Do network streamers need to be expensive?

[alaios]

Hi all,
I am using currently a wiim streamer, I take its digital output and feed it into the dac. Since I am only using the streamer for fetching the digital signal will I ever need an upgrade? What can a more expensive network streamer do when it comes just to downloading the digital signal ?

I am curious to see your answers on this topic.
Regards,
Alex

 

[Joffy1780]

Hi all,
I am using currently a wiim streamer, I take its digital output and feed it into the dac. Since I am only using the streamer for fetching the digital signal will I ever need an upgrade? What can a more expensive network streamer do when it comes just to downloading the digital signal ?

I am curious to see your answers on this topic.
Regards,
Alex

Nothing.

 

[antcollinet]

Hi all,
I am using currently a wiim streamer, I take its digital output and feed it into the dac. Since I am only using the streamer for fetching the digital signal will I ever need an upgrade? What can a more expensive network streamer do when it comes just to downloading the digital signal ?

I am curious to see your answers on this topic.
Regards,
Alex

Another network streamer cannot improve sound quality.

It can only offer features

EG - Parametric EQ (If Wiim don't end up doing it)
Different/additional services
Better user interface
Better built in DAC (eliminating the need for the extra box)
Balanced connections
Nicer housing/look and feel.

Etc Etc.

So - if you ever consider upgrading, leave the solved problem of audio quality to one side, and consider only the feature set offered. Don't forget to include in that, perception of build/reliability quality, and after sales support.

 

[TonyJZX]

i mean a 'streamer' passes your music from a nas or outside your house to a dac

that's it (it can have its own dac but that's another discussion)

so in theory it can be an old laptop or whatever... or a raspberry pi with an appropriate o/s

it can be as complicated or expensive or as simple as you want

i think there was discussion of this place doing an asr streamer build but really, you're re-inventing the wheel

 

[JktHifi]

For less than a hundred dollar, you can still buy used macbook air 2017. Wiim vs Macbook? I don’t think anyone will choose Wiim.
Add the $50 usb spdif interface to the macbook and you’re good to go.

 

[Chr1]

Can somebody explain what advantages the WiiM devices have over a cheap android media player or Pi with spdif out to an external DAC?
Thanks!

 

[jae]

For less than a hundred dollar, you can still buy used macbook air 2017. Wiim vs Macbook? I don’t think anyone will choose Wiim.
Add the $50 usb spdif interface to the macbook and you’re good to go.

An old laptop is fine if you only sit down to listen to music in one fixed location, maybe if you're in a small room where it is in arms reach and your circumstances never change.

Wiim is more practical and a much better experience for most people because you can control it from any device wirelessly (including a phone, tablet, or existing laptop/pc), change volume/sources with a remote or the app, use it in conjunction with a TV/existing media system, use the 12v trigger to power on other equipment remotely, integrate it with other smart home devices/assistant products that you may already have, change play zones if you have multiple setups in a house and so on. You might be able to emulate some of that functionality on an old laptop with various apps and pheripherals but it definitely won't be as streamlined or reliable as a dedicated solution. Wiim wins virtually every time if its a matter of just spending $100-150.

Can somebody explain what advantages the WiiM devices have over a cheap android media player or Pi with spdif out to an external DAC?
Thanks!

See above, basically it is simply offering more streamlined and coherent experience out of the box with no fiddling around. Devices like RPis are quite expensive these days and even just a brand new Pi with accessories alone can be similar price or cost more than the Wiim alone, then you still have to configure it and so on.

 

[Chr1]

Sorry, but what do you mean by more streamlined with no fiddling around? Specifically in relation to android option as I am not familiar with the Pi. Thanks.

 

[symphara]

Sorry, but what do you mean by more streamlined with no fiddling around? Specifically in relation to android option as I am not familiar with the Pi. Thanks.

As in, you don't need to assemble it yourself, download/install/configure software on it, perhaps pay a Volumio subscription etc.

WiiM is offering a simple experience, they have an app for your phone, you see it as streaming endpoint from apps as far as I know.

Chromecast audio also works, particularly if you have an Android phone, just need Google Home to install it.

 

[Zapper]

For less than a hundred dollar, you can still buy used macbook air 2017. Wiim vs Macbook? I don’t think anyone will choose Wiim.
Add the $50 usb spdif interface to the macbook and you’re good to go.

I choose WiiM mini and it's not close. WiiM Mini has tiny size, low power, remote control via phone, multi-room audio, streams from wi-fi and bluetooth, ADC & DAC, SPDIF, and much more, for $90 including cables. I have 5 of them.

 

[JktHifi]

An old laptop is fine if you only sit down to listen to music in one fixed location, maybe if you're in a small room where it is in arms reach and your circumstances never change.

Wiim is more practical and a much better experience for most people because you can control it from any device wirelessly (including a phone, tablet, or existing laptop/pc), change volume/sources with a remote or the app, use it in conjunction with a TV/existing media system, use the 12v trigger to power on other equipment remotely, integrate it with other smart home devices/assistant products that you may already have, change play zones if you have multiple setups in a house and so on. You might be able to emulate some of that functionality on an old laptop with various apps and pheripherals but it definitely won't be as streamlined or reliable as a dedicated solution. Wiim wins virtually every time if its a matter of just spending $100-150.

If the Qobuz or Tidal app is not found in MacOS then I go to Wiim. MacOS has Airplay for multiroom.
We shouldn’t compare the hardware but the OS (Operating System). Is it BluOS or Wiim OS or others?

 

[jae]

If the Qobuz or Tidal app is not found in MacOS then I go to Wiim. MacOS has Airplay for multiroom.
We shouldn’t compare the hardware but the OS (Operating System). Is it BluOS or Wiim OS or others?

Many of the big name streamer OSes are more alike than different these days. In the past certain OSes may only have had access to certain streaming platforms (maybe only 2-3 of them) but these days there seems like there is better compatibility across the board. With many you often had to choose between airplay or chromecast, not many products offered support for both. The attractive part of Wiim specifically (well linkplay steamers in general) is that it is quite full featured and the product cost is $100-150. Many competitors are charging $350-1000 or more for the exact same thing or similar devices that have less functionality.

 

[TheWalkman]

Do streamers need to be expensive? In a word: no.

My main streamer is a Raspberry Pi Zero 2W ($15 when you can get them) running Volumio, with a 128g memory card, case, USB dongle, etc. All in for less than $50. I’m streaming at upto 192k into a Topping DAC and Purifi amp.

It’s energy efficient at 1 to 2 Watts and is tiny and unobtrusive.

This solution streams most major audio sources - Spotify, Pandora, etc as well as radio feeds, etc. Anything else podcasts, Youtube audio, etc. I cast via Airplay.

Works great. Easy to keep updated. I’d put it up against other streaming solutions in a minute.

 

[Purité Audio]

They don’t but dealers/mags and manufacturers will do their upmost to convince you that they must be.
Keith

 

[Chr1]

There are loads of relatively cheap android media players that work well too. I use several Minix boxes and as I am familiar with android there was no learning curve. The other obvious benefit being that I can use them for multichannel 4K output to my AVR as well as SPDIF out to the DACs.
I am curious as to whether the Pi option can do multiroom as I don't think that I can with my Minix android boxes...

 

[TheWalkman]

Pi solutions with Volumio will do multiroom but not with the free version. I believe there are other solutions as well (Rune?), but I’m happy with Volumio so I’m no longer chasing that cat.

 

[Willem]

I am still more than happy with the Chromecast Audio streamers that we use. These days I use the digital outputs, but the built in DAC was good enough.

 

[Chr1]

I also have a couple of Roberts Stream 93i radios with analogue outs that I have used as endpoints/renderers, and found that the internal DACs were transparent. Loads of options out there, I guess...

 

[alaios]

so far then it seems that I can stay with my wiim and do not care about it too much

 

[Zapper]

I am still more than happy with the Chromecast Audio streamers that we use. These days I use the digital outputs, but the built in DAC was good enough.

What sources do you stream from?

I used Chromecast Audio since their release up until this year, when all three of them started having frequent dropouts when streaming Spotify. I couldn't find anything wrong with my wifi, ISP service, or the Chromecast units. I had no trouble streaming Spotify to other devices. After wasting too much time debugging I gave up and replaced them with WiiM Minis.