WiiM Mini Streamer

[Music1969]

Which dac that does full mqa optical/coaxial?

I just mentioned few posts up - SMSL M500 Mk2

SMSL DO200

Sabaj A20d 2022 version

 

[mediocrebutarrogant]

Tidal app with USB DAC (or USB to optical converter) directly connected - Tidal app does 1st unfold.

Tidal app casting via Tidal Connect to WiiM Mini or any Tidal Connect streamer - never does 1st unfold, with any hardware.

So what you are seeing is completely normal.

There's no issues.

Just wait for WiiM Mini's MQA Core Decoder update in next 2 months. Then your E50 optical input will perform as MQA Renderer because the Core Decoder is WiiM Mini

WiiM Mini will then function like a Bluesound Node optical output, with Tidal Connect

I think your confusion comes from misunderstanding how unfold is currently working with your current stuff. And how it works with other streamers.

I have a Bluesound Node here so I know from practical experience.

Many thanks for taking the time to explain! Now I get it!

 

[Smartplug]

Tidal app with USB DAC (or USB to optical converter) directly connected - Tidal app does 1st unfold.

Tidal app casting via Tidal Connect to WiiM Mini or any Tidal Connect streamer - never does 1st unfold, with any hardware.

So what you are seeing is completely normal.

There's no issues.

Just wait for WiiM Mini's MQA Core Decoder update in next 2 months. Then your E50 optical input will perform as MQA Renderer because the Core Decoder is WiiM Mini

WiiM Mini will then function like a Bluesound Node optical output, with Tidal Connect

I think your confusion comes from misunderstanding how unfold is currently working with your current stuff. And how it works with other streamers.

I have a Bluesound Node here so I know from practical experience.

Maybe the reason gustard x16 is two times more than e50 due to it can perform such function plus other features. My question would be mqa core + dac renderer which will be full mqa unfold same sound as usb full mqa unfold? I just don’t want to connect a laptop on e50 just to get full mqa because I can’t control it.

 

[Music1969]

Maybe the reason gustard x16 is two times more than e50 due to it can perform such function plus other features.

Check out prices of those others I mentioned

My question would be mqa core + dac renderer which will be full mqa unfold same sound as usb full mqa unfold? I just don’t want to connect a laptop on e50 just to get full mqa because I can’t control it.

Yes it's the same bits at the end. How you reach the final sample rate is irrelevant.

One advantage of WiiM Mini doing your first unfold (with firmware coming) feeding an E50 is perfect optical galvanic isolation.

Control using Tidal app + Tidal Connect

 

[Music1969]

I wish MQA went away but Archimago's deep analysis found, you are still better doing that 1st unfold if you can, versus not...

These comments apply to 1st unfold (software decoder). They don't apply without the 1st unfold.

"Objectively with the songs I examined, the software decoder works well to reconstruct what looks like the equivalent 24/96 download."

and

"Bottom line: TIDAL/MQA streaming does sound like the equivalent 24/96 downloads based on what I have heard and the test results"

The main point is even if you hate MQA like Archimago does and I do , but you like Tidal service (like i do), you are technically betters still doing the 1st unfold.

This has been known since 2017 (see link below) so I'm not sharing breaking news here.

WiiM Mini doing 1st unfold later will be good for Tidal users, that hate MQA.

Ok that's enough of MQA. Anything more, lets move it to another thread.

Hopefully it was informative for WiiM Mini users waiting for MQA 1st unfold.

COMPARISON: TIDAL / MQA stream & high-resolution downloads; impressions & thoughts...

A blog for audiophiles about more objective topics. Measurements of audio gear. Reasonable, realistic, no snakeoil assessment of sound, and equipment.

archimago.blogspot.com

 

[Smartplug]

I have both amazon and tidal services. Setting both apps inside wiim to maximum ( I.e amazon UHD tidal master) and play music on the same art work. My hearing tells me tidal has a bit longer decay than amazon which I find it pleasing and in fact I have been switching between the 2 services when I listen. Amazon has great clarity not deep nor wide but more polite sound. Tidal is a bit wide and deep but also bit longer decay. What hi fi? Website states tidal is meant for audiophile who want sound quality first. They gave tidal 5 stars. Sound is subjective what sound good to them may not be the best for others.

 

[Smartplug]

Check out prices of those others I mentioned



Yes it's the same bits at the end. How you reach the final sample rate is irrelevant.

One advantage of WiiM Mini doing your first unfold (with firmware coming) feeding an E50 is perfect optical galvanic isolation.

Control using Tidal app + Tidal Connect

Instal tidal on desktop and use tidal connect on my iPhone to control the desktop app?

 

[mediocrebutarrogant]

Instal tidal on desktop and use tidal connect on my iPhone to control the desktop app?

That’s not possible either

 

[Merifon]

That’s not possible either

The perfect service would be Tidal interface with Spotify connect and Amazon (or Qobuz) files. Obviously at 9.99(€/$/£)

 

[Smitty2k1]

WiiM is a player just like pCP. But if you've meant gapless streaming from LMS to WiiM it's only possible with squeeze2upnp in "flow" mode at the moment.
Or if you've meant a WiiM app it's dedicated to WiiM Mini only.

Yeah sorry from LMS. I also could only get it working in flow mode. Glad to know I didnt do something wrong.

 

[mediocrebutarrogant]

Now how come when I switch to Bluetooth as music in , it still sounds same ! E50 takes opt in from WiiM with a Bluetooth stream and it sounds almost indentical! E50 does not care I guess it just takes an optical stream and upsamples to 44.1 on Bluetooth I guess

 

[telemike]

Bluetooth is lossy 44.1k/16 bit

 

[Music1969]

Instal tidal on desktop and use tidal connect on my iPhone to control the desktop app?

This would be like Spotify Connect

1 year ago Tidal Support told me this was coming "soon"- still hasn't happened

 

[Merifon]

This would be like Spotify Connect

1 year ago Tidal Support told me this was coming "soon"- still hasn't happened

6 months ago, I asked them for some features as spot conn does, like for example, control a playing device from another but they answered it was not on theirs plans...
If realized , I didn't have to buy a streamer, since this function was realized by a discontinued iPhone 6s, directly connected to dac. With Spotify worked wery well, any device in local network was able to control the stream done by that phone.
If only Spotify had gone to lossless, maybe I wasn't here to write about MQA and wiim... ;-)

 

[Chromatischism]

I've been using a Chromecast Audio as a sort of "portable" music player (that requires power) around the house with a set of headphones, and when I saw your comment about BubbleUPnP making it gapless I had to check, but as far as I can tell, it doesn't. The 'Gapless playback' tickbox isn't there for the Chromecast Audio and if I proxy it to an OpenHome renderer it definitely isn't gapless. Am I missing something?

You are right, apparently I confused CCA with some Cambridge Audio streamer. I've just checked and indeed CCA does not support gapless playback with the BubbleUPnP server.

You can do gapless, but not from DLNA. The workaround that Bubble uses is to buffer it all on your device and send it directly from there. That's why the warning on battery life.

It is a DLNA limitation.

 

[Smartplug]

Spotify won’t go hi fi

 

[Music1969]

If their subscriber numbers continue to climb, I doubt there's any urgency

Maybe initially they thought it was urgent when Apple and Amazon made their hi-res moves but look at recent numbers, maybe they have lost the urgency, possibly

Spotify’s subscribers rise to 188M amid podcasting setbacks

As it contemplates an entry into audiobooks.

www.theverge.com

 

[Turambar]

Podcasts, Audiobooks,... music is becoming more and more a second thought for them.

 

[Smartplug]

If their subscriber numbers continue to climb, I doubt there's any urgency

Maybe initially they thought it was urgent when Apple and Amazon made their hi-res moves but look at recent numbers, maybe they have lost the urgency, possibly

Spotify’s subscribers rise to 188M amid podcasting setbacks

As it contemplates an entry into audiobooks.

www.theverge.com

Most Spotify users are using their phone and as long it produce sound to get them by is all that matters. There many people can’t hear difference between hi fi and mp3. The percentage of audiophile among Spotify user with good system are slim. In fact more people joining even it’s just mp3 quality. As for features and convenience including a remote to desktop and connect they are on the top.

 

[Smartplug]

Providing users hifi with no price increase won’t do them any favor since going loseless and other licensing fee cost them instead.