Spinorama data is fun to look at but you absolutely have to hear a speaker to decide which you prefer. Picking one based on graphs alone usually leads to a false sense of which is best. Many find these graphs don't tell the whole story compared to actually A/B'ing the speakers. It's just as likely the listener will pick a different speaker in a listening test in their particular room.
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WiiM Ultra
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Spinorama data is fun to look at but you absolutely have to hear a speaker to decide which you prefer. Picking one based on graphs alone usually leads to a false sense of which is best. Many find these graphs don't tell the whole story compared to actually A/B'ing the speakers. It's just as likely the listener will pick a different speaker in a listening test in their particular room.
Any difference you are hearing isn't coming from the deice, but from uncontrolled listening.
If you are using analogue outputs from the Wiim, it could be due to not accurately matching the output levels - typically (though not always) a slightly higher level will sound better.
If you are using digital out from both devices, then there is no audible difference possible - in this case the difference you hear can only be due to your (very human) auditory system's perceptive bias. If you were to compare blind (so you don't know which is playing) then you would not be able to hear a difference.
(EDIT - all assuming you have not applied any DSP (eg filters) in either of the devices)
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JSmith
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somebodyelse
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Unless one of them is altering the signal either deliberately or unintentionally. Deliberately is usually a forgotten setting - volume change due to ReplayGain or volume control, EQ, ASRC etc. Or the digital connection introduces a ground related noise issue (coax, source not using a pulse transformer).
Chris Bolkan
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Totally understand and get it. Still, it's a lot of fun to look at and I am very happy to have been introduced to the site.
I bought a WiiM Pro Plus after good reviews. It just did not sound good. I played with the EQ features and that did not correct the problem, so I returned it. Maybe is was defective?
Sure but I'm still noticing enough of a difference. Are all USB circuits exactly the same in every streamer?
Pearljam5000
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Damn
I was hoping that the Wiim would sound as good as the Wadax
I was hoping that the Wiim would sound as good as the Wadax
Unlikely. I can't think of any fault mechanism that would result in it "not sounding good"
More likely just to be due to unmatched levels to what you were comparing, or just good old perceptive bias.
It doesnt matter. If they transfer the data - and it reaches the destination without being changed - then it must sound identical.
If it is changed (data errors) then you won't get subtle changes to sound quality - you'll get pops, clicks, dropouts.
somebodyelse
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There's an unwritten assumption here that the DAC is well engineered, and that there isn't a ground noise issue in the system with either streamer. We've seen poorly engineered DACs sensitive to noise on the USB power line (which will probably vary between streamers) and USB packet noise (which won't.) Ground noise issues (loops, leakage current) do exist, especially with single ended interconnects, and are a system issue that can change with any change in the system, like changing streamer.
I have a Winn Ultra, CXN Cambridge, Evo 150 Cambridge, Eversolo Play, LSX II Wireless, and I can say they all sound absolutely the same, no fog. What changes is the environment, which impacts listening, and the speakers and their placement. That's why testing has to be done in the same environment under the same listening conditions.
Oh, I have the old MA6800 McItonsh listening side by side with the Evo 150, through the same speakers. I honestly couldn't hear any differences.
Oh, I have the old MA6800 McItonsh listening side by side with the Evo 150, through the same speakers. I honestly couldn't hear any differences.
I’ll do more testing bef
Yes they do. But then they present as noise - hum, hiiss, crackles. Not as the sort of sound differences described above. "It just doesn't sound as good" or "it has a haze over it"
Pearljam5000
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So it does or it doesn't?
I mean if the sound they same why spend $175K on the Wadax
Ralph_Cramden
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Hard to imagine anyone would be so foolish as to do so.
Luckily you’ll only need a few of those with these kinds of margins..
somebodyelse
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Conspicuous consumption. Remember the 'You Are Rich' app in the early days of the iPhone? It did nothing but show a picture of a ruby or something, for some ridiculous price. People bought it.
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