WiiM or a DAC/MINISPD system for better sound or better corrections ?

[Randolf]

Thank you Randolf. Yes, so much experience on this forum, as a beginner to the digital, not easy to keep up bit by bit I will succed, just when I learned to walk

So today, if going from scratch as a beginner,
would you still begin with a WiiM Ultra + an AMP and then go from there ?

Or will I run into future complications with the WiiM when adding DSP and DAC's ?
Although it seems more complicated, I wonder if I should go straight to a DSP DAC's with DIRAC ?

I know some people here say that WiiM is so great but then I add two subs, and if later on I want DIRAC, it seems to be the wrong way to start ? but perhaps I am mistaken ?

Or am I as Keith here told me, perhaps overthinking ?

To me the by far most important part of your system are the speakers, next the room has a big impact. Depending on this combination decent room correction like DiracLive can make a big difference. I recently recommended a KEF Q Concerto Meta + Pioneer VSX-LX505 to a friend as entry level system. I know the Pioneer measures mediocre and has this strange power restrictions issue in Amir's 2 tests (which doesn't seem to happen so often in praxis, I know 3 happy owners), but it has fullbandwidth DiracLive build in.

Regarding subs I have zero experience. To me it felt never necessary to add one, probably because I very much prefer a little bit less and tide controlled bass and i am no so much interested in super deep bass. But of course if you listen Hip-Hop on a KEF LS 50 Meta things are probably very different .

If you want to decide upfront if DiracLive is a big improvement in your setup you can get a 14 day free trial license for your PC. So you may start with the Speakers allone and some arbitrary Amp you can eventually borrow somewhere and test it. All you need is an UMIK-1 mic. If DiracLive doesn't make a big difference for you you can go for a setup without it an save some money. Or if you can get a Pioneer VSX-LX505 with return policy just try it and if it's DiracLive doesn't make a difference for you return it (this way you do not even need a UMIK-1).

 

[Redacted]

then for
2 main speakers + 2 stereo subs
could I go this way ? or am I missing something ?

Yes, you can do this, if you have a power amp. And if your powered subs have volume and cross-over controls (I would think all powered subs have these). Nothing else needed except a pair of y-splitters for under £10.

N.B. I finally looked the manual up online for the Wiim Ultra.... It does have line-level outputs (I mistakenly thought it was an amp that weirdly had no pre-out - it is not).

I see no reason why you cannot use the Ultra's output to drive your main speakers through an amp, and two nice powered subs...

You use 2 Y-splitters - one for Wiim left-out to the power amp left-in, and also to left-hand sub - similarly with the right hand side. No problems with impedances as the subs and power amps will have comparatively huge input impedances - I've done many similar things with no issue.

 

[Ruediger]

then for
2 main speakers + 2 stereo subs
could I go this way ? or am I missing something ?

WiiM Ultra
miniDSP 2x4HD
3E A7

If you plan to go digital to another box, you don't need the Ultra. The Mini can do that too. Or any of the other models, all cheaper.

 

[Redacted]

Screen is nice though!

 

[RaymondFromThePyrénéés]

Thanks again for all this input.

 

[RaymondFromThePyrénéés]

If you plan to go digital to another box, you don't need the Ultra. The Mini can do that too. Or any of the other models, all cheaper.

I do not care about a screen, since there is an app on the smartphone, but what do you mean with digital to another box ? I suppose that you mean a MiniDSP to a DAC ?

 

[RaymondFromThePyrénéés]

Everyone raves about the WiiM and its performance but after some more research, I wonder if buying a MiniDSP with a multiple DAC and a Dirac Live is not even easier to use for sound and room corrections, sub corrections.

 

[Ruediger]

Still need a streamer/player though.

 

[Redacted]

I do not care about a screen, since there is an app on the smartphone,

I realize a screen on the unit is a bit cosmetic and not really needed, but if you use playlists or listen in "radio mode", or just select "play form here", it's very handy to not have to check on your phone to see what's playing.

My unit has a screen (not even a touch screen), and I find it handy for band name, track numbers, album dates/names, and I do find it very nice to see the album art displayed. It's a comfy confirmation at my age, as I have so many tracks and even albums I have forgotten about, that show up in my playlists (126 of them to date). My CD player also pops up all the same data and cover art on the amp's display when I pop a CD in the tray which is nice.

 

[Redacted]

I do not care about a screen, since there is an app on the smartphone,

I realize a screen on the unit is a bit cosmetic and not really needed, but if you use playlists or listen in "radio mode", or just select "play from here", it's very handy to not have to check on your phone to see what's playing.

My unit has a screen (not even a touch screen), and I find it handy for band name, track numbers, album dates/names, and I do find it very nice to see the album art displayed. It's a comfy confirmation at my age, as I have so many tracks and even albums I have forgotten about, that show up in my playlists (126 of them to date, and 10's of thousands of tracks). My CD player also pops up all the same data and cover art on the amp's display when I pop a CD in the tray which is nice.

 

[Ruediger]

I enjoy the screen a lot. Not just for infos. My music almost all has covers/jpgs to display. The radio station I hear most has a nice logo and a textroll of the current content title.

For standby (when all has power) I use a background pic and digi clock. Wish it could be even more dimmed than the current minimum setting, which still seems pretty bright in the dark.

There are better screens out there on bigger, expensive streamers for sure.

I don't use it much, but find it exceptional that the user can do almost all on the device with that touchscreen. On a desk the need to use the app can be very much reduced. Auto sensing of input further helps with that.

But in the end needing a touchscreen comes down to taste. I would be happy with the pro or pro plus too.

 

[Redacted]

But in the end needing a touchscreen comes down to taste. I would be happy with the pro or pro plus too.

I don't really need a touchscreen on my amp, because all the main functions are on neat buttons, but the display-only screen is very nice. Besides, my wife would insist that I cleaned my greasy "paw marks" off the front of it all the time, and I already get enough of that!

I think all modern streamers will have screens on them soon enough, touch or otherwise, as the tech is cheap and ubiquitous, and the driver software is already there. Units that are super-budget conscious may remove them as a cost-saving, and crazy expensive gear won't use them either as they largely compete on having a different aesthetic (as they have little else to offer for the extra cost).

 

[RaymondFromThePyrénéés]

Screens apart, I suppose that you all use a PC
for REW, Dirac, Acourate, etc. ?

I will buy a used Dell Laptop with INTEL.
Do I need lots of power for this laptop ?

 

[Ruediger]

I can only speak about REW. It's a java app and mediocre ressource-hungry. You don't need a powerful machine, but I wouldn't suggest a tiny ultrabook either. Any normal, modern laptop should do.

 

[Redacted]

"Dell & Intel" will cover hundreds of variations of laptops that may vary greatly in power usage and speed of processing!
I would not get bogged down with power consumption for a laptop - it won't be huge, and you won't need it to be on much (unless you are also intending to use it a file server or DLNA server for music files, in which case it will on whenever you pay music!)

 

[john61ct]

A couple random points, almost "too many options" I see some misunderstandings here.

Do not get a Wiim lesser than Ultra.

It is a preamp, ALL outputs are "pre out" affected by volume and other (DSP) settings

but it only allows one FR output at a time.

The multi-room "Group sync" is NOT suitable for putting multiple Wiims in the same room

To output more than the one mono sub channel, you need to output the FR stereo signals to the downstream device(s) that will be handling your bass management, e.g. miniDSP or audio HT/PC/convolver (not a player if Wiim is your preamp / hub, all sources need to stay upstream of Wiim)

ideally via digital connections, but as stated extra ADC/DAC cycles should not cause an audible problem.

you could split that FR stereo output before the bass management, you could ALSO use the mono sub output in addition.

Lots of flexibility, plan it out in advance