WiiM Amp Streaming Amplifier Review

[onlyoneme]

You picked a graph showing measurements of an early sample, not from @amirm's current review.

Note the difference:

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?attachments/wiim-amp-smart-multi-room-stereo-amplifier-streaming-analog-in-power-vs-frequency-measurements-png.350895/

What's interesting, I had no such issue with 20 Hz test tone using the same PCB 5 rev.

 

[375HP2482]

Not at all. A Fosi is lame, even if the performance is OK, because of that dongly power adapter. This Wiim Amp has no need for an external power adapter nearly as big as the amp itself, one more of these annoying devices buzzing and humming and littering the outlets around your audio/video system, with yet more cables too.

An external supply would have been useful for the earlier Wiim Amps that exhibited p.s. coil noise -- just replace the supply. And the Amp itself could have been half its current size if designed that way. I have a feeling that reducing this Amp's size and weight from its current heft might lose some of its appeal to the older crowd accustomed to evaluating an amplifier's manliness by its weight.

 

[Yorkshire Mouth]

I agree.

This is how the WiiM Amp frequency response into a dummy "complex load" looks in Erin's review (digitized), note the zoomed-in vertical scale:
View attachment 351352
This is how the same curve looks if I use the 50dB vertical scale normally used for loudspeaker reviews:
View attachment 351353

And this is how this curve would affect the anechoic response of a real loudspeaker (e.g. using ASR spinorama of Revel M16):
View attachment 351354

Note: in reality the response would look a bit different because Revel M16 impedance isn't identical to Erin's complex load - but hopefully this helps to very roughly illustrate the extent of such deviations.

Seriously, thanks for that. Those graphs really put it in perspective.

 

[375HP2482]

So with KEF LS50 it should rock! The value is outstanding.

It will rock a pair of Polk T50s a lot more, with enough money left over to fund an Eclipse trip for many.

 

[harkpabst]

Ok, so what vintage flanker tested, was it a preproduction sample? Or is it the same story as for the Wiim Pro Plus that the first lot that went into sales had a problem?

I don't know for sure, I'm neither WiiM nor @VintageFlanker.

Personally, I would always find a reason to return a PCB_version 2 unit, should I have received one ...

 

[harkpabst]

It will rock a pair of Polk T50s a lot more, with enough money left over to fund an Eclipse trip for many.

You mean, it will rock a lot more because the T50 frequency response is so disastrous already, it doesn't matter what a load dependent amp might add?

 

[capslock]

Well, I am learning interesting things about Wiim. Where are their development and marketing teams based? Their forum responses certainly are very professional. Repeatedly shipping poorly performing versions is not a smart move, though. I remember pestering my dealer whether his stock of Pro Plus was "fresh". I'd also be very reluctant to buy a used Pro Plus or Amp.

 

[Brantome]

Well, I am learning interesting things about Wiim. Where are their development and marketing teams based? Their forum responses certainly are very professional. Repeatedly shipping poorly performing versions is not a smart move, though. I remember pestering my dealer whether his stock of Pro Plus was "fresh". I'd also be very reluctant to buy a used Pro Plus or Amp.

Their US HQ is in Newark, California

Contact Us — Linkplay Technology

www.linkplay.com

Edit: this might be more useful https://linkplay.co/aboutus.html

 

[Power Pop 23]

I'd also be very reluctant to buy a used Pro Plus or Amp.

I can't speak to used versions of the WiiM Pro Plus or WiiM Amp. I and select family members are using five (5) 'refurbished' WiiM Pro streaming devices from Linkplay's outlet store on Ebay without any issues to date.

 

[wpo7]

would someone post the power consumption on stand by ? thanks

 

[jbattman1016]

In 2024, considering what inflation is today, $668 for a passionate college HiFi hobbyist is doable.

idk, I would likely just pick up a 2.1 set of computer speakers at bestbuy and hook that up to my laptop.

 

[Brantome]

would someone post the power consumption on stand by ? thanks

A firmware update at the end of December stated " Power consumption in Idle Mode significantly reduced to approximately 3W"

 

[bkdc]

Amazing bang for the buck. 90dB SNR is plenty for my aging ears. Sleek almost Apple-like compact appearance for an all-in-one streamer/amp. WiiM software is also fantastic as the company has been highly responsive to user feedback. Sonos and Bluesound have been the leaders in audio streaming software/hardware combos but we now have a budget player on the block offering crazy value with high streaming reliability and a friendly software interface. So much frikking better than a KEF wireless speaker and the headaches associated with the unreliable streaming. Getting a separate streamer/amp and passive speakers is a much better option. Best value speakers I can think of in budget category is Ascend CBM-170SE. I’m hoping for it to get a Klippel NFS optimized update like its bigger brother. Someone else already mentioned that this would give you a true high quality system for well below 1K. I wish it had Roon but these days with Apple Music on the Apple Family Plan, I rarely have to hit up my Roon server.

 

[Watire]

@amirm you beat me on this (not hard, considering how late I am), I was about to finish my review.

Here is my data anyway:
View attachment 350932View attachment 350933
View attachment 350934View attachment 350935
(This has been corrected with an updated PCB since)
View attachment 350936View attachment 350937View attachment 350938View attachment 350939
View attachment 350940
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View attachment 350997

Dear @VintageFlanker you did an amazing work ! I'm floored by the lack of background noise that modern devices allow.
I hope you find the time one day to post a very illustrated "How I do it".
I am very interested by your feedback on the functional aspect of the WiiM Amp. How we interact with the app in daily use, does the app provide a timer ? How smooth is the switching between sources and so on. And by the way we are addicted to your artsy pictures... So feel free to editorialize about this device at your own pace.
When the time comes to add a screen to the Amp, I wish WiiM evaluate the addition of a full feature Tuner (Fm/DAB+) in order to have a complete non mechanical audio player.
As is, I intend to get one. I find the WiiM Amp to be a perfectly balanced product, thoughtfully polished with a Danish Design ethos/flair.
It can be seen as the Toyota Camry Wagon or the Volvo 240 Break of Hifi.

 

[ergre]

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.

I don’t think it wil affect the mids. It is because of the output filter. The mids are going to have a low output impedance.
I don’t know how your speakers are doing from 10 to 20khz or your ears for that matter. If you really think this matters maybe experiment with a zobel filter or something

 

[bkdc]

Why these specifically?

Review

Ears are different, but they are the best sounding most neutral speakers in the sub-500 dollar new category I’ve ever heard. Are they ruler flat? No. But quality drivers given the price point and sounds better than anything Polk puts out at 4 times the price. All the money was put into sound quality and none into appearance/beauty. And they are efficient and easily driven by sub-60 watt amplifiers. Beautiful sound in a plain looking utilitarian shell. The MTM version (340SE2) got the Klippel optimized crossover and woofer update some time back, and I’m hoping Ascend does the same for the CBM-170SE (which would turn into a CBM-170SE2).

 

[harkpabst]

would someone post the power consumption on stand by ? thanks

...

A firmware update at the end of December stated " Power consumption in Idle Mode significantly reduced to approximately 3W"

I hooked the WiiM Amp to my power meter and can mostly confirm this. Power consumption is ~3 W, with a spike to ~8 W approx. every 10 seconds or so. This power meter is only specified to be accurate down to 4 W, so precision below that threshold is probably limited.

There is no power switch, the WiiM Amp is designed to enter standby after a configurable amount of time (30 seconds minimum, 20 minutes maximum). Personally I have set it to 5 Minutes. As of now, the only way to actively put the device into standby mode is by pressing the red button on the BT remote. However, even after pressing that button it still takes some time until power consumption drops to 3 W again. I wouldn't be surprised if the remote only switches of the LEDs (if enabled at all) and then lets the device sit and wait until the standby mode time kicks in.

 

[morillon]

a small nad or like ,new or occasion, and a wiim pro "plus"... etc

lms ,roon ,same peq..
no sub and hdmi, but phono mm, headphone ,( toslink in wimm)... more inputs etc..

another possibility...


or
"minisystem "classic denon yamaha etc , loudspeaker ,tuner ,cd ,suboutput , toslink input etc and a mini-pro etc
;-)
(and if one of the two breaks down, the other will still be there... the "" nad "" etc will remain much more repairable if there is a problem)

 

[harkpabst]

Pardon me?

 

[morillon]

just a reminder that there are other modest approaches that are just as relevant thanks to the "wiim+peq streamer", the most important added value of the "amp" in the end...not so much its amplifier part.."3255"
;-)