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WiiM Ultra Streamer Preamp Review

Rate this streamer/DAC/Preamp:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 3 1.0%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 36 11.6%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 129 41.5%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 143 46.0%

  • Total voters
    311

amirm

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This is a review and detailed measurements of the WiiM Ultra network streamer, DAC, phono stage and preamplifier. It was sent to me by the company and costs US $329.
WiiM Ultra Stereo Streamer DAC Digital audio Roon Phono Preamplifier Volume Control Review.jpg

Physical attribute are modern and attractive enough. Alas, I can't say the same thing about the graphical interface. Icons seem dated to me. They are also superfluous to what is in the App other than "now playing" screen. On that front, I am yet again disappointed by lack of volume control display even though there is plenty of room there:
WiiM Ultra Stereo Streamer DAC Digital audio Roon UI Design.jpg

Why emphasize bit rate and sample size instead of volume control? Also lacking is any indicator that you have EQ active and if so, which profile.

On that topic, the volume controls feels like it is scratching against the case. I tried to pull it out but would not move so left it alone, leaving an unsatisfying feel.

I tried to turn Ethernet off and it warned me that I would be switching to WiFi? Why is this either or instead of both being on at the same time?

Finally, there is no off switch on the UI or the unit itself:
WiiM Ultra Stereo Streamer DAC Digital audio Roon Phono Preamplifier Volume Control back rear ...jpg


The good news shows up when you look at the back and see such comprehensive connectivity, blowing away any stand-alone DAC or simple streamer. We have analog input, phono stage, and even HDMI ARC in addition to USB host capability. Alas, reading those names is next to impossible in most lighting/angles. As you see, I had to tilt the unit up for them to show up on the picture. Otherwise they wash away to same color as the case. Labels should be legible when looking down from above which the back is facing the wall.

The sophisticated app is there which instantly recognized the unit and allowed me to configure it. There is great value added here including proper crossover for bass management, EQ, etc.

WiiM Ultra DAC Measurements
I set up the unit for streaming over Ethernet from my Roon player and was greeted with excellent performance out of line out:
WiiM Ultra Stereo Streamer DAC Digital audio Roon Measurements.png

The WiiM Ultra easily makes way for itself among our very competent DACs, obviating the need to use an external one:
Best streamer with EQ and headphone amplifier review.png

Best streamer with EQ and headphone amplifier zoomed review.png

Noise performance is in the same class:
WiiM Ultra Stereo Streamer DAC Digital audio Roon dynamic range Measurements.png


Multitone performance is great:
WiiM Ultra Stereo Streamer DAC Digital audio Roon Multitone Measurements.png


Here is the 50 Hz performance for comparison with Stereophile tests of DACs:
WiiM Ultra Stereo Streamer DAC Digital audio Roon 50 Hz distortion Measurements.png

Linearity is perfect:
WiiM Ultra Stereo Streamer DAC Digital audio Roon Linearity Measurements.png


IMD test shows noise could be a bit better but distortion is nicely low:
WiiM Ultra Stereo Streamer DAC Digital audio Roon IMD Measurements.png


Jitter shows some interference as we saw with WiiM Pro Plus but nto harmful to sound:
WiiM Ultra Stereo Streamer DAC Digital audio Roon Jitter Measurements.png


Filter attenuation beyond 24 kHz is excellent:
WiiM Ultra Stereo Streamer DAC Digital audio Roon Filter Measurements.png


Frequency response is nice which is a good thing as I didn't see any option of changing the filter:
WiiM Ultra Stereo Streamer DAC Digital audio Frequency Response Measurements.png


48 kHz wideband distortion+noise is not very good:
WiiM Ultra Stereo Streamer DAC Digital audio Roon THD vs Frequency Measurements.png

Increasing the sample rate fixed that indicating that there is some kind of noise shaping going on:
WiiM Ultra Stereo Streamer DAC Digital audio Roon 1 kHz FFT Measurements.png


WiiM Ultra Headphone Output Measurements
I started with power testing which turned out just OK performance:
WiiM Ultra Stereo Streamer DAC Digital audio Headphone Power 300 ohm Measurements.png

WiiM Ultra Stereo Streamer DAC Digital audio Headphone Power 32 ohm Measurements.png

Stepping through the various load impedances shows substantial output impedance (should be near zero):
WiiM Ultra Stereo Streamer DAC Digital audio Headphone Power vs impedance Measurements.png


Response is also variable. So not a serious headphone amplifier. :(

WiiM Ultra Phono Stage Measurements
Let's start with our dashboard using MM mode:
WiiM Ultra Stereo Streamer DAC Digital audio Line In Measurements.png


And MC:

WiiM Ultra Stereo Streamer DAC Digital audio Line In MC Measurements.png

Noise floor seems elevated which when added to mains noise, resulted in lackluster performance. Fortunately RIAA equalization is good:

WiiM Ultra Stereo Streamer DAC Digital audio Line In frequency response Measurements.png


WiiM Analog Input Measurements
I configured the analog input for 24 bit/192 Khz:
WiiM Ultra Stereo Streamer DAC Digital audio Line In Measurements.png


So not bad. Here is the noise performance for both 24 bit and 16:
WiiM Ultra Stereo Streamer DAC Digital audio Line In SNR Measurements.png


So better override the default 16 bits.

Frequency response is nice as and wide (at 192 kHz sampling):
WiiM Ultra Stereo Streamer DAC Digital audio Line In frequency response Measurements.png


WiiM Ultra Bluetooh Measurements
Someone suggested that I test the Bluetooth input using LDAC codec. I spent half hour trying to enable that and I could not. My Android phone would constantly show it in gray indicating the target device doesn't support it. A quick google found the FAQ for WiiM Ultra stating that it only supports SBC and AAC. :( Both turned in poor performance due to the nature of those codecs and their encoders in BT application:
WiiM Ultra Stereo Streamer DAC Digital audio Roon Bluetooth AAC SBC Measurements.png


I highly recommend company pursue supporting LDAC.

Conclusions
WiiM Ultra nails streaming performance with an excellent codec implementation. Rich functionality is another plus as is the App. The new display didn't do much for me and if anything, was a bit of a negative even though in general I am a fan of such things. Headphone output is not useful for serious listening. Phono stage may be OK if noise is not an issue. Finally, Bluetooth support is a let down with lack of LDAC support.

I think an overhaul of the GUI with a better platform and addition of LDAC would go a long way to justify the higher cost and display.

I am going to recommend the WiiM Ultra. There is such incredible amount of capability here that when combined with excellent codec and reasonable cost, it is hard to pass on it.

------------
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/
 
Last edited:
Reserved for @AdamG to kindly post the specs.

Manufacturer Specifications: (Due to the complexity and sheer amount of functionality and features of a modern Music Streamer/DAC. A link to the manufacturer’s website is the only reasonable method to present the full specifications for this type of device. Providing a link is for the convenience of our readers and does not indicate any type or form of endorsement or commercial entanglement. As non exits.)

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hi Amir,

Thank you for another thorough review. Even though the unit was sent to you by the manufacturer you did not shy away from giving an open and honest appraisal and telling it like it is. An admiral quality and one that builds trust in your work.

When compared to recent excellent products produced by Wiim, the added features of the Ultra (DAC aside) are unfortunately underwhelming. It won't make my short list.
 
This is a review and detailed measurements of the WiiM Ultra network streamer, DAC, phono stage and preamplifier. It was sent to me by the company and costs US $329.
View attachment 395569
Physical attribute are modern and attractive enough. Alas, I can't say the same thing about the graphical interface. Icons seem dated to me. They are also superfluous to what is in the App other than "now playing" screen. On that front, I am yet again disappointed by lack of volume control display even though there is plenty of room there:
View attachment 395570
Why emphasize bit rate and sample size instead of volume control? Also lacking is any indicator that you have EQ active and if so, which profile.

On that topic, the volume controls feels like it is scratching against the case. I tried to pull it out but would not move so left it alone, leaving an unsatisfying feel.

I tried to turn Ethernet off and it warned me that I would be switching to WiFi? Why is this either or instead of both being on at the same time?

Finally, there is no off switch on the UI or the unit itself:
View attachment 395571

The good news shows up when you look at the back and see such comprehensive connectivity, blowing away any stand-alone DAC or simple streamer. We have analog input, phono stage, and even HDMI ARC in addition to USB host capability. Alas, reading those names is next to impossible in most lighting/angles. As you see, I had to tilt the unit up for them to show up on the picture. Otherwise they wash away to same color as the case. Labels should be legible when looking down from above which the back is facing the wall.

The sophisticated app is there which instantly recognized the unit and allowed me to configure it. There is great value added here including proper crossover for bass management, EQ, etc.

WiiM Ultra DAC Measurements
I set up the unit for streaming over Ethernet from my Roon player and was greeted with excellent performance out of line out:
View attachment 395573
The WiiM Ultra easily makes way for itself among our very competent DACs, obviating the need to use an external one:
View attachment 395574
View attachment 395575
Noise performance is in the same class:
View attachment 395576

Multitone performance is great:
View attachment 395577

As is 19+20 kHz:
View attachment 395578
Linearity is perfect:
View attachment 395579

IMD test shows noise could be a bit better but distortion is nicely low:
View attachment 395580

Jitter shows some interference as we saw with WiiM Pro Plus but nto harmful to sound:
View attachment 395581

Filter attenuation beyond 24 kHz is excellent:
View attachment 395582

Frequency response is nice which is a good thing as I didn't see any option of changing the filter:
View attachment 395583

48 kHz wideband distortion+noise is not very good:
View attachment 395584
Increasing the sample rate fixed that indicating that there is some kind of noise shaping going on:
View attachment 395585

WiiM Ultra Headphone Output Measurements
I started with power testing which turned out just OK performance:
View attachment 395586
View attachment 395587
Stepping through the various load impedances shows substantial output impedance (should be near zero):
View attachment 395588

Response is also variable. So not a serious headphone amplifier. :(

WiiM Ultra Phono Stage Measurements
Let's start with our dashboard:
View attachment 395589
Noise floor seems elevated which when added to mains noise, resulted in lackluster performance. Fortunately RIAA equalization is good:

View attachment 395590

WiiM Ultra Bluetooh Measurements
Someone suggested that I test the Bluetooth input using LDAC codec. I spent half hour trying to enable that and I could not. My Android phone would constantly show it in gray indicating the target device doesn't support it. A quick google found the FAQ for WiiM Ultra stating that it only supports SBC and AAC. :( Both turned in poor performance due to the nature of those codecs and their encoders in BT application:
View attachment 395591

I highly recommend company pursue supporting LDAC.

Conclusions
WiiM Ultra nails streaming performance with an excellent codec implementation. Rich functionality is another plus as is the App. The new display didn't do much for me and if anything, was a bit of a negative even though in general I am a fan of such things. Headphone output is not useful for serious listening. Phono stage may be OK if noise is not an issue. Finally, Bluetooth support is a let down with lack of LDAC support.

I think an overhaul of the GUI with a better platform and addition of LDAC would go a long way to justify the higher cost and display.

I am going to recommend the WiiM Ultra. There is such incredible amount of capability here that when combined with excellent codec and reasonable cost, it is hard to pass on it.

------------
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/
@amirm Nice review as always. I fear you included the wrong graph for the 19+20 kHz test?
 
@amirm Nice review as always. I fear you included the wrong graph for the 19+20 kHz test?
Oops. The test is right, the label was not. Corrected. Thanks.
 
Was any testing of the analog line in conducted? I'm wondering if the noise in the phono stage might rear it's ugly head in the line in if it's using the same ADC?
 
I'm wondering if the noise in the phono stage might rear it's ugly head in the line in if it's using the same ADC?
It is much better than Phono but has rising low frequency noise which could aggravate phono performance:

index.php
 
Thanks for testing this interesting device !
Very good performance for most common use.
Too bad for headphones performance and phono noise.
I also would like ADC perf to match 16 bits.
And the lack of LDAC is strange - and unfortunate, really.

But, hey, this is excellent for the price and functionalities !

By the way, the frequency response graph for ADC is not the right graph.
 
Somethings can be further improved, but the functionality and sound quality for the price are awesome!

However these are the types of products we need instead of a 2ch DAC. Addition of streaming, EQ etc is where things should go.
Cudos to Wiim for showing the way!
 
THD+N performance of the phono input might be much more important in MM mode than in MC mode for the majority of users in this price class. It would be great if you could repeat those measurements for MM.

The label of the RIAA curve measurement already indicates it's been done in MM mode. :)

I'd also like to see 96 kHz/24 bit measurements of the analog Line Level input. Other reviews indicate that it might actually perform better (noise wise) than 192 kHz/24 bit.
 
Thanks @amirm , I was looking forward to this review! As long as the display displays cover art and title/artist of the current song it would work for me. phono could be better though. But the volume control would really put me off from using it as a preamp.
 
if we stick to these measurements for audio, don't really notice the difference with the pro plus, if headphone output and phono input, and the little screen is really yours to read "to help out"...
,stay there interest, or not, ....for USB, HDMI, and the output and its processing of the sub
 
I'd also like to see 96 kHz/24 bit measurements of the analog Line Level input. Other reviews indicate that it might actually perform better (noise wise) than 192 kHz/24 bit.
I vaguely remember testing that and not noticing a difference.
 
Thank you, Amir !

Even if it means having a screen, as much as it indicates, as Amir notices, whether the parametric equalization is active and also whether the output volume is active as well.
Even if it means putting a phono input, it might as well be up to par with the other performances. But basically, I wonder what is the point of putting an MC input on a device of this price which will never be taken seriously by audiophiles who are LP fans who still use this type of cell, more expensive than this Wiim ultra...
I would prefer additional toslink and coaxial inputs and XLR outputs since it seems that this has become necessary due to the proliferation of monitoring speakers. But in this case an AES-EBU digital output would not be useless either.
And also the possibility of streaming multichannel music.
But hey, as a French advertisement said for a small car which did not socially distinguish its owner despite its popularity: "It has everything a big guy"... and even more than streamers worth ten times their price... and without a doubt an application that outperforms just about them all...
 
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