntosh C12000 preamplifier, and two McIntosh MC3500 Mk II valve monoblocks drive a pair of Ø Audio Verdande speakers.

Before the Gryphon arrived I was in love with my McIntosh. Ethereal is the word I use for its sound. This system takes McIntosh valve amplification to the top of the range. The C12000 preamplifier lets you switch its output between valves and solid state, and the two MC3500 Mk II monoblocks deliver 350 watts each.

The MU2 is the source here. Because the C12000 has phono stages of its own, an MT10 or MT5 turntable can join the system whenever you like. The speakers move up from the Icon 12 to Ø Audio’s Verdande.

Price: on request

6. Gryphon with Ø Audio Ymir

System 6 is built from the top of two ranges. Gryphon’s Apollo turntable, Commander preamplifier and Apex power amplifier play through Ø Audio’s flagship Ymir speakers.

After a couple of months with Gryphon’s Diablo 333 I wrote that it does something you can’t buy anywhere else, apart perhaps from Gryphon’s own Apex and Commander, and that for those you need many more square metres and many more zeros on the budget. This system is built around those two.

The Commander and the Apex sit at the top of Gryphon’s range. The Apollo is Gryphon’s flagship turntable and the Ymir is Ø Audio’s flagship speaker.

Price: on request

Hearing them

Our listening room in Bath is open by appointment. Get in touch to tell us which system interests you, and we will talk it through and arrange a listen where we can.

Frequently asked questions

Which hi-fi system should I buy?

The right one depends on your room and on how you listen, so the best start is a conversation with us. If you play records, systems 1 and 6 include a turntable and system 5 can take one. Systems 1 to 5 all stream music.

What do all the systems have in common?

Townshend F1 Fractal cabling runs through all six. Gryphon PowerZone 3 mains conditioning feeds systems 3 to 6, so only the two Grimm systems go without it.

How much does a Hidden Home Ten system cost?

Each system is priced on request, so get in touch and we will put a price together for the one that interests you.

Where can I read reviews of the Grimm MU2 and the Gryphon Diablo 333?

Dan Crick wrote his review of the Grimm Audio MU2 after about a year of living with it, and his review of the Gryphon Diablo 333 calls it the best integrated amplifier he has ever heard. What the press make of many of the other parts is summed up in our Hi-Fi Review Bible.

About the author

Dan Crick founded Hidden Home Technology in Bath and has worked in high-end audio for 25 years. The company is a member of CEDIA, and its installations have won Gold and Silver at the URC Unsurpassed Awards. There is more about Dan and the team on our About us page.