WiiM Pro Plus Streamer Review

[AVKS]

According to Darko, the Pro Plus has a different DAC, new ADC circuit, and added ballast to the case.

Correct. This is a Schiit thread but this post has a breakdown and picture of the iron.

Schiit Happened: The Story of the World's Most Improbable Start-Up

I call it the "Schiit ReachAround®". :beerchug: As always, I try to have a sense of humor about such things for such things are just another part of life. ORT https://twitter.com/gnuman1979/status/1182373003079892992

www.head-fi.org

 

[Limopard]

My best buy of the year. This, the DX 3 pro+ and a HD 600 make a minimalist and excellent sounding headphone setup.

 

[Vini darko]

Just checked. The only codecs it supports are SBC and AAC. Unfortunate.

It sounds absolutely fine though with youtube. Was watching a live stream from RAF Lakenheath yesterday. F35's Quick climb Friday sounds great with no obvious problems. Latency is a issue for lip sync though.

 

[Repdetect]

It sounds absolutely fine though with youtube. Was watching a live stream from RAF Lakenheath yesterday. F35's Quick climb Friday sounds great with no obvious problems. Latency is a issue for lip sync though.

Glad that SBC is working for you. YouTube is compressed audio. I find it hard to evaluate any music on it. I listen to FLAC music streamed and the difference between SBC and LDAC is not subtle.

 

[Brantome]

According to Darko, the Pro Plus has a different DAC, new ADC circuit, and added ballast to the case.

Specs for WiiM Pro and Pro Plus | WiiM

www.wiimhome.com

 

[Tangband]

Great product! Is this the best desktop streamer so far?
Having a max output voltage configurable to 1V lets you use it with a Hypex NCxxMP power amp with no fears. This is a plus over any topping/smsl dacs so far.
I'd love to have it with xlr...

Not if there are any DC on the WiiM analog output, I havent seen any measurements about this . The ncore modules are without Dc protection

 

[VintageFlanker]

Looks like a really clean implementation of features. I'm curious about Bluetooth performance. Could any speak to or link to the limits of Bluetooth (distance and protocol/codec influence expected)?

 

[Tangband]

personally I still haven't understood why they still haven't increased the number of bands... in the fall of 2022 they announced that if the mini could not manage more than 4 bands, the pro (and therefore the "plus") could do much more...they announced the "soon" arrival of a 10bands.... I don't know if it's due to technical difficulties or if only their energy focused on the wiim amp all these last months

Maybe they have to have lower quality if there are more than 4 peq ? I wouldnt trade less good sound for 10 Peq band .

 

[DTTOM37]

According to Darko, the Pro Plus has a different DAC, new ADC circuit, and added ballast to the case.

That might be the only reason to wait for WIIM amp v2 (the DAC - not the ballast)
edit: The WIIM Amp suits the ESS9018 according to @Brantome
source: https://forum.wiimhome.com/threads/wiim-amp.1322/post-28242
And that snippet comes from the WIIM homepage

 

[Mnyb]

Is there a sub out ?

 

[staticV3]

Is there a sub out ?

2nd picture on Amazon shows all the ports: https://www.amazon.com/WiiM-Receiver-Chromecast-Multiroom-Streamer/dp/B0CC2HWC7N

 

[Brantome]

Is there a sub out ?

On the WiiM Amp yes, but no for the other WiiM devices

 

[Joffy1780]

-30 dB is about 3.2% in voltage terms; 50% or 0.5 is about -6 dB.

We're not discussing the variable voltage of the line output though. Every 1% reduction of the volume limiter equates to a 0.6 dB reduction. For example, when using my Pro with my HD560s I limit the volume to 86% to accommodate a 7.5 dB bass boost.

 

[Joffy1780]

Just to add to the chorus … I love my WiiM Pro. Had it for over a year now, zero complaints. I use only the bitstream output to a JDS Labs Atom DAC (yet another high value and incredible performance piece of kit). I only went with the JDS Labs as at the time the WiiM Pro internal DAC of course was not at the highest level of performance. If the Pro Plus had been available then, would have just gone with it and had a fully transparent one box solution. I should also note I have run the analog outs of the WiiM to the analog inputs of active speakers and the sound was phenomenal, using the WiiMs digital volume control. So even using the “terrible” DAC in the WiiM my ears could not hear a difference vs running WiiM dig out into the JDS Labs.

And I think many have heard, but if you believe WiiM has turned the mega buck (and often mediocre performance) streamer/DAC market on its head, wait until the WiiM Ultra comes out. If I were the Aurenders of the world, I would be very worried!

Finally, let’s not forget the customer service of WiiM. Top notch, some of the most responsive folks I have ever seen in the industry.

All above to say, I am a self avowed WiiM fan boy

PS - For those that want to have a say in the functionality of the Ultra, you can post your thoughts here (WiiM is listening!) … https://forum.wiimhome.com/threads/wiim-ultra.1731/

Another Wiim fanboy here. Couldn't be happier with my pro(s) and, as you say, they are very responsive to their customers and act on feedback faster than any other manufacturer I have ever dealt with.

 

[Apesbrain]

finally...something available to replace my SB Touch...if/when it dies.

FYI, a recent WiiM firmware update added native Squeezebox support.

 

[dtaylo1066]

Let's face it, at this price this is just an astounding offering in terms of its performance metrics and features. Analog in! Bless them, I'm about to tear up and may need a hankie! The only thing I could in any way fault would be a lack of balanced XLR outputs, but that would be asking too much at this price, and can be handled in another way.

Looking forward to when they send you their new amp, Amir!

WiiM Amp | Versatile Streaming Amplifier: Stream Elegance, Amplify Brilliance

Discover the WiiM Amp, a state-of-the-art streaming amplifier designed to refine the way you experience music, movie, and more, WiiM Amp combines power, versatility, and simplicity like never before. Whether you are an audiophile or a home theater enthusiast, WiiM Amp delivers exceptional sound...

www.wiimhome.com

 

[gvl]

It's truly amazing they can offer it at such a low price, considering hardware and software it packs. Topping and the likes have low-mid grade DACs at this price point.

 

[mikessi]

amirm said: "Plus version nicely ups the performance by a good mile..."

But AFAIK, you did not review the Pro version, did you? So then are you comparing the Plus to the standard Wiim (puck) version which you reviewed?

 

[Smitty2k1]

My best buy of the year. This, the DX 3 pro+ and a HD 600 make a minimalist and excellent sounding headphone setup.

My desk setup is the Wiim Mini (recently bought a Pro for the LMS support though), the DX3+, and Sennheiser HD598 headphones so pretty close!

 

[AudioSceptic]

We're not discussing the variable voltage of the line output though. Every 1% reduction of the volume limiter equates to a 0.6 dB reduction. For example, when using my Pro with my HD560s I limit the volume to 86% to accommodate a 7.5 dB bass boost.

OK, but what's the calculation for that?