WiiM Mini Review (Streamer)

[respice finem]

USB-C with all its USB3 varieties is sometimes... well, not as straightforward as one might think.

USB-C explained: How to get the most from it (and why it keeps on getting better)

USB-C and other high-speed protocols can push data to warp speeds. Here’s how to make the most of the current standards and what lies ahead.

www.computerworld.com

 

[amirm]

Some additional notes:

1. Company reached out to me at the start (prompted by the owner who send this to me) and offered support.

2. In my Samsung Android phone using their app, I cannot see anything I type in the search bar. But it does take the input.

3. If you let the phone time out and go to sleep, playback stops. At least it did for me as I tried to measure frequency response.

4. It is easy to get lost in their app. I would go into "Now Playing" page and then no matter what I did, I could not find a way back to browsing music.

5. If you plug in the 3.5 mm cable into the device, you lose Toslink output! I don't know why they are doing this. They should be both active at the same time.

 

[amper42]

USB-C with all its USB3 varieties is sometimes... well, not as straightforward as one might think.

And yet most DACs measure a bit better with a USB Input connection versus Toslink. Some DACs don't work well at all with Toslink due to dropout and other issues. A USB connection would be my preference on any streamer.

 

[SKBubba]

The company seems pretty nimble on software development/integration. The device also seems to be running some sort of linux. Should be no big deal to include a script to download/install (free) roon bridge. Bluesound/ifi killer.

 

[amirm]

Yes. @amirm's conclusion here is completely off base for the vast majority of users. The Roon community is TINY compared to Spotify users; hell, even compared to Tidal users, lol. My subjective conclusion: BUY IT!

My conclusions are mine, not yours. You can voice your conclusions in the above poll using the data I have provided. That is what it is there for.

 

[Ralph_Cramden]

My lingering concern is that it seems their app is required for bit-perfect 24-bit operation. I would not assume SINAD of 141 dB is possible using apps like BubbleUPnP, mConnect, or TIDAL Connect without independent verification.

I don't see any technical reason why it WOULDN'T support bit-perfect 24-bit operation without their app. They state that it is bit-perfect. "if your source is 24 bit/192kHz, it will output 24/192."

I don't happen to have any 24/192 FLAC files, but here's a quick test using a 24/96 file I downloaded from 2L years ago to my LMS server. My ADI DAC confirms that the optical input (Wiim Mini) is, in fact, receiving 24/96 data. Is it bit-perfect? I don't see any reason why it wouldn't be...

 

[TheBatsEar]

above poll

Vote "Great".

 

[sarumbear]

What do you mean it wasn't tested? I tested it by hooking it up to my monitor USB hub where I test all audio products from. I thought the LED lit up but I could no longer get output from the unit. Powered it back from its own adapter and it started to work again.

Thank you for telling us that, now. Your review says the opposite

An included phone charger needs to be used to power the unit over USB-C. It did not work so when I used my computer USB port.

I am not going to do an exhaustive test for stuff like this.

All due respect but this is a device to replace a computer and telling us that it doesn’t work with the supplied power adapter is the most basic “stuff”.

 

[TheBatsEar]

I don't see any technical reason why it WOULDN'T support bit-perfect 24-bit operation without their app. They state that it is bit-perfect. "if your source is 24 bit/192kHz, it will output 24/192."

I think Tidal is special in that they do some kind of trickery and proprietary magic to get to 24/192. They call it MQA unfolding and it seems to be done in several steps. I could imagine that the question was if this still works.

 

[ThatM1key]

As a WIFI Streamer, I could imagine somebody using it.

As a Bluetooth receiver, I can't imagine somebody using it, especially if they care about audio quality. The Topping BC3 is cheaper, has better performance and has LDAC support. At this price point, it should have LDAC but it has the most basic Bluetooth codec option (Judging by the website that just states it has "Bluetooth 5.2", no mention of AptX or anything).

 

[TheBatsEar]

As a Bluetooth receiver, I can't imagine somebody using it, especially if they care about audio quality.

If you ask my sister, Bluetooth is as good as CD. Case closed.

The Topping BC3 is cheaper, has better performance and has LDAC support.

Does it support Spotify?

At this price point, it should have LDAC

And sacrifice what feature for that license? Toslink?

 

[kukocz]

Using the same signal but now testing the analog output we get:
View attachment 200177

So just a hair better than using Airplay. The internal DAC as expected, is a mass market product than high performance.

Now when we compare it to Node 2i... Basically the same performance for the ~1/6th of the price.

 

[respice finem]

My conclusions are mine, not yours. You can voice your conclusions in the above poll using the data I have provided. That is what it is there for.

I think, this is exactly "where the dog lies buried" regarding reviews in general.
What suits one's need, may be useless for another.
Luckily, we are discussing "first world problems", and nobody has to like, dislike, let alone buy anything based on the recommendations here (or anywhere else).

 

[amirm]

Thank you for telling us that, now. Your review says the opposite

No it doesn't. It says the same thing.

 

[Jmudrick]

Some additional notes:

1. Company reached out to me at the start (prompted by the owner who send this to me) and offered support.

2. In my Samsung Android phone using their app, I cannot see anything I type in the search bar. But it does take the input.

3. If you let the phone time out and go to sleep, playback stops. At least it did for me as I tried to measure frequency response.

4. It is easy to get lost in their app. I would go into "Now Playing" page and then no matter what I did, I could not find a way back to browsing music.

5. If you plug in the 3.5 mm cable into the device, you lose Toslink output! I don't know why they are doing this. They should be both active at the same time.

I don't use analog out so can't comment there but the weird search bar behavior in the app is there on my Pixel 5A as well. Guess I never used it to notice.

 

[Lambda]

There is nothing misleading about. Just like any measurement, you have to learn what the data shows.

i know about fft gain.
but you can't read what the data is supposed to tell because it is not showing fft gain in the measurements and there is not enough data to calculate fft gain.

This is why in the industry they use V/√Hz or dB/√Hz
In every op amp datasheet... it is directly comparable between manufacturers. independent from bandwidth or fft gain.

 

[ThatM1key]

If you ask my sister, Bluetooth is as good as CD. Case closed.

The basic bluetooth codec (AAC I think?) is not anywhere close to CD. It is close to any very lossy format. If your sister think basic bluetooth sounds great, power to her but she shouldn't buy this product.

Does it support Spotify?

Technically yes. Bluetooth does re-encode, which does make the audio sound worse but anybody using Spotify thinks it sounds good enough or doesn't care about lossless.

And sacrifice what feature for that license? Toslink?

The Topping BC3 can do LDAC through its Toslink out.

 

[sarumbear]

No it doesn't. It says the same thing.

Im sorry but does following says the included power adapter worked?

An included phone charger needs to be used to power the unit over USB-C. It did not work so when I used my computer USB port.

 

[Ralph_Cramden]

the weird search bar behavior in the app is there on my Pixel 5A as well. Guess I never used it to notice.

Yes, it's there on my ChromeOS tablet, and no, I've also never used it before so hadn't noticed. It works fine on the iPhone.

Their app clearly needs a lot of work, but I really don't use it - the LMS UI is just so much better, and this thing is perfectly fine as a UPnP renderer for LMS (and one day, for Roon).

 

[amirm]

i know about fft gain.
but you can't read what the data is supposed to tell because it is not showing fft gain in the measurements and there is not enough data to calculate fft gain.

The purpose there is not to read the noise floor, there is a separate measurement for that. Calculating the noise floor from FFT is non trivial as you also need to know the impact of the window function. The main use of that graph is a relative measure compared to other products I test since the FFT length and window are constant.