WiiM Ultra... Am I missing something?

[elshaddai]

I've looked at the photos and read the specs, but don't see a way to connect a WiiM Ultra to a PC via USB. I see the USB port for media sticks, but nothing that says it's suitable for PC connection. Was hoping to consider this as a digital preamp with bass management and room correction to partner with my power amp. I see other digital inputs, but no way to connect a PC without optical or coax. Thought it would be a cheaper alternative to the miniDSP Flex.

 

[staticV3]

Correct. You can't connect your PC to the WiiM Ultra via USB.

However, many Windows PCs have Optical built-in. If yours doesn't, then you can add one with the Hifime UT23 or Cubilux SPDIF Converter.

 

[Berwhale]

Or if it's a 'traditional' PC, rather than a laptop or mini-PC, you might be able to connect an adapter slot bracket directly to the SPDIF header on your motherboard. I've used this one before...

Amazon.co.uk

 

[Vincent Kars]

The WiiM is a streamer. Its use case is to connect legacy (non-networked) audio gear to the network. It is not intended as a USB DAC.
As far as I know, it only offers 10 band EQ, something your PC can do as well or better.

The only one with USB DAC functionality is the WiiM AMP.

 

[Chillazar]

Isn't the whole point of a streamer to avoid using a PC? There's enough room correction software for PCs out there. Alternatively you should be able to integrate the streamer into your home network and control it from your PC.

 

[gwing]

Was hoping to consider this as a digital preamp with bass management and room correction to partner with my power amp. I see other digital inputs, but no way to connect a PC without optical or coax. Thought it would be a cheaper alternative to the miniDSP Flex.

The Wiim will indeed do that preamp stuff to connect to your power amp. Where is the PC being used in that architecture though?

 

[elshaddai]

Correct. You can't connect your PC to the WiiM Ultra via USB.

However, many Windows PCs have Optical built-in. If yours doesn't, then you can add one with the Hifime UT23 or Cubilux SPDIF Converter.

Yes, no optical out on my tower, so I appreciate the adapter options. Thanks!

 

[elshaddai]

Or if it's a 'traditional' PC, rather than a laptop or mini-PC, you might be able to connect an adapter slot bracket directly to the SPDIF header on your motherboard. I've used this one before...

Amazon.co.uk

Interesting. I have a Lenovo AMD tower. I'll have to take look at the mb specs and see if something like that is supported. Thanks!

 

[elshaddai]

The WiiM is a streamer. Its use case is to connect legacy (non-networked) audio gear to the network. It is not intended as a USB DAC.
As far as I know, it only offers 10 band EQ, something your PC can do as well or better.

The only one with USB DAC functionality is the WiiM AMP.

Yep, understood. Yet it is also a multi-function box and for someone looking for a control box in front of a true 2.1 desktop system, it offers a lot of functionality not available in one place otherwise. I prefer my PC as the master source, so the streaming and screen features are less important to me. True 2.1 bass management, room correction, DAC and an external volume control cost $700-800 in a miniDSP box, so the Ultra could have been an effective alternative.

 

[elshaddai]

Isn't the whole point of a streamer to avoid using a PC? There's enough room correction software for PCs out there. Alternatively you should be able to integrate the streamer into your home network and control it from your PC.

Good point on the control via network. I'll dig deeper on that as well. Thanks!

 

[elshaddai]

The Wiim will indeed do that preamp stuff to connect to your power amp. Where is the PC being used in that architecture though?

This is for a desktop 2.1 system, so the PC is my source for local and streaming music, streaming video, online radio, gaming, etc.

 

[elshaddai]

The WiiM is a streamer. Its use case is to connect legacy (non-networked) audio gear to the network. It is not intended as a USB DAC.
As far as I know, it only offers 10 band EQ, something your PC can do as well or better.

The only one with USB DAC functionality is the WiiM AMP.

It's also a digital preamp, yes? I just found it surprising that they included some digital inputs but not USB.

 

[gwing]

Yep, understood. Yet it is also a multi-function box and for someone looking for a control box in front of a true 2.1 desktop system, it offers a lot of functionality not available in one place otherwise. I prefer my PC as the master source, so the streaming and screen features are less important to me. True 2.1 bass management, room correction, DAC and an external volume control cost $700-800 in a miniDSP box, so the Ultra could have been an effective alternative.

Ah, you want the PC as source and Wiim downstream. So basically you need to output on coax/optical from your PC (via a converter as mentioned before if your PC doesn't have one). Or connect via analog, or run some sort of music server on your PC and connect over ethernet. All of those should work.

 

[antcollinet]

Ah, you want the PC as source and Wiim downstream. So basically you need to output on coax/optical from your PC (via a converter as mentioned before if your PC doesn't have one). Or connect via analog, or run some sort of music server on your PC and connect over ethernet. All of those should work.

Or even bluetooth.

 

[elshaddai]

Ah, you want the PC as source and Wiim downstream. So basically you need to output on coax/optical from your PC (via a converter as mentioned before if your PC doesn't have one). Or connect via analog, or run some sort of music server on your PC and connect over ethernet. All of those should work.

Exactly. The Cubilux adapter looks like a simple solution to start with. Or network if it offers greater fidelity.

 

[Jimbob54]

It's also a digital preamp, yes? I just found it surprising that they included some digital inputs but not USB.

Suspect they envisage other standalone digital sources (Im thinking CD/TV) might want to be fed via the Wiim DAC into your amp but they would be SPDIF connections. Take your point but I doubt many would get this to then use as a USB DAC with a PC therefore they took the lower cost for vast majority of overall user base decision.

 

[staticV3]

The only one with USB DAC functionality is the WiiM AMP.

The WiiM Amp's USB port is designed for plugging in mass-storage devices:


I don't think it offers USB DAC functionality. (glad to be corrected!)

 

[staticV3]

Or network if it offers greater fidelity.

It doesn't.

 

[Vincent Kars]

I don't think it offers USB DAC functionality.

Correct.
I was looking at https://wiimhome.com/wiimpro/overview where they say Audio Input Port and listed the USB. I thought this to be a DAC functionality but looking at the specs of the Amp, it isn't. Mass storage + server functionality is what it offers.

 

[tmtomh]

Could just be my own personal pet peeve, but I think the USB mass storage vs USB DAC distinction is bad for the overall market. I get that every penny of production cost matters, but it seems to me that things would be much simpler for consumers if you could buy pretty much any USB-enabled audio device and plug whatever you wanted into it - USB drive or USB cable from a "smart" host like a PC - and the device would auto-detect and go from there.

I think customer confusion over this will only increase now that the two types of connections are no longer reliably identified by whether the USB port is a type A (mass storage) or type B (smart host), since devices are moving to USB C connectors for both types of ports. I support the move to type C - it's the inconsistency in what the USB port can and can't do from device to device that bugs me.

Finally, I think it's just bad product design to have digital inputs for a smart host, like optical and/or coax, but then to make the USB input only for mass storage. It just seems inconsistent.