Help with system setup: Blu-ray, Wiim Pro Plus, passive volume control, tv, subwoofer and mono amps

[galeriewww]

Hi,

I’m putting together a small audio/video setup at my countryside cabin, and I’d appreciate some help to make sure I’ve thought of everything when it comes to how it should all be connected.

Here’s what I have planned:

• Blu-ray player (Sony BDP-S1700) for watching movies and playing CDs.
• It will be connected to the Wiim Pro Plus using a digital coaxial cable (from Blu-ray to Wiim), and an HDMI cable from the Blu-ray player to the TV. For the coaxial connection, I’m considering a cable like this one:
  2-Cinch to 1-Cinch Adapter Cable
• From the Wiim Pro Plus, the audio will go into a passive volume control, such as this one:
  Passive Volume Control on eBay
• From the volume control, the signal will be split and sent to two Fosi ZA3 amplifiers, which I’m using as monoblocks, and from there to the speakers. I’m currently using Rauna Vidar speakers, which is working well.
• The ZA3 amps have subwoofer outputs, and I have a KEF Kube 10b subwoofer with left and right RCA inputs. Since the ZA3s are running in mono, my plan is to connect the sub out from each ZA3 to the respective left and right input on the subwoofer. For that, I’m planning to use a cable like this:
  2-Cinch to 2-Cinch Audio Cable
• The TV will also be connected to the Wiim Pro Plus via SPDIF, so I can get sound through the audio system whether I’m streaming content or watching DVDs/Blu-rays.

My question is:

Does this setup make sense, or is there anything I’ve overlooked?

Thanks in advance for your input!

/Daniel

 

[staticV3]

Hi @galeriewww! Welcome to ASR.

Here’s what I have planned:

• Blu-ray player (Sony BDP-S1700) for watching movies and playing CDs.
• It will be connected to the Wiim Pro Plus using a digital coaxial cable (from Blu-ray to Wiim), and an HDMI cable from the Blu-ray player to the TV. For the coaxial connection, I’m considering a cable like this one:
  2-Cinch to 1-Cinch Adapter Cable

For BDP-S1700 SPDIF Out->WiiM Pro Plus SPDIF In, you need a single Coax Male to Coax Male 75Ω SPDIF cable.

A Y-splitter is useless here.

From the Wiim Pro Plus, the audio will go into a passive volume control, such as this one:
Passive Volume Control on eBay

No need for this technically, as the WiiM is a very reliable active volume control.

• From the volume control, the signal will be split and sent to two Fosi ZA3 amplifiers, which I’m using as monoblocks, and from there to the speakers. I’m currently using Rauna Vidar speakers, which is working well.
• The ZA3 amps have subwoofer outputs, and I have a KEF Kube 10b subwoofer with left and right RCA inputs. Since the ZA3s are running in mono, my plan is to connect the sub out from each ZA3 to the respective left and right input on the subwoofer. For that, I’m planning to use a cable like this:
  2-Cinch to 2-Cinch Audio Cable
• The TV will also be connected to the Wiim Pro Plus via SPDIF, so I can get sound through the audio system whether I’m streaming content or watching DVDs/Blu-rays.

My question is:

Does this setup make sense, or is there anything I’ve overlooked?

The setup could be hugely streamlined and optimized by replacing the WiiM Pro Plus, Passive volume control, and 2xZA3 with a single WiiM Amp Pro.

WiiM Amp Pro Streaming Stereo Amplifier Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the WiiM Amp Pro networked streaming stereo class D amplifier. It was sent to me by the company and costs US $379. The package is minimalistic in nature and matches the "non-pro" version of the amplifier. The volume indicator is that set of LEDs...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Advantages:

-Connections between TV and BD Player become simpler as you can do Sony BDP->HDMI->TV->HDMI(ARC)->WiiM Amp Pro.
Blu-Ray/CD Audio as well as internal TV Audio will both be sent via HDMI.
(though you could still connect the Blu-Ray player via SPDIF if you'd prefer that)

-Audio transmission via ARC unlocks HDMI-CEC, which means that the WiiM will turn off/on automatically when you turn the TV off/on, and you can use the TV remote to control volume instead of having to manage one extra remote just for volume.

-The WiiM Amp Pro supports Dolby Digital decode and support for wireless surround sound will be added soon.

-The WiiM Amp Pro enables proper subwoofer integration with variable HPF/LPF as well as Sub level, delay, phase etc.
In contrast, with the WiiM Pro Plus you'd be stuck with the Vidar's stock bass extension and the KEF's limited sub integration functions, and would also have to crawl around to fiddle with the sub's knobs.

With the Amp Pro you'd set the KEF Kube to LFE, connect it via a single RCA->RCA cable, then make all the sub integration tweaks from the comfort of your MLP with the WiiM Home App.

-Drastically fewer boxes, cables, wall warts, and clutter.

 

[galeriewww]

Hi,
Thanks for your reply @staticV3 —very helpful.

At the moment, I have a KEF Kube 10b, two Fosi ZA3 amps, and a WiiM Pro Plus. All of them have been used in other setups around my home, so I’d like to build on what I already have.

I was a bit unsure about the volume control on the WiiM Pro Plus, but since that works well, I can easily skip using a passive volume control.

The challenge now is how to connect my Blu-ray player to the WiiM Pro Plus.

Audio Input options:

• 1 x Analog RCA Line input
  2 Vrms
  192 kHz/24-bit
  SNR 106dB
• 1 x SPDIF Optical input, up to 192kHz/24-bit

Since the SPDIF input is already used by the TV, that leaves only the RCA input for playing CDs. But most modern TVs or Blu-ray players (from what I’ve seen) don’t have RCA outputs. Is there a smart workaround for this?

/Daniel

 

[staticV3]

Since the SPDIF input is already used by the TV, that leaves only the RCA input for playing CDs. But most modern TVs or Blu-ray players (from what I’ve seen) don’t have RCA outputs. Is there a smart workaround for this?

You can connect multiple SPDIF sources to the WiiM using an Optical switch like the Cooidea Toslink Switcher.

 

[kyuu]

While it should work, it's definitely a bit complex with a lot of wires and sub-optimal bass management. At a minimum, I would dump the additional volume control as already noted. I would also suggest you could probably route the audio through the TV and eliminate the extra connection between the Blu-ray player and the Wiim.

 

[Keith_W]

Welcome to ASR! I agree with everything @staticV3 said, but my preference is to keep the amplifiers separate. There is nothing wrong with what he suggested, and its advantage is simplicity. But the reason I like separate amplifiers is because amps don't go obsolete. You can still use hulking big amps from the 1970's if you wanted to.

OTOH, the built-in streamer in the Wiim will eventually go obsolete. Maybe Wiim will discontinue firmware updates for older models. Maybe it won't support future streaming services. Maybe you want to upgrade the DSP. Maybe your needs might change. If you have separate amplifiers, you can keep them and only replace the Wiim.

 

[galeriewww]

Hi, @staticV3 @kyuu @Keith_W
I really appreciate your advice and help.

I think I’ll try using a Toslink switch. However, I found a DVD player with:

• Analog audio output (left/right)

Would that also work, or would I lose any sound quality compared to using SPDIF?

 

[Keith_W]

You won't be able to use that DVD player (with no digital output) with your Wiim because it has no ADC. And the answer is yes, you do lose some SQ when going through an ADC, but it won't be very much. In fact there are blind tests where people have run signal through ADC-DAC ten times and the difference was inaudible to the testing panel. So it is more a loss of SQ that can only be detected with Amir's testing machine rather than something you can hear and should be worried about.

Having said that, I would avoid that DVD player. No digital out is a dealbreaker.

 

[staticV3]

Hi, @staticV3 @kyuu @Keith_W
I really appreciate your advice and help.

I think I’ll try using a Toslink switch. However, I found a DVD player with:

• Analog audio output (left/right)

Would that also work, or would I lose any sound quality compared to using SPDIF?

Objectively, using a digital connection to the WiiM would preserve fidelity since there would be no unnecessary D->A and A->D conversions.

 

[staticV3]

You won't be able to use that DVD player (with no digital output) with your Wiim because it has no ADC.

OP's WiiM has an ADC.