WiiM Amp Streaming Amplifier Review

[Beershaun]

Hi @amirm, Erin also recently tested this product and found a significant power drop when performing a multi tone test at high power. I wondered if:
1) if you are able to reproduce the test and verify the same power drop.
2) your assessment on the impact of this test finding on real world use.

Thanks!

WiiM Amp Streaming Amplifier Review

WiiM Amp Review

www.erinsaudiocorner.com

 

[dtaylo1066]

For 300 clams I have to rate this great, as nothing else can come close in terms of performance, features, ease of use, looks or turning people onto music and hi-fi.

 

[lastexile]

I bought one several weeks ago and installed it in my brothers house so when I go over music is good to go!

 

[Lukerator]

TPA3255 with PFFB has some pop noise when it power on in my 3e audio. Is this normal？
like amirm review

 

[JSmith]

3e audio

Hello, please post your query in the appropriate thread as this is a review thread for the WiiM Amp;

3e audio TPA3255 260-2-29A Amplifier Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the 3e audio 260-2-29A TPA3255 chip based stereo amplifier. It was sent to me by the company as a complete unit even though they only sell the amplifier modules. As you see, it is a generic box which is something you can easily build yourself. I...

www.audiosciencereview.com

JSmith

 

[pjh]

Of course the sub woofer out is a low pass filter, but there is some confusion as to whether the signal fed to the amp with the sub woofer system turned on is fed a corresponding high pass. Has anyone tested this?

 

[Inertiaman]

Of course the sub woofer out is a low pass filter, but there is some confusion as to whether the signal fed to the amp with the sub woofer system turned on is fed a corresponding high pass. Has anyone tested this?

Asked and answered earlier, but again here for convenience:

See post #46 in this thread or the test/review here: https://www.erinsaudiocorner.com/electronics/wiim_amp/

If sub is enabled, the speaker outputs on the Wiim Amp are high-passed at the same freq as the sub's low pass setting.

 

[Zaphod]

Voted poor. I do for all amps that will alter the frequency response according to which speaker is connected.
Many speakers have high impedance much higher than 8 ohm in mid to high frequencies. There is a chance this amplifier from 2023 will change how these speakers sound. I think this is more important than how much below threshold the THD+N is.

Also no power cube tests.

Agreed. Even very low cost non-switching amps offer better load tolerance that this. Cheap, with a good feature set though.

 

[Lukerator]

Hello, please post your query in the appropriate thread as this is a review thread for the WiiM Amp;

3e audio TPA3255 260-2-29A Amplifier Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the 3e audio 260-2-29A TPA3255 chip based stereo amplifier. It was sent to me by the company as a complete unit even though they only sell the amplifier modules. As you see, it is a generic box which is something you can easily build yourself. I...

www.audiosciencereview.com

JSmith

I know,I saw a lot of discussion under this post with PFFB.So I want to express that PFFB has some flaw,like pop noise?

 

[amirm]

Hi @amirm, Erin also recently tested this product and found a significant power drop when performing a multi tone test at high power. I wondered if:
1) if you are able to reproduce the test and verify the same power drop.
2) your assessment on the impact of this test finding on real world use.

I can reproduce it using digital feed to WiiM. When feeding it analog with the same signal, it has no issue and goes to max power.

The reason for this is complex. As noted in the review, WiiM Amp is designed to produce its max power using a sine wave input. When feeding it multitone, it has 10 dB more crest factor so the sine equiv. is much lower. This causes it to not produce the max power. With analog, I can boost the signal level to anything I want to compensate for this and hence the reason I can get max power.

Impact on playing music is negligible unless it is recorded at very low levels. In that case, you run out of digital gain and amp won't product its max power.

 

[amirm]

There is an URL you can access on your network if the WiiM Amp is still on the network:

https://[IP_ADDRESS_OF_WIIMAMP]/httpapi.asp?command=getStatusEx


You get a JSON response with lots of information:
View attachment 351128

Cool. The reviewed model says PCB version 5:

{ "language": "en_us", "ssid": "WiiM Amp-98E4", "hideSSID": "0", "firmware": "Linkplay.5.0.606744", "build": "release", "project": "WiiM_AMP", "priv_prj": "WiiM_AMP", "project_build_name": "WiiM_AMP", "Release": "20240205", "FW_Release_version": "", "PCB_version": "5",

 

[amirm]

Does it have a remote?

Yes, an RF one. I mentioned in the review.

 

[amirm]

Thanks @amirm.
Wondering how did voice control work if you used during testing?

I did not try to use voice control.

 

[amirm]

Here is the output from the first version:
{ "language": "en_us", "ssid": "WiiM Amp-9C5A", "hideSSID": "0", "firmware": "Linkplay.5.0.606744", "build": "release", "project": "WiiM_AMP", "priv_prj": "WiiM_AMP", "project_build_name": "WiiM_AMP", "Release": "20240205", "FW_Release_version": "", "PCB_version": "2",

So much older with revision of "2."

 

[pseudoid]

Thank you for all that you do for us, @amirm,
I am a bit confused where exactly the 'source' of the RCA for 'Sub' out comes from: Is it a mono-sum of both Left and Right channel signals?

 

[Beershaun]

I can reproduce it using digital feed to WiiM. When feeding it analog with the same signal, it has no issue and goes to max power.

The reason for this is complex. As noted in the review, WiiM Amp is designed to produce its max power using a sine wave input. When feeding it multitone, it has 10 dB more crest factor so the sine equiv. is much lower. This causes it to not produce the max power. With analog, I can boost the signal level to anything I want to compensate for this and hence the reason I can get max power.

Impact on playing music is negligible unless it is recorded at very low levels. In that case, you run out of digital gain and amp won't product its max power.

Thanks!!

 

[pjug]

Setting aside that it take some know-how, is there any reason that the EQ can;t be about as effective as PFFB for taming the output filter effects with various loads? It sure is nice that this amp has parametric EQ (compared to the Sonos Amp which is similarly load dependent, for example).

@VintageFlanker would you be able to show how the EQ can improve response with unfavorable loads? If you happen to have a speaker with negative phase at high freqs those really seem to suffer with this kind of amp so it would be cool if someone could show that an amp with EQ can fix the issue. A speaker like the C-note.

 

[bcfc]

Yes. I reused the 8 ohm template to measure 4 ohm, forgetting about the label.

@amirm Hello. Please tell me how the operating amplifier model is installed on the board? And this opams is dual or united

 

[voodooless]

is there any reason that the EQ can;t be about as effective as PFFB for taming the output filter effects with various loads?

Well, the issue may be the amount of EQs available. Only 4 at the moment, so you’ll have pick what to do with them. More are promised though… sometime…

Secondly, PFFB does more than just make the amp load independent. It would lower overall distortion quite significantly, and would also lower gain.

 

[voodooless]

@amirm Hello. Please tell me how the operating amplifier model is installed on the board? And this opams is dual or united

Looks like everything is surface mounted:

WiiM Amp Streaming Amplifier Review

The only wish is post output filter feedback to eliminate low dependency of the frequency response. For sure, however good to see this device tested on your AP, not too bad measurements wise and great functionality. At least that load dependency is not as pronounced. The guts; JSmith

www.audiosciencereview.com

Leave the opamps, it will do nothing to replace them.