WiiM Vibelink Amp Review

[anonyless]

Thanks for checking. Did I read correctly the Vibelink goes into its deeper standby after 60 mins automatically? If so, I think the Wiim Mini is a no go (the amp will be hidden away).

yes you did. after 60 minutes its led turns off completely . you can still turn it on from the app (or the button on its back). Mini would be a bad pair to the Vibelink

----------------------

I think I should just buy a Wiim Pro + Vibelink as well as the Wiim Amp and try both to see what I prefer (one box would certainly be better). It doesn’t seem as though there’s much else that can compete in terms of cost, quality, simplicity.

have you considered getting 3e Audio A5 amp+ DAC (like the SMSL SU1) instead of the Vibelink? they stack quite nicely together with the WiiM Pro
this is my 2nd "work in progress" system. it sounds pretty good ,considering how..basic are the speakers.

EDIT: you mentioned the amp will be hidden. well, the A5 is smaller than the Vibelink but has an external power supply. makes it much easier to hide. you can add a WiiM remote to the Pro (i don't think you can with the Mini) and then you can hide it as well and use the remote to control volume, play/pause, skipping tracks

 

[Keane16]

yes you did. after 60 minutes its led turns off completely . you can still turn it on from the app (or the button on its back). Mini would be a bad pair to the Vibelink

Thanks, yeah this would be a problem. Surprised this isn't configurable in someway.

have you considered getting 3e Audio A5 amp+ DAC (like the SMSL SU1) instead of the Vibelink? they stack quite nicely together with the WiiM Pro
this is my 2nd "work in progress" system. it sounds pretty good ,considering how..basic are the speakers.

I did, a few, possibly yourself included (just checked you did), mentioned it in this thread. And I fell into a nice rabbit hole reading about it. It seems superb.

My issue is obtaining it in the UK - none of the usual big name suppliers seem to carry it. Audiophonics.fr have it but with an EU plug. The official (I think) 3e Audio site links to Ali Express (and units with UK plugs) - however AE has been problematic for me in the past and it's doesn't look much better now - https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.aliexpress.com.

If I could grab from a local big name here or even Amazon I'd definitely have tried it. I assume input sensing works in your chain so I could even use the Mini instead of the Pro?

EDIT: you mentioned the amp will be hidden. well, the A5 is smaller than the Vibelink but has an external power supply. makes it much easier to hide. you can add a WiiM remote to the Pro (i don't think you can with the Mini) and then you can hide it as well and use the remote to control volume, play/pause, skipping tracks

I'll be honest I don't even know which drawer I've thrown the Zepellin remote into. We just control volume on the AirPlay device directly or tell Siri.

-------
One bit of information that I've missed out is room size it's about 9m x 6m (but not a perfect rectangle).

 

[anonyless]

I did, a few, possibly yourself included (just checked you did), mentioned it in this thread. And I fell into a nice rabbit hole reading about it. It seems superb.

oops huge thread. i'm not a 3e audio "brand enthusiast". actually i had "ground loop noise" issue with the Ultra (before getting the Vibelink), where I connected a sub to it, and the A5 on its line out. this noise doesn't exist with the Vibelink, so I guess it has to do with the A5's power supply but can't tell for sure.

My issue is obtaining it in the UK - none of the usual big name suppliers seem to carry it. Audiophonics.fr have it but with an EU plug. The official (I think) 3e Audio site links to Ali Express (and units with UK plugs) - however AE has been problematic for me in the past and it's doesn't look much better now - https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.aliexpress.com.

a lot seem to have concerns with AE and i totally get that, though I usually have at least 1 order per week coming from AE. I always pay with PayPal and don't think twice before issuing a "CashBack" request when I don't receive a shipment. I order from there with the thought that there is no CS on AE - even though they have (useless) 24/7 live chat support. I never sent back a product to them, received refunds many times though.
Having said that, the power cable connector on 3e audio's supplied GaN PS is standard - just connect a different cable to it with UK plug (or use an adapter..like I use with the Vibelink that came with US cable)

If I could grab from a local big name here or even Amazon I'd definitely have tried it. I assume input sensing works in your chain so I could even use the Mini instead of the Pro?

yes, the audio input sensing works very well and it turns off after 20 (or 30) minutes when no music is played. you can use the mini instead (i like my WiiM's remote..)

 

[somebodyelse]

Does anyone know if their DSP chip has significant limitations?

I believe they're using the streamer CPU rather than a dedicated DSP, much like things like moode on the Pi. The Mini is more restricted (processor, memory, storage) which is why it doesn't get the full feature set of the higher models.

 

[Alexx]

I hear a slight "whistling" sound coming from the Wiim Vibelink speaker tweeters (this could be normal).

Does yours do the same?
Thanks.

 

[eshkilev]

I hear a slight "whistling" sound coming from the Wiim Vibelink speaker tweeters (this could be normal).

Does yours do the same?
Thanks.

I'm having a similar issue with my Vibelink (a slight whistling sound and pulsating tapping). I contacted Wiim support and attached an audio recording of the noise. After reviewing my request, the company's engineers acknowledged the defect and offered me a replacement device, but since I didn't buy it from their official Amazon store, they didn't provide a replacement.

Did you manage to solve this problem somehow?

 

[somebodyelse]

After reviewing my request, the company's engineers acknowledged the defect and offered me a replacement device, but since I didn't buy it from their official Amazon store, they didn't provide a replacement.

That's not entirely surprising - in many jurisdictions the warranty is the responsibility of whoever you bought it from, rather than the manufacturer.

 

[Alexx]

@eshkilev
Sorry for the delay.

I returned the device and got another one, it's perfect, with no noise or any problems.

It was the easiest way...if you're too late to return it, please contact their customer service; they'll definitely help you; they're always very kind and helpful.
Let us know.

 

[Not dave]

Currently on sale at Richer sounds for £269

 

[davmol]

Currently on sale at Richer sounds for £269

I can only see it at £319, maybe it was a pricing error and now they corrected it? Might be an indication if the upcoming black Friday discount though.

 

[Not dave]

I can only see it at £319, maybe it was a pricing error and now they corrected it? Might be an indication if the upcoming black Friday discount though.

Try

WiiM Vibelink Amp Refurbished (Space Grey)

Shop for WiiM Vibelink Amp (Space Grey) Stereo Amplifier with Richer Sounds for a 6 Year Guarantee, expert advice and Lowest Prices Guaranteed.

www.richersounds.com

 

[davmol]

Ah ok, refurb unit makes sense it would be discounted, although the link is "sorry can't find that page" so they probably sold what they had.

 

[redjr]

analog input processing adc and same dac as the wiim amp pro?

No. The Videlink RCA-in goes directly to the amp without any digitization. I just ordered one specifically for the pure analog in. I guess that wasn't a good idea. I have no need for the internal DAC, and was hoping the analog in would measure better than it did. I'll still test it with my speakers and environment.

 

[kyuu]

No. The Videlink RCA-in goes directly to the amp without any digitization. I just ordered one specifically for the pure analog in. I guess that wasn't a good idea. I have no need for the internal DAC, and was hoping the analog in would measure better than it did. I'll still test it with my speakers and environment.

If you notice, Amir noted that the issue with the RCA measurements were likely due to a ground loop in his setup that he wasn't able to eliminate.

I would also note that this demonstrates quite well why "pure analog" is not necessarily better.

 

[redjr]

Follow-up to my above post... After the Vibelink arrived I swapped it out where was I intending to use it. Hooked it up to the same preamp and source - all using RCA interconnects and RCA-in on the Vibe. Since I was paring it with a pre, my intent was to use it like a power amp - using the volume control on my pre. I preceded to listen for awhile with the Vibe volume control setting at 3:00. As I was listening to some of my favorite tracks, I noticed a very low-grade noise between the tracks. I was listening in a near-field situation, so my ears are only about 3 feet from my speakers. I thought to myself, WTF! After a bit of detective work I confirmed that sure enough, the amp had some hissing and cracking coming from both speakers that I could hear on quiet passages and between tracks. At the volume set to 3:00 this noise was noticeable. Even if the music 'drowned out' the noise it was still coloring the sound. I'm a real stickler for my amps to be ultra quiet, and even at full volume you shouldn't being hearing anything on a well designed amp. This was indeed puzzling.

So, I proceeded to try and track down just where the noise was coming from. I swapped out the inter-connects coming from the preamp. Still there. Tried a new power cable. Still there. Tried a different preamp. Still there. Rearranged my cables to see if they might be a factor with the noise. Still there. Relocated the amp thinking maybe the proximity to my other electronic stuff was picking up some interference. Still there. This sound was not a continuous hum, so I knew it wasn't a grounding loop, or grounding issue between components. Now I'm getting a little more worried about this amp. There was only one more test to perform.

I physically moved the amp into my shop, and put it on the bench and hooked up my test speakers. I used my DAP as the source - plugged directly into the Vibe. Turned the Vibe to 3:00 and voila! No hissing or crackling. Even with the volume all the up, the Vibe was dead quiet - at least with my ear right up to the speaker. This was good news. I then tried it with a couple preamp that I know are uber quiet, and the Vibe was still quiet. No hiss. No crackling. I guess the moral of the story is, if you experience this low-level noise coming from the amp move it away from computers, Alexa and other nearby potentially noisy devices. I also can assume that maybe the internal RCA circuitry in the Vibe may not be well shielded from spurious other device noise. I still haven't decided where I'm going to use the Vibe, so will definitely check the noise so hopefully this won't be an issue in future at a new location.

 

[davmol]

..I guess the moral of the story is, if you experience this low-level noise coming from the amp move it away from computers, Alexa and other nearby potentially noisy devices. I also can assume that maybe the internal RCA circuitry in the Vibe may not be well shielded from spurious other device noise. I still haven't decided where I'm going to use the Vibe, so will definitely check the noise so hopefully this won't be an issue in future at a new location

Interesting, I had a similar issue with the WiiM Ultra's where the phono input would pick up electrical interference from other devices. I tracked it down to an Aiyima amp PSU, but this "dirty supply" was not made audible by other phono stages I tried (via line-in to the Ultra), so my conclusion was similar to yours here with the Vibelink, in that the WiiM's shielding (phono input in the Ultra's case) was not up to scratch.

 

[redjr]

While I did track it down fairly quickly, it is odd and the first time I had heard it. In fairness, where I had intended using it was in my computer work space just adjacent to my shop area. There are a lot of 'smart' devices, and my home server rack, network switches, and power bricks in there, so maybe I shouldn't have been surprised. I have one shelf where the audio stuff is and I have all manner of cables running along the back of it, so it could be just a mix of everything that's causing the noise. I really want to use the Vibe there, so maybe I'll try and figure out the culprit and remove it instead of my new amp.

Edit: I did more investigating on where/how the hiss and crackle getting into my Vibe. As it turned out, the culprit was my little Ryzen-based mini computer (one of those 5" x 5" small form factor). Now I'll have to figure out a workable solution and decide how I can move things around to avoid the 'infection' of the noise into the Vibe.

 

[Paffi]

Interesting, I had a similar issue with the WiiM Ultra's where the phono input would pick up electrical interference from other devices. I tracked it down to an Aiyima amp PSU, but this "dirty supply" was not made audible by other phono stages I tried (via line-in to the Ultra), so my conclusion was similar to yours here with the Vibelink, in that the WiiM's shielding (phono input in the Ultra's case) was not up to scratch.

Me too, I figured also, that the WIIM Ultra picks up noise very well, which I didn't had with any other preamp. Hence I bought the Vibelink and connected it via toslink - noise is gone.

 

[redjr]

Just to be clear... I only had hiss and crackling when using the RCA input. The other two inputs on the Vibe, Coax and Optical were dead quiet. I'll have to use one of those inputs and test whether or not thay can compete with other DIY and commercial ones I have. The Vibe does use a great DAC chip, so I'm sure they sound fine.

 

[redjr]

yes you did. after 60 minutes its led turns off completely . you can still turn it on from the app (or the button on its back). Mini would be a bad pair to the Vibelink

have you considered getting 3e Audio A5 amp+ DAC (like the SMSL SU1) instead of the Vibelink? they stack quite nicely together with the WiiM Pro
this is my 2nd "work in progress" system. it sounds pretty good ,considering how..basic are the speakers.

EDIT: you mentioned the amp will be hidden. well, the A5 is smaller than the Vibelink but has an external power supply. makes it much easier to hide. you can add a WiiM remote to the Pro (i don't think you can with the Mini) and then you can hide it as well and use the remote to control volume, play/pause, skipping tracks
View attachment 472353

Yeah, minimalist. I like it.