WiiM Amp Streaming Amplifier Review

[Miker 1102]

No. This would be superfluous for a person who has everything.

This is the gift you give to someone new to home stereo to short-circuit any erstwhile hobbyist "upgrade" urges so they can simplify and focus on their music.

I was really thinking about people who have everything with tech. I have tons of amps, avs, avrs in my home and this is so versatile that you will find your self playing with this. And I agree it is excellent for a starter to introduce somebody to the hobby.

 

[Deleted member 48726]

I think the data is driving the review. It's load issue for speakers seems minor to me. It measures ans performs well in its category. I support data driven reviews by trying to contribute my limited knowledge and funds to the site because its important. The app to the Wiim is excellent. Maybe we can find a way to objectively measure that but part of supporting this site for me is wanting people to experience the joy of good engineered music reproduction. This does that and I belive the company is hyper responsive so will improve.

Yes, you weigh the features higher than the amplification part. And that's fair. But if it was a power amplifier without any features, would it get a recommended? -I can't tell because features weigh in with subjective value.

 

[Endibol]

I don't think people are missing this point but rather expect an amplifier in this day and age to transparently amplify the signal. Which we can't be sure that this does as it depends on the speakers to have a flat impedance across the frequency spectrum.

I find it odd that a site that I see as data driven and objective looks away from the single most essential feature for an amplifier. -Because it does other cool tricks.

What many ASR-members appreciate, despite their critical nature, is that you get a lot of value for the small amount of money in this good looking box.

 

[dominikz]

But if it was a power amplifier without any features, would it get a recommended? -I can't tell because features weigh in with subjective value.

Isn't that basically something like Aiyima A07 or Fosi Audio V3?
Both got a recommendation too, despite their load dependency.

EDIT: Even the quite expensive miniDSP SHD Power (also TPA3255-based) shows the same kind of load dependency. That I personally find unacceptable, primarily due to high price - PFFB really had to have been implemented there. It was also recommended here (though load-dependency wasn't explicitly measured yet at that time).

 

[Emiyanez]

@WiiM Team collecting the feedback from this thread and leaving out exotic request, just add a slightly better DAC (maybe the one on the Pro+), more power and PFFB to this very same box and you will be selling the new product by millions (assuming PEQ, room correction, Roon and other software implementations are on the way). I honestly think it would sell much better than what I imagine the new WiiM Ultra will do.

 

[dominikz]

just add a slightly better DAC

Did you mean ADC, perhaps, to improve analog input performance?
I don't see anything in the measurements indicating issues with the DAC section.

 

[Emiyanez]

Good point! I meant DAC section because many think that the one on the Pro+ was better. I am not exclusively thinking from a pure performance perspective but just from what would be a good buying point for some people. But you are right, there may be no need for a new DAC.

 

[restorer-john]

Yes, you weigh the features higher than the amplification part. And that's fair. But if it was a power amplifier without any features, would it get a recommended? -I can't tell because features weigh in with subjective value.

The THD+N (SINAD) on the line input is also pretty average at 80dB wrt 5W, and, considering some people might like to play a CD player directly into those inputs, they'd be throwing away quite a bit.

I agree with you about this little amplifier getting a better than it should recommendation and reception, and it's purely to do with all the features, the pretty box and the lowish price- none of which are measuremenst related.

That said, it is a compelling little package for non-critical duties and I'm sure people will get their money's worth before before it's obsoleted.

 

[harkpabst]

Since there is no output other than speaker ports (or Bluetooth or Airplay) there's no easy way of measuring the DAC's (let alone the ADC's) performance isolated from the rest.

Edit:
However, the DAC is known to be an ESS ES9018K2M and the ADC is a TI PCM1861.

 

[JeremyFife]

I don't think people are missing this point but rather expect an amplifier in this day and age to transparently amplify the signal. Which we can't be sure that this does as it depends on the speakers to have a flat impedance across the frequency spectrum.

I find it odd that a site that I see as data driven and objective looks away from the single most essential feature for an amplifier. -Because it does other cool tricks.

If components are to be judged for what they are and what they cost, more defined grouping is needed; AVR, integrated. chip amps with or without tone control, streaming capability etc.
Or the component should only be judged by the measurements without looking at price and features.

Hence my vote of good (not great) and my comment that the feature set and value is great - not an unusual opinion I think.
There are always compromises in releasing a product at a price point. In my opinion, WiiM have made some good decisions here.

 

[morillon]

"it's done, it's done" side technical choices etc...
the real concerns for wiim are this episode of products marketed with real concerns, insufficient quality control, and a need for an unofficial but factual reminder ...
the impact on their image, the cost etc...
I hope that they will emerge unscathed, and will learn a lot from this painful experience...

 

[Inertiaman]

Since there is no output other than speaker ports (or Bluetooth or Airplay) there's no easy way of measuring the DAC's (let alone the ADC's) performance isolated from the rest.

The ADC actually was/can be measured, if I interpret correctly: line input on the Amp sent via Airplay to something (Wiim Pro or Pro+ perhaps) and then the optical or coax digital output measured. I assume that such a configuration is what Amir was referring to when he mentioned "analog streaming" at 80-85db in the review.

I don't personally know the impact of Airplay on the "fidelity" of that signal chain, but at least the post-ADC/pre-DAC signal can be accessed that way.

 

[harkpabst]

The ADC actually was/can be measured, if I interpret correctly: line input on the Amp sent via Airplay to something (Wiim Pro or Pro+ perhaps) and then the optical or coax digital output measured. I assume that such a configuration is what Amir was referring to when he mentioned "analog streaming" at 80-85db in the review.

I don't personally know the impact of Airplay on the "fidelity" of that signal chain, but at least the post-ADC/pre-DAC signal can be accessed that way.

Even assuming that the amp can stream lossless over AirPlay, that measurements would still include that "something" you're streaming to, right? Unless the analyzer had direct support for Airplay.

I thought that Amir was really referring to overall dynamic range of the amp.whwm using the analog input.

According to TI the PCM1861 provides up to 110 dB SNR.

 

[morillon]

from memory the adc is the same as "plus"..(?)

so you can observe their measurements..
will give you a pretty good idea of the capacity of these inputs it seems to me......

 

[onlyoneme]

It's lossless but not bit perfect, although still the best way to analyze ADC performance while usb audio output is not yet available.

 

[dominikz]

@WiiM Team collecting the feedback from this thread and leaving out exotic request, just add a slightly better DAC (maybe the one on the Pro+), more power and PFFB to this very same box and you will be selling the new product by millions (assuming PEQ, room correction, Roon and other software implementations are on the way). I honestly think it would sell much better than what I imagine the new WiiM Ultra will do.

Looking at the planned feature list for WiiM Ultra (love the fact it will have a display, HDMI ARC and a sub out!), I'd say it would be ideal if they just add a TPA3255 amp with a proper PFFB implementation on top.
That would IMHO really cover a huge range of use-cases with potential for great measurable performance.

@WiiM Team Pretty please?

 

[Deleted member 48726]

It's lossless but not bit perfect, although still the best way to analyze ADC performance while usb audio output is not yet available.

This looks a bit weird to me.

 

[onlyoneme]

Why? Audio codec is lossless but there is also clock difference between the sender and the receiver to be corrected.

 

[Deleted member 48726]

Why? Audio codec is lossless but there is also clock difference between the sender and the receiver to be corrected.

Why? Because I don't know exactly what happens to a digital signal of course. I think it looks a bit weird to have a lossless stream but the bits and bytes are not the same.

 

[onlyoneme]

Why? Because I don't know exactly what happens to a digital signal of course. I think it looks a bit weird to have a lossless stream but the bits and bytes are not the same.

I don't know details either, but there is some sort of pre/post processing involved which affects the data, although the compression by the codec remains lossless.

BTW, it's also resampled to 48 kHz if I remember correctly.