WiiM Mini Review (Streamer)

[ehabheikal]

Yes, although I personally don't care about HiRes I appreciate being able to play 44.1kHz CD-quality files without conversion. I also constantly use the parametric eq plugin. The DSP in the player can also be applied when streaming over Chromecast, a neat feature. It takes a few seconds for changes to take effect when casting though, so it's best to test out your settings wired.

I thought the peq feature is still to be implemented. How many peq filters does it support?

 

[Brantome]

I thought the peq feature is still to be implemented. How many peq filters does it support?

I think it’s a different device altogether that’s being talked about there, both in terms of when the comment was posted, and the fact that the WiiM devices neither have PEQ nor DSP. PEQ is on the roadmap though - possibly 10 band for the Pro and 3 for the Mini iirc.

 

[Ken Tajalli]

This is a review and detailed measurements of the WiiM Mini Wifi/Bluetooth streamer. It is on kind loan from a member and is on sale on Amazon for US $89.

Thanx for this, got one just before X'mas (BTW merry X'mass to all).
Just managed to get it working, because I had time on my hands, something about idle hands and devil .
Works just fine!
I have managed to set it up, with jRiver media player, to stream to over Wi-Fi. I can go bit-perfect or use DSP.
Also, on Android, Neutron player works fine with it, again with or without DSP, bit-perfect or not.
Since I had set up the Neutron (a while ago) to work flawlessly with a shared music folder, all I need to play and control the music library, is my humble phone.
Every sampling rate from 44 to 192 works automatically, using bundled Toslink, what more could I ask?

 

[Overseas]

Glad for you, I tried one but as I do not listen to sampling rates I had to decline.

 

[Ken Tajalli]

Glad for you, I tried one but as I do not listen to sampling rates I had to decline.

Neither do I.
However . . . . !
There are re-release of my favourite 70's albums, new classical recordings in Hires, on Amazon music, on downloads, that sound pretty good.
Perhaps not because of the higher bitrates etc. but because they are re-mixed, or just better mastered. Now, I have paid the money, and would like to hear them as intended. If they are down-sampled, or sent to BT - you can tell! I could tell.
Upsampling is pretty safe, but downsampling can be detrimental.
It is good to know, for the little money I paid for Wiim, it can do the job, right.
BTW - On my Android phone, with UAPP (usb audio player pro) , I could not make it play to Wiim.
With Neutron, once I managed to decipher its network and streaming method, it became a doddle. I can play bit perfect to wiim with it, no issues.
As I already had said, jRiver, also a bit mysterious, managed to play to wiim, no issues.
But not UAPP! Unless someone could tell me how!

 

[jmtocali]

Neither do I.
However . . . . !
There are re-release of my favourite 70's albums, new classical recordings in Hires, on Amazon music, on downloads, that sound pretty good.
Perhaps not because of the higher bitrates etc. but because they are re-mixed, or just better mastered. Now, I have paid the money, and would like to hear them as intended. If they are down-sampled, or sent to BT - you can tell! I could tell.
Upsampling is pretty safe, but downsampling can be detrimental.
It is good to know, for the little money I paid for Wiim, it can do the job, right.
BTW - On my Android phone, with UAPP (usb audio player pro) , I could not make it play to Wiim.
With Neutron, once I managed to decipher its network and streaming method, it became a doddle. I can play bit perfect to wiim with it, no issues.
As I already had said, jRiver, also a bit mysterious, managed to play to wiim, no issues.
But not UAPP! Unless someone could tell me how!

UAPP is only an UPNP endpoint (can play but not send to other players), only can send to Chromecast devices, like the Wiim Pro. You can try with Bubbleupnp or mconnect, those work fine with the Wiim.

 

[Ken Tajalli]

UAPP is only an UPNP endpoint (can play but not send to other players), only can send to Chromecast devices, like the Wiim Pro. You can try with Bubbleupnp or mconnect, those work fine with the Wiim.

Yes, I finally figured that out.
Neutron is $8, Bubbleupnp is $4 and mconnect is $6.
Neutron is far far far more feature rich that UAPP + any of those two, for just $8!
Remember, for $8 you get all the features, unlike UAPP that has in-app purchases.
If only Neutron could integrate some streaming services (Amazon, Qubuz ...), and add more than smb1 network capability!
Its DSP alone is worth double the asking price, rendering to end points is just a cherry on the top, that I didn't know about for the past so many years.
Because I never needed it, till now!
Update:
Managed to get Bubbleupnp to work.
It is limited to 44.1kHz.
Direct from Neutron, all sampling rates are available automatically.
44.1 - 88.2 - 176.4 - 192 at 24 or 16bits.
BTW, Neutron too can act as endpoint.

 

[Bamyasi]

Update:
Managed to get Bubbleupnp to work.
It is limited to 44.1kHz.

What do you mean? BubbleUPnP is not limited by any formats nor sampling rates when streaming. If you are using it to play music on your phone then this is a limitation of your phone's audio stack (e.g., Android). UAPP has its own stack and thus might be preferable as a local audio files player, e.g. on the phone or tablet.

So I can rest assure you that BubbleUPnP is NOT limited to 44.1 kHz.

 

[Ralph_Cramden]

Neutron is far far far more feature rich that UAPP + any of those two, for just $8!

Neutron has by far far far the worst UI I've ever had the displeasure of using.

 

[Ken Tajalli]

Neutron has by far far far the worst UI I've ever had the displeasure of using.

Hell yeah!
Its a never ending maze.

 

[Ken Tajalli]

What do you mean? BubbleUPnP is not limited by any formats nor sampling rates when streaming. If you are using it to play music on your phone then this is a limitation of your phone's audio stack (e.g., Android). UAPP has its own stack and thus might be preferable as a local audio files player, e.g. on the phone or tablet.

So I can rest assure you that BubbleUPnP is NOT limited to 44.1 kHz.

It maybe, but playing to bubble from anything, I got 44.1 !
While Neutron managed 192.
go figure.
UAPP and Neutron with USB direct, up to 768, which is the limit of my dac.

 

[Smislov]

I play Turntable for first time throughout Wiim Mini audio in-digital out And Dac say 48khz. Why is not bit perfect? Or may be I must set up Spdif out 44.1 /16??? Tnx
Happy New Year

 

[Jimbob54]

I play Turntable for first time throughout Wiim Mini audio in-digital out And Dac say 48khz. Why is not bit perfect? Or may be I must set up Spdif out 44.1 /16??? Tnx
Happy New Year

Define "bit perfect" in terms of feeding a turntable into a device that converts to and outputs digital.

 

[Smislov]

Its not 44.1??? I’m not expert If is normal 48 than that is what it is I will listen in 48khz

 

[Jimbob54]

Its not 44.1??? I’m not expert If is normal 48 than that is what it is I will listen in 48khz

It's analog out of your turntable, yes?

 

[Smislov]

Its analog out, aux in - wiim mini, Spdif out to Topping ex5

 

[Jimbob54]

Its analog out, aux in - wiim mini, Spdif out to Topping ex5

So as a bare minimum you have an analog to digital conversion (which will be at a certain bit depth and sample rate) to turn the turntable signal into digital to output that again through SPDIF to Topping. I don't know how the WiiM does adc but it may even resample that for digital output.

My guess is it samples at 48khz and outputs that as SPDIF but that might be configurable in settings.

 

[mSpot]

It maybe, but playing to bubble from anything, I got 44.1 !
While Neutron managed 192.

Do you have Qobuz? I can play Qobuz with BubbleUPnP at 192.

 

[Ken Tajalli]

Do you have Qobuz? I can play Qobuz with BubbleUPnP at 192.

No I don't.
Qubuz app on windows didn't work for me. On UAPP on Android it was OK, but I didn't like UAPP! so I stopped my subscription.
I now have Amazon music.
The Android app plays to nothing but the device itself, but the windows app is fine! it can stream directly to Wiim at 192.
At least it has a basic equaliser , something Qubuz app lacked.
On Windows, I can play Amazon from the app, to jRiver media player's WDM virtual sound device, then use jRiver DSP and stream to Wiim at 192.
So for now, the bubble was just an experiment for me.

 

[Smartplug]

mini get more update than pro.