WiiM Mini Review (Streamer)

[DanielT]

Yep. But you shouldn't try to correct full range, anyway.

If you still want to do it, the (relatively) cheap Dayton Audio iMM-6C is a perfect addition to your toolkit. It's generally of better quality than the typical built-in microphones and - most importantly - it comes with an individual calibration file, which the WiiM Home App can import.

Unfortunately, with some SoCs (in particular MediaTek Dimensity) apps cannot get full control over the audio processing. In particular, there may be some high pass filtering that will cool the room correction algorithm into applying too much bass boost. There's nothing one can do about it but switch to a different phone.

Thanks for the tips and advice.
I see measurements with an uncalibrated mobile microphone mostly as a rough indication of large swings, peaks and valleys in the bass area. Which I fortunately don't have much of, probably in a not-so-rectangular living/listening room.
Mobile phones with Android. If it's not one thing, for example, the built-in mixer that impairs lossless streaming quality, then it's something else, like now with a built-in microphone. BUT I don't really complain much about the mobile microphone. It's not a calibrated measurement microphone so you can't expect much.

I have a UMIK-1 that I've only used a few times so it feels a bit overkill to buy a
Dayton Audio iMM-6C.

I thought you couldn't use UMIK-1 with Android and WiiM Mini's RoomFit, room correction, but it seems like it can be done. I'll investigate that further. If anyone has managed to get it to work, please let me know.

 

[harkpabst]

I have a UMIK-1 that I've only used a few times so it feels a bit overkill to buy a
Dayton Audio iMM-6C.

I thought you couldn't use UMIK-1 with Android and WiiM Mini's RoomFit, room correction, but it seems like it can be done. I'll investigate that further. If anyone has managed to get it to work, please let me know.

If you have a UMIK-1 already, you don't need another USB mic, of course.

If or if not the mic is compatible with your Android depends on the device itself. Many phones are compatible, some are not. The newer the better.

 

[DanielT]

If you have a UMIK-1 already, you don't need another USB mic, of course.

If or if not the mic is compatible with your Android depends on the device itself. Many phones are compatible, some are not. The newer the better.

It was easy. Download the calibration file for my UMIK-1. Then plug in the microphone and follow the instructions:

Using an External Microphone for Room Correction

TABLE OF CONTENTS Recommended External Microphones Step-by-Step Guide 1. Connect the External Microphone 2. Launch the WiiM Home App 3. Import the Calibration File (if available) 4. Run the Room Correction Process Common Questions Th...

faq.wiimhome.com

No 8 kHz peak anymore with RoomFit sweep with UMIK-1.

They are a little wobbly in FR but fun my vintage Tannoy Mayfair T225 coax speakers. The sound from them fits well in my living room. Even better now with RoomFit.

However, I am a little hesitant to RoomFit's 9.1 dB boost at 36 Hz. Tannoy Mayfair T225
have low power handling 60 watts. I can't play at too high a volume in the apartment but they should push them hard despite that.
Also with a little over 30 amp watts right now so ...well. I think I'll plug in my power amp later instead.
Anyway, this is how it turned out:

I can do a non-boost RoomFit setup instead. I'll test that later. Also, I'll measure my active XTZ Tune 4 speakers later today or tomorrow.

 

[harkpabst]

It was easy. Download the calibration file for my UMIK-1. Then plug in the microphone and follow the instructions:

Using an External Microphone for Room Correction

TABLE OF CONTENTS Recommended External Microphones Step-by-Step Guide 1. Connect the External Microphone 2. Launch the WiiM Home App 3. Import the Calibration File (if available) 4. Run the Room Correction Process Common Questions Th...

faq.wiimhome.com

No 8 kHz peak anymore with RoomFit sweep with UMIK-1.

They are a little wobbly in FR but fun my vintage Tannoy Mayfair T225 coax speakers. The sound from them fits well in my living room. Even better now with RoomFit.

However, I am a little hesitant to RoomFit's 9.1 dB boost at 36 Hz. Tannoy Mayfair T225
have low power handling 60 watts. I can't play at too high a volume in the apartment but they should push them hard despite that.
Also with a little over 30 amp watts right now so ...well. I think I'll plug in my power amp later instead.
Anyway, this is how it turned out:
View attachment 500608View attachment 500609View attachment 500610
I can do a non-boost RoomFit setup instead. I'll test that later. Also, I'll measure my active XTZ Tune 4 speakers later today or tomorrow.

Looks to me like a no-boost RoomFit run should yield better results, indeed.

 

[staticV3]

@DanielT Alternatively, you could measure manually in REW, develop the EQ, then copy the values over to WiiM Home - giving you much greater control over the end result:

 

[Yorkshire Mouth]

There is however good news if you use the App and output over Toslink:

View attachment 200176

This is the best you can do with 24-bit dithered signal. At 141 dB, your limit then will be what your DAC can do as even state of the are units have a SINAD of 123 dB...

...If you use the App and Toslink output, you basically have a transparent wireless link to your stereo. Connect it to your favorite DAC and your performance will only be limited by the rest of your system.

And this exactly what I've just done. WiiM Mini into Topping DX5ii into Moondrop Para 2 Headphones, using the Mini's PEQ to tailor the Para 2s.

Bliss!

 

[ButHowDoesItSound?]

And this exactly what I've just done. WiiM Mini into Topping DX5ii into Moondrop Para 2 Headphones, using the Mini's PEQ to tailor the Para 2s.

Bliss!

AFAIK, the WiiM doesn't have a pre amp in its PEQ settings. How are you accounting for positive db gains to avoid digital clipping?

 

[kyuu]

AFAIK, the WiiM doesn't have a pre amp in its PEQ settings. How are you accounting for positive db gains to avoid digital clipping?

There is a per-source pre-gain available. You can also just limit the max volume.

 

[Yorkshire Mouth]

AFAIK, the WiiM doesn't have a pre amp in its PEQ settings. How are you accounting for positive db gains to avoid digital clipping?

I’ve worked on the basis that each 1% reduction on the limit, reduces the output by 0.6db.

 

[ButHowDoesItSound?]

Using the same for jitter we have:

Is this jitter measured from the analog aux output or the Toslink output?
If it was measured from the digital output, shouldn’t the noise floor be much lower (24bit)?

 

[antcollinet]

Is this jitter measured from the analog aux output or the Toslink output?
If it was measured from the digital output, shouldn’t the noise floor be much lower (24bit)?

Analogue out - it follows the analogue out dashboard, and states "using the same for jitter"

 

[ButHowDoesItSound?]

Analogue out - it follows the analogue out dashboard, and states "using the same for jitter"

Could you also explain why the noise floor of the J-Test looks like it is about 10db lower (at about -135b), while the noise floor of the 1khz test tone is at about -125db?

 

[staticV3]

Could you also explain why the noise floor of the J-Test looks like it is about 10db lower (at about -135b), while the noise floor of the 1khz test tone is at about -125db?

The nose floor isn't real. Look up FFT gain.

 

[pablolie]

The analog out to me doesn't sound good. Which is reflected in the measurements. I got one for my GF's place, but after initial installation and listening - will use a separate DAC, not the analog output on the Mini. My own on at home connects to a DAC directly and sounds -as we'd expect- great.

 

[antcollinet]

The analog out to me doesn't sound good. Which is reflected in the measurements.

The measurements are good enough that I'd be surprised if you could hear the difference in a controlled blind test, in real world listening.

 

[Yersinia Bestmate]

There is a per-source pre-gain available. You can also just limit the max volume.

There is not on Wiim Mini.

Max volume limit is the only way to compensate, which is stupid imo.

Pre-gain can be controlled in all other Wiim products as far as I know.

 

[kyuu]

There is not on Wiim Mini.

Really? I was not aware the Mini lacked that particular feature. Kind of an odd omission.

 

[Yersinia Bestmate]

Really? I was not aware the Mini lacked that particular feature. Kind of an odd omission.

It is odd indeed but that's the situation at the moment. Hopefully they could add it in some future update.

 

[pablolie]

The measurements are good enough that I'd be surprised if you could hear the difference in a controlled blind test, in real world listening.

While I have always been in the camp that states I fully enjoy 320k Ogg and don't care about the difference to lossless... in the case of this analog out I do care. I wasn' expecting to, and came into it with zero bias. This weekend I'll try simple solutions. I haven't sstematically eliminated the possibility of a bad connection yet, I should add. But I know something is off for now.

 

[pablolie]

There is not on Wiim Mini.

Max volume limit is the only way to compensate, which is stupid imo.

Pre-gain can be controlled in all other Wiim products as far as I know.

You can set both an AuxOut limit in Vrms as well as a MaxVolume in %. So no, MaxVol is not the only way to compensate.