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WiiM Ultra Streamer Preamp Review

Rate this streamer/DAC/Preamp:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 5 1.2%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 43 10.3%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 161 38.6%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 208 49.9%

  • Total voters
    417
Why pick 96hz over 192?
What advantage does 192 have over 96? all things being equal lower is better since there’s a corresponding lower incidence of dropouts. Of course the bandwidth is child’s play for modern buses but weird stuff happens occasionally.
Why not? 192 brings nothing audible to the table that isn't already in 96. Or 48 come to that.
i wrote this nearly word-for-word (including the mention of 48) before realizing I was on page 48 of 60!
 
My current setup is: pc>modi 2u (connected via usb)>magni 2u (used as pre-amp for volume control)>aleph mini>he6sev2 (connected via speaker taps).
I would like to drop the pc from the stack and start using a streamer and Ultra seems like a good option.
But I was also wondering if I can simplify it by dropping both schiits.
Is DAC in Ultra better than Modi2u? Will digital volume control be enough or will I still need Magni?
 
Welcome, this thread answers all your questions.

About the dac, the first page of this thread shows performances and data about the inner DAC of the Ultra.
Briefly, it is a good transparent DAC hence the utility of another DAC is questionable.

About digital volume control, it has a 32-bit management used to guarantee that any 24-bit content could be managed as well, also in its quietest parts.
 
Thank you for responding.
I've checked the first page and I've checked the Modi 2u thread as well. It seemed like this one was better, but just wanted to be sure.
I will probably buy Ultra and then check if I can hear any differences (don't expect to). I am a bit worried about blowing up my headphones, so volume control is the crucial part of the chain.
 
Understandable, and of course I agree with your worries, with particular regard about headphones... :)
 
... the dia of an actual Wiim ground plug could be confirmed by someone on here with a vernier gauge or micrometer.

Apparently Wiim do not sell nor have spare plugs available.

The phono ground adapter that is supplied with the Ultra is 5/32" or 4 mm. Basically a banana plug, which I tried, with a few different brands of plug and they all fit nicely.

20250115_095119.jpg
 
The phono ground adapter that is supplied with the Ultra is 5/32" or 4 mm. Basically a banana plug, which I tried, with a few different brands of plug and they all fit nicely.

Cheers, I tried the nakamichi 4mm banana plug but the flare type was too large for the Wiim ground hole (perhaps the nakamichi plugs are slightly oversized?) - there was no way it was going in see pic #1, so I bodged it an hour ago by removing one flare as shown below pic #2 and sent mum over with it for my mate to try and it now fits perfectly, its snug but can be inserted and removed without issues so mum is heading back over with the Wii phono lead and I'll connect it up using the nakamichi grub screws and send mum back over with it :)

EDIT - just heard from a post on another forum that a few folk have measured the plug at between 3.7mm to 3.8mm when compressed

54264867810_f8f3971a62_z.jpg


54267142922_9d8334aeb3_z.jpg


It'd make my life (and everyone else's I imagine) so f-kin easier if I didn't have spms and could move around/do stuff myself. ;) , I can still do a decent bodge job though:D
 
Cheers, I tried the nakamichi 4mm banana plug but the flare type was too large for the Wiim ground hole (perhaps the nakamichi plugs are slightly oversized?) - there was no way it was going in see pic #1, so I bodged it an hour ago by removing one flare as shown below pic #2 and sent mum over with it for my mate to try and it now fits perfectly, its snug but can be inserted and removed without issues so mum is heading back over with the Wii phono lead and I'll connect it up using the nakamichi grub screws and send mum back over with it :)

EDIT - just heard from a post on another forum that a few folk have measured the plug at between 3.7mm to 3.8mm when compressed

54264867810_f8f3971a62_z.jpg


54267142922_9d8334aeb3_z.jpg


It'd make my life (and everyone else's I imagine) so f-kin easier if I didn't have spms and could move around/do stuff myself. ;) , I can still do a decent bodge job though:D
I'm guessing that flared type just needs high insertion force. Which might not be worth applying given. you cant see the robustness of the internal socket.
 
I'm guessing that flared type just needs high insertion force. Which might not be worth applying given. you cant see the robustness of the internal socket.

Yeah, quite possibly, i should have bought a cheap banana plug with a single split up the shaft rather than go all fancy pants nakamichi with the flares - I’m sure they’d be helluva secure in speaker binding posts but waaaay overkill for the back of a Wiim

All now sorted and fitted/functioning perfectly well when plugged in

:p

54268536516_8a0906125b_c.jpg
 
My current setup is: pc>modi 2u (connected via usb)>magni 2u (used as pre-amp for volume control)>aleph mini>he6sev2 (connected via speaker taps).
I would like to drop the pc from the stack and start using a streamer and Ultra seems like a good option.
But I was also wondering if I can simplify it by dropping both schiits.
Is DAC in Ultra better than Modi2u? Will digital volume control be enough or will I still need Magni?

I find the WiiM Ultra's DAC to be excellent! Which also is the case with its preamp volume function. I run it into a DIY Hypex UCD amplifier, and also have a TT running into the WiiM's phono preamp. I find the ADC to be fully competent. I have a headphone amp so have yet to try its HP out, but doubt it will match my iFi Micro iDSD Black Label's power, but you never know.

Less is more. From a forum objective, measurable performance standpoint, you don't need another DAC. If you have some subjective genes in your body, I would say you will need to run the WiiM into a very good DAC (I will let you determine that) for any improvement, or if you need balanced out.
 
I find the WiiM Ultra's DAC to be excellent! Which also is the case with its preamp volume function. I run it into a DIY Hypex UCD amplifier, and also have a TT running into the WiiM's phono preamp. I find the ADC to be fully competent. I have a headphone amp so have yet to try its HP out, but doubt it will match my iFi Micro iDSD Black Label's power, but you never know.

Less is more. From a forum objective, measurable performance standpoint, you don't need another DAC. If you have some subjective genes in your body, I would say you will need to run the WiiM into a very good DAC (I will let you determine that) for any improvement, or if you need balanced out.
While the integrated DAC and analog output stage of the WiiM Ultra are solid, the room correction functionality is a bit lacking. The algorithm has a bad habit of trying to fill room nulls with (sometimes quite big) boosts, and only applies PEQ adjustments, without any time/phase corrections. I had such an amazing experience with DSPeaker’s Anti-Mode 8033 Cinema room correction unit for my subwoofer that I ended up upgrading to a full-on Anti-Mode X2D. I went with the X2D over the X2 because I wanted to avoid the lesser performing analog output stage of the X2, so I got the X2D and connect that digitally to a much better performing external DAC with balanced output to my (Hypex core-based) power amp. The room correction provided by the Anti-Mode X2D is WAY better than what the WiiM can do, even when compared to a WiiM using a good external mic (I was using a UMIK-1 for WiiM correction before getting the Anti-Modes).

-Ed
 
I have not played around much with the WiiM room correction, and for $329 I think one needs to keep expectations in line. The EQ by itself seems pretty good.

If room correction is your need, I would go with a MiniDSP flex with Dirac, or look at the new BlueSound Node with Dirac.
 
I have not played around much with the WiiM room correction, and for $329 I think one needs to keep expectations in line. The EQ by itself seems pretty good.

If room correction is your need, I would go with a MiniDSP flex with Dirac, or look at the new BlueSound Node with Dirac.
Don’t like the software interface on BluOS.

DIRAC is too much work. Much prefer the press-one-button-and-done-ness of the DSPeaker Anti-Modes.

-Ed
 
Am I misunderstanding how DIRAC works? Aren’t there various parameters that need to be set? Or am I confusing the insane complexity of REW for DIRAC?

-Ed
 
Don’t like the software interface on BluOS.

DIRAC is too much work. Much prefer the press-one-button-and-done-ness of the DSPeaker Anti-Modes.

-Ed

Does DSPeaker have multiple measurements? If so, it's just the same as Dirac in terrms of complexity. If it's just one measurement position, then obviously it's easier.

I use 11 measurements on Dirac, that take around 20 minutes to do. Then your press your "one button" and Dirac works out the magnitude correction, delays, gains and phase. You can then get a coffee and change where the "curtains" go on Dirac, and target curve - either through Dirac, or yourself manually by changing the measurement points. I do it myself else Dirac corrects up to 10db boosts. It can be done on a pc - or on an app if you have an avr.
 
Does DSPeaker have multiple measurements? If so, it's just the same as Dirac in terrms of complexity. If it's just one measurement position, then obviously it's easier.

I use 11 measurements on Dirac, that take around 20 minutes to do. Then your press your "one button" and Dirac works out the magnitude correction, delays, gains and phase. You can then get a coffee and change where the "curtains" go on Dirac, and target curve - either through Dirac, or yourself manually by changing the measurement points. I do it myself else Dirac corrects up to 10db boosts. It can be done on a pc - or on an app if you have an avr.
The Anti-Mode requires measurement from only one sweet spot and that’s it. It runs multiple sweeps on that one spot for different frequency ranges, channels, etc. automatically after one button press.

Optionally, you may perform additional measurements from other spots if you want the correction adjusted to get better sound in additional spots in the room, but for example I only perform measurement in my one sweet spot and that’s it.

-Ed
 
I’ve been searching at some length, but haven’t found any headroom measurements for the phono stage in the Wiim Ultra. I’ve been listening to it for a while and it seems quite nice. It would be interesting to know.

Steven
 
I’ve been listening to it for a while and it seems quite nice.
The headphone output is also perfectly fine if you use headphones with a low ohm rating.
The Sundara closed back, for example, with its 20 ohms can be operated well and the PEQ helps with the individual optimum setting.
 
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