WiiM Amp Ultra + Polk ES60 in a large open living room – enough power?

[Joegalaxy]

Hi everyone, and thanks in advance for any advice.

I’ve recently moved to another city and decided to set up a second audio system, while keeping my old one intact, as I’m still unsure whether this move will be permanent.
In my previous home I have an Arcam SA30 paired with Q Acoustics Concept 40 speakers and a Rega P3 turntable. I’m very happy with the Arcam as an amplifier, but as a streamer is a disaster. The speakers are fine overall, but nothing particularly exciting.

In the new house, I have a living room measuring 5.5 × 4.8 meters, with an opening on the left to a corridor and another opening to the kitchen, so the space is fairly large and acoustically a bit challenging. I’ve just picked up a pair of Polk Signature Elite ES60 at a very (very!) good price. For reference, their sensitivity is 90 dB (2.83V @ 1m).
I was considering a WiiM Amp Ultra, mainly because I’m aiming for something very minimal in terms of size and footprint. This system would be streaming-only, as I won’t be bringing my turntable or records with me, using with streaming via Tidal mostly but sometimes connected to the tv through HDMI arc for a film. My initial thought was that if I’m not satisfied, I could always bring the Arcam over and use that instead.

That said, budget is definitely a factor. The whole idea of setting up a second system is already a bit crazy to begin with, so I’m trying to keep things relatively sensible in terms of cost. So my questions are:

• Do you think the WiiM Amp Ultra would be able to drive the Polk ES60 properly in a room of this size and layout?
• Would the limited room correction available on the WiiM be enough to cope with a space like this?

Any thoughts or real-world experience would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

 

[Power Pop 23]

Hi everyone, and thanks in advance for any advice.

I’ve recently moved to another city and decided to set up a second audio system, while keeping my old one intact, as I’m still unsure whether this move will be permanent.
In my previous home I have an Arcam SA30 paired with Q Acoustics Concept 40 speakers and a Rega P3 turntable. I’m very happy with the Arcam as an amplifier, but as a streamer is a disaster. The speakers are fine overall, but nothing particularly exciting.

In the new house, I have a living room measuring 5.5 × 4.8 meters, with an opening on the left to a corridor and another opening to the kitchen, so the space is fairly large and acoustically a bit challenging. I’ve just picked up a pair of Polk Signature Elite ES60 at a very (very!) good price. For reference, their sensitivity is 90 dB (2.83V @ 1m).
I was considering a WiiM Amp Ultra, mainly because I’m aiming for something very minimal in terms of size and footprint. This system would be streaming-only, as I won’t be bringing my turntable or records with me, using with streaming via Tidal mostly but sometimes connected to the tv through HDMI arc for a film. My initial thought was that if I’m not satisfied, I could always bring the Arcam over and use that instead.

That said, budget is definitely a factor. The whole idea of setting up a second system is already a bit crazy to begin with, so I’m trying to keep things relatively sensible in terms of cost. So my questions are:

• Do you think the WiiM Amp Ultra would be able to drive the Polk ES60 properly in a room of this size and layout?
• Would the limited room correction available on the WiiM be enough to cope with a space like this?

Any thoughts or real-world experience would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

Yes and Yes

I have driven the same loudspeakers very loudly in a similar-sized listening space with a WiiM Amp.

 

[Joegalaxy]

Yes and Yes

I have driven the same loudspeakers very loudly in a similar-sized listening space with a WiiM Amp.

Wow, thanks a lot. Exactly the kind of experience based answer I was looking for.

 

[Power Pop 23]

Wow, thanks a lot. Exactly the kind of experience based answer I was looking for.

Consider budgeting for a calibrated microphone to use when measuring your listening space with WiiM's room correction feature.

 

[Good Vibes]

Hi

When used with a measurement microphone, WiiM’s RoomFit/PEQ settings are very good at dealing with low frequency peaks, making a great improvement to the sound.

i can highly recommend the UMIK 1 and would encourage you to add a microphone to your budget. It is a very worthwhile investment.

 

[Joegalaxy]

Hi

When used with a measurement microphone, WiiM’s RoomFit/PEQ settings are very good at dealing with low frequency peaks, making a great improvement to the sound.

i can highly recommend the UMIK 1 and would encourage you to add a microphone to your budget. It is a very worthwhile investment.

Thanks a lot, I was thinking of using the Omni mic that comes with Arcam SA30. I got the impression—reading around here and there— that the Wiim’s room correction wasn’t all that substantial, and that the basic microphone would be more than sufficient. But if you’re telling me that you noticed clear benefits with the UMIK 1 and that the room correction actually produced significant results, then I’ll definitely get it.

 

[Power Pop 23]

Thanks a lot, I was thinking of using the Omni mic that comes with Arcam SA30. I got the impression—reading around here and there— that the Wiim’s room correction wasn’t all that substantial, and that the basic microphone would be more than sufficient. But if you’re telling me that you noticed clear benefits with the UMIK 1 and that the room correction actually produced significant results, then I’ll definitely get it.

Yes, and the room correction offered by WiiM is becoming more substantial with software updates.

 

[Good Vibes]

Thanks a lot, I was thinking of using the Omni mic that comes with Arcam SA30. I got the impression—reading around here and there— that the Wiim’s room correction wasn’t all that substantial, and that the basic microphone would be more than sufficient. But if you’re telling me that you noticed clear benefits with the UMIK 1 and that the room correction actually produced significant results, then I’ll definitely get it.

I have been into Hifi for approx 6 years and have owned the WiiM Ultra & UMIK 1 for approx 1 year. I would say that I didn’t truly start enjoying the sound I was getting until I bought the Ultra & Mic. When using RoomFit, if you folllow the general advice on here and only target up to 400hz with non boost mode activated, the corrections will give you a good sound improvement. Something else I can recommend is REW, it’s free software which is very accurate, more in depth and allows you to ‘see’ the sound you are experiencing. You can then make adjustments to the speakers position and your listening position and when used to in conjunction with the WiiM’s PEQ settings, will significantly improve your listening experience. I am still very much a learner in this hobby and my knowledge of REW is especially very basic but it is a fantastic tool and you can get a wealth of knowledge and advice on this website from some very knowledgeable and willingly helpful members.

WiiM is a truly fantastic company, the interface is user friendly and very practical. I found Hifi to be quite a frustrating hobby until I bought a WiiM Pro Plus. I very quickly upgraded to the Ultra. The greatest praise I can give the WiiM, Mic & REW combo is that I was finally able to start enjoying my music again.

With regards to the microphone that you use, I have no knowledge of the omni microphone but it might will be up to the task. Definitely something for you to look into.

Good luck with your new setup, I’m sure you will absolutely love the Amp Ultra!