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

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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.

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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.