WiiM Pro Plus - Review & Measurements (Streamer)

[Jimbob54]

I can find no measurements of the CXN v2, but Amir tested the Cambridge DacMagic 100 with Wolfson WM8742 (edited). The DacMagic 100 measurements, while not state of the art, look quite good/ probably transparent to me. If there are obvious sonic differences my guess is it's not due to the chipsets themselves.

Look no further. TLDR its good

Cambridge Audio CXN V2 Measurements (Streamer & DAC)

Cambridge Audio CXN V2 Measurements (Streamer & DAC) Hey folks, Here is a quick review, measurements-based, of the Cambridge Audio CXN V2 streamer and DAC. It has been kindly loaned to me by @biglebowski. It was released in 2018 and is somehow quite popular in Europe. Actual MSRP in France...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[chelgrian]

There is a BBC radio section on the Wiim Home app. Seems to have local and national stations?

I was considering buying a link play device but after looking at

Linkplay CVE - OpenCVE

www.opencve.io

I think not. There seems to be no evidence their approach to security has improved.

 

[onlyoneme]

WiiMs use https instead of http for httpapi, 'reboot' trick did not work when I've tried it some time ago and these vulnerabilities seem to be for A28 and A31 devices. But maybe they are still affected and not patched, I don't know.

 

[GGroch]

I think not. There seems to be no evidence their approach to security has improved.

Interesting. Notice that the instances are listed by date the report was "Updated" not LinkPlay Firmware/Manufacture/App date.

The 2017 Anker Zolo Halo Smart Speaker referenced in two of the 2021 breaches was discontinued years ago, 2019 I think. Their LinkPlay Licensed Zolo Play app has not been updated since 2019. I do not own one so I cannot check its firmware date, but it is always listed in the app.

The 3rd 2021 breach references "various LInkPlay Firmware" where "by default all devices tested had automatic updates enabled." This is harder to track down, but LinkPlay devices have been available since 2015 and updates are controlled/sent by the manufacturer of the device. Many of these devices have had few updates, and some have had none for many years. Others, even discontinued ones, like the Muzo Cobblestone (2015 release), maintain frequent updates.

I have no idea the date of LinkPlay SDK 1.0 in the 2022 report listing, but know that WiiM has no "Soundbar" available.

Fun test: Try checking out the Sonos and Apple CVE pages by comparison. I am not an expert, but I see more frequent and more recently reported issues.

 

[Jeromeof]

Interesting. Notice that the instances are listed by date the report was "Updated" not LinkPlay Firmware/Manufacture/App date.

The 2017 Anker Zolo Halo Smart Speaker referenced in two of the 2021 breaches was discontinued years ago, 2019 I think. Their LinkPlay Licensed Zolo Play app has not been updated since 2019. I do not own one so I cannot check its firmware date, but it is always listed in the app.

The 3rd 2021 breach references "various LInkPlay Firmware" where "by default all devices tested had automatic updates enabled." This is harder to track down, but LinkPlay devices have been available since 2015 and updates are controlled/sent by the manufacturer of the device. Many of these devices have had few updates, and some have had none for many years. Others, even discontinued ones, like the Muzo Cobblestone (2015 release), maintain frequent updates.

I have no idea the date of LinkPlay SDK 1.0 in the 2022 report listing, but know that WiiM has no "Soundbar" available.

Fun test: Try checking out the Sonos and Apple CVE pages by comparison. I am not an expert, but I see more frequent and more recently reported issues.

Just checking my Wiim Pro and It uses a self-signed www.linkplay.com certificate for communication which is https (no http) with TLS1.3 (between their App(s) and the Wiim Pro on my network) - so it has moved on significantly. Though the DLNA connectivity on the Wiim Pro still uses http - but I think that is just the way DLNA works.

 

[chelgrian]

Interesting. Notice that the instances are listed by date the report was "Updated" not LinkPlay Firmware/Manufacture/App date.

The 2017 Anker Zolo Halo Smart Speaker referenced in two of the 2021 breaches was discontinued years ago, 2019 I think. Their LinkPlay Licensed Zolo Play app has not been updated since 2019. I do not own one so I cannot check its firmware date, but it is always listed in the app.

The 3rd 2021 breach references "various LInkPlay Firmware" where "by default all devices tested had automatic updates enabled." This is harder to track down, but LinkPlay devices have been available since 2015 and updates are controlled/sent by the manufacturer of the device. Many of these devices have had few updates, and some have had none for many years. Others, even discontinued ones, like the Muzo Cobblestone (2015 release), maintain frequent updates.

I have no idea the date of LinkPlay SDK 1.0 in the 2022 report listing, but know that WiiM has no "Soundbar" available.

Fun test: Try checking out the Sonos and Apple CVE pages by comparison. I am not an expert, but I see more frequent and more recently reported issues.

Both Sonos and Apple are much bigger targets and much more widely used so it's more worth people's time to investigate.

 

[GGroch]

Both Sonos and Apple are much bigger targets and much more widely used so it's more worth people's time to investigate.

You may want to recheck that. Sales reports I see show many times more LinkPlay devices sold worldwide every year than Sonos.

 

[plitsch platsch]

Damn, missing an USB input for local music. That would be the perfect device for me

 

[auronthas]

Just received Plus, will try out later , analog out to amplifier to test AKM4493 Velvet sound lol

 

[auronthas]

Damn, missing an USB input for local music. That would be the perfect device for me

USB input could be noisy, stream via wired/wireless a cleaner solution perhaps

 

[marekm]

Or use Topping D10 to convert USB in to S/PDIF out.

 

[iconoclast]

I was considering buying a link play device but after looking at

Linkplay CVE - OpenCVE

www.opencve.io

I think not. There seems to be no evidence their approach to security has improved.

Apart from the oldest CVE, I don't consider this a particularly big deal; it's not like you'll have these devices routable to the internet anyway.

 

[VintageFlanker]

Damn, missing an USB input for local music. That would be the perfect device for me

Or use Topping D10 to convert USB in to S/PDIF out.

Or litteraly any cheaper USB to S/PDIF interface.

USB input could be noisy, stream via wired/wireless a cleaner solution perhaps

Unless having very specific issues, like ground loops, both should perform the same.

You may want to recheck that. Sales reports I see show many times more LinkPlay devices sold worldwide every year than Sonos.

Any source?

 

[GGroch]

Any source?

My source was a mislabeled Unit/$$ sales graph on Statista. So, I do not have accurate figures. Both companies sell more than one million and less than 10 million units annually.

Chelgrian's view that CVE discovered vulnerabilities proves LinkPlay's blindness/incompetence; but that Sonos' longer and more recent list proves they have a more interested active customer base is strange.

LinkPlay's published Security Strategy is here. It includes constant monitoring of CVE and other vulnerability reporting sites.

 

[Overseas]

Damn, missing an USB input for local music. That would be the perfect device for me

Yeap, the dam' thing is marketed as reviving ol' school amps.

 

[Tangband]

Im still waiting for the sound quality reviews of the WiiM pro +.

For now, we have excellent measurements provided by vintageflanker but almost noone has commented about how the sound is - except Cheapaudioman on youtube. Those of you having the pro + , are you happy with the soundquality from the analog output ? Can you compare it to streamers costing 1000 dollars ?

 

[Matias]

Or you can think that with 1000 dollars one can get the regular WiiM Pro and a state of the art DAC with no competition.

 

[Tangband]

Or you can think that with 1000 dollars one can get the regular WiiM Pro and a state of the art DAC with no competition.

Yes, but the reason for WiiM pro+ is an inbuilt sota dac = no need for a separate dac regardless of price.
I would like to hear what people with very expensive streamers think about the analog output from the pro+

 

[VintageFlanker]

I would like to hear what people with very expensive streamers think about the analog output from the pro+

Well... is my 2500€ ADI-2/4 PRO SE a "very expensive" DAC ?...

...Because I can assure you that both this and the Pro Plus sound the same at 2Vrms.

 

[GiBo61]

Im still waiting for the sound quality reviews of the WiiM pro +.

For now, we have excellent measurements provided by vintageflanker but almost noone has commented about how the sound is - except Cheapaudioman on youtube. Those of you having the pro + , are you happy with the soundquality from the analog output ? Can you compare it to streamers costing 1000 dollars ?

I guess that any source with a SINAD better than -110 dB (and all the other relevant instrumental measurements in the same ballpark) sounds the same. Actually they shouldn't sound at all but be completely transparent.