WiiM Mini Streamer

[Brantome]

I wonder if we’ll all get the AMHD beta or will need to ask for it?

 

[AKR]

This is as interesting as Amazon UHD update.

I'm not aware of any streamer that will correctly receive 44.1k and 48kHz rates separately, from Apple Music, via Airplay.

Another world first !

Airport Express and Bluesound Nodes (both support Airplay 2) are fixed at 44.1kHz

Apple TV 4K is fixed at 48kHz

I though Airplay 2 streaming Apple Music was limited to AAC 256kpbs on all devices- meaning the limitation is Airplay 2 not the receiver. Airplay 1 did not have this limitation according to the review below.

Apple Music Lossless Mess Part 2: AirPlay

Earlier this month I dug into Apple Music's Lossless and Hi-Res offerings, running several bit perfect rests on the audio output of my Macs and iOS devices. The results were less than stellar (link). This week I dug into Apple Music lossless over AirPlay. One would think that the results would be...

audiophilestyle.com

Has this changed?

 

[Music1969]

I though Airplay 2 streaming Apple Music was limited to AAC 256kpbs on all devices

That is bitrate not sample rate.

Sample rates are as I mentioned above.

Remember even Spotify streams at 44.1kHz, even though it is lossy.

 

[Brantome]

I though Airplay 2 streaming Apple Music was limited to AAC 256kpbs on all devices- meaning the limitation is Airplay 2 not the receiver. Airplay 1 did not have this limitation according to the review below.

Apple Music Lossless Mess Part 2: AirPlay

Earlier this month I dug into Apple Music's Lossless and Hi-Res offerings, running several bit perfect rests on the audio output of my Macs and iOS devices. The results were less than stellar (link). This week I dug into Apple Music lossless over AirPlay. One would think that the results would be...

audiophilestyle.com

Has this changed?

This article suggests there’s a switch in the home app to control lossless Apple Music over Airplay. I don’t see that option on my iPad, but then again, I don’t subscribe to Apple Music.

 

[Atanasi]

I just verified that playing a WAV from iPad's local storage is lossy through Airplay to Wiim.

The setting in the Home app probably applies only to playback started by a Apple Home hub device (Homepod or Apple TV).

 

[Brantome]

I just verified that playing a WAV from iPad's local storage is lossy through Airplay to Wiim.

The setting in the Home app probably applies only to playback started by a Apple Home hub device (Homepod or Apple TV).

The article says it's for Apple Music: " if you’re running iOS 15, there’s a new Apple Music section on the Home app that lets users toggle on “Lossless Audio.” "

 

[Atanasi]

The article says it's for Apple Music: " if you’re running iOS 15, there’s a new Apple Music section on the Home app that lets users toggle on “Lossless Audio.” "

If iPad doesn't send local WAV playback losslessly, it probably doesn't do it for Apple Music either.

 

[Brantome]

New Features:

• EQ to set bass, mid-range, and treble and 10-band parametric EQ

Good news for those who want a parametric EQ feature...

 

[telemike]

This article suggests there’s a switch in the home app to control lossless Apple Music over Airplay. I don’t see that option on my iPad, but then again, I don’t subscribe to Apple Music.

That article is from June 24, 2021. Probably out of date?

 

[Brantome]

That article is from June 24, 2021. Probably out of date?

Yeah, could well be or maybe as I suggest , the option only appears if you have an active Apple Music subscription which I don't

 

[morillon]

I wanted to take some measurements on the analog output (with different power supplies such as 2.1a etc)...and not like so far in toslink,
I can't connect reliably, keeps getting disconnected.... not so many in toslink...but some since the last firmware, not before ...
i can be related, but I could see in case that if in "2v", there is a big thd sinad etc ... compared to 1v (the values very comparable to that of the review)
maybe my wiim has a problem...
do you have the same kind of problem? any way to make some measurements on your wiim in analog output?
thank you

 

[Pep2020]

Anyone know where you can buy one in the UK? Seems to be out of stock.

I got one directly from wiim.io in the end. Arrived in 10 days. Works great. Using HiFi Cast to cast local NAS content. Amazon Music from the Amazon app. Connected to Loxjie A30 optical port. All sounds fantastic, looking forward to Amazon HD.

 

[Atanasi]

If iPad doesn't send local WAV playback losslessly, it probably doesn't do it for Apple Music either.

I confirmed that Apple Music playback through Airplay is not lossless, even if the app shows the Lossless mark. Apparently Airplay encoding takes place after the sound leaves the app.
It is the same situation as playing through Bluetooth: the app shows Lossless even though lossy encoding happens afterwards.

 

[AKR]

I confirmed that Apple Music playback through Airplay is not lossless, even if the app shows the Lossless mark. Apparently Airplay encoding takes place after the sound leaves the app.
It is the same situation as playing through Bluetooth: the app shows Lossless even though lossy encoding happens afterwards.

Thanks for confirming. How did you verify this- the last published analysis on this are almost a year old and it’s irritating that Apple has not fixed this in all the software updates they have since done, not to mention promoting Apple Music as lossless while not providing any way to stream it losslessly.

 

[Atanasi]

Thanks for confirming. How did you verify this- the last published analysis on this are almost a year old and it’s irritating that Apple has not fixed this in all the software updates they have since done, not to mention promoting Apple Music as lossless while not providing any way to stream it losslessly.

Apple Music has a couple of test CDs in the catalogue. It is easy to distinguish the FFT graph of an AAC encoding of a sine wave from lossless. The review of BC3 included FFT samples of various encodings, and AAC was included among them.

I also attached an S/PDIF bridge through USB, and compared the results to Airplay.

 

[Smartplug]

WiiM have issued an updated timetable:

What we're working on …

---

Latest
released on 4/29
New Features:

• Custom URL so users can create their own station
• User can select 5Ghz band only for WiFi and other WiFi band and info added
• Bit-depth and sample rate information added to app UI

Performance Improvements:

• Playback smoothness for Spotify Connect and other music services

---

Updates to be
released by 5/20
New Features:

• Universal Search - Search across multiple music services
• New music service: Sound Machine
• Two-way Bluetooth communication
• Overriding Volume +/- with Next/Prev to control playback
• Amazon Ultra HD support (Beta)
• TIDAL Master support (no MQA)

Performance Improvements:

• OOBE experience improvements by separating network connection status update from device discovery
• Audio quality improvements for analog output when using digital volume control
• Gapless playback improvements for Qobuz hi-res and Amazon music on WiiM Home App
• Bit-depth and sample rate information added to app UI for Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect
• Enhance play queue functions

---

Updates to be
released by 5/31
New Features:

• Favorites section - User's favorite tracks, playlist, stations, podcast, and recently played are listed in the favorites section of app
• Users can select streaming quality in the "Now Play" app UI
• Preset function - Double-click play/pause on WiiM Mini device to play preset music services, playlists, radio stations without using the app.
• Amazon Ultra HD support (Release)
• Bit perfect AirPlay 2
• New music service: Calm Radio

---

Future updates
New Features:

• EQ to set bass, mid-range, and treble and 10-band parametric EQ
• Audio balance left and right channels
• Support SMB for music sharing
• Support landscape mode on tablets
• Gapless playback for DLNA render (from 3rd party controller)
• New music services such as SoundCloud, Pandora, SiriusXM, Radio Paradise, Nugs.net, etc.

Where did you find this? I went to their website and still show the old update.

 

[Ralph_Cramden]

Where did you find this? I went to their website and still show the old update.

Try refreshing the page. You're probably view a cached version. https://wiimhome.com/whatsNew

 

[Smartplug]

I would like to ask the forum if amazon music playing on wiim apps is cd quality or lossy. It shows 16/44.1khz.

 

[telemike]

I would like to ask the forum if amazon music playing on wiim apps is cd quality or lossy. It shows 16/44.1khz.

320k lossy.

 

[Bamyasi]

Not even sure it's 320k OGG or MP3, more likely it is 256k AAC, same as they stream to Chromecast Audio and other unsupported/uncertified devices (including web browsers). That would be Ok (you are unlikely to hear a difference between properly encoded 320k MP3 and 256k AAC) but it sounds like they are transcoding MP3 to AAC on the fly in this case and that really shows up.