WiiM Mini Review (Streamer)

[Power Pop 23]

Thank you. I am considering the mini also because of size cause i might use it occasionaly on a 2nd home on and old stereo. I know the dac will be worse than the pro and pro plus (altough i doubt it will be that much worse on my 45 year old sony with original speakers i have in that 2nd home ) but using the optical on the main system should there be a noticeable difference between the 3?

No

The 'Pro' uses the same DAC as the Mini. The 'Pro Plus' uses a newer generation DAC.

 

[sfdoddsy]

I was an earlyish Mini adopter, like it enough to buy another, and liked them enough to buy a Pro and an Amp, which have basically replaced my previous very complex Anthem and Denon systems.

I recently moved houses and didn't hook up the Minis for a couple of months. When I did they updated themselves.

Alas, I can't help feeling something has changed.

I use the Minis directly into B&O active speakers. The system has always suffered from faint pops between tracks no-one except me noticed.

But now the pops and crackles are so frequent and so prevalent even my uncaring partner now cares enough to listen via a Sonus Beam instead.

The problem is at its worst when listening to Apple Music via Airplay, but still audible with Roon. It disappeared when I replaced the Minis with an ancient Airport Express.

Anyone else having similar issues?

 

[lordhumungous]

I was an earlyish Mini adopter, like it enough to buy another, and liked them enough to buy a Pro and an Amp, which have basically replaced my previous very complex Anthem and Denon systems.

I recently moved houses and didn't hook up the Minis for a couple of months. When I did they updated themselves.

Alas, I can't help feeling something has changed.

I use the Minis directly into B&O active speakers. The system has always suffered from faint pops between tracks no-one except me noticed.

But now the pops and crackles are so frequent and so prevalent even my uncaring partner now cares enough to listen via a Sonus Beam instead.

The problem is at its worst when listening to Apple Music via Airplay, but still audible with Roon. It disappeared when I replaced the Minis with an ancient Airport Express.

Anyone else having similar issues?

Yes . Using a WiiM Pro and off and on issues with this and crackling ,distortion through coax. Optical never an issue . The issues have been enough for me to consider avoiding WiiM products

 

[hyperknot]

I recently moved houses -> you wifi is bad in the new place. Put up some Ubiquiti APs and problem solved.

 

[Burnside]

I was an earlyish Mini adopter, like it enough to buy another, and liked them enough to buy a Pro and an Amp, which have basically replaced my previous very complex Anthem and Denon systems.

I recently moved houses and didn't hook up the Minis for a couple of months. When I did they updated themselves.

Alas, I can't help feeling something has changed.

I use the Minis directly into B&O active speakers. The system has always suffered from faint pops between tracks no-one except me noticed.

But now the pops and crackles are so frequent and so prevalent even my uncaring partner now cares enough to listen via a Sonus Beam instead.

The problem is at its worst when listening to Apple Music via Airplay, but still audible with Roon. It disappeared when I replaced the Minis with an ancient Airport Express.

Anyone else having similar issues?

Have you tried toggling on the fade in & fade out effects under Audio Settings? That was introduced to try and mitigate such an issue with external DACs that could click and pop between sample rate changes (although if you’re using airplay and Apple Music, it should be a standard 320kbps aac stream).

Submit a ticket to WiiM via the more/settings/ feedback section in the app so they can inspect your device logs and perhaps offer advice on a resolution.

 

[sfdoddsy]

I don't have this issue with my Wiim Amp or my Wiim Pro, although they are used in different systems.

They do have a different but equally annoying issue.

When using Apple Music (whether from my laptop or my iPad) via Airplay, both consistently drop the signal when changing tracks on shuffle play, requiring me to manually select them. The iPad is flakiest, but Mac OS is equally guilty.

I have no issues with Roon.

It just feels like Wiim no longer plays nice with anything Apple.

 

[sfdoddsy]

I recently moved houses -> you wifi is bad in the new place. Put up some Ubiquiti APs and problem solved.

My wifi averages 450 mbps throughout the house. I don't think speed is the issue.

I have two different mesh systems on hand. Same problem with both.

 

[markstein]

Do the pops and crackling only appear when sample rate between tracks is switched? Or also when sample rate remains constant?

Switching sample rate "on the fly" between two tracks can cause synchronisation issues with the DAC connected to the WiiM digital output. You should avoid it by forcing your streaming source to output only one fixed sample rate, if possible.

 

[ShadowBoxer]

Played two minis in a group yesterday for 8+ hours straight. One external DAC, one not. Zero issues (no Apple).

 

[Witterings]

It just feels like Wiim no longer plays nice with anything Apple.

I've had loads of issues since both an iOS update and an Amazon Music App update, using my mini iPad, if you put an album on to play, it doesn't show teh current album playing with a list of tracks but instead the last track that was being played on theh iPad rather than what's being cast to teh WiiM so you can't browse through teh current album and select say 3 tracks ahead. Also when the screen goes into standby mode it loses connection with the WiiM (which it never used to do) and when you wake it up you can't control the WiiM at all but have to resort to using the WiiM App even for something as simple as stopping the current track.

Not sure if it's an Apple, Amazon music or WiiM issue but it doesn't half pee you off.

 

[ahofer]

No issues with my Wiim. It's been about a year. I use mostly Roon, but it also doubles as the PC DAC on my desk.

 

[D700]

My wifi averages 450 mbps throughout the house. I don't think speed is the issue.

I have two different mesh systems on hand. Same problem with both.

I was in exactly same situation, same symptoms, Orbi 750 series mesh right at 500 mbps. I plugged in a long Ethernet cable to my router to test and problem went away immediately. I ended up rearranging shelving/location in the cabinet and now it's working fine. Only moved it about a 18" but it was enough.

Wiim does not have good WiFi error capture in my opinion.

 

[Doublej]

Yup, WiiM's WiFi receiver is really poor. Why they don't have an external antenna on their units is unfathomable. I guess it is fashion over function.

 

[rcstevensonaz]

Wiim does not have good WiFi error capture in my opinion.

That is a very helpful observation. I just added a WiiM Pro (WiFi connected) in my kitchen and have been noticing a lot of issues; whereas I've never had any such issues with the WiiM Pro (ethernet) in my home office.

 

[amper42]

That is a very helpful observation. I just added a WiiM Pro (WiFi connected) in my kitchen and have been noticing a lot of issues; whereas I've never had any such issues with the WiiM Pro (ethernet) in my home office.

The kitchen may have wifi issues when microwave is operating. You might see if that has anything to do with it. The other obvious cause can be distance from the router and whether an oven or other appliances are mounted in the wall between the Wiim mini and your router.

 

[Joffy1780]

It's funny, but I've been running 2 Wiim Pro on a mesh network for well over 18 months with zero playback issues or dropouts etc. I have one sitting about 50 cm from my router, but have never once felt the need to connect via ethernet.

 

[tw 2022]

It's funny, but I've been running 2 Wiim Pro on a mesh network for well over 18 months with zero playback issues or dropouts etc. I have one sitting about 50 cm from my router, but have never once felt the need to connect via ethernet.

the multiple wifi points is your answer, distance from a source might be an issue...

 

[Joffy1780]

the multiple wifi points is your answer, distance from a source might be an issue...

Both Pros connect to the same access point, the other Pro is on a different floor and has never had an issue.