WiiM Vibelink Amp Review

[Burnside]

The Dolby thing using their multi-room tech to add wireless surrounds is in beta already. See https://faq.wiimhome.com/en/support...ing-up-a-wiim-dolby-5-1-surround-sound-system

It’s in the latest public firmware for the Ultra viz. https://faq.wiimhome.com/en/support/solutions/articles/72000631650-wiim-ultra-firmware-release-notes

 

[gwing]

You’re citing what, for example? I suppose Aiyima a80? Although that amp actually costs twice as much as Douk A5 and still doesn’t quite get it (PFFB) right.

-Ed

I'm amazed, that Douk A5 is available for £55 just now - unbelievable value if it performs as promised.

I'm getting quite tempted to team one of these up with a USB drive and a Wiim Pro+ stolen from home to give a tiny self contained music system on my boat. Would just need a pair of really small half way decent speakers to go with them.

 

[vkvedam]

Isn't WiiM Amp Pro a better buy, am I missing something here?

 

[kyuu]

Isn't WiiM Amp Pro a better buy, am I missing something here?

Sure, if you don't already have a Wiim Ultra or other DAC/streamer that you want to keep using. Or if you prefer separates rather than having everything in a single box.

 

[Gremlins]

Wiim folks should give to the market a power amp only to match the ultra

250w at 4ohms would be nice to have

 

[harkpabst]

Wiim folks should give to the market a power amp only to match the ultra

250w at 4ohms would be nice to have

380 W into 8 Ω would surely be nicer, no?

 

[morillon]

380 W into 8 Ω would surely be nicer, no?

mimimum!!!!
We don't all just want an amp for the bedroom....

 

[s3igell]

a revision now would allow at comparable cost to significantly improve adc and dac..and take care of its digital output... with the peq mode ( see rc in development) would really be even more "a pebble in the pond"

rather than thinking about "headlong rush" for new products... updating the old ones like the "plus"... then one day the ultra...
with experience and perspective acquired, maybe also an approach...
(ps I admit that I wouldn't be surprised if the pro "falls by the wayside".)

It appears that you have paid NO Attention to the History of Upgrades to the WiiM Mini (or any WiiM product).
WiiM Mini Feature Updates
Since original introduction:
Additional Streaming Services
Support for additional features introduced by Streaming Services
10-band PEQ
Room Correction
Replay Gain support
UI enhancements to keep up with higher-end WiiM products

Or are you expecting them to jam the innards of an Ultra into the Mini form-factor and somehow keep the Mini pricing??

 

[morillon]

It appears that you have paid NO Attention to the History of Upgrades to the WiiM Mini (or any WiiM product).
WiiM Mini Feature Updates
Since original introduction:
Additional Streaming Services
Support for additional features introduced by Streaming Services
10-band PEQ
Room Correction
Replay Gain support
UI enhancements to keep up with higher-end WiiM products

Or are you expecting them to jam the innards of an Ultra into the Mini form-factor and somehow keep the Mini pricing??

I find that I have been following Wiim products since 02/22, I own several and I am quite well informed...
and you? ;-)
just that the mini and the pro are very limited in terms of audio hardware... adc and dac..
and I wish them, positively, just a possible revision... especially for the mini...
4 years later....(mini develloped in 21... not better in audio than old chromecast audio( with ethernet possibility)..2014)

(the pro being rather condemned in the future in the range...)
;-)

 

[Gremlins]

380 W into 8 Ω would surely be nicer, no?

Not certain to need that much ... In a standard living room, few watts are enough though

 

[harkpabst]

Not certain to need that much ... In a standard living room, few watts are enough though

Guess what? I absolutely agree. A few watts and some more for headroom are well enough.

 

[Gremlins]

Guess what? I absolutely agree. A few watts and some more for headroom are well enough.

Agree, but how to evaluate "need for headroom"?

Let's imagine you consume 5w for regular listening and some peaks at 30w, youd like to have headroom of course but having an additional 50-100-200-300 will be useless in some case ... Why not having 500w spare, ok

But at the end, you'll never need that much, you'll never go that far

Its like having a speaker running UP to 20khz and the other one to 100khz , theme's one ultra tweeter that is here doing nothing

 

[kristwi]

Does this device show up in the Wiim app? It is still configurable that way, I hope.

bro didn’t learn reading the first 3 sentences.

 

[harkpabst]

Agree, but how to evaluate "need for headroom"?

Let's imagine you consume 5w for regular listening and some peaks at 30w, youd like to have headroom of course but having an additional 50-100-200-300 will be useless in some case ... Why not having 500w spare, ok

But at the end, you'll never need that much, you'll never go that far

Its like having a speaker running UP to 20khz and the other one to 100khz , theme's one ultra tweeter that is here doing nothing

Yes, but why 250 W into 4 Ω then?

In most listening rooms (maybe more so in Europe and Asia than in New Mexico and the neighboring states) and with most speakers, an average of 5 W is already too loud to listen to continuously and 75 W will provide all the headroom you need. If you know that your speakers' efficiency is clearly below average and/or your listening area is a lot bigger, you need a lot more power, anyway.

I'm very sure I don't have to tell you that you need ~10 times the wattage for twice the loudness.

 

[Old_School_Brad]

Yes, but why 250 W into 4 Ω then?

In most listening rooms (maybe more so in Europe and Asia than in New Mexico and the neighboring states) and with most speakers, an average of 5 W is already too loud to listen to continuously and 75 W will provide all the headroom you need. If you know that your speakers' efficiency is clearly below average and/or your listening area is a lot bigger, you need a lot more power, anyway.

I'm very sure I don't have to tell you that you need ~10 times the wattage for twice the loudness.

Generalizing power requirements is impossible due to the many variables involved.
Each case must be evaluated individually.

 

[harkpabst]

Generalizing power requirements is impossible due to the many variables involved.
Each case must be evaluated individually.

I generally agree, but as long as we are talking about 2-channel home Hi-Fi (which makes some sense when a 2-channel home Hi-Fi amplifier has been reviewed) we do have some rough guard rails. Asking for "more power" (or the contrary, for that matter) with no context is definitely pointless, even more so if the DUT is just what it is.

 

[Old_School_Brad]

I generally agree, but as long as we are talking about 2-channel home Hi-Fi (which makes some sense when a 2-channel home Hi-Fi amplifier has been reviewed) we do have some rough guard rails. Asking for "more power" (or the contrary, for that matter) with no context is definitely pointless, even more so if the DUT is just what it is.

What guidelines are you referring to? For any example you provide, there's likely a counterexample that proves the opposite.

Power requirements can't be generalized -every case is unique.

 

[harkpabst]

What guidelines are you referring to? For any example you provide, there's likely a counterexample that proves the opposite.

Power requirements can't be generalized -every case is unique.

You made you point, I mainly agreed with it and I don't see much value in going on with this discussion. I can find a counterexample for everything in live.

 

[Old_School_Brad]

You made you point, I mainly agreed with it and I don't see much value in going on with this discussion. I can find a counterexample for everything in live.

That might be stretching it a bit too far.
Many things, like distortion and noise in signal transparency, have rough guidelines that work well. However, when it comes to power needs, it's not as straightforward.

 

[s3igell]

So many posters are complaining about some element where the VibeLink doesn't meet their expectations - but most of these expectations seem to be for a unitary WiiM Ultra / Amp Pro combo "plus their personal wishlist".
Instead, WiiM seems to have developed and positioned the VibeLink as a "Unifying Amp" for both of the basic divergent usages where WiiM felt they were potentially losing Customers to the competition:

1. WiiM owners who connect to an external DAC (especially Ultra owners to a USB DAC) - as these users are loath to feed that output back into the ADC of either Amp or Amp Pro. So, VibeLink offers direct Analog-to-Amp RCA Inputs (per Amir's supposition of his test results - no ADC on RCA Inputs).
2. WiiM Mini / Pro / Pro Plus owners who desire a better DAC but wish to remain within the WiiM product line. Vibelink offers Digital-In to a (yet-to-be-identified) DAC - likely the same ESS9038Q2M as in Ultra and Amp Pro and near SOTA Amplification.