WiiM Ultra with Fosi : 2x mono or 1 stereo ?

[RaymondFromThePyrénéés]

The amp in the WiiM Ultra amp is about as "good" as the others mentioned. The power is different though.
Do you need the 2x250w of the 3e a7?

250 watts, probably not

 

[RaymondFromThePyrénéés]

I understood that the WiiM ultra without an Amp
gives much more flexibility
than the WiiM Ultra Amp

but will I need this flexibility, I do not know

 

[Ruediger]

I would get the amp if I actually would want to use the amp. The price difference leaves room for other choices.

The way via usb and dac should give you the same result. But I would not prefer that setup.

 

[RaymondFromThePyrénéés]

Thank you Ruediger. That is what I feel as well, why I was going to buy the WiiM without the amp and ad afterwards but some people here thinks its better to buy with amp even if I use other amps in the futur

 

[Ruediger]

Thank you Ruediger. That is what I feel as well, why I was going to buy the WiiM without the amp and ad afterwards but some people here thinks its better to buy with amp even if I use other amps in the futur

If you can think of a different location where one box with amp would be much appreciated later? F.e. I would love one for my office to ditch the external amp with external psu there.

But for a regular music setup I would chose flexibility.

For many people the integrated amp is also what they want. You want external tubes. I want external amps in general.

Resale popularity could be an argument. But personally I see the streamer at an advantage there.

 

[RaymondFromThePyrénéés]

yes, Ruediger, that is what I feel as well, I am going to order a WiiM Ultra without an amp and a Topping PA7 or a 3e A7

 

[pieterv1]

thank you.

If the below will not detoriate the signal,
I will buy the WiiM with an Amp :

WiiM Amp Ultra ->
USB câble ->
SMSL SU-1 ->
RCA cable towards the ->
single ended triode tube Amp

It makes little sense to add a cheap DAC like the SU-1. Even the SU-6 would not be a considerable upgrade (if any).

The WiiM Ultra has a very competent DAC already. I use mine connected directly to a power amplifier. I recently upgraded from my trusty old Rotel RB-6 to a self-built Hypex NCx252MP based class D amp. The one external DAC I might consider adding in the future, is the Topping DX5 II - mainly to add balanced connection to my power amp and to have a decent headphone amp.

Btw it's best to look out for DAC's and amplifiers with support for 12v trigger so you can fully automate your system. Highly underrated feature

 

[RaymondFromThePyrénéés]

yes, I think so as well Pieterv. Is this your first diy Hypex NCx252MP based class D amp ? Where did your learn how to do this ?

 

[pieterv1]

yes, I think so as well Pieterv. Is this your first diy Hypex NCx252MP based class D amp ? Where did your learn how to do this ?

Yes it's the first one I built and feel like it should serve me well for a while

I have been repairing audio gear, studio equipment and keyboards for some time now. The enclosure & wiring I bought pre-made by Ghent Audio so the build was pretty straightforward. The only issue is that Hypex doesn't sell the boards directly to customers. Here I got lucky - a colleague of mine already had an account with Hypex after building a series of high-end studio monitors using their amps in the past. He could order a single board for me.

Topping PA7

I think it has been discontinued already? But I think the Topping Mini 300 is based on PA5 and PA7 and sounds amazing for the price & the little size!

 

[rolfrander]

WiiM Amp Ultra -> USB -> SMSL SU-1 (or similar) -> RCA -> single ended triode tube Amp.

But this would be a terrible waste with an unused dac and amp in the Wiim. For this setup, the mini would be a better choice.

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www.wiimhome.com

 

[staticV3]

But what about the signal ? Would not this degrade the sound ?

No signal degradation, but very expensive compared to the WiiM Ultra with direct Line out.

 

[RaymondFromThePyrénéés]

Yes it's the first one I built and feel like it should serve me well for a while

I have been repairing audio gear, studio equipment and keyboards for some time now. The enclosure & wiring I bought pre-made by Ghent Audio so the build was pretty straightforward. The only issue is that Hypex doesn't sell the boards directly to customers. Here I got lucky - a colleague of mine already had an account with Hypex after building a series of high-end studio monitors using their amps in the past. He could order a single board for me.


I think it has been discontinued already? But I think the Topping Mini 300 is based on PA5 and PA7 and sounds amazing for the price & the little size!

oboy, I have no experience in building or repairing, I leave it to the experts

 

[CptKaos]

I am hesitating. Should I buy 2 Fosi mono amps or one Fosi stereo
to work with my WiiM Ultra ?

And also, if I buy the WiiM Ultra with AMP (to be used out of home)
would this lead to any inconveniences on the sound or usage
when I use the WiiM Ultra (with an AMP) while using it with Fosi or Tube amps ?

In other words, will an internal amp with WiiM interfer for sound or usage
with the use of external amps ?

Thank you. Raymond

WiiM Pro with V3 Monos, ZP3 preamp and ZD3 DAC makes for a nice compact stack

 

[Matias]

The IOM Ultra is based on Hypex NCx252MP is designed to match the WiiM Ultra.