WiiM Ultra Streamer Preamp Review

[Somafunk]

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

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

 

[antcollinet]

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

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

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.

 

[Somafunk]

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

 

[dtaylo1066]

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.

 

[EddNog]

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

 

[dtaylo1066]

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.

 

[EddNog]

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

 

[pogo]

DIRAC is too much work.

???

 

[EddNog]

???

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

 

[pogo]

The autotarget curve function produces good results very quickly. Three measuring points are sufficient for a single seat position.

 

[holbob]

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.

 

[EddNog]

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

 

[StevenSGT98]

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

 

[Audionaut]

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.

 

[Angarato]

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.

I think Steven was talking about the phono input, not about headphones.

EDIT: For me personally, the Wiim Ultra would fit my needs much better if would also allow my laptop to connect to it through USB. Maybe for a future update to the product…

 

[pieterv1]

I think Steven was talking about the phono input, not about headphones.

EDIT: For me personally, the Wiim Ultra would fit my needs much better if would also allow my laptop to connect to it through USB. Maybe for a future update to the product…

Yuppp hope to see this coming to future products...

Anyways, It's been 3 months since I got the Ultra and it's been a brilliant device so far. It's used as a full-on preamp, sounding great, directly connected to a Rotel RB-06 power amplifier (also using its 12v trigger input). I don't want to exaggerate, but it has has really changed the way we enjoy music at home. I know this forum is probably a sound quality-first environment, but the ease of use played a big role in this as well

HDMI CEC works great. Phono input sounds totally fine compared to my previous preamp's analog input (Rotel RC-06). I was a bit worried at first about connecting a streaming device directly to my power amp - afraid of it running into a bug and jumping to max volume. On-board volume control works like a charm though and the level is always maintained, no matter which type of streaming service or audio source I switch from/to. I'm very impressed!

 

[Petrushka]

Yuppp hope to see this coming to future products...

Anyways, It's been 3 months since I got the Ultra and it's been a brilliant device so far. It's used as a full-on preamp, directly connected to a Rotel RB-06 power amplifier (also using its 12v trigger input). I don't want to exaggerate, but it has has really changed the way we enjoy music at home. I know this forum is probably a sound quality-first environment, but the ease of use played a big role in this as well

HDMI CEC works great. Phono input sounds totally fine compared to my previous preamp's analog input (Rotel RC-06). I was a bit worried at first about connecting a streaming device directly to my power amp - afraid of it running into a bug and jumping to max volume. On-board volume control works like a charm though and the level is always maintained, no matter which type of streaming service or audio source I switch from/to. I'm very impressed!

I have no doubt that Wiim will change the way audio products are designed. They’ve created a whole new category.

 

[Audionaut]

I think Steven was talking about the phono input, not about headphones.

That may be misleading because English is not my mother tongue.
I wanted to make it clear that the headphone amplifier of the WiiM Ultra is also quite usable (at low impedance) .
Neither the phono pre nor the headphone amplifier came off particularly well in Amir's test.

 

[antcollinet]

I know this forum is probably a sound quality-first environment

Only really when it comes to speakers.

As far as electronics is concerned we're more an "almost everything you can buy has better sound than you need" environment.

With (of course) a few outlier exceptions.

"better than you need" definitely applies to the Ultra, and to your Rotel if used within power limits.

 

[mlsstl]

... I don't want to exaggerate, but it has has really changed the way we enjoy music at home. I know this forum is probably a sound quality-first environment, but the ease of use played a big role in this as well

I agree. While sound quality is important to me, the WiiM not only sounds great but is one of the easiest devices ever to setup and use. My stereo had previously been frustrating for my wife to use but now it is a breeze with the voice remote and Amazon Music for her. And, I find I am using the system more often for short periods, where in the past I would have skipped listening because of the multiple components that needed to be switched on and then off. The old streamer, separate DAC, separate preamp and separate power amp are now gone, replaced by a WiiM Ultra and a power amp controlled by the 12V trigger. Click the remote or open the phone app, and... music! And it all still sounds great.