WiiM Pro+ as a streaming bridge: with external DAC and better external power (iFi iPower2 - Pura Dodo)

[maty]

Using WiiM Pro+ as a streaming bridge, by Martijn

Using WiiM Pro+ as a streaming bridge

We test the WiiM Pro+ as a streaming bridge, with an external SMSL DAC. How well does this budget streamer perform against the Primare NP5?

alpha-audio.net

Disappointing AKM 4493SEQ implementation!!! Much better sound with a good external DAC. Test with S.M.S.L SU-10 DAC (€ 1,000).


Review WiiM Pro Plus streamer – all-rounder!, by Jaap

Review WiiM Pro Plus streamer - all-rounder!

Remarkably, the Wiim Pro+ supports a lot of services. Much more than the average "audiophile" streamer.

alpha-audio.net

 

[maty]

Same with the "old" WiiM Pro. Much better with Loxjie D40 Pro DAC (€ 450).

3 Best Buy Music Streamers Comparison, EverSolo A6 vs. Matrix i4 vs. WiiM Pro

 

[maty]

WiiM Pro Plus - Review & Measurements (Streamer), by VintageFlanker

WiiM Pro Plus - Review & Measurements (Streamer)

WiiM Pro Plus - Review & Measurements Hi Folks, Here is another review, measurements-based, today about the WiiM Pro Plus (or "Pro+"). While some rumors already mentioned it for the last couple of months, it is just launched today (August 8) officially. The WiiM Pro Plus comes with a $220...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Saponetto]

For true, this is the thread I was looking for...
Thanks Maty!

 

[kemmler3D]

You can tell they're really serious because they put the digital boxes on isolation feet. To keep the bits from jiggling too much.

 

[Jimbob54]

A more cliched paragraph in a bollocks review will be hard to find:

"With the Primare, the sound is much lighter and open. You hear more detail, there is texture in the sound of the instruments and, especially in the transients, the speed of the response is adequate: the different strings of the double bass can be distinguished. The difference between the two streamers is far from subtle."

But I liked this little gem in the summary (though it is used as a stick to beat the Wiim with, oddly) :

"Upgrade of the power supply has limited effect"

 

[HarmonicTHD]

 

[maty]

In the Youtube video is very very very easy to verify the great improvement with Loxjie D40 Pro (F0: without a PCM filter).

After the Alpha Audio review, it is evident that the logical thing is to buy the previous model, WiiM Pro (€ 169) and an external DAC based on the ESS 9039* or ESS 9068* (SMSL SU-10) that allows you to disable the PCM filters.

 

[Tangband]

In the Youtube video is very very very easy to verify the great improvement with Loxjie D40 Pro (F0: without a PCM filter).

View attachment 317237

After the Alpha Audio review, it is evident that the logical thing is to buy the previous model, WiiM Pro (€ 169) and an external DAC based on the ESS 9039* or ESS 9068* (SMSL SU-10) that allows you to disable the PCM filters.

No - the logical thing after watching the Alpha audio review is to buy a more expensive primare streamer .

We must remember that alpha audio sells expensive gear. If they would come to the conclusion that the WiiM pro+ was of equally soundquality to more expensive streamers, then they wouldnt have a business.

That said - as Amirm has shown, a spdif connection to a dac is not always a perfect transmission protocol, and different qualitys of the external dac might have different issues in some cases.

 

[VintageFlanker]

In the Youtube video is very very very easy to verify the great improvement with Loxjie D40 Pro (F0: without a PCM filter).

It is very very very easy to figure out that the recording process is flawed anyway. It is also pretty clear that Alpha Audio has an agenda.

 

[Beave]

Sigh. It never ends.

 

[antcollinet]

That said - as Amirm has shown, a spdif connection to a dac is not always a perfect transmission protocol,

Has he? Where?

 

[maty]

It is very very very easy to figure out that the recording process is flawed anyway. It is also pretty clear that Alpha Audio has an agenda.

Youtube video is made by Tharbamar

The obvious agenda is that of others in ASR who are dedicated to discrediting anyone who demonstrates that their preconceived ideas are wrong.

 

[JSmith]

spdif connection to a dac is not always a perfect transmission protocol

Wasn't that for USB converting to SPDIF though?

Three USB to S/SPDIF Converter Measurements: Audiophilleo, iFi iDAC2, SIGNSTEK

Here is a little comparison of three different ways to convert USB to S/PDIF all driving an ultra low cost, $20 FiiO Taishan DAC. It is the only DAC on my workbench that takes S/PDIF input as the rest are all USB and I am too lazy to measure my main system :). A simple test tone at roughly...

www.audiosciencereview.com

JSmith

 

[VintageFlanker]

Youtube video is made by Tharbamar

Yes, I got this. Would you stand for his recording/mixing process being reliable? I wouldn't... He seems to be a nice guy, yet a subjectivist reviewer that hears a difference between cables. Sorry if I don't trust him that much.

The obvious agenda is that of others in ASR who are dedicated to discrediting anyone who demonstrates that their preconceived ideas are wrong.

You really need to investigate about the meaning of the world "demonstrate". This video is barely any demonstration at all.

 

[maty]

In the latest videos that Tharbamar has shared there is no modification to the rest of the equipment. Now use the JBL speakers. Only the DACs (and the streamer) have changed. If with the compression generated by YouTube the difference is so noticeable, live it must be overwhelming. And same tracks.

By the way, Topping D70 Pro OCTO uses 8X CS43198. As in the latest ESS, it also allows you to disable the PCM filters. On the other hand, AKM does not allow it, neither before nor now.

 

[antcollinet]

Wasn't that for USB converting to SPDIF though?

Three USB to S/SPDIF Converter Measurements: Audiophilleo, iFi iDAC2, SIGNSTEK

Here is a little comparison of three different ways to convert USB to S/PDIF all driving an ultra low cost, $20 FiiO Taishan DAC. It is the only DAC on my workbench that takes S/PDIF input as the rest are all USB and I am too lazy to measure my main system :). A simple test tone at roughly...

www.audiosciencereview.com

JSmith

If that is what he is referring to, then I'd suggest mainly the problem is a weakness in the cheap ($20 6 years ago) DAC failing to adequately
isolate/filter any incoming noise on the SPDIF - and/or failure on jitter rejection.

Neither an intrinsic problem of the interface - but poor implementation at the receiving end - or possibly both transmitting and receiving end if talking about noise.

 

[Tangband]

A review with listening conclusion that the WiiM pro+ has a Spdif output of equal quality as the much more expensive Eversolo dmp a6.
This is a very different conclusion than Alpha audio made. Who can we trust ? Vintageflanker measurements show very good digital behavior for the WiiM pro +.

 

[MAB]

In the Youtube video is very very very easy to verify the great improvement with Loxjie D40 Pro (F0: without a PCM filter).

View attachment 317237

After the Alpha Audio review, it is evident that the logical thing is to buy the previous model, WiiM Pro (€ 169) and an external DAC based on the ESS 9039* or ESS 9068* (SMSL SU-10) that allows you to disable the PCM filters.

Maty,
How can you make a valid comparison???

The equipment has much different isolation setup. The Wiim isn't even isoelastically decoupled from the jittering Loxjie unit below it, so the Loxjie is soaking up all of the isolation, leaving no isolation left over for the Wiim, ruining the sound. You need to do the double-blind reverse-stack experiment where you put the Loxjie on top of the Wiim, in which case the sound will be even better.

Also, the reviewer didn't tell us which cables were cryo and which were not cryo, so how can we know which stack is suffering from the non-cryo masking.

I'm only going to go with things you have told us in the past about how to do proper comparisons, what changed to allow all sorts of things that ruin sound to cloud this comparison?

 

[MAB]