WiiM Pro Plus - Review & Measurements (Streamer)

[dmilller]

How long has WiiM been in the market? Will the software be supported for a reasonable time? Or should I stay with Node from Bluesound, who has been around for a long time.

I would be more concerned about Bluesound's future than Linkplay/Wiim. Bluesound has been a sleepy company relying on good low end audiophile margins until Wiim woke them from their slumber. Wiim is designed to sell at lower margins and shows a lot of skill at software development.

I feel that if you are going to physically interact with the streamer than Bluesound or better may be a good choice. It's nice to see and touch well designed objects. But if the streamer/dac is buried in the media cabinet Wiim is a better value and very likely indistinguishable form considerably more expensive competitors when the source is unseen..

I own both bluesound and Wiim. What is noticeable is how non-responsive Bluesound has been on software complaints until recently. For me the Bluesound software has worked well. But like many people I use Roon and use Bluesound and Wiim as endpoints..

 

[Tangband]

I would be more concerned about Bluesound's future than Linkplay/Wiim. Bluesound has been a sleepy company relying on good low end audiophile margins until Wiim woke them from their slumber. Wiim is designed to sell at lower margins and shows a lot of skill at software development.

I feel that if you are going to physically interact with the streamer than Bluesound or better may be a good choice. It's nice to see and touch well designed objects. But if the streamer/dac is buried in the media cabinet Wiim is a better value and very likely indistinguishable form considerably more expensive competitors when the source is unseen..

I own both bluesound and Wiim. What is noticeable is how non-responsive Bluesound has been on software complaints until recently. For me the Bluesound software has worked well. But like many people I use Roon and use Bluesound and Wiim as endpoints..

Bluesound has one good thing - Hdmi input with arc.
However - Bluesound dont have any digital PEQ and that makes the Wiim Pro + much better sounding during real listening conditions.

 

[onlyoneme]

Interesting! Could you please share those oscilloscope readings with us?

Please look at the comparison of wave shapes for the WiiM Pro and a cheap USB-spdif converter from SMSL (red is WiiM):

Above for 96 kHz stream, termination 75 ohm for the WiiM, 50 ohm for SMSL to keep the recommended spdif voltage. Also look at base-top differences for both devices and the offset between.

 

[dmilller]

Bluesound has one good thing - Hdmi input with arc.
However - Bluesound dont have any digital PEQ and that makes the Wiim Pro + sound much better sounding during real listening conditions.

Bluesound does have tone control and subwoofer out. So I do think it could make a fairly decent 2.1 system attached to a TV. Although as system cost gets higher most people will likely choose an AVR instead.

The Bluesound Node was selling at $350 a few weeks ago. I assume that pricing was a response to the Wiim Pro+ release. I thought that price was a good value if the devices touch interface will be used.

 

[Tangband]

Please look at the comparison of wave shapes for the WiiM Pro and a cheap USB-spdif converter from SMSL (red is WiiM):

View attachment 325204

Above for 96 kHz stream, termination 75 ohm for the WiiM, 50 ohm for SMSL to keep the recommended spdif voltage. Also look at base-top differences for both devices and the offset between.

Interesting. I guess this is with the stock power supply for the WiiM. Does this change with the powerbank ?
How does this look with optical spdif out ? And the result with 44.1 kHz , that the Greek review wrote was better ?


”At network bridge rate, finally, the device seems to be moving at a very good level. The eye diagrams have little noise and the right speed, with the one corresponding to a sample rate of 44.1kHz being particularly clean and opening far from the minimum limits of the specification, and the one corresponding to a sample rate of 96kHz being noticeably slower in terms of rise time, but remain within specifications and with low noise as well.

1. The jitter measurements on the S/PDIF stream showed an excellent behavior (especially considering the price of the device). For a sample rate of 44.1kHz we measured 0.023/0.025 UI (sampling and data jitter respectively), values that -as expected) increased visibly at 96kHz, where we measured 0.052/0.050 UI (sampling and data jitter respectively). Zero crossing was measured at 0.053/0.124 UI (at 44.1 and 96kHz respectively).”

 

[staticV3]

And more importantly, does this actually affect the output of commonly used DACs? If not, then what's the point?

 

[onlyoneme]

I guess this is with the stock power supply for the WiiM

Nope, it's with the Sbooster. SMSL was powered from the USB hub.

How does this look with optical spdif out ?

Will you buy me an optical analyzer? I've no idea.

 

[onlyoneme]

And more importantly, does this actually affect the output of commonly used DACs? If not, then what's the point?

It does not, so I'll repeat - WiiM's digital output is good enough. But we have a discussion about being sota in terms of the digital output quality, do you remember?

 

[Tangband]

Nope, it's with the Sbooster. SMSL was powered from the USB hub.


Will you buy me an optical analyzer? I've no idea.

Ok.
Can you please do the same measurement with 44.1 KHz and comparison with the smsl ?

 

[dmilller]

And more importantly, does this actually affect the output of commonly used DACs? If not, then what's the point?

It shouldn't matter at all with an internal clock and adequate buffer

 

[ads_cft222]

and the conclusion for wiim pro as a transport... The translation is not correct in the last sentence. In the end it says "if you add to the existing quality the ease of use there is no doubt...

 

[ads_cft222]

Interesting observation if you compare jitter data from stereophile review of the mini and the Greek review for pro the inherent jitter of mini is 10 times higher than the pro

 

[Tangband]

Interesting observation if you compare jitter data from stereophile review of the mini and the Greek review for pro the inherent jitter of mini is 10 times higher than the pro

This is the WiiM mini compared to Wiim pro - jitter . Pro (and pro +) is indeed better.

 

[onlyoneme]

This is the WiiM mini - jitter and noise is about -120 dB or lower.
View attachment 325240

It's for analog output.

 

[Tangband]

It's for analog output.

Yes I changed the writing

 

[ads_cft222]

I am talking about digital output 1ns vs 100ps(max)

 

[onlyoneme]

Interesting observation if you compare jitter data from stereophile review of the mini and the Greek review for pro the inherent jitter of mini is 10 times higher than the pro

If you compare "jitter measurements" from different sources and reviewers, you will probably, unfortunately, be comparing apples to oranges.

 

[ads_cft222]

If you compare "jitter measurements" from different sources and reviewers, you will probably, unfortunately, be comparing apples to oranges.

How much is the difference according to your measurements. I know I can search for it myself but if you can expedite the process…!

 

[onlyoneme]

How much is the difference according to your measurements. I know I can search for it myself but if you can expedite the process…!

I don't know, I do not have tools to measure jitter on the digital output. You can only deduce from the graph above that Pro's jitter seems to be lower than Mini's.

 

[ads_cft222]

I don't know, I do not have tools to measure jitter on the digital output. You can only deduce from the graph above that Pro's jitter seems to be lower than Mini's.

Ok . I don’t know why this graph depicts jitter from 8k . Jitter is present also in the lower part of the spectrum and it is also important to be measured in full spectrum