WiiM Pro Plus Streamer Review

[staticV3]

In a Genelec system, using AES digital from a Wiim spidif port, there is no difference between the pro and proplus because it remains digital. Correct?

Correct.

But if I used analog, the pro plus would be (somewhat) advantageous in performance?

Measurably advantageous yes, audibly unlikely.

 

[obsessive9119]

In a Genelec system, using AES digital from a Wiim spidif port, there is no difference between the pro and proplus because it remains digital. Correct? But if I used analog, the pro plus would be (somewhat) advantageous in performance?

Correct.

Thought how audible the difference between the Pro and Pro Plus DACs are is up for debate. I have both (in different systems) and have never thought the Pro was lacking (but I also have relatively low-end systems compared to a lot of people).

 

[jimmyjames8]

FWIW

The Best Music Streamer

The WiiM Pro Plus is the best music streamer because it offers easy setup, reliable performance, and a wide variety of features—all at an affordable price.

www.nytimes.com

I fell asleep reading this. Did she ever talk about how it sounded especially compared to the other streamers? My Wiim Pro Plus sounds fantastic. I haven't gotten around to comparing it's sound to other dacs I have available. I'm really impressed with what it does for the sound of my local jazz radio station (stream).

 

[Jimster480]

I fell asleep reading this. Did she ever talk about how it sounded especially compared to the other streamers? My Wiim Pro Plus sounds fantastic. I haven't gotten around to comparing it's sound to other dacs I have available. I'm really impressed with what it does for the sound of my local jazz radio station (stream).

It would sound exactly the same as any other SoTA type DAC. So basically transparent overall.

 

[ahofer]

Did she ever talk about how it sounded especially compared to the other streamers?

No, because they know that's a waste of time. Note that "sound" isn't in the list of criteria at the beginning.

 

[Heinz R]

I just wanted to briefly share a discovery I made today with my Pro Plus, which I've only had for five days. I wanted to send it back tomorrow because the sound of the internal DAC was annoying and tiring me. I was looking for a DAC that wasn't annoying, even if the resolution wasn't the most modern. Then today, by chance, I tried a setting without much expectation. It fundamentally changed the sound of the Pro Plus for the better, and I'm going to keep it. I had a Node N132 for four months, but despite its great spatiality, listening to it also tired me out a lot.
So what did I change on the Pro Plus? It's the so-called volume limitation in the device settings. I reduced it from (default) 100% to 80%. Maybe it doesn't need to be reduced that much, but I only just discovered it and with 80% it is a bery noticeable change for the better. Later on one can reduce the decrease of volume. The Pro Plus was wonderful for quiet passages. But it sounds very strained with complex music and loud passages.

When the “volume limitation” is reduced, it seems that the Pro Plus no longer overloads on the digital level. Now everything sounds very inviting and spacious. It's no longer like a knife in your ear, but the opposite. It's a bit tragic because the pre-gain is at zero, e.g. for Qobuz, and that leads to overloading and distortion. Here's a quote from the Wiim forum that explains well what volume limitation does at which level:

„This depends on what input and output you use.

The voltage settings is for the analog output only (after DAC).

The pre-gains are digital and before EQ.

Volume limitation is a upper digital volume level.

If any of those are set too high, it may cause distortion. Else they don't cause any sound quality issues“

Me again.
I've been listening for hours now, and the Pro Plus sounds open, pleasant, musical, and lively, with no harshness or distortion. I think Wiim should reduce the default setting for “volume limitation.” It's like night and day.
Thanks for reading..

 

[davidc]

I am assuming when you had it at 100% that you were also using the EQ within the wim app? Or the room compensation EQ? I would assume that would be the only thing that would cause clipping

 

[JimmyBuckets]

If you are using the RCA out, you can also select not just volume but set it to a fixed max voltage to the outputs.

 

[Heinz R]

I am assuming when you had it at 100% that you were also using the EQ within the wim app? Or the room compensation EQ? I would assume that would be the only thing that would cause clipping

No, I did not. It is subtle but a huge difference in sound over time. May be my unit is faulty but I don‘t think so. Just give it a try.

 

[Heinz R]

If you are using the RCA out, you can also select not just volume but set it to a fixed max voltage to the outputs.

That's exactly what I tried first. But it didn't make any difference to the sound quality. At first, I thought that the unpleasant sound was overloading the analog input of my preamp, but that wasn't the case. It got quieter, but the unpleasant sound remained. As I quoted the other post above, these different fixed voltages of the output voltage only refer to the analog output stage. But my problem was digital overload, which I was able to fix by activating voltage limitation at 80%. Give it a try.

 

[Xibal]

What is "digital overload"?

 

[totti1965]

I just wanted to briefly share a discovery I made today with my Pro Plus, which I've only had for five days. I wanted to send it back tomorrow because the sound of the internal DAC was annoying and tiring me. I was looking for a DAC that wasn't annoying, even if the resolution wasn't the most modern. Then today, by chance, I tried a setting without much expectation. It fundamentally changed the sound of the Pro Plus for the better, and I'm going to keep it. I had a Node N132 for four months, but despite its great spatiality, listening to it also tired me out a lot.
So what did I change on the Pro Plus? It's the so-called volume limitation in the device settings. I reduced it from (default) 100% to 80%. Maybe it doesn't need to be reduced that much, but I only just discovered it and with 80% it is a bery noticeable change for the better. Later on one can reduce the decrease of volume. The Pro Plus was wonderful for quiet passages. But it sounds very strained with complex music and loud passages.

When the “volume limitation” is reduced, it seems that the Pro Plus no longer overloads on the digital level. Now everything sounds very inviting and spacious. It's no longer like a knife in your ear, but the opposite. It's a bit tragic because the pre-gain is at zero, e.g. for Qobuz, and that leads to overloading and distortion. Here's a quote from the Wiim forum that explains well what volume limitation does at which level:

„This depends on what input and output you use.

The voltage settings is for the analog output only (after DAC).

The pre-gains are digital and before EQ.

Volume limitation is a upper digital volume level.

If any of those are set too high, it may cause distortion. Else they don't cause any sound quality issues“

Me again.
I've been listening for hours now, and the Pro Plus sounds open, pleasant, musical, and lively, with no harshness or distortion. I think Wiim should reduce the default setting for “volume limitation.” It's like night and day.
Thanks for reading..

Perhaps you are sensible for intersample overs.

I am using roon for my settings.
Because I do some Equalisation with the speaker (in a range about 3 dB), I have reduced the speaker maximal Volume via roon for 5 dB.
Everything sounds extremely pleasant now, even if I let the max output of the WiiM in the WiiM settings at 100%.
It is because roon has direct access to the WiiM „inner guts“.

For those who don’t use roon: maybe reduction from 100% to 94% or 95% is perfectly ok.
For some Linn devices there were measurements of inter sample overs by Dr. Gert Volk in the https://www.aktives-hoeren.de Forum:
His suggestion was to reduce the default 85 setting to 80.

 

[Miguelón]

I just wanted to briefly share a discovery I made today with my Pro Plus, which I've only had for five days. I wanted to send it back tomorrow because the sound of the internal DAC was annoying and tiring me. I was looking for a DAC that wasn't annoying, even if the resolution wasn't the most modern. Then today, by chance, I tried a setting without much expectation. It fundamentally changed the sound of the Pro Plus for the better, and I'm going to keep it. I had a Node N132 for four months, but despite its great spatiality, listening to it also tired me out a lot.
So what did I change on the Pro Plus? It's the so-called volume limitation in the device settings. I reduced it from (default) 100% to 80%. Maybe it doesn't need to be reduced that much, but I only just discovered it and with 80% it is a bery noticeable change for the better. Later on one can reduce the decrease of volume. The Pro Plus was wonderful for quiet passages. But it sounds very strained with complex music and loud passages.

When the “volume limitation” is reduced, it seems that the Pro Plus no longer overloads on the digital level. Now everything sounds very inviting and spacious. It's no longer like a knife in your ear, but the opposite. It's a bit tragic because the pre-gain is at zero, e.g. for Qobuz, and that leads to overloading and distortion. Here's a quote from the Wiim forum that explains well what volume limitation does at which level:

„This depends on what input and output you use.

The voltage settings is for the analog output only (after DAC).

The pre-gains are digital and before EQ.

Volume limitation is a upper digital volume level.

If any of those are set too high, it may cause distortion. Else they don't cause any sound quality issues“

Me again.
I've been listening for hours now, and the Pro Plus sounds open, pleasant, musical, and lively, with no harshness or distortion. I think Wiim should reduce the default setting for “volume limitation.” It's like night and day.
Thanks for reading..

It seems improbable you can listen a difference changing this setting: only thing it do is allow you to adjust volume between 0 and 80% by transforming the bits you send when you choose your preferred loudness to the DAC: no changes at all any information concerning the music.

Let me give an example: when you select 50% in the 0-80 range, you send the same information to the DAC than when you select 40% in the 0-100 range.

Is useful when, as in my case, you stay always in the low range of the volume and have little fine control on the knob.

The sound should be the same, now I have the Ultra but has Pro Plus before. Most probably you can have a bad unit (reset and try again), the DAC on the Ultra is slightly better but I have doubts anyone can perceive the Pro Plus as annoying…

 

[totti1965]

It seems improbable you can listen a difference changing this setting: only thing it do is allow you to adjust volume between 0 and 80% by transforming the bits you send when you choose your preferred loudness to the DAC: no changes at all any information concerning the music.

Let me give an example: when you select 50% in the 0-80 range, you send the same information to the DAC than when you select 40% in the 0-100 range.

Is useful when, as in my case, you stay always in the low range of the volume and have little fine control on the knob.

The sound should be the same, now I have the Ultra but has Pro Plus before. Most probably you can have a bad unit (reset and try again), the DAC on the Ultra is slightly better but I have doubts anyone can perceive the Pro Plus as annoying…

All in all you are right (most Jazz an Classic music and even pop music before the loudness war), but 100% can, when the music plays loud and is nearly at the 16 bit or 24 bit edge, result in „inter sample over distortion“. Reducing the max output to 80%, 90% or 94% can help in that regard!

 

[Heinz R]

I will listen again in the evening and report back. I will also look if I notice any difference between the various digital control options, pre-gain, normal volume, and volume limitation. EQ is not yet activated. “Analog” clipping can be ruled out so far; I have connected both my beloved Quad 34 and my Mcintosh C22CE analog and I take care to ensure that the analog signal is not too loud. But even with the fixed analog 1-volt output of the Pro Plus the roughness and slight distortion could be heard when I opened the “volume limitation” all the way to 100%.

I have different speakers. On my BBC LS3/5a, the distortion is just unpleasant. But on my vintage restored 1973 Klipsch Horn, it's almost unbearable. The difference with volume limitation between 100% and let‘s say 80% is clearly audible because the horns don't like distortion at all and don't smooth it out. I will also reset the Pro Plus.

 

[somebodyelse]

“Analog” clipping can be ruled out so far; I have connected both my beloved Quad 34 and my Mcintosh C22CE analog and I take care to ensure that the analog signal is not too loud.

Does that mean your Quad 34 has been modified to better suit modern input levels, or that you use inline attenuators with it?

 

[Heinz R]

Does that mean your Quad 34 has been modified to better suit modern input levels, or that you use inline attenuators with it?

The 300 mV input has always worked well on devices with 2 volt output voltage, such as my Node 130, Meridian CD player, and similar devices. Quad specified a very large headroom at the time, and that seems plausible.

 

[totti1965]

The 300 mV input has always worked well on devices with 2 volt output voltage, such as my Node 130, Meridian CD player, and similar devices. Quad specified a very large headroom at the time, and that seems plausible.

Hi,

I’ve sendend you a privat message.
Greetings from Bonn!

 

[antcollinet]

No, I did not. It is subtle but a huge difference in sound over time. May be my unit is faulty but I don‘t think so. Just give it a try.

There is no reason for that to alter the sound from the Dac in any way. At all. Except for a volume change.

One possibility is that the DAC was outputting too high a voltage to the amp, and over volting the input circuit - unlikely with a modern amp - but possible with an older one.

What amp are you using?

Or your ears just need a lower volume to not feel fatigued. Sometimes a higher volume can be annoying.

 

[Labjr]

I've noticed that I tend to listen to music on a transparent DAC headphone amp louder than I probably should. Maybe I'm always trying to hear more detail so volume creep happens until my ears are fatigued. Then when I use headphones on my digital piano, which stays at the same setting, I can barely hear it. So it's easy to listen too loud.