WiiM Ultra Streamer Preamp Review

[anonyless]

Thanks, anonyless.
Regarding SUB drive, clear.

Disappointing. Is it not possible to configure using the screen and volume control?

no. everything from the WiiM Home app

 

[Yersinia Bestmate]

Disappointing. Is it not possible to configure using the screen and volume control?

Dont know about that, but would it really be impossible to buy a cheap smartphone/tablet and use it as the controller for the Ultra? You wouldn't need to have even a sim card, just wifi in your home.

I mean the app is really good, best in functionality what I've come across so far.

 

[inomics]

Dont know about that, but would it really be impossible to buy a cheap smartphone/tablet and use it as the controller for the Ultra? You wouldn't need to have even a sim card, just wifi in your home.

I mean the app is really good, best in functionality what I've come across so far.

I generally observe there is a broad agreement in the ASR community that WiiM gear is pretty good, certainly in the price category. The good feedback pops up again and again in different threads from different members. That's my personal impression, and this is not often the case.

This triggered my interest if the WiiM Ultra Streamer could be used with physical buttons on the frame or remote (which is missing). I will think about the option you mention.

Just for information, currently I am testing the Pro-Ject Audio - Tuner Box S3. Similar size and price. Impressed by quality (in combination with Denon PMA-A110 Amp and Elac FS607 X-Jet speakers). Considering to order WiiM Ultra Streamer and listen to them side by side.

The streamer is for my second chain though.

 

[CMB]

Hello,
I am considering the Wiim Ultra as a streamer, digital into Minidsp flex 8 (which has no analog input).
I understand that this shouldn’t be a problem.

Now I also have a turntable with MC. So the idea were to use the Ultra phono entrance into the digital entrance of the Minidsp flex 8. I understand that this works too?

It seems that the Wiim Ultras phono pre-amp is rather medium for MM, and worse on MC. So I thought to buy also an external phono preamp, Fosi x5.
The idea is turntable analog in to the Fosi, analog further into the Wiim Ultra, and from there digitally into the Minidsp flex 8. Would this work? Or will this end in a sonical fiasco?

Thanks for your recommandations

 

[JeremyFife]

Hello,
I am considering the Wiim Ultra as a streamer, digital into Minidsp flex 8 (which has no analog input).
I understand that this shouldn’t be a problem.

Now I also have a turntable with MC. So the idea were to use the Ultra phono entrance into the digital entrance of the Minidsp flex 8. I understand that this works too?

It seems that the Wiim Ultras phono pre-amp is rather medium for MM, and worse on MC. So I thought to buy also an external phono preamp, Fosi x5.
The idea is turntable analog in to the Fosi, analog further into the Wiim Ultra, and from there digitally into the Minidsp flex 8. Would this work? Or will this end in a sonical fiasco?

Thanks for your recommandations

That will work just fine.
It would be worth trying the WiiM Ultra phono stage first though as 'measurably medium' may still sound fine, and any little RIAA etc issues can be EQ'd out

 

[CMB]

That will work just fine.
It would be worth trying the WiiM Ultra phono stage first though as 'measurably medium' may still sound fine, and any little RIAA etc issues can be EQ'd out

I will do so! Thanks for your kind feedback.

 

[Jole]

I am satisfied with ultra, I am waiting amp switcher to join to vibelink although my primare is more than enough but I was curious about d- amplification although I didn't need it at all. Wiim make good things that is for sure.

 

[Rotiv]

I would appreciate it if someone could tell if using an external DAC via USB allows the use of room correction or the parametric equalizer of the WIIM?

 

[SoySalsaPicante]

I would appreciate it if someone could tell if using an external DAC via USB allows the use of room correction or the parametric equalizer of the WIIM?

Those DSP functions are performed separately from the DAC, so they are not lost when using an external DAC. The DSP is applied prior to delivering the digital signal to external DACs.

 

[HedgeHog]

Just got one and hooked it up. Wondering if Roon Ready sounds different than when accessing files from SMB. Sounds thin and yucky. Oppo via XLR on same system sounds way better. Roon on PC through desktop speakers (different system) also sound way better.

Must be doing something incorrectly.

 

[Petrushka]

Just got one and hooked it up. Wondering if Roon Ready sounds different than when accessing files from SMB. Sounds thin and yucky. Oppo via XLR on same system sounds way better. Roon on PC through desktop speakers (different system) also sound way better.

Must be doing something incorrectly.

Does Roon transcode?

 

[HedgeHog]

not by default. I think it does for DSD to DoP for my DAC on the PC. Not sure how Roon Ready transport. I've not tried Roon Ready on anything else.

 

[Bwaslo]

Just got one and hooked it up. Wondering if Roon Ready sounds different than when accessing files from SMB. Sounds thin and yucky. Oppo via XLR on same system sounds way better. Roon on PC through desktop speakers (different system) also sound way better.

Must be doing something incorrectly.

Is there any EQ being applied by the Wiim? Make sure EQ is off and that subwoofer out is disabled if its not driving anything.

 

[somebodyelse]

Wondering if Roon Ready sounds different than when accessing files from SMB.

It shouldn't - they're both capable of transferring unmodified audio streams, and we haven't seen any indication of bugs that would change this. That's assuming there isn't a difference in EQ or other processing. Both Roon and Wiim have a lot of EQ options which Roon can apply differently to different endpoints, and Wiim can apply differently to different inputs.

Oppo via XLR on same system sounds way better. Roon on PC through desktop speakers (different system) also sound way better.

It sounds like you're not testing with the necessary controls (blind, level matched etc.) to avoid known confounding factors - so the difference could just be in your head. That's not a personal criticism - it just means you're human like the rest of us. Without controlled listening, or measurements, we won't know whether there's a real difference to investigate.

 

[Pritaudio]

What’s the best workaround for Apple Music lossless.
Also, which device is cheapest to add airplay lossless to the toslink input of the wiim ultra.

I also want to know whether settings are lost if the Wiim ultra shuts down all of a sudden due to power failure.
Is it worthwhile connecting my Wiim ultra to an ups power supply.
I don’t think there will be sonic benefits to the automatic voltage regulator, as the Wiim circuitary should in theory provide stability.

 

[SoySalsaPicante]

What’s the best workaround for Apple Music lossless.
Also, which device is cheapest to add airplay lossless to the toslink input of the wiim ultra.

I also want to know whether settings are lost if the Wiim ultra shuts down all of a sudden due to power failure.
Is it worthwhile connecting my Wiim ultra to an ups power supply.
I don’t think there will be sonic benefits to the automatic voltage regulator, as the Wiim circuitary should in theory provide stability.

The best workaround for lossless Apple Music is a Cubilux USB-C to optical adapter attached to an iPad, outputting to WiiM Ultra’s optical input.

FiiO SR11 also does lossless AirPlay (1, not 2), albeit not high-res, and has optical output.

Settings are not lost when power is lost.

 

[Audionaut]

This triggered my interest if the WiiM Ultra Streamer could be used with physical buttons on the frame or remote (which is missing). I will think about the option you mention.

Yes, this is generally possible as long as you can see the Home button (a small house) on the screen.
However, if you select the spectrum analyzer as the playback screen, for example, you will no longer see the Home button and can only return using the app. At least, that's what I believe, as I didn't spend hours trying to figure out if there was some way to do it.

 

[anonyless]

Yes, this is generally possible as long as you can see the Home button (a small house) on the screen.
However, if you select the spectrum analyzer as the playback screen, for example, you will no longer see the Home button and can only return using the app. At least, that's what I believe, as I didn't spend hours trying to figure out if there was some way to do it.

you can simply swipe right on the screen and get the now playing page with the home button. no need to use the app

 

[Pritaudio]

The best workaround for lossless Apple Music is a Cubilux USB-C to optical adapter attached to an iPad, outputting to WiiM Ultra’s optical input.

FiiO SR11 also does lossless AirPlay (1, not 2), albeit not high-res, and has optical output.

Settings are not lost when power is lost.

How about Apple TV or AirPort Express.
Does it do cd quality over airplay?

 

[SoySalsaPicante]

How about Apple TV or AirPort Express.
Does it do cd quality over airplay?

I don’t know enough about AirPort Express other than that it is so old that I don’t know if software support is still there for it. Apple TV 4K is how I typically listen to Apple Music via ARC output to the TV and then from there TV to the M1, and this resamples everything to 48KHz. It’s not truly bit-perfect, but for me personally I don’t mind since I installed DIRAC Live on my M1, everything that passes through it is processed in 48KHz anyway.