WiiM Pro Plus Streamer Review

[Smitty2k1]

Regarding 4 channels of PEQ - is there a guide or method for translating someone on the internet's PEQ with say, 10 bands, to one with just 4 bands?

I often see PEQ measurements posted for speakers and headphones with X number of bands - if that is more than 4 is it totally useless to try to replicate on the Wiim or is there a method to doing it?

 

[staticV3]

Regarding 4 channels of PEQ - is there a guide or method for translating someone on the internet's PEQ with say, 10 bands, to one with just 4 bands?

I often see PEQ measurements posted for speakers and headphones with X number of bands - if that is more than 4 is it totally useless to try to replicate on the Wiim or is there a method to doing it?

You can load the frequency response of the x-band PEQ preset that you found into REW, squig.link, autoeq.app, or HPToy, then try your best to replicate it using just four filters.

REW and squig.link can do both manual and automatic PEQ settings.
autoeq.app can only do automatic filter settings.
HPToy can only do manual filter settings (though with a very intuitive touch control for gain/freq/Q).

 

[amirm]

What some guys asked themselves here is:
3. EQ on and not flat but slightly use of EQ.

If the internal processing is done at 24 bits and higher, there should be no impact at all. As to measuring it, such EQ modifications change the nature of the test so the results may not be comparable to no EQ. For example, if I reduce the 1 kHz source signal by say 10 dB, that will negatively impact signal to noise ratio. That is not the fault of the system. It is just that the signal is now weaker relative to noise floor. This by the way is the reason you want very good SNR/DNR as you will be sacrificing some for EQ.

 

[Tangband]

But if you increase the headroom about let’s say 2 dB (for perhaps 1.5 dB positive gain) - Is it just these 2 dB that you sacrifice (aside from intersample problems that may occur)?
Or will you loose more? Perhaps because there is another (eq-) circuit where the signal has to go through, which is switched off, if you don’t do any sound processing?

If there is, its audible transparent. I was really suspicius when I bought a WiiM pro about loosing a dimension in the sound If using the PEQ - but this function is audible transparent , - its much better than a dbx driverack pa2 or using the eq in a Yamaha wxc50 , most AVRs and such . Maybe the PEQ is the best function in the streamer because using PEQ will better the sound from your speakers. Hard to believe its that good, I know…

This WiiM pro or pro + used as a digital bridge is on pair with the best streamers on the market regardless of price.

 

[Howie Dern]

Yes. You can get similar performance with an RPi-based streamer and separate DAC for similar money, but to have it all packaged so well is just great. If I didn't already have the setup mentioned I'd be very tempted.

I agree. But so far I'm sticking with my RPi with Volumio (grandfathered in at Virtuoso level for 30 euro annual) with an SMSL D-6 for three main reasons - (1) Currently using 7 bands of PEQ since that's what REW gave me when measuring my setup. More can be added if desired/needed. (2) Hardware is already paid for. (3) The biggest reason - HDMI output from the RPi to the TV above my audio system gives a beautiful, giant what's playing now visual. Not sure I can live without that now.

 

[Dave54321]

View attachment 332864

Yikes! Thanks for this.

 

[Mnyb]

Interesting product imo preferable over the standard version as good noise performance is nice if you use EQ .
If it is the noise that’s the problem in the standard versions ?
Did amir ever measured the other version? Search on this site only turns up the “hockey puck” WiiM streamer.

In preamp use , one would like to know a bit more does the volume track well between channels ? Is it reliable and not one of those products that could give you a 100% volume blast by some bug ? How is it ability to drive different impedances in power amps ?

 

[aagstn]

I agree. But so far I'm sticking with my RPi with Volumio (grandfathered in at Virtuoso level for 30 euro annual) with an SMSL D-6 for three main reasons - (1) Currently using 7 bands of PEQ since that's what REW gave me when measuring my setup. More can be added if desired/needed. (2) Hardware is already paid for. (3) The biggest reason - HDMI output from the RPi to the TV above my audio system gives a beautiful, giant what's playing now visual. Not sure I can live without that now.

I used a RPI with a digital hat out to a DAC with Volumio for years so I get the loyalty. It is a really nice setup. I like the Volumio software.

 

[antcollinet]

View attachment 332864

As I understand it from @amirm measuring THD on compressed audio is unhelpful due to the psychoacoustic nature of the compression. The whole point of it is the inevitable distortion created by throwing away information is designed to be not?/less? noticeable to our auditory system.

The measurment on it's own doesn't tell us much about audibility.

 

[morillon]

You are pretty confused here. Harmonics of 1 kHz land in the area where our hearing is most sensitive (2 to 5 kHz). Harmonics of say, 5 kHz do the opposite for example.

Again, I am going to caution members to not get into generalized arguments about measurements.

if you want...
the fact remains that an observation at just one frequency is extremely limited and does not show us much...
if we want to agree that the sinad can be significant it is by sweep vs frequency..
if the sensitivity the distortion is higher above 1k that does not mean that it does not exist under 1khz..
and above all, and here we join the problem of the first version of the "plus"..it is that the essential of the " musical speech ", which you are listening to is under 1khz, but it seems not understood here on ASR...
so with the first "plus" it was really annoying...

 

[antcollinet]

so with the first "plus" it was really annoying...

When you prove you can actually hear that - we might have something to talk about.

 

[morillon]

When you prove you can actually hear that - we might have something to talk about.

according to your approaches at what point does the distortion become annoying at say 50, 100, 220, 440hz...?

 

[antcollinet]

according to your approaches at what point does the distortion become annoying at say 50, 100, 220, 440hz...?

According to listening tests, most people can't even hear (let alone find annoying) distortion beyond about -50dB with real music. So much higher than the 0.002% put out by this thing.

 

[hopkins]

I tested the WiiM Pro for "bit perfectness", as my DAC has an integrated test (44/48/88/96 khz).

Squeezelite and DLNA are bit-perfect, but not the Chromecast protocol (using Hificast or BubbleUpnp from my phone - both are bit-perfect with UPnP protocol).

The pass-through from the Toslink input is bit-perfect.

 

[onlyoneme]

I tested the WiiM Pro for "bit perfectness", as my DAC has an integrated test (44/48/88/96 khz).

Squeezelite and DLNA are bit-perfect, but not the Chromecast protocol...

Chromecast can be bitperfect, but final result depends on the sender. How did you cast over chromecast?

 

[antcollinet]

I tested the WiiM Pro for "bit perfectness", as my DAC has an integrated test (44/48/88/96 khz).

Squeezelite and DLNA are bit-perfect, but not the Chromecast protocol...

Which is interesting (but not really surprising) information.


Just be aware that "bit perfectness" is not required for "audible perfectness"

 

[hopkins]

Chromecast can be bitperfect, but final result depends on the sender. How did you cast over chromecast?

I edited my post. I tried it with both Hificast and BubbleUPNP, which were both bit-perfect with Upnp

 

[hopkins]

Just be aware that "bit perfectness" is not required for "audible perfectness"

I did not claim it was, but WiiM claims the streamer is bit-perfect (and Amir relays the info in his review, without having checked it...), which is not the case with Chromecast mode.

 

[hopkins]

Details here: https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/hopkins-system.35850/post-919562

 

[antcollinet]

I did not claim it was, but WiiM claims the streamer is bit-perfect, which is not the case with Chromecast mode.

Fair enough. I just find the emphasis on bit perfection within the industry a little bit pointless. And is driven purely by user misconception of it's value.


But I do appreciate the efforts to hold manufacturers to account for their claims.