WiiM mini or pro - are there any alternatives at all?

[Jack Harrison]

Hi - I just joined because i couldn't think of anywhere better to ask this question. I'm really very grateful for the advice and information I've got from this forum over a long time now, so thanks Amir and everyone else too.
I've a mix of reasonably decent hifi bits and pieces that I've put together over the years. Until last year that included streaming away merrily with a Rpi 3B + Allo Boss DAC. The main issue I had was not being able to stream Amazon Music HD.
So I bought a WiiM mini. Which has proven to be too good and too bad at the same time. I can stream everything I want including Amazon HD and all my ripped CDs from our home server. I've plugged my Technics SL1210GR into the analogue in and so I can sit back and control everything from my iphone or ipad which is all good. However the built in DAC isn't great and the built in ADC is even less fantastic though that's mitigated a little bit by the limitations of vinyl.
So, my question is, is there any other affordable single box solution with the same functionality but a (much) better DAC and ADC?
I'm actually using an old but better sounding DAC with it and I could always get a Topping E30 or similar to improve the output more, so it's the poor quality of the ADC that's the biggest issue. Of course if the consensus is that the poor performance of the WiiM's ADC and DAC is outside the limits of human hearing I'm open to some self administered psych therapy to remedy it.

 

[Joffy1780]

Simple answer is no, to be honest. If you don't need to stream the output from your turntable to other devices around your home, you'd be better off sticking with the mini and adding a separate ADC/DAC combo or a separate ADC and separate DAC.
You would lose the ability to control everything from one app, but would have more competent ADC and DAC performance.
I honestly think the big plus of both Wiim devices is the inclusion of Amazon HD and, for the price, everything else is a bonus.
There are a few options as far as ADCs DACs etc, but I think because of the limitations of vinyl it might not be worth spending a fortune on the ADC side.
Something like the Motu M4 would outperform the Wiims for both conversions and is not massively expensive.

 

[Jack Harrison]

Thanks, when the WiiM pro was announced I thought it would be an absolute killer, expecting it to have the same abilities as the mini but naively expecting it to include a better ADC and DAC. I could plug a stand alone ADC into the pro if I could find a cheapish really good one and just use it digitally but that’s one more box I don’t really want especially because unlike DACs where you can find a measurably transparent one for small change I can’t find an ADC I want to shell out for.
I think I’m going to try taking a lead from the pre-out (tape out) on my preamp to the Wiim Mini analogue in. Then I might have the option of listening to the phono stream direct from turntable to amp to speakers or diverting it through the WiiM for ease of use and streaming - and it’s always possible I might not hear any difference I suppose. And yes, I agree, it’s the ability to stream Amazon HD that makes the WiiM such a big plus even if that was all it could do.

 

[Kagemusha]

Nad CS1 maybe?

 

[Ken Tajalli]

WiiM Mini Review (Streamer)

Hello, I have a Topping E30, if I buy wiim mini, can I connect the E30 to wiim and can I play my shared music files from DLNA? and also , I am currently using Rpi4 and topping E30 and feeding them with shanti LPS, but I am not very satisfied with the sound quality, because before that I had...

audiosciencereview.com

 

[theronic]

Any developments in the streamer space since 2023?

 

[Apesbrain]

Thanks, when the WiiM pro was announced I thought it would be an absolute killer, expecting it to have the same abilities as the mini but naively expecting it to include a better ADC and DAC.

Take a look at the WiiM Pro Plus:

WiiM Pro Plus Streamer Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the WiiM Pro Plus streamer, DAC and preamplifier with Bluetooth support. It was sent to me by the company and costs US $219. While the case is plastic, it still "looks the part" as the Brits would say relative to other more famous brands of...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[theronic]

The WiiM Ultra has a great DAC (114.9dB SINAD), but is comparatively pricey @ $329.