WiiM Mini Streamer

[Scot_Douglas]

As a product support member from LinkPlay, I should give our best service in whatever places w/o bringing anything else that's unrelated to the product. But seeing this type of message in this well respected forum repeatedly just hurts (to say the least). If you look at LinkPlay's founder members and our core teams, we're global company and many of us are living in the Bay area and EU, also the company is headquartered in the Bay Area. By saying this, we're not shy of admitting many of our team are Chinese and we're very proud of that. By the end of the day, I hope the product and service that we bring to community defines who we're, not by where we're born or our ethnic. Thank you!

This is a most excellent response!

In this global economy I think it is quite obtuse to discredit a product solely based on where or who it is perceived to come from.

 

[Brantome]

This is a most excellent response!

In this global economy I think it is quite obtuse to discredit a product solely based on where or who it is perceived to come from.

Yeah, especially when the hallowed Bluesound Node, while designed in Canada, is built in China. So what?

 

[morillon]

the tests I did lasted no more than 30 seconds. I have not noticed any differences but I have not paid much attention to them except for the level, since in any case I leave EQ off...

I don't dare ask you too much under what material or musical conditions you did these brief tests...

I hope that there will be some realizing these little ones in fine conditions..
I could open a "reflection" on the interest or not of a peq with the mini etc
;-)
ps
among the things a little surprising
I never had an explanation for a statement from wiim in person...
?
I can't test (I only have 2.4ghz "very very old box"....)
but some have they realize listening in 2.4 and 5ghz?
differences?

 

[Merifon]

I don't dare ask you too much under what material or musical conditions you did these brief tests...

I hope that there will be some realizing these little ones in fine conditions..
I could open a "reflection" on the interest or not of a peq with the mini etc
;-)
ps
among the things a little surprising
I never had an explanation for a statement from wiim in person...
?
I can't test (I only have 2.4ghz..)
but some have they realize listening in 2.4 and 5ghz?
differences?

I was sitting on the sofa, switching the EQ on and off, while playing a song, no spectral analysis...
Regarding the smoother sound, I think they mean less potential stuttering, caused by possible changes between the two networks, in certain situations, or even by a possible drop in data rate in case of bad reception.
Any audio differences, in condition of good reception, I think just can't exist.
At the beginning of my use of wiim, I moved it to a gray area behind the chassis of the electronics and certainly very rarely there was a hiccup. I don't know if it was a fw problem, now solved but by moving the wiim to a more favorable place for reception, these holes disappeared.

 

[morillon]

to read you there, we are more in the world of convictions- beliefs than of precise, "searched" personal experience...
;-))
"smooth" is a precise term, isn't it?
we are here in the world of people perceiving the differences in quality between 48 96 192 in 24 bits, right? mixed on amazon echo.... or with hard rock etc.. ;-)
so good:
less teasing..
some on delicate music and transparent systems or with good headphones could he dig these two things?
no eq-flat eq? difference in quality?
5g softer than 2.4ghz?
;-)

 

[Smartplug]

Thank you. Does the Wiim's internal dac feel good when playing MQA or should this feature only work with the external dac?
Thank you. Does the Wiim's internal dac feel good when playing MQA or should this feature only work with the external dac?

It works both way but my external dac e50 has stutter and pop higher than 48khz.

 

[AdamG]

A whole swath of off topic and political posts have been deleted. Stay on topic and absolutely no political commentary is permitted here. If your post(s) got deleted consider this a Warning. Further violations will result in account sanctions.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

 

[Ralph_Cramden]

As it turns out, it's even simpler than I thought to play an album (or playlist?) via the UPnP interface. Since the WiiM Mini caches the credentials for your subscribed services, and is able to search them, you simply need to pass an album_id in the XML - no need to pass individual tracks; WiiM Mini does the work of building the playlist.

In this simple example, I get my local Tidal credentials from a config file created by a very nice Rust app, available for many platforms:

Release v0.3.0 · MinisculeGirraffe/tdl

Fast, Concurrent, Rust based Tidal-Media-Downloader implementation. - Release v0.3.0 · MinisculeGirraffe/tdl

github.com

A Tidal query is run to get the album_id and name, which are the only things needed by the WiiM Mini. Again, I haven't tried Deezer or Qobuz, but this should work for those as well, once you know their search pattern.

import upnpclient
import streamrip
import os
from configparser import ConfigParser

home_dir = os.path.expanduser('~')
config_file = os.path.join(home_dir,'.config/.config/tdl/config.toml')
config = ConfigParser()

## Workaround for missing first section name in tdl config file
with open(config_file) as stream:
    config.read_string("[top]\n" + stream.read())
    
access_token=config['login_key']['access_token'].replace("'","")
refresh_token=config['login_key']['refresh_token'].replace("'","")
user_id=config['login_key']['user_id']
country_code=config['login_key']['country_code']
token_expiry=config['login_key']['expires_after']

########### CHANGE ME TO WiiM Mini's IP #############
IP='192.168.68.112'
#####################################################
description_url = f"http://{IP}:49152/description.xml"
dev = upnpclient.Device(description_url)

tc = streamrip.clients.TidalClient()
tc.login(user_id=user_id,
        country_code=country_code,
        access_token=access_token,
        token_expiry=token_expiry,
        refresh_token=refresh_token)

query='carmen mcrae best of'
items = tc.search(query=query,media_type="album")['items']
item= items[0]

album = tc.get(item['id'],'album')

QUEUE_NAME=album["title"].replace('&','&')

xml = f'<?xml version="1.0"?><PlayList><ListName>{QUEUE_NAME}</ListName><ListInfo><SourceName>Tidal</SourceName><SearchUrl>https://api.tidal.com/v1/albums/{album["id"]}/tracks?countryCode=US&amp;offset=0&amp;limit=50</SearchUrl> <requestQuality>LOSSLESS</requestQuality></ListInfo></PlayList>'

#### Stop the WiiM Mini
dev.AVTransport.Stop(InstanceID='0')

#### Populate the WiiM Queue
dev.PlayQueue.CreateQueue(QueueContext=xml)

#### Play
dev.PlayQueue.PlayQueueWithIndex(QueueName=QUEUE_NAME,Index=0)

 

[Mat]

So bought one of these today....noticing a fair amount of audio skipping / stuttering

Wasn't sure if it was an Apple Music buffering issue so just threw a pink noise youtube channel on and yeah, random skips & blips

ON THE PLUS SIDE: Way, way better performer than the Apple TV. With that I can crank volume on my amp and pick up noise, clicking, and other dirt buried in the signal. Changing source to this at the same volume and the noise floor goes way down, below my DAC's floor. But yeah, the stuttering is making me want to return this junk now, noise floor means nothing if it cant play music competently.

So WiiM finally replied to my support tickets, only took 2 months.

They said two things about this, first, "Sorry for the issue you experienced we're working on fixing this issue. Hope you can give us a try again in the future."

Second, they did offer a suggestion: Don't use Lossless Airplay because it uses more bandwidth.

If so, please don't use the system-wide audio device setting by selecting the system menu at the top of the screen. It'll use the legacy AirPlay that'll consume more bandwidth.

Tap the AirPlay icon in your Apple Music App and select the WiiM Mini as the streaming target. It will transmit the audio using the buffered AirPlay provided by the latest AirPlay 2 protocol.

(to be clear, using the app's airplay is AAC, system wide is the only way to get Lossless. Lossless, of course, uses more bandwidth than compressed)

Glad I gave up on this.

 

[Silver Chips]

As a long time lurker on ASR and also actively been reading this thread daily. I have to say I'm more than impressed with Wiim's support and all the work they're doing (Thank You) trying to get the most out of this little hockey puck; who else is doing this at this level? It looks like no small feat trying to accommodate everyones different requests, scenario's and formats (just read all the posts in the thread alone) to all work on this device.
In the present day of customer service and after sales support (Lack of) in audio I think Wiim is doing a phenomenal job. I wished my expensive DAC Manufactuer was the same.
I can't wait for the Wiim Pro is come out. I have a tired Auralic Ares that I'm lookin forward to replacing. I got a Wiim for my sister for her house, and she & her son love using it; her neighbors, not so much.

 

[Ralph_Cramden]

A quick 'n' dirty Qobuz album play example in Python. As your credentials are stored on the WiiM Mini, you can retrieve them to reuse with your Qobuz queries (I've simply hardcoded album name and id here), and to pass in the XML back to the WiiM Mini. As I don't have an active sub to Qobuz, I get 30-second samples, but a full sub should work fully. Again, useful for building your own custom Qobuz UI for the Mini.

import upnpclient
import json

########### CHANGE ME TO WiiM Mini's IP #############
IP='192.168.68.112'
#####################################################
list_name="Kind Of Blue"
album_id="5099749522428"
#####################################################

description_url = f"http://{IP}:49152/description.xml"
dev = upnpclient.Device(description_url)

######### Get Qobuz user info from WiiM Mini ###################
res = dev.PlayQueue.GetUserInfo(AccountSource="Qobuz")["Result"]
info = json.loads(res)
user_auth_token = info["user_auth_token"]
Login_username = info["user"]["email"]
################################################################

xml = f'<?xml version="1.0"?> <PlayList> <ListName>{list_name}</ListName> <ListInfo> <SourceName>Qobuz</SourceName> <SearchUrl>https://www.qobuz.com/api.json/0.2/album/get?album_id={album_id}&amp;app_id=713396910&amp;offset=0&amp;limit=500&amp;user_auth_token={user_auth_token}</SearchUrl> <Login_username>{Login_username}</Login_username></ListInfo></PlayList>'

#### Stop the WiiM Mini
dev.AVTransport.Stop(InstanceID='0')

#### Populate the WiiM Queue
dev.PlayQueue.CreateQueue(QueueContext=xml)

#### Play
dev.PlayQueue.PlayQueueWithIndex(QueueName=list_name,Index=0)

 

[Smartplug]

Those who has tidal hifi plus, do you get static noise on beta firmware?

 

[flz]

So WiiM finally replied to my support tickets, only took 2 months.

They said two things about this, first, "Sorry for the issue you experienced we're working on fixing this issue. Hope you can give us a try again in the future."

Second, they did offer a suggestion: Don't use Lossless Airplay because it uses more bandwidth.



(to be clear, using the app's airplay is AAC, system wide is the only way to get Lossless. Lossless, of course, uses more bandwidth than compressed)

Glad I gave up on this.

I had the same problem and they told me the same solution. It turned out to be no big deal because I could not hear the difference between apple music lossless, apple music AAC, and redbook CD (all fed to same DAC from Wiim's optical out).

 

[onlyoneme]

A quick 'n' dirty Qobuz album play example in Python. As your credentials are stored on the WiiM Mini, you can retrieve them to reuse with your Qobuz queries (I've simply hardcoded album name and id here), and to pass in the XML back to the WiiM Mini. As I don't have an active sub to Qobuz, I get 30-second samples, but a full sub should work fully. Again, useful for building your own custom Qobuz UI for the Mini.

import upnpclient
import json

########### CHANGE ME TO WiiM Mini's IP #############
IP='192.168.68.112'
#####################################################
list_name="Kind Of Blue"
album_id="5099749522428"
#####################################################

description_url = f"http://{IP}:49152/description.xml"
dev = upnpclient.Device(description_url)

######### Get Qobuz user info from WiiM Mini ###################
res = dev.PlayQueue.GetUserInfo(AccountSource="Qobuz")["Result"]
info = json.loads(res)
user_auth_token = info["user_auth_token"]
Login_username = info["user"]["email"]
################################################################

xml = f'<?xml version="1.0"?> <PlayList> <ListName>{list_name}</ListName> <ListInfo> <SourceName>Qobuz</SourceName> <SearchUrl>https://www.qobuz.com/api.json/0.2/album/get?album_id={album_id}&amp;app_id=713396910&amp;offset=0&amp;limit=500&amp;user_auth_token={user_auth_token}</SearchUrl> <Login_username>{Login_username}</Login_username></ListInfo></PlayList>'

#### Stop the WiiM Mini
dev.AVTransport.Stop(InstanceID='0')

#### Populate the WiiM Queue
dev.PlayQueue.CreateQueue(QueueContext=xml)

#### Play
dev.PlayQueue.PlayQueueWithIndex(QueueName=list_name,Index=0)

Is there a way to get current position within played song using upnp interface?

 

[morillon]

it runs after ultra hd in all circumstances....
but no one to observe if there are differences in listening between 2.4ghz and 5ghz?
or
eq off or flat?
seriously
(more interesting than it looks...)
;-)

 

[Merifon]

it runs after ultra hd in all circumstances....
but no one to observe if there are differences in listening between 2.4ghz and 5ghz?
or
eq off or flat?
seriously
(the two subjects are not so trivial)
;-)

Forgive me if I insist but given the transmission protocol, error correction and asynchronous buffering, without reception problems that can cause interruptions, the data transferred will be the same and therefore the exact same stream will be played, at 2.4 or 5Ghz . To give an example, I don't think a .doc text is more or less poetic depending on the frequency of the WiFi.
On the other hand, it is possible that enabling or disabling the equalizer may involve different phases of software processing, so it is legitimate to question and possibly measure whether there are differences.

 

[Brantome]

Forgive me if I insist but given the transmission protocol, error correction and asynchronous buffering, without reception problems that can cause interruptions, the data transferred will be the same and therefore the exact same stream will be played, at 2.4 or 5Ghz . To give an example, I don't think a .doc text is more or less poetic depending on the frequency of the WiFi.
On the other hand, it is possible that enabling or disabling the equalizer may involve different phases of software processing, so it is legitimate to question and possibly measure whether there are differences.

While I’d agree that in theory using a 2.4Ghz or a 5Ghz wifi shouldn’t matter when it comes to streaming, a 2.4ghz network is more susceptible to interference in a modern home due to the presence of things like microwaves, baby monitors, smart home zigbee hubs etc that might cause poorer signals, packet loss/retries etc. Such interference might well impact an an audio stream.

As for using no EQ v the flat EQ setting, in the link I provided earlier Wiim have said “Flat EQ which doesn't tune any frequency band but there's mathe calculation that may introduce quantization error so you can't achieve the bit-perfect output.”

Whether the different networks or the potential quantization errors are audible I guess depends on your environment and whether you have golden ears

Personally, I don’t hear any difference, nor have we heard whether @morillon does despite him posing the question on several occasions…

 

[morillon]

I just hope that some people try the two points in a "serious" way on music allowing to make sense of things, transparent system headphone hdg etc...
(Brantome your observation on the second point rather heavy with consequence seems to me
;-)
)

It changes the subject a bit, doesn't it?
"quality over quantity"...

and then express myself.. (but I can't test the wifi story...)

 

[Ralph_Cramden]

Is there a way to get current position within played song using upnp interface?

dev.AVTransport.GetPositionInfo(InstanceID='0') using the Python upnpclient lib.

Can also get it with the https interface:

Arylic Audio HTTP API

 

[DerRoland]

Can‘t add any song from Amazon-Music to a created playlist. The given hint in the empty playlist to press the (…) icon at the search results don‘t show my a command to add it to a playlist. Actual app 2.1.1 on IOS.

Songs on my local server shows the “add to favorites” and “add to playlist” option.

Do I something wrong?