WiiM Amp Ultra Streaming Amplifier Review

[somebodyelse]

There is no meta data contained in the S/PDIF signal. This is the same for all optical inputs on all devices.

It depends what you mean by metadata. It doesn't contain things like track name, artist etc. but the channel status word does include things like sample rate, bit depth, source type and more - data about the encoded channel data.

 

[harkpabst]

It doesn't contain things like track name, artist etc. ...

That's what I refer to as metadata.

... but the channel status word does include things like sample rate, bit depth, source type and more - data about the encoded channel data.

This is needed to reconstruct the signal, not just for display.

I hope we're in agreement with these preconditions.

 

[somebodyelse]

This is needed to reconstruct the signal, not just for display.

Some of it is, but by no means all of it - source type being the one I mentioned. ISRC would probably have been a better example of metadata that might be included as it can be used to look up the sort of metadata you're talking about.

I hope we're in agreement with these preconditions.

Indeed.

 

[gasolin75]

For bit perfect you can't connect a sub to the streamer since it's a fixed volume and no room correction,eq if the sub is non dsp sub and can connect it to the amp you have

 

[harkpabst]

That's right. One one more reason to not care about bit perfect.

 

[Descartes]

I bought the Wiim Amp Ultra a few months ago. Is it all you need? I would say so.
I had a very expensive audio system made up of a Naim integrated amp and Naim streamer. The little Wiim replaced both of the Naim boxes. The sound quality is at least 90% as good as the much more expensive Naim system.
I am starting to believe that high end expensive audio is somewhat of a scam. You are not getting what you pay for.

Always has been to get 5% more you pay five to ten times more, and sometimes you just get bling bling like watches!

 

[Descartes]

Do audio reviewers make stuff up? Serious question. I recently watched a video by Darko, in which he compares a 75 watt Arcam Class A/B integrated amp to the Wiim amp ultra.
He makes some startling claims... He implies that the Arcam is more powerful than the Wiim. Really? Watts are watts! 100 watts > 75 watts. He then goes into detail about how the Arcam is more this, more that than the Wiim.
I myself know the Wiim compares favorably to my former high end system of Naim separates. What Darko says baffles me.
Then again, his livelihood depends on him being able to "hear" and describe differences bewteen components. He is either fooling himself, or outright making stuff up.
I don't mean to pick on Darko. Other reviewers make dubious claims as well.

He is a buffoon who takes himself very seriously and basically get free gear from companies because he is always singing their praises! He has been able to make a living by making shit up and cultivating the “Audiophile” myth.

 

[Descartes]

Hi Indy,

I had a Sonos Connect with optical out into a Bencmark DAC2 followed by a Buckeye Hype MP252 amp. The amp got fried in a lightning strike and I replaced the whole system with a Wiim AMP Ultra.

I can hear no difference either (although I obviously couldn't do a blind test), while playing at around 85db with 95db peaks, which to my ears is very loud.

When you add to this the Wiim's many useful features it is as you say, a bargain.

Nice wave, is that you on the surf board?

 

[Descartes]

Why can’t the WiiM Amp Ultra have a USB-C input or at least an USB-B so I can use it with my Mac or my phone to listen to music uncompressed!

 

[john61ct]

If that is a sincere question, IMO it was a cost or space issue.

Wiim Ultra pre-amp, same-same

See above for lots of reco's for USB-input DDCs that output S/PDIF, TOS link or coax, they perform well and are not very costly.

You can also "cast" but not via Airplay, without inserting a different cheap add-on, also explained above with various examples.

Accommodating all possible desires would likely double the price for everyone

 

[Ajax]

Nice wave, is that you on the surf board?

Yeah, at a surf break in Bali called Bingin. A left hander that's throws up over a shallow reef inbetween the famed Uluwatu and Kuta Beach. I was 70 last week and this was taken about 20 years ago when I was 50.

Unfortunately it is a case of "paradise lost" as the Asian, American, Australian and European chain hotels have moved in and destroyed the place, very sad as they have no regard for the environment they are destroying. Reminds me of the Joni Mitchell song "Big Yelllow Taxi".

 

[elmoe420]

Yeah, at a surf break in Bali called Bingin. A left hander that's throws up over a shallow reef inbetween the famed Uluwatu and Kuta Beach. I was 70 last week and this was taken about 20 years ago when I was 50.

Unfortunately it is a case of "paradise lost" as the Asian, American, Australian and European chain hotels have moved in and destroyed the place, very sad as they have no regard for the environment they are destroying. Reminds me of the Joni Mitchell song "Big Yelllow Taxi".

I haven't been since the early 90s but have heard the same unfortunately. Ubud was an especially sweet little spot back in those days. Good memories.

 

[LesterHiggins]

He is a buffoon who takes himself very seriously and basically get free gear from companies because he is always singing their praises! He has been able to make a living by making shit up and cultivating the “Audiophile” myth.

But the frames of his glasses are so thicc! And he talks slowly, with a British accent, therefore he must know what he's talking about.

I actually have a serious question about the WiiM amp product line subwoofer out channel and its power supply:

I first ordered an Amp Ultra, which has a 3-prong grounded power cord. My subwoofer has a 2-prong cable. Immediately after connecting the subwoofer there was a loud hum. I've had other mixes of 2 and 3 prong audio devices, I've never had a problem like this before, and the WiiM was on standby mode. I looped a wire around the sub's R input and ran that to the WiiM's chassis, hum gone.

During room correction sweeps the sub wouldn't wake up, so I turned up the dBs for the sub output, still nothing. Gave it some more juice, nothing. Being somewhat of a dumbass, I maxed the sub out to 15dB, and that did wake it up, but promptly fried the auto on/off circuit (thankfully only the L input, the R still functions fine). Before I boxed the thing up, I checked the subwoofer out port with a multimeter and it showed 228mV current, which is normal for RCA when playing music, but again this was standby, I thought it must be defective.

I swear off WiiM but circle back to the Amp Pro, which has a 2-prong cable. It arrives yesterday and before I set it up, I check the subwoofer out port after plugging it in but before connecting it to anything, it has the same 228mV current. This time it doesn't cause a hum with my sub and it works find with the sub's auto on/off.

So my question is: well, I guess it's "WTF?"

 

[gasolin75]

Some subs has a ground loop switch (i guess that fixes the problem)

or one of these

CleanBox II Hum Eliminator | ART Pro Audio

The CleanBox II removes ground loop noise without any signal degradation.

artproaudio.com

DTI Dual Transformer / Isolator | ART Pro Audio

The DTI Dual Transformer / Isolator uses a pair of high-performance transformers to reduce hum and ground loop noise, separating the input and output signal grounds for total isolation between two systems.

artproaudio.com

 

[somebodyelse]

I first ordered an Amp Ultra, which has a 3-prong grounded power cord. My subwoofer has a 2-prong cable. Immediately after connecting the subwoofer there was a loud hum. I've had other mixes of 2 and 3 prong audio devices, I've never had a problem like this before, and the WiiM was on standby mode. I looped a wire around the sub's R input and ran that to the WiiM's chassis, hum gone.

So you have a ground related noise issue, not uncommon with single ended interconnects.

During room correction sweeps the sub wouldn't wake up, so I turned up the dBs for the sub output, still nothing. Gave it some more juice, nothing. Being somewhat of a dumbass, I maxed the sub out to 15dB, and that did wake it up, but promptly fried the auto on/off circuit (thankfully only the L input, the R still functions fine). Before I boxed the thing up, I checked the subwoofer out port with a multimeter and it showed 228mV current, which is normal for RCA when playing music, but again this was standby, I thought it must be defective.

What exactly did you measure? 228mV is voltage, not current. You don't say whether it was ac or dc, and you don't say where you connected the probes, so we can't tell what your measurement means.

 

[gasolin75]

The streamer wiim ultra, mabye also the amp, is known to have ground loop as some say

 

[harkpabst]

The streamer wiim ultra, mabye also the amp, is known to have ground loop as some say

You might be mixing things up here. A device does not "have" a ground loop. Ground loops can occur when connecting two or more devices and it always depends on the boundary conditions and the full set of devices involved if you run into a problem or not.

The WiiM Ultra (at least earlier samples) might be more prone to RF interference as other devices, in particular when powerline network devices are used. But that's a different thing. I haven't heard such concerns regarding the WiiM Amp Ultra so far.

 

[LesterHiggins]

So you have a ground related noise issue, not uncommon with single ended interconnects.

What exactly did you measure? 228mV is voltage, not current. You don't say whether it was ac or dc, and you don't say where you connected the probes, so we can't tell what your measurement means.

Sorry, DC and it was -228mV, if current is the wrong word then my bad, I'm not an electricitiotomist. Klein multimeter. I put one pokey in the hole, the other on the rim. Also I put one of the Klein's stabbys in the port and the other on the outside edge.

 

[antcollinet]

The streamer wiim ultra, mabye also the amp, is known to have ground loop as some say

Ground loops are not a component issue - they are a system issue. Related to the grounding in every device in the system, how they are interconnected - including how they are connected to the mains supply AND the house wiring itself.

No one component has a ground loop.

EDIT : Ninjad by @harkpabst

 

[LesterHiggins]

You might be mixing things up here. A device does not "have" a ground loop. Ground loops can occur when connecting two or more devices and it always depends on the boundary conditions and the full set of devices involved if you run into a problem or not.

The WiiM Ultra (at least earlier samples) might be more prone to RF interference as other devices, in particular when powerline network devices are used. But that's a different thing. I haven't heard such concerns regarding the WiiM Amp Ultra so far.

I didn't say, or mean to say, the WiiM had a ground loop, I said, or meant to say, that there was possibly a ground loop when the wiim and subwoofer were plugged in and connected with an rca cable, or perhaps it was just a bunch of not-current-but-some-other-term running through the output that shouldn't have been there. EDIT: LOL, I meant to not say anything because you weren't replying to me at all.