WiiM Amp Streaming Amplifier Review

[Petevid]

People, take a breath -- this is a budget amp for non-audiophiles who will be delighted at the big step up from earbud phone audio, ancient stereos, Google speakers or Alexas. It is not for idiophiliac obsessives.

Why is it an amp for non-audiophiles?

Edit:
Is it not an amp for audiophiles?

 

[Bleib]

Well, I'd be interested in a pro or ultra version which is even better

 

[voodooless]

Well, I'd be interested in a pro or ultra version which is even better

Better in what regard? Not at driving speakers, that's for sure

 

[Brantome]

At least room correction has been confirmed to be "actively worked on" for the current product range by WiiM, including the current Amp.

But, perhaps unsurprisingly, not for the WiiM Mini

 

[harkpabst]

2. It totally falls apart at 20 Hz. So if you use it, use with the integrated high-pass option and get a different amp to drive the subwoofer.

That's not nice to look at. But then, not too many speakers on this planet will go down to 20 Hz at remotely meaningful SPL with as little distortion as the amp.

But as you said, a sub (and most probably a powered one, not requiring an external amplifier) will be the natural solution. It's another question still, how many of even those will play 20 Hz at so little distortion that it's 2nd harmonic doesn't overshadow 40 Hz.

PS: Why doesn't the Wiim Pro Plus have a subwoofer XO and sub out? It is strange how the Wiim Mini, Pro/Pro Puls and Amp all have different feature sets, e.g. the Mini does not do Chromecast, or the Pro/Pro Plus do Chromecast but not sub out.

Different hardware limits, different time of release, ... there can be many reasons. WiiM have confirmed the advent of a WijM Ultra (or so), which will be another streaming DAC (no amp). It should bring new features, for sure.

But, perhaps unsurprisingly, not for the WiiM Mini

That's the device I care about least, so yes, especially with regards to @capslock's note, I should be precise here. In this case the reason for not implementing room correction on the Mini is pretty obvious.

 

[restorer-john]

What method is RMAA? using for "crosstalk" measurements? L into R, R into L, different frequencies in each channel and averaging the leakage?

Crosstalk will never improve at higher power outputs and that is what your plots are showing when you stack three plots with references to three different power outputs.

 

[Bleib]

Better in what regard? Not at driving speakers, that's for sure

Well...pro would be neutral no matter the load for one thing..
Ultra would have even more power..

Things like that

 

[Brantome]

PS: Why doesn't the Wiim Pro Plus have a subwoofer XO and sub out? It is strange how the Wiim Mini, Pro/Pro Puls and Amp all have different feature sets, e.g. the Mini does not do Chromecast, or the Pro/Pro Plus do Chromecast but not sub out.

On the contrary, it’s a clear evolution over the past two years with subsequent products building upon the previous. The Mini came first, followed by the Pro with increased CPU/RAM, connectivity, Chromecast etc; then the Pro Plus with a different DAC; and finally the Amp with, you guessed it, amplification. The upcoming Ultra streamer will similarly inherit some of the features of its predecessors. The four existing models didn’t all come to market at the same time.

 

[voodooless]

Well...pro would be neutral no matter the load for one thing..
Ultra would have even more power..

Things like that

Ah, you mean WiiM Amp Pro and Ultra . That makes sense.

 

[Matt_Holland]

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

Seems like a great combo although the impedance of the LS50 Meta at high frequencies is (like most speakers) higher than 4ohm so there will a very small lift in output. Probably just tie toe the speakers out more

Edited for typo

 

[capslock]

On the contrary, it’s a clear evolution over the past two years with subsequent products building upon the previous. The Mini came first, followed by the Pro with increased CPU/RAM, connectivity, Chromecast etc; then the Pro Plus with a different DAC; and finally the Amp with, you guessed it, amplification. The upcoming Ultra streamer will similarly inherit some of the features of its predecessors. The four existing models didn’t all come to market at the same time.

The Mini would be a great replacement for the Chromecast Audio -- if Chromecast can/could be added via firmware update. I'd buy several immediately to replace the dropout-prone CCAs. I am currently using CCAs with a separteDAC

The Pro is nice for Chromecast and the built-in EQ, but it is only a tiny bit cheaper than the pro when you figure in the optional remote. And its DAC sucks.

The Pro Plus has a great DAC, connectivity and basic EQ but sorely lacks the sub out. So what will the Ultra streamer bring? XLR out and Sub-out?

 

[capslock]

That's not nice to look at. But then, not too many speakers on this planet will go down to 20 Hz at remotely meaningful SPL with as little distortion as the amp.

But as you said, a sub (and most probably a powered one, not requiring an external amplifier) will be the natural solution. It's another question still, how many of even those will play 20 Hz at so little distortion that it's 2nd harmonic doesn't overshadow 40 Hz.


Different hardware limits, different time of release, ... there can be many reasons. WiiM have confirmed the advent of a WijM Ultra (or so), which will be another streaming DAC (no amp). It should bring new features, for sure.


That's the device I care about least, so yes, especially with regards to @capslock's note, I should be precise here. In this case the reason for not implementing room correction on the Mini is pretty obvious.

Well, 200 and 500 Hz are also worse than 1 kHz. This likely means that the reservoir caps are too small. Even if you use it with a 80 - 120 Hz high pass, 200 Hz at more than 2 W will modulate the power supply and intermodulate with other tones.

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?attachments/1000026603-png.350935/

 

[restorer-john]

Well that is according to very limited reviewer !!

The guy sadly seems to have had a face full of injectables and is looking more like puffy faced Jamie Oliver (the chef) since I last watched one of his reviews.

 

[Mnyb]

On the contrary, it’s a clear evolution over the past two years with subsequent products building upon the previous. The Mini came first, followed by the Pro with increased CPU/RAM, connectivity, Chromecast etc; then the Pro Plus with a different DAC; and finally the Amp with, you guessed it, amplification. The upcoming Ultra streamer will similarly inherit some of the features of its predecessors. The four existing models didn’t all come to market at the same time.

I'm starting to warm up to this brand even if I'm not a fan of the return of high output impedance in amplifiers it was common in the tube era and was considered a solved problem 30-40 years ago, lets not reintroduce that .

But every product seems to build on experience from the previous products , so if WiiM keep this up they have a future i audio

 

[Brantome]

The Mini would be a great replacement for the Chromecast Audio -- if Chromecast can/could be added via firmware update. I'd buy several immediately to replace the dropout-prone CCAs. I am currently using CCAs with a separteDAC

Highly unlikely, I seem to recall WiiM saying it doesn’t have the necessary hardware/grunt to support ChromeCast. Given it has half the cpu cores and a quarter of the RAM of its siblings, I might even go as far as to say it’s at the limit of what it can do apart from a few minor tweaks here and there.

The Pro is nice for Chromecast and the built-in EQ, but it is only a tiny bit cheaper than the pro when you figure in the optional remote. And its DAC sucks.

The Pro Plus has a great DAC, connectivity and basic EQ but sorely lacks the sub out. So what will the Ultra streamer bring? XLR out and Sub-out?

There’s been a great deal of hopes, wishes and dreams in a very long (some might say overlong) thread on the WiiM forum but this is the latest WiiM have said on what the Ultra will include: https://forum.wiimhome.com/posts/33896/

Edit: WiiM just posted this brief update, commenting more on the aesthetics but continuing their evolutionary path imho https://forum.wiimhome.com/threads/wiim-ultra.1731/post-41216

 

[harkpabst]

Well, 200 and 500 Hz are also worse than 1 kHz. This likely means that the reservoir caps are too small. Even if you use it with a 80 - 120 Hz high pass, 200 Hz at more than 2 W will modulate the power supply and intermodulate with other tones.

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?attachments/1000026603-png.350935/

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/

 

[capslock]

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/

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?

 

[DSJR]

Seems like a great combo although the impedance of the LS50 Meta at high frequencies is (like most speakers) higher than 4ohm so there will a very small lift in output. Probably just tie toe the speakers out more

View attachment 351473
Edited for typo

It's what's happening to the load at 2.5kHz or so which may be audible if the amp responds at this frequency.

Got to say again that I respect the Stereophile dummy speaker load responses which easily shows to me anyway, what a given amp does at all frequencies into a typical roller-coaster impedance curve, rather than static resistances. I apologise if it's just me being narrow and dense here, but I'm alarmed that Erin's plots show one thing and Amir's another - sorry, not trying to incite a flame war here, just attempting to get settlement on a response-with-load situation that everyone including me can understand.

I should remind you lot that forty years ago, *good* amplifiers had distortions in the -70's and 80's and the *best* tested/sounding ones (by Martin Colloms) had distortions in the 40s and 50s, so PLEASE don't get hung up on 3rd harmonic at -90dB

 

[somebodyelse]

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?

First lot on sale had a couple of problems, identified and fixed in a later board revision - see #82 asking about the board revision because of the LF distortion issue. Coil whine was as problem for some too. According to reports in other threads Wiim have been offering replacement on amps sold direct, but policies from resellers may vary.

 

[DTTOM37]

PS: Why doesn't the Wiim Pro Plus have a subwoofer XO and sub out? It is strange how the Wiim Mini, Pro/Pro Puls and Amp all have different feature sets, e.g. the Mini does not do Chromecast, or the Pro/Pro Plus do Chromecast but not sub out.

As some members have already pointed out, the core product (formerly an OEM streaming board) has seen quite an evolution over the years.

With the success of the WIIM mini and the recognition of the exciting performance/value proposition, the community here and elsewhere (in their own forums since a while) were involved in guiding the WIIM engineering in "proper" directions.

This is a true story of success - in my view - of a company open to listen to customer demands and allocate engineering hours for checking, testing requests & developing solutions, mostly software driven. Not everything worked out, and there is definitely the timing issue which meets quite too often deaf ears in the community.

However, the difference between their products, visually and technically, wouldn't be there if they wouldn't have the ability to listen, develop, provide - and if the core product didn't already has provided a rich promise for the community. In my view, the core product had been the A31 (WIIMU) which was used since 2015 in a couple of wannabe-HiFi streamer, but had a crucial lack of proper perfomance.
The underlaying module series A98 is the successor of that A31 module, which opened the market opportunities for Linkplay, imho. Even it sounds quite easy for anyone not involved, this is the work of some dedicated people making informed decisions, taking risks and thrive for continuuos development in price sensitive markets. They have my respect for that.

It's not easy to imagine that in Germany or the US, where engineering hours cost more than a WIIM mini itself, an approach like that would prove succesful.
Another company open to listen into the community seems to be Fosi Audio. YMMV.

edit: while they had a choice of wifi-modules on their website (Linkplay.com) still last year, todays visit offered only the A98 module to me. The info on A31 is available through parts.express, though.