WiiM Pro Streamer Review

[Ralph_Cramden]

Thanks for the review Amirm, having kit measured in a standardised way is incredibly helpful.

I think we knew that this wasn't 'great ': going down to a Wiim Mini or up to a Pro Plus makes far more sense.

Actually, the Pro is the Goldilocks solution for those of us who don't care about the internal DAC. It provides more features than the Mini at less cost than the Pro Plus.

 

[UK Sugden Fan]

This is a review and reduced measurements for WiiM Pro stereo streamer and preamplifier. It is kindly loaned to me by a member and costs US $149.
View attachment 502344
I didn't mess with the front controls but used the app on my Android phone. The device provides rich set of functionality that is easily exposed through the app.

Level of connectivity is stunning at this price point:
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We not only have digital out but also analog input.

I upgraded the unit and connected to it over Ethernet.

WiiM Pro Streamer Measurements
I started with streaming using Roon media player and capturing RCA output at maximum volume:
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I am disappointed at high level of second harmonic distortion which pegs SINAD at just 15 bits. Performance is the same as using Toslink:
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I like to see a SINAD above 100 dB as to preserve 16 bit content.

Fortunately using Toslink digital out by setting it to 24 bits gives you "bit exact" output:
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This means you can use a higher performance DAC and get far better response.

Using analog out, signal to noise ratio is good:
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As is jitter although the measurement floor is occupied with fair bit of noise:
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The input ADC, as is typical, is not as good as the DAC:
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And has that channel delay differential to boot. Switching to digital out did not fix that either:
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I think we have good enough picture at this point.

Conclusions
Both the software capabilities and input/outputs are exemplary for any streamer let alone at this price point. This is countered by a DAC that is a notch lower in performance than what I wish to see. Fortunately you can use an external DAC to remedy that (or use another WiiM streamer with a better DAC).

As is, I can't recommend the WiiM Pro streamer. It just fails to reach my minimum bar.
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As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.

Any donations are much appreciated using: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150/

I have one of these - which other than for comparison purposes where the internal DAC proved to be mediocre, has always been used via an external DAC.
My choice is a iFi Zen One Signature DAC which gives superb results for it's price, detail, smoothness and musical flow all being excellent.
BTW the streamer sounds better with a quality ethernet cable - in my case QED Performance Graphite. Sorry to the cable denyers but it does.
Oh yes the room correction does work, but I think it sounds worse although you can edit the corrected equalisation - sounds better to me with cut for the resonant room modes and just a slight boost for the dips. If you allow the original results with a difficult room you can end up asking rather a lot from your amp and speakers.

 

[Purité Audio]

Uh-huh.
Keith

 

[Beershaun]

I am vary happy with the pro. It has Chromecast support and gapless playback and 24bit/192 output support over the mini. So for me it brought my old.Denon x3100 into the modern streaming age connected via coax.

 

[SlowJim]

The Mini can output 24/192 via toslink - believe this functionality was added via firmware upgrade after Amir's original review.

 

[carsknivesbeer]

What is out there to replace Chromecast Audio for bit-perfect WiFi? I’m running four of them (bought on EBay for $25-$50 each a few years ago) to handle a whole-house four x 2-channel system.

Right? Been using CCA for years with very little issue streaming Spotify. Also put those through “transparent” DACs (as well as the WiiM) to land at more than 100 SINAD. The WiiM costs 10x (or 3x now via eBay) why isn’t there a direct CCA replacement? The CCA got cleared out at 20$ when they didn’t sell them all, wish I would have bought a few more.

 

[somebodyelse]

why isn’t there a direct CCA replacement?

Because even Google aren't prepared to make a loss on every unit sold any more.

 

[MediumRare]

Chromecast audio still available here at a manageable price. Not my listing. https://www.ebay.com/itm/187897634682

 

[Ralph_Cramden]

Chromecast audio still available here at a manageable price. Not my listing. https://www.ebay.com/itm/187897634682

I still have a few, unused, including one still unopened in the box. They aren’t remotely a good replacement for the WiiM devices, IMO.

 

[obsessive9119]

I still have a few, unused, including one still unopened in the box. They aren’t remotely a good replacement for the WiiM devices, IMO.

View attachment 503422

Yeah mine’s gathering dust in a parts box somewhere

 

[NJ coffee roaster]

If I use the coax out will it be the same quality as optical? Don't see a measurement for that here.

 

[Power Pop 23]

If I use the coax out will it be the same quality as optical? Don't see a measurement for that here.

I am uncertain whether the coaxial output of a WiiM device has been measured.

It should have the same quality as the optical output that has been measured.

 

[dthomasturner]

In my opinion, this product was, more or less, designed to be used with a stand alone DAC. It has much better connectivity than the WIIM Mini, which shares the same sub-standard DAC from my understanding. I think the addition of the coax out, trigger out, and LAN connectivity make this product a great buy as long as you take into account that you’ll need to spend another 80 bucks on an SMSL SU-1 (or similar) with this or the Mini. If you are poor, and need to save up for a stand alone DAC, at least you will be able to use the product as-is until your next payday.

 

[Power Pop 23]

I think the WiiM Pro was designed for an audience wider than the readers of ASR and that many of those will not add a stand alone DAC.

My speculation is WiiM arrived at the designed performance of the WiiM 'Pro Plus' in response to the performance measured by Amir in his review of the WiiM Mini.

I regard the WiiM Pro Plus as the 'ASR Edition' of the WiiM Pro.

 

[obsessive9119]

I think the WiiM Pro was designed for an audience wider than the readers of ASR and that many of those will not add a stand alone DAC.

My speculation is WiiM arrived at the designed performance of the WiiM 'Pro Plus' in response to the performance measured by Amir in his review of the WiiM Mini.

I regard the WiiM Pro Plus as the 'ASR Edition' of the WiiM Pro.

Haha yeah - it’s the “pay more for SINAD you can’t hear” tax

 

[williamh]

I'm using a WiiM Pro since Jan 2024 and have it hooked up to my 2021 Topping D70 AK4479 DAC via TOSLink and it's an absolute joy to work with as it has Spotify and Tidal connect and some internet radio functions. My children are constantly using my HiFi set to fix their K-Pop fix.

The buying point for me was the "cheap" pricing and the lack of a good Spotify/QobuZ/Tidal Connect option on a Raspberry Pi loaded with Volumio or Moode at that time.

 

[Subob]

Can anyone help with this please?

From the following pathway:

Browse > My Music > Local

Not all my album art ever fully loads. Sometimes most of it does, sometimes some of it does. This is no matter if I leave the tablet on and the Wiim app open, or the app off tablet on, tablet off and then back on etc etc.

Is this most likely an issue with the tablet?, Redmi Pad SE running Xiaomi HyperOS 2.0.203.0, rather than the Wiim?

I know for sure it's not my local library album art tagging, as it works flawlessly on three different DAPs.

 

[Beershaun]

Can anyone help with this please?

From the following pathway:

Browse > My Music > Local

Not all my album art ever fully loads. Sometimes most of it does, sometimes some of it does. This is no matter if I leave the tablet on and the Wiim app open, or the app off tablet on, tablet off and then back on etc etc.

Is this most likely an issue with the tablet?, Redmi Pad SE running Xiaomi HyperOS 2.0.203.0, rather than the Wiim?

I know for sure it's not my local library album art tagging, as it works flawlessly on three different DAPs.

Have you tried on a different device to see if the wiim app has the same behavior?

 

[Subob]

Have you tried on a different device to see if the wiim app has the same behavior?

Good thinking. I did initially have it on an old phone, but not with my local library at the time as I soon got a tablet for the bigger screen. I'll try the phone again then, thanks.

There's been developments since yesterday. I worked out how to use our router's USB port as a NAS last night. Shows up nicely on the Wiim app, but again, album art was hit and miss. So, still could be the tablet being the culprit.

 

[atothek]

I use an external DAC with my WiiM Pro connected via optical cable.
Since my speakers a pretty sensitive I would like to lower the volume via the wiim Pro.
Would this affect the quality of the signal fed into the DAC? Let's say I reduce to about 80% - any reduction in resolution in the data delivered to the DAC?
Cheers