ADC device for WiiM Pro

[iconoclast]

I want to bypass the ADC.
I'd prefer not to have my entire audio chain in 48 kHz due to WiiM/LinkPlay multi-room limitations, but I'm fine with it when doing multi-room with a USB DAC as source.
I'd also like to avoid having to get an RME ADI-2 Pro (I believe SteadyClock FS would work for this) due to cost reasons. Is there a lower cost standalone device out there that people are using?

 

[JLGF1]

Pretty much any DAC with a Toslink input.

I use the Fosi K5 and use the tone controls as pseudo shelf filters until the WiiM PEQ comes along (supposedly in late July).

 

[iconoclast]

I am afraid it is not that simple for my use case. I will try to explain it without having to draw things.

When using multi-room, and using the WiiM Pro S/PDIF input as source for the multi-room, the input cannot be above 48 kHz or there will be silence (I have tested this extensively, with much hair tear-out). It doesn't downsample.

I want to use my computer where I do the bulk of my media consumption as main source for both the setup in that room, and being able to pipe that audio to the rest of my house.

But I do not want to have to switch the output sample rate of the computer to 48 kHz whenever I want to use multi-room. That will get old really fast.

So I want >48 kHz output on the computer that gets piped to my Genelec setup in that room, and then have a (digital) branch off that audio into a downsampled/reclocked 48 kHz WiiM/LinkPlay world.

I have concluded I need an ADC in the chain. I may be wrong, but I don't think I am. The only one-stop units I believe could do all of this is RME ADI-2 Pro FS (and the 2/4), and I love RME gear (I have an UFX for music production), but I am trying not to spend exorbitant amounts of money on this.

 

[voodooless]

Why would you prefer an DAC-ADC-DAC over resampling?

Also, your setup is still not very clear, can you expand on that?

 

[iconoclast]

Why would you prefer an DAC-ADC-DAC over resampling?

Also, your setup is still not very clear, can you expand on that?

I need to do the resampling somewhere, that's what the ADC is going to do before it passes on a digital signal to the WiiM (since that input is transparent). @VintageFlanker showed that the WiiM Pro's ADC is very poor.
Is there an option I am missing here?
I guess I need to draw a picture. I'll get back on that. I am guessing most people are using WiiM with streaming apps and do not have similar issues. I, however, do not.

 

[iconoclast]

On a high level this is what I want to achieve

- Computer (96 kHz. I listen to a lot of 24/96 material, and I do music production at that fidelity as well and want to do critical listening of that in this room as well)
  - DAC
    - [96 kHz] Genelec w/ GLM (long term AES/EBU, but analog right now)
    - Headphones
    - [48 kHz] WiiM Pro (S/PDIF)
      - a bunch of rooms

This would be great

- Computer
  - DAC/ADC
    - Genelec
    - Headphones
    - WiiM Pro

A less expensive alternative I am considering (hence this thread)

- Computer
  - DAC
    - Genelec
    - Headphones
    - ADC
      - WiiM Pro

Currently this is what I'm working with:

- Computer
  - Topping D10 Balanced (might change it to an SMSL PO100 AK)
    - [TRS] Genelec 7350A/8320APM w/ GLM
    - [Coax] Topping DX5
      - Headphones
    - [S/PDIF] WiiM Pro   <--- this is my limiting factor now. If this is not 48 kHz the device is nonfunctional for multi-room use
      - a bunch of WiiM Minis and a few other LinkPlay devices

 

[voodooless]

Doesn’t the WIIM automatically downsample to 48 kHz for multi room?

 

[iconoclast]

No, that is the crux.

 

[voodooless]

No, that is the crux.

Not according to this post:

WiiM Pro - Review & Measurements (Streamer)

And a general question: was there a measured device (streamer) that DOES NOT measure well for the WIFI - SPDIF out scenario ?! We can imagine that some streamers may apply oversampling or having a bad hardware implementation. I don't have examples in mind, but I'm sure there is some. I've...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[iconoclast]

From my tests, it will be downsampled as long as you do not use the S/PDIF input, so streaming from the app for instance. I would guess it is probably being downsampled in software and not hardware.

I received word from the support saying, and I quote, "[t]his is a limitation of WiiM Pro and it only supports up to 48kHz via SPDIF input", but as I didn't fully agree with that wording in a general sense, I've asked for clarification that the statement only applies to multi-room (since it does support passthrough of 192 kHz via the S/PDIF in/out), but haven't received an answer yet.

 

[zeropoint]

Perhaps you need something like a Behringer SRC2496 Ultramatch Pro?

 

[iconoclast]

Perhaps you need something like a Behringer SRC2496 Ultramatch Pro?

Hmm, yeah, or something that's less discontinued and has a bit of a smaller footprint. Thanks for the suggestion though!

 

[iconoclast]

I didn't end up finding anything for a moderate amount of money, but my main gripe with WiiM Pro has been resolved with the latest firmware update:

4.8.530554
Optical Input Boost: Now enjoy multi-room audio over 48 kHz/16-bit on optical input

Even if it internally resamples (unclear), this means it's no longer a lowest common denominator in my audio chain.