WiiM Ultra Streamer Preamp Review

[Ruediger]

Do you think the WiiM is in the same category as the A8 G2?

Depends on what you compare. Very different units.

Do you think you get 5x better sound quality out of it? I mean for real, no clock voodoo, fiber networking nonsense etc.

People buy it for other reasons I think. I can think of some good ones, like balanced or software.

 

[testp]

i stopped watching when he started to compare it with other dac's (with no blind testing) and explaining the differences as smoother/substantial/more body/texture etc..,

 

[Mort]

Wiim's shortfalls for many are Apple play, balanced/XLR and a handful of other things.
It's not perfect. But it's best in class by far, and a suitable unit for most at a modest price.

The networking is what gets me. I only want one streamer on my household and I literally have over 10 rooms because I run in-ceiling audio to 6 rooms with wiim amps. Works great, better than Sonos and I can use my own speakers. Best of passive design!

I do active with the ultra at desktops and some smaller rooms. There is something so clean about running active monitors straight off the streamer.

 

[Ruediger]

Airplay2 is an Ultra issue. Some licensing BS. You can add a Mini and Airplay2 with it.

i stopped watching when he started to compare it with other dac's (with no blind testing) and explaining the differences as smoother/substantial/more body/texture etc..,

I love these snakeoil shenanigans. Of course he knows that's no proper comparison and that such would yield nothing. But has to whip something up to justify getting it.

Staying with the facts isn't enough obviously. Also YT - a bit of polarization is expected. So we get entertained and further it by talking about it.

 

[Petrushka]

Wiim's shortfalls for many are Apple play, balanced/XLR and a handful of other things.
It's not perfect. But it's best in class by far, and a suitable unit for most at a modest price.

The networking is what gets me. I only want one streamer on my household and I literally have over 10 rooms because I run in-ceiling audio to 6 rooms with wiim amps. Works great, better than Sonos and I can use my own speakers. Best of passive design!

I do active with the ultra at desktops and some smaller rooms. There is something so clean about running active monitors straight off the streamer.

Sonos has one advantage, and that is dozens of built in, integrated streaming sources. It’s enough that I chose Sonos Ports as my streaming sources, and Wiim Amps as the DSP/Amp.

I can merge playlists from multiple sources and edit them.

I do not want to stream from a phone. I have seven rooms with Sonos gear, and two children with families that visit. They can operate the Sonos system, or they can Airplay to the Ports.

The price is comparable to a Wiim Ultra plus an amp. Four of the rooms have Sonos speakers, and three have non Sonos speakers.

 

[Mort]

Sonos has one advantage, and that is dozens of built in, integrated streaming sources. It’s enough that I chose Sonos Ports as my streaming sources, and Wiim Amps as the DSP/Amp.

I can merge playlists from multiple sources and edit them.

Doesn't wiim have built in integrated now? I think they do but I don't know how they measure.

I was a Sonos fan until the software debacle and I've not once missed it.

 

[Petrushka]

Doesn't wiim have built in integrated now? I think they do but I don't know how they measure.

I was a Sonos fan until the software debacle and I've not once missed it.

No one has anything like the streaming choices of Sonos, and the Ports have a line input with automatic switching that works, and digital output, if you prefer. If a streaming source offers uncompressed, the Ports handle it.

The Port/Wiim combo gives you the option of letting Sonos or Wiim handle room synch. The Wiim DSP has a slight delay, but I haven’t noticed it going from one room to another.

 

[shuppatsu]

I don't attribute to malice what could just as easily be incompetence. It could be either but why not be charitable? His judgments could easily be sincere, albeit misguided.

 

[SoySalsaPicante]

I don't attribute to malice what could just as easily be incompetence. It could be either but why not be charitable? His judgments could easily be sincere, albeit misguided.

As in what, “he heard what he heard?”

 

[shuppatsu]

As in what, “he heard what he heard?”

Sure, the mind plays subtle tricks.

 

[Mort]

No one has anything like the streaming choices of Sonos, and the Ports have a line input with automatic switching that works, and digital output, if you prefer. If a streaming source offers uncompressed, the Ports handle it.

The Port/Wiim combo gives you the option of letting Sonos or Wiim handle room synch. The Wiim DSP has a slight delay, but I haven’t noticed it going from one room to another.

I'm glad they still have fans. Competition is good.

 

[testp]

owning wiim ultra myself, there is a small chance to have it misconfigured with the output + processing, but today & age i would like to get more from a reviewer than just 'my balls weren't feeling it'

 

[somebodyelse]

I hate to see so many praises for the WiiM saying basically "you can't beat it for the money". I think it's hard to beat *period*. Regardless of the money. Seriously, is there any real compromise with the Ultra? To get the same features with Eversolo you'd need the new DMP-A8 gen2 at 5x the price.

It is hard to beat which is why I bought one, but there are many compromises. I would have preferred balanced ins and outs. It doesn't have more than one of any type of input, and no coax spdif input at all - I've had to get external adapters to connect my digital sources. The phono, ADC and headphone performance all have room for improvement. It doesn't have USB device mode so you can't just connect a computer via USB, which only makes the shortage of digital inputs worse. Some would like to see eARC not just ARC, and AirPlay support. I'd like to see it support USB audio inputs not just outputs, and that would just be a software chance. It would also open the way for them to sell an upgrade box with extra inputs and/or outputs to stack nicely with the Ultra and connect via USB. That way the controls could be integrated with the UI rather than having separate controls like the remote for my toslink switch.

 

[anonyless]

It is hard to beat which is why I bought one, but there are many compromises. I would have preferred balanced ins and outs. It doesn't have more than one of any type of input, and no coax spdif input at all - I've had to get external adapters to connect my digital sources. The phono, ADC and headphone performance all have room for improvement. It doesn't have USB device mode so you can't just connect a computer via USB, which only makes the shortage of digital inputs worse. Some would like to see eARC not just ARC, and AirPlay support. I'd like to see it support USB audio inputs not just outputs, and that would just be a software chance. It would also open the way for them to sell an upgrade box with extra inputs and/or outputs to stack nicely with the Ultra and connect via USB. That way the controls could be integrated with the UI rather than having separate controls like the remote for my toslink switch.

there's also the issue of its "not so good" electrical earth grounding - several owners reported ground loop noises when connecting RCA outputs to the Ultra, myself included, when connecting a sub and using an amp with external power supply.
point being, it is an excellent value for money streamer. it has its faults and shortcomings, just like anything else

 

[rjp]

Do you think the WiiM is in the same category as the A8 G2?

Interesting question. My current thinking is yes, but I'm not sure what the category is called. If the category is "Streamer + preamp with DSP Room correction and subwoofer management", then yes, same category, but the A8 G2 is at a much higher build quality, looks better, and has extended I/O options.

Do you think they are in different categories, or just different quality levels?

 

[john61ct]

No one has anything like the streaming choices of Sonos

Wiim Ultra has ALL the advantages, other than AirPlay which is stupid to spend $400 adding.

Port only makes sense if you already have legacy Sonos gear still around

 

[somebodyelse]

there's also the issue of its "not so good" electrical earth grounding - several owners reported ground loop noises when connecting RCA outputs to the Ultra, myself included, when connecting a sub and using an amp with external power supply.

That's an inherent risk when using unbalanced interconnects, hence the desire for balanced. I've not heard that it's any worse with the Ultra than anything else, and it's more of a system problem than one with any individual component.

point being, it is an excellent value for money streamer. it has its faults and shortcomings, just like anything else

Indeed. That's the point I opened with.

 

[mlsstl]

That's an inherent risk when using unbalanced interconnects...

You make it sound like someone is going to get electrocuted.

 

[gasolin75]

Do you think the WiiM is in the same category as the A8 G2?

Your funnny (not) asking if a under 400 euro unit is in the samme category as a A8 G2 thats cost 2000 euros or more, yes if your ask if both are the same type of units but sound, the eversolo should be the superiour unit, if it's the last, why would you compare a under 400 euro unit to one that cost atleast 2000 euros

 

[john61ct]

Exactly because pricing may often not correlate with SQ

Feature set maybe, but not core functionality in this case as a "streamer input + preamp"