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Wiim Pro Plus Upgrades

DiveGuy1975

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Jan 8, 2025
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My office rig is Qobuz running through WiiM Pro Plus to 1978 Pioneer SX-750 out 1970 Pioneer CS-77As.

After too much time down the bunny burrow, I'm now convinced that I'm listening to sonic shite, and am therefore considering the following...upgrades?

An SMSL SU-1 DAC ($80) as an upgrade to the Wiim's converter, connected to a Topping P50 ($129) to silence all that pesky power noise (?), and plugging the whole mess into a Furman surge protector ($70) to appease whichever deity currently happens to be in charge of sky static.

Question is, will any of this make an audible difference?
 
I doubt it.

Your WiiM Pro Plus measured well in the review at ASR and can apply room correction with your existing gear. I would want 'return privileges' before auditioning any of the gear you try out.
 
I doubt it.

Your WiiM Pro Plus measured well in the review at ASR and can apply room correction with your existing gear. I would want 'return privileges' before auditioning any of the gear you try out.
Thank you.
 
My office rig is Qobuz running through WiiM Pro Plus to 1978 Pioneer SX-750 out 1970 Pioneer CS-77As.

After too much time down the bunny burrow, I'm now convinced that I'm listening to sonic shite, and am therefore considering the following...upgrades?

An SMSL SU-1 DAC ($80) as an upgrade to the Wiim's converter, connected to a Topping P50 ($129) to silence all that pesky power noise (?), and plugging the whole mess into a Furman surge protector ($70) to appease whichever deity currently happens to be in charge of sky static.

Question is, will any of this make an audible difference?
Not one iota of difference.
Why are you focusing on the DAC?
Even more, how would a power supply help? These DACs already have power supplies that are not broken and work fine. You are about to spend more than 2x the cost of the DAC on power conditioning and surge protection. These devices are no more sensitive than your 50 year old Pioneer receiver which seems to have survived static just fine. The cost exceeds the problem, and for goodness sake why would you want all of this useless clutter?

How do you like your speakers? Speakers matter, you have enormous amount of upgrade potential there.
 
"you have enormous amount of upgrade potential there" might be the most tactful way I've ever heard anybody say what I think you're saying. And it made me laugh, so there's that.

As to the rest, I also thought it sounded like wasted money, which is why I asked the original question. Again, too much time down the bunny burrow...
 
Look at it this way ... you've just saved $279 towards new speakers ;)

(Edit: I'm not saying they are poor - I don't know them - but speakers are usually the best upgrade)
 
"you have enormous amount of upgrade potential there" might be the most tactful way I've ever heard anybody say what I think you're saying. And it made me laugh, so there's that.

As to the rest, I also thought it sounded like wasted money, which is why I asked the original question. Again, too much time down the bunny burrow...
I like vintage speakers, own several, didn't want to hurt their feelings... ;)
 
Follow-up question: Guy walks into a bar and says "So, whaddya think about my speakers..."
 
Please elaborate what's really bugging you. This way some might see a popular hedgehog doing gues what (sonic shite).
Are you experiencing a bad ground loop, or what's going on? Not only it's DAC in WiiM (AK4493SEQ) much better (SINAD) than analog input SNR on your amplifier but also very solid regarding EMI rejection rate (see IMD+N).
What you want to achieve?
 
Sorry Z, nothing that specific. More just me wondering if any tinkering might improve my streaming audio quality. It's what happens when you buy a piece of equipment (WiiM Pro Plus) and then read reviews/discussion afterwards that makes you 2nd-guess your purchase. The never-ending quest for sonic perfection?
 
Sorry Z, nothing that specific. More just me wondering if any tinkering might improve my streaming audio quality. It's what happens when you buy a piece of equipment (WiiM Pro Plus) and then read reviews/discussion afterwards that makes you 2nd-guess your purchase. The never-ending quest for sonic perfection?
If and only if the Pioneer CS-77A is working good add a sub if you already don't have one. But seriously for office it will be hard to position anything (and anybody) to have good recipience. You might try to buy a measurements mic and all do WiiM processing power is limited it will be enough to improve things. Don't expect miracle's in office space, individually use IEM's to achieve such wow in such environment.
 
Not sure about the quality of the speakers, but they must be around fifty years old by now! Perhaps it's time for a new pair?
I found the manual and wanted to share some background information.

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Thanks Brad. My dad bought them in Vietnam in 1970 and shipped them home, so he was the original owner. He still had the original receipt and owner's manual when I inherited them a few years back, and I still have it all. As far as condition, they look terrific, but I have no idea what the actual condition is for the electronics. They sound okay, but as you said, they're more than 50 years old.
 
Thanks Brad. My dad bought them in Vietnam in 1970 and shipped them home, so he was the original owner. He still had the original receipt and owner's manual when I inherited them a few years back, and I still have it all. As far as condition, they look terrific, but I have no idea what the actual condition is for the electronics. They sound okay, but as you said, they're more than 50 years old.

Alright, so these speakers hold a lot of sentimental value for you, right?
I completely understand that.

If you’re committed to keeping them, it’s worth having them properly serviced by someone with expertise. Check that all the driver surrounds are intact, measure and repair the crossovers, and replace any worn felt or damping material inside the cabinets. This would bring them closer to their original specifications.

Looking at the frequency response curve, I can see why someone might describe them as a bit bass-shy. However, this largely depends on the room acoustics. If you’re not listening at very high SPL levels, you could easily adjust the bass using the tone controls.
As for their current response, that’s anyone’s guess given their age.
 
A bit bass shy is an apt description, but with the tone controls and the WiiM's EQ, I do have some ability to adjust the sound.

And no, I am not experienced in speaker repair so I would love to find "someone with expertise" who could service them. A search of my area isn't turning up anyone who does this kind of work locally, so I'm now turning to the interwebs to see what resources are available.
 
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