WiiM Ultra

[rcstevensonaz]

I heard conflicting info about the USB - I heard it could be used for files and I also heard it could be an output. I'll probably use it to connect to my Modi Multibit...

That is not conflicting, and matches what they have on their product specification for the WiiM Ultra. It can be used as a media storage device ("Storage/Audio Out") or an output audio streaming port.

But, it cannot be used as in input audio streaming port. Which is what @Jkdjedi was referring to.

 

[DannyBoyNYC]

It doesn't support Airplay and never will. Possible deal breaker for me and I may send mine back to Crutchfield. WiiM has scrubbed all mention of "Airplay support pending" from its notices and locked threads on their forum where people were complaining.

 

[Emlin]

It doesn't support Airplay and never will. Possible deal breaker for me and I may send mine back to Crutchfield. WiiM has scrubbed all mention of "Airplay support pending" from its notices and locked threads on their forum where people were complaining.

That's bad. Not a good way to treat your customers. Down tick to wiim from me.

 

[rcstevensonaz]

It doesn't support Airplay and never will.

Is there a short technical summary of why it cannot ever be upgraded by firmware to support Airplay? The articles I've seen have any said that it can't be, without added detail of why that is the case on the Ultra but not on their other products.

 

[Emlin]

Is there a short technical summary of why it cannot ever be upgraded by firmware to support Airplay?

Yes, they've fucked up.

 

[DannyBoyNYC]

The current Wiim Ultra will never get Apple AirPlay

Wiim's new flagship streaming music player wasn't AirPlay certified at launch, and now we know it never will be.

www.digitaltrends.com

Some say that Apple slow boated approval because of a controversy around WiiM's use of Airplay broadcasting (which they apparently removed under pressure). WiiM opted to release the units w/o the necessary chip for Airplay receiving. Its a mess either way and, as usual, the consumer loses.

 

[rcstevensonaz]

Yes, they've fucked up.

That actually raises a different "why" question... was there a breakdown in their design and development process that should have caught this, and why wasn't it? Or was this a real black swan type of event that would have been missed even through the best design processes.

For example, anyone launching product based on Intel Gen 12 / Gen 13 CPUs would not have caught the issue of Intel CPUs crashing under any normative design and development process. Was this perhaps a similar issue of incredible bad luck from a very subtle defect from a very reliable component supplier that was not detected until too late in the design and development process? Or, did someone just fuck up on some design review stage?

 

[Emlin]

That actually raises a different "why" question... was there a breakdown in their design and development process that should have caught this, and why wasn't it? Or was this a real black swan type of event that would have been missed even through the best design processes.

For example, anyone launching product based on Intel Gen 12 / Gen 13 CPUs would not have caught the issue of Intel CPUs crashing under any normative design and development process. Was this perhaps a similar issue of incredible bad luck from a very subtle defect from a very reliable component supplier that was not detected until too late in the design and development process? Or, did someone just fuck up on some design review stage?

It was a fuck-up somewhere down the line, and that's technical enough for me, as the consumer.

 

[rcstevensonaz]

The current Wiim Ultra will never get Apple AirPlay

Wiim's new flagship streaming music player wasn't AirPlay certified at launch, and now we know it never will be.

www.digitaltrends.com

Some say that Apple slow boated approval because of a controversy around WiiM's use of Airplay broadcasting (which they apparently removed under pressure). WiiM opted to release the units w/o the necessary chip for Airplay receiving.

The article you referenced merely says "Wiim hasn’t provided any details around why the Ultra can’t be made compatible with AirPlay." And beside, they can't even spell the name of WiiM correctly

Do you have a source for the statement WiiM removed the necessary chip for Airplay receiving from the launched product?

 

[rcstevensonaz]

It was a fuck-up somewhere down the line, and that's technical enough for me, as the consumer.

Sure, but you weren't the one asking the question .

However, your response raised a very interesting additional question for me about their development process, since my background is product development and these sort of things are very much the heart of my world.

Edit: also to add, it is not yet clear to me whether this is a direct foul on WiiM, an indirect foul, or that they did a hero's job of trying to salvage a situation that was ultimately out of their control due to the action of other entities.

 

[DannyBoyNYC]

The article you referenced merely says "Wiim hasn’t provided any details around why the Ultra can’t be made compatible with AirPlay." And beside, they can't even spell the name of WiiM correctly

Do you have a source for the statement WiiM removed the necessary chip for Airplay receiving from the launched product?

From WiiM : "The software can't add AirPlay since the device requires an MFi authentication chip. We can only sell devices with this chip after certification. Therefore, a separate SKU and hardware are necessary to support AirPlay for the WiiM Ultra." - https://forum.wiimhome.com/threads/bummer-if-you-use-apple-music.4119/ (account required)

 

[rcstevensonaz]

From WiiM : "The software can't add AirPlay since the device requires an MFi authentication chip. We can only sell devices with this chip after certification. Therefore, a separate SKU and hardware are necessary to support AirPlay for the WiiM Ultra." - https://forum.wiimhome.com/threads/bummer-if-you-use-apple-music.4119/ (account required)

Fantastic and thanks!!!

 

[Emlin]

Sure, but you weren't the one asking the question .

However, your response raised a very interesting additional question for me about their development process, since my background is product development and these sort of things are very much the heart of my world.

Edit: also to add, it is not yet clear to me whether this is a direct foul on WiiM, an indirect foul, or that they did a hero's job of trying to salvage a situation that was ultimately out of their control due to the action of other entities.

And you weren't the person replying. So effing what?

 

[rcstevensonaz]

And you weren't the person replying. So effing what?

Sorry, no offense was intended! You replied that it was fuck up (to my original question of technical detail), which them prompted me to further wonder how their process allowed that technical issue to arise in the first place.

You said it was a fuck up and that was all you cared about. No worries there mate. But I said it was me that asked the question, and I did care... now on both the technical and also the process front as a result of your response.

 

[Brian Hall]

Can anyone please confirm the Ultra has adjustable low and high pass please?

 

[mlsstl]

Can anyone please confirm the Ultra has adjustable low and high pass please?

When the subwoofer option is turned on in the WiiM app, the output to the main speakers is high-passed at the selected crossover frequency (whether line-out or digital) and the subwoofer output is low-passed at the same frequency. (You'd want to use the LFE input of your sub -- you don't want to be adding the sub's crossover on top of the Ultra's.) So, as you slide the Ultra's subwoofer crossover frequency up and down, both outputs are adjusted at once.

 

[joostdh]

The lack of AirPlay on the Ultra is disappointing as is the way it was communicated. Originally AirPlay was listed as supported and all Wiim’s other products have it too so the expectation was there.

Then on the Wiim forums the official respons changed to support coming later. Now that has changed to a definitive no Airplay for this device. All threads where it was discussed were closed without notice which comes of as a poor move. It seems WiiM caught themselves out a bit with this.

It’s a real shame. I pre-ordered the Ultra and was really looking forward to it. I’m happy with the Wiim Amp but long for a bit more amplification, besides the many other upgrades (better dac, screen, built-in phono). Like many others, I was planning to pair the Ultra with the Fosi mono amps.

Airplay is integral for my use so I’ve cancelled my pre-order. I’ve gone from “shut up and take my money” to having to consider other options.

 

[antcollinet]

I can't imagine anyone invested in apple devices is going to buy the Ultra as things stand.

 

[Yorkshire Mouth]

I can't imagine anyone invested in apple devices is going to buy the Ultra as things stand.

Just to reiterate, it’s not ‘Apple devices’.

I have an iPhone and use it to control my WiiM, including use of both WiiM’s and Amazon’s apps.

It’s about AirPlay.

 

[antcollinet]

Just to reiterate, it’s not ‘Apple devices’.

I have an iPhone and use it to control my WiiM, including use of both WiiM’s and Amazon’s apps.

It’s about AirPlay.

I know.

But for me as an apple device owner - I would not buy a streamer (or wifi speaker, or integrated amp with networking) that didn't support airplay. It is just too convenient for off the cuff audio from my mac, ipad or phone.

I'd certainly not buy the top of a manufacturers range (ultra) that didn't have it, where all their lower tier devices did.