Advice on Streamers IAM looking at a WIIM Ultra but have been advised that it would show it's limitations if I were to buy speakers such as Sonus Son

[Phil8]

IAM looking at a WIIM Ultra but have been advised that it would show it's limitations if I were to buy speakers such as Sonus Sonnetto V111 or Spendor A7.If this is true then what Streamer that isn't priced in too high a bracket is a good option. A dealer just yesterday recommended the new node Icon which is £900 here in UK.
I also have the option of using KEF LS 50 meta speakers along with my ROXAN BLAK amp but it appears that the metas only work well with one or even 2 subs,adding another £1100 for pre owned subs on EBay or similar

 

[AudioJester]

Who ever gave you that advice about the WiiM ultra - stay away from them! It will not be a limitation!

Start with budget, room dimensions, treated etc., what you want to achieve

WiiM Ultra, Kali IN8/LP8, Kali WS12 sub is a budget system that allows dsp and will fill most "tiny" UK rooms

 

[antcollinet]

IAM looking at a WIIM Ultra but have been advised that it would show it's limitations if I were to buy speakers such as Sonus Sonnetto V111 or Spendor A7.If this is true then what Streamer that isn't priced in too high a bracket is a good option. A dealer just yesterday recommended the new node Icon which is £900 here in UK.
I also have the option of using KEF LS 50 meta speakers along with my ROXAN BLAK amp but it appears that the metas only work well with one or even 2 subs,adding another £1100 for pre owned subs on EBay or similar

It won't. There is no streamer at any price that can sound better than the ultra, since it measures audibly perfect (defects below the level of human audibility)

I'm guessing the person advising you was in a position to offer you a much higher priced model. That wouldn't be a surprise. Alternatively they're an "audiophile' lost in the world of audiophile folklore where "everything matters, and the number of veils that can be lifted is infinite"

Get the ultra if it has the features you need, and forget about sound quality - which is not an issue with modern electronics.


If you need a sub, and you are in the UK, have a look at BkElec. They offer a range of well performing, and well priced models. But I'd try the LS50s' on their own first. You might be surprised at how good they sound even without a Sub - which you can always add later.

 

[Soniclife]

A dealer just yesterday recommended the new node Icon

If I bet I'd lay good money on that actually performing worse than the ultra.

 

[somebodyelse]

We haven't seen measurements of the Node Icon yet, but they will have to significantly improve on their previous models to equal the Ultra. Even if they do, the difference will most likely be inaudible. The potential for ground related noise issues on the Ultra (inherent in single ended interconnects, which most people seem happy with) is probably the biggest thing against the Ultra, most likely to cause something audible.

The Icon does have a few things some of us were hoping to see in the Ultra - balanced outputs, a decent headphone amp (assuming it matches other THX AAA implementations) and USB input. The Dirac option probably does a better automatic job than the current Wiim automatic EQ, which some might consider worth the extra. You might like the bigger screen too. Does this make it worth the extra? Your call. The lack of squeezebox support would count against it for me.

 

[Sillysilly]

I've moved into Central London with a much smaller listening room and have just got the Ultra to trim down on my box count. I'm running it with Vivid Audio Kaya's and it's certainly not embarrassing itself with decent speakers. Ease of life, Parametric EQ and Sub integration make a huge difference for me and more than make up for any performance loss Vs higher end DAC's. The biggest impact for me by far is room and treatment. I've moved from an irregular shaped XL carpeted listening room with 2x bay windows into a square apartment with hard floors and am now having to get into the treatment game. All fun and games. I'm sure you can better it for 3-4x the price, I want XLR, but, not without a headache.

 

[Purité Audio]

There won’t be any performance lost against higher end dacs, more expensive products may have more features, nicer casework.

Keith

 

[Phil8]

Who ever gave you that advice about the WiiM ultra - stay away from them! It will not be a limitation!

Start with budget, room dimensions, treated etc., what you want to achieve

WiiM Ultra, Kali IN8/LP8, Kali WS12 sub is a budget system that allows dsp and will fill most "tiny" UK rooms

Thanks for that info As it happens I have a reasonable sized living room at 18.5 square m floorspace and ceiling is 2.4 m high.