WiiM Ultra

[Dr. Noooooo]

So how this would compare to Pro Plus in terms of DAC performance, any difference?

 

[gwing]

So how this would compare to Pro Plus in terms of DAC performance, any difference?

They are different DACs but both should be good enough to be audibly transparent. The (very good) chip in the ultra is the same as my external DAC and I can't distinguish between using that and using the pro+ DAC directly - I use the separate DAC mainly for its balanced connections.

 

[Esprit]

Are all the specifications available in order to correctly understand how the digital inputs and outputs (USB, Ethernet, etc...) work and operate?

 

[gwing]

Are all the specifications available in order to correctly understand how the digital inputs and outputs (USB, Ethernet, etc...) work and operate?

That would depend on how much intelligent guesswork your standard of correctness allows.

 

[Esprit]

Ok, no specs available yet.
Thank you

 

[Jasperous]

All I want to know is if either the Ultra or Amp Pro have an actual subwoofer out.

 

[staticV3]

All I want to know is if either the Ultra or Amp Pro have an actual subwoofer out.

The Amp, Amp Pro, and Ultra all have a Line level RCA Subwoofer output.

 

[Jasperous]

The Amp, Amp Pro, and Ultra all have a Line level RCA Subwoofer output.

Was I wrong in reading that it isn't a true DSP'ed low-pass filter? Apologies for the incorrect terminology

 

[Sonny1]

More info. $329 as stated earlier. Looks pretty cool.

WiiM's Ultra Delivers Hi-Res Streaming and More For Under $330: HIGH END Munich 2024

At $329, WiiM Ultra is the company's top-of-the-line digital music streamer which adds a touchscreen, HDMI ARC and a subwoofer out.

www.ecoustics.com

 

[staticV3]

Was I wrong in reading that it isn't a true DSP'ed low-pass filter? Apologies for the incorrect terminology

Source: https://forum.wiimhome.com/threads/meet-wiim-ultra-the-digital-hub-for-your-music.3487/

And yes, by "crossover frequency" WiiM mean LPF+HPF:

 

[Dreamslayer]

Looking forward to reviews. I'd love to replace my huge Parasound Halo with an Ultra an a smaller 2ch amplifier that could go on my desk.

One concern for me is that I like to use the Wiim Pro as an audio input on my PC (so I can hear Wiim and PC audio mixed) - an unusual config that is only possible because the Wiim Pro is a discrete device at the front of the signal chain. Be a bummer to lose that.

Wiim Pro --(optical)--> [Optical to USB input]--->[PC]---(coax)-->DAC/AMP

 

[Brantome]

Ok, no specs available yet.
Thank you

Unveiling WiiM Ultra: The Digital Hub for Your Music

WiiM presents the WiiM Ultra – the digital hub for your music that sets a new standard for audio streamers

www.blog.wiimhome.com

Highlights

• Premium 32-bit/384kHz ES9038 Q2M SABRE DAC, and high fidelity headphone amplifier TPA6120A2
• Latest Wi-Fi 6E and BT 5.3 with two antennas offering rock-solid Bluetooth or Wi-Fi audio streaming
• Elegant aluminum case with 3.5” vibrant touchscreen display covered with glass
• Built-in room correction takes precise acoustic measurements of your room, creating customized corrections for your speaker and subwoofer.
• Stream Hi-Res music with the bit-perfect digital output or high-fidelity analog audio (SNR>120dB, THD+N<0.00018%)
• Versatile streaming options including Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast Audio (CastLite), Alexa built-in, DLNA, Roon, and Squeezelite.
• Gapless playback of Hi-Res music up to 24-bit/192 kHz using USB, SPDIF, Coax, Line, and Headphone output.

Tech Specs

• Audio input
  • Bring your TV audio, recorder player, CD player, or another audio source into the digital world via either analog (RCA, Phono) or digital (Optical, HDMI ARC) port, up to 24-bit/192 kHz
• Audio output
  • Through either analog (RCA, Headphone) or digital (Coax, Optical, USB) for connecting an amplifier or speaker
  • Wireless to another BT, AirPlay or DLNA receiver
  • Up to 192 kHz/ 24-bit, varying sample rate, and bit depth based on the audio source without resampling via Line out, Headphone, USB Coax, and Optical SPDIF
  • Line out
    • Maximum output: 2.1V RMS
    • SNR: 121 dB (A-wt)
    • THD+N (1 kHz): 0.00018% (-115 dB) for 44.1k to 192k
    • FR curve: +/- 0.05 dB
• EQ
  • Tailor your audio experience with versatile and independent EQ settings for each input source – HDMI, Optical, Line, Phono, BT, or Network.
  • Access a robust suite of sound customization options, including 24 preset EQ settings, a 10-band graphic EQ, and an 10-band parametric EQ for precise sound adjustments.
• Subwoofer output
  • Comprehensive bass management.
  • Adjustable crossover frequency, level, phase, and latency.
• 12 V Trigger
  • Automatically turns on your stereo receiver or amplifir
• Connectivity and power
  • 100-240V AC input.
  • Wi-Fi 6E, 802.11 b/g/n/ax 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz triple bands.
  • Bluetooth 5.3 with BLE and BT LE Audio, supports both A2DP receiver and transmitter, AVRCP, HID, works with the WiiM voice remote.
  • Ethernet, 10M/100 Mbps.
• USB Host for Storage – Access personal media library and use it as a media server for other WiiM and DLNA devices
• Glass-covered 3.5” vibrant touchscreen display:
  • Displays App widgets, large album pictures, playback control, playing queue, presets, EQ, audio input and output, and device settings
  • Guides users through the Out-of-Box Experience and firmware updates
  • Provides feedback when there’s a change in the play mode
  • Allows users to customize the wallpaper and display the time and date during standby mode
• Physical
  • Dimensions: 8.1 x 8.1 x 2.9 inches (205 x 205 x 73 mm)
  • Weight: 2.9 pounds (1.3 kg)
  • LED: 4 Color RGBW LED indicates the device status
  • LCD touch screen: 3.5”
  • Volume knob: Adjust volume and play/pause button with glass cover.
• The WiiM Ultra will be available for $329 in the US on Amazon and select retail partners in Q3 and rolled out internationally by Q3.

 

[Esprit]

Highlights

Thanks but it's not clear to me.
What does it mean that "USB output" is limited to 24bit/192kHz?
Can the USB be used to connect a hard disk but also an external DAC?
Can I network the Ultra via Ethernet and "see" it from the computer (e.g. Audirvāna)?

 

[tjf]

Ok, now I know there will be an "Ultra Pro" to follow this release in late '24/early '25, with balanced outputs and ("hopefully") a DAC upgrade to AK4499/4191 chipset...

Say, $449 to $549?

The hardest part will be sourcing a new larger (taller?) aluminum chassis to house all the ports of the Ultra and the XLR outputs...

Oh yeah - almost forgot -- the larger chassis will also house a bigger touchscreen - remember: Wiim has to catch up with Eversolo albeit at lower price points!

Also to answer the "What does it mean that "USB output" is limited to 24bit/192kHz?" from the poster above -- this means that the internal audio processing won't be working with any 32bit/384khz stuff, so no DSD or DXD capabilities -- that's how I read this...

 

[Grotti]

Ok, now I know there will be an "Ultra Pro" to follow this release in late '24/early '25, with balanced outputs and ("hopefully") a DAC upgrade to AK4499/4191 chipset...

Say, $449 to $549?

The hardest part will be sourcing a new larger (taller?) aluminum chassis to house all the ports of the Ultra and the XLR outputs...

Oh yeah - almost forgot -- the larger chassis will also house a bigger touchscreen - remember: Wiim has to catch up with Eversolo albeit at lower price points!

What's wrong with the 9038? It should be absolutely transparent sonically when implemented the right way. The analog output of my Volumio Primo is equipped with a ESS90x8Q2M and it sounds similar when connected digitally to my RME, which has a AKM chip.

 

[tjf]

What's wrong with the 9038? It should be absolutely transparent sonically when implemented the right way. The analog output of my Volumio Primo is equipped with a ESS90x8Q2M and it sounds similar when connected digitally to my RME, which has a AKM chip.

3 reasons:

1) the marketing aspect: using a chipset that many (but not necessarily the ASR crowd) will believe is a "step up" from the 9038

2) the appeal to the "anti ESS" crowd: in audiophile circles (again, not the ASR crowd, but other audiophile marketing narratives)

3) the "measurements are all that's important" crowd: the AK4499/4191 should give slightly better SINAD compared to the 9038 (even though both DACs are considered "transparent") -- this narrative will be directed squarely at the ASR crowd...as many on this site will still weigh their opinions towards the device with even slightly better SINAD -- even though the audibility of that difference is questionable as some ASR followers consider the difference inaudible...

 

[Esprit]

Also to answer the "What does it mean that "USB output" is limited to 24bit/192kHz

Yes, thanks, but what does this have to do with USB?
Can I connect an external DAC?
Will the file sent to the external DAC (assuming it can be connected...) be a digital signal "limited" to 24/192?

 

[tjf]

Yes, thanks, but what does this have to do with USB?
Can I connect an external DAC?
Will the file sent to the external DAC (assuming it can be connected...) be a digital signal "limited" to 24/192?

What I meant was that the USB audio output being limited to 24/192, along with the other digital outputs, means to my thinking - (happy to be corrected by more experienced posters) that the internal audio processing (done by Wiim's "A98" SOC / system-on-chip processor) is limited to working with bit rates/sample rates no higher than 24/192 - so no 32 bit, no 384/768 khz processing, so only 24/192 for all digital outputs -- as well as the ESS 9038 DAC output

 

[Esprit]

It's a USB not a Toslink or S/PDIF...

 

[tjf]

It's a USB not a Toslink or S/PDIF...

doesn't matter, if the internal processor is limited to 24/192 audio processing, NO DIGITAL OUTPUTS (Toslink/Coax/USB) or the internal ESS DAC will work at higher rates than 24/192

You're assuming that USB audio output should always offer higher output than 24/192 -- BUT -- if the internal processor (computer+software) cannot decode rates higher than 24/192 -- which seems to be the case with the Ultra USB audio output and internal processor -- than you'll never get higher rates than 24/192 from ANY output of the Ultra - digital or analog