As the thread title. Not too fond of the previous models as these did not have USB ports but this one has. So I am curious how it looks and how it performs especially via USB. The reviews are raving but maybe we should take those with a grain of salt 🙂
I got one about 2 weeks ago. I was looking for something to replace my Pi3 / DAC Hat player on which I have my entire music collection ( USB) converted to FLAC files (not that much, maybe 150GB of Data) and came across this from whence I don't recall.
At US$329.00 it was cheap enough. Plugged in the USB drive and thats all it took (setup literally took maybe 2-3 minutes at most).
Later added my Spotify account, no issues.
Control it from a Samsung Tab 6. So I can sit in my chair and pick and choose from across the room if I wish.
Headphone is an added bonus for me, I quite enjoy the headphone quality, maybe I am easy to please.
I may end up with it beside my recliner as a dedicated headphone amp actually.
I have not tried connecting anything else (power amplifiers etc) yet.
Touch screen is cheap, but works fine and volume control feels a bit "rough" but I am not complaining at the price. I suppose using a tablet / phone,
the touch screen is superfluous but beside my recliner very useful 😉
This device just reconfirms my thoughts for the last 6 or so years that DIY is extremely expensive and dying.
While I still build, but very little nowadays, building is more of an excuse for me to play with my tools and keep the brain working.
(I do have an OTL headphone amp under construction however).
I am impressed with the unit, not even considering the more than reasonable cost.
Cons, they seem to push updates every few days although in my use case it's all working fine.
As long as the Ultra works for a few years and Wiim does not find some way to monetize (subscription model) I am good.
Andrew
At US$329.00 it was cheap enough. Plugged in the USB drive and thats all it took (setup literally took maybe 2-3 minutes at most).
Later added my Spotify account, no issues.
Control it from a Samsung Tab 6. So I can sit in my chair and pick and choose from across the room if I wish.
Headphone is an added bonus for me, I quite enjoy the headphone quality, maybe I am easy to please.
I may end up with it beside my recliner as a dedicated headphone amp actually.
I have not tried connecting anything else (power amplifiers etc) yet.
Touch screen is cheap, but works fine and volume control feels a bit "rough" but I am not complaining at the price. I suppose using a tablet / phone,
the touch screen is superfluous but beside my recliner very useful 😉
This device just reconfirms my thoughts for the last 6 or so years that DIY is extremely expensive and dying.
While I still build, but very little nowadays, building is more of an excuse for me to play with my tools and keep the brain working.
(I do have an OTL headphone amp under construction however).
I am impressed with the unit, not even considering the more than reasonable cost.
Cons, they seem to push updates every few days although in my use case it's all working fine.
As long as the Ultra works for a few years and Wiim does not find some way to monetize (subscription model) I am good.
Andrew
Share your ideas and experience. Thank you, it seems a nice device. I have the Eversolo DMP-A6 which is also a good performer with the possibility of a built in SSD which was to me a good reason to buy it. Also nice app but with some quirks. Software support is good till now with regular bug fixes. For some reason it is very slow when copying data to the internal SSD. Except for the lid needed for the SSD I haven't opened the device which really is a first.
Yes DIY is expensive and dying, it just makes no sense to build something like this for more than this costs and have the aspects of encasing etc. The crazy modular designing by many also make DIY endeavors look like a pile of boards stacked on each other. The idea of not doing anything is indeed worse than building something 🙂
The con that they update every few days may be a pro to others. Worse are products not receiving updates after a while. I had a few audio players that were silently killed off by stopping support and no new app when new Android/iOS versions came up.
I share the fear for subscription models, these pop up everywhere and are a real nuisance. Again a good reason to pick a device with USB/SSD.
Yes DIY is expensive and dying, it just makes no sense to build something like this for more than this costs and have the aspects of encasing etc. The crazy modular designing by many also make DIY endeavors look like a pile of boards stacked on each other. The idea of not doing anything is indeed worse than building something 🙂
The con that they update every few days may be a pro to others. Worse are products not receiving updates after a while. I had a few audio players that were silently killed off by stopping support and no new app when new Android/iOS versions came up.
I share the fear for subscription models, these pop up everywhere and are a real nuisance. Again a good reason to pick a device with USB/SSD.
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Where? I tried to find them.
BTW Like Eversolo WiiM also seems to use the ES9038 in their product. Missed chance! Maybe using the ES9038 as the de facto standard DAC chip today makes users buying external AKM or ES9039 based DACs 🙂
Just tried with Google for 30 seconds :
https://forum.wiimhome.com/threads/wiim-ultra-review-and-a-peek-under-the-lid.4156/
https://forum.wiimhome.com/threads/wiim-ultra-review-and-a-peek-under-the-lid.4156/
Yes I am terribly stupid and that is a burden but please try to click on that pictures.
Like the thread title indicates I am interested in peoples own pictures instead of marketing/reviewers opinionated stories.
Like the thread title indicates I am interested in peoples own pictures instead of marketing/reviewers opinionated stories.
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I cannot comment on the ultra but am transitioning the house to Wiim as a source. My choice was based on something where there was a cheap option with an spdif out for the kitchen system as well as an all in one with power amp so I could get house wide audio that we could operate off one app and the wiim app was the least annoying of the ones I could see. It's still a little clanky but usable for our purposes and the search isn't too bad into the mid sized digital library. I don't use streaming services.
The DMP-A6 looks to be a good box though so not sure if the Wiim would be an upgrade or a sideways move?
The DMP-A6 looks to be a good box though so not sure if the Wiim would be an upgrade or a sideways move?
This is so true. I got the Wiim Mini on eBay for just $60 and it has been working flawlessly. Thinking back the days of fooling around the Pi and Volumio with so many random hiccups, I'm just so glad I sold those mess and got the Mini.
Mmm, I only had that with the worst player I ever had: the Ifi Zen Stream. An absolute failure in many aspects. Just like Ifi power adapters, also prematurely failing.
Many if not practically all buyers of Wiim Mini are satisfied. They however didn't cater for those that like to playback own files ... till now. It apparently has a Linkplay A98D module with 1.5 GHz quad core Amlogic CPU so no wimpy processor. And a built in power supply instead of an adapter is also nice.
Many if not practically all buyers of Wiim Mini are satisfied. They however didn't cater for those that like to playback own files ... till now. It apparently has a Linkplay A98D module with 1.5 GHz quad core Amlogic CPU so no wimpy processor. And a built in power supply instead of an adapter is also nice.
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I find the Wiim product very intriguing. However, I continue to try to figure out why I would need one. I have Sonos speakers throughout the house and have access to most any streaming service I want. I can also play my Apple Music library through Sonos. I also have a Sonos unit connected to the A/V receiver in my home theater setup so I can play most anything I want through the "good" sound system.
Can anyone tell me what a Wiim Ultra would bring to the party? If it would give me something I do not already have, then I would definitely buy one.
Thanks in advance for your comments.
Can anyone tell me what a Wiim Ultra would bring to the party? If it would give me something I do not already have, then I would definitely buy one.
Thanks in advance for your comments.
Just ordered one. I'm getting more and more frustrated with my Rpi/volumio stability. Maybe it's my network. We'll see. But also interested in the SQ compared to my dac (Miro AD1862, some nice PSUs, EUVL IV.)
I can see me using it as the streaming element and use the USB out to my DIY dac.
I can see me using it as the streaming element and use the USB out to my DIY dac.
So having a few weeks with the Wiim Ultra I have to say I am very impressed and pleased. It has tonnes more features than I was aware of. Plus points for me;
1. It just works, always, and seamlessly. Something my Volumio Rpi didn't. To say the least! Whether streaming or then switching to hdmi ARC ( which I'm new to!...more on that later) for TV playback.
2. The Tidal and Spotify casting works very well.
3. It has native links for Radio Paradise and BBC Radio channels. I thought the Beeb had managed to preclude third parties from doing this. So whilst it remains, it's a bonus.
4.Room correction which uses your mobile phone mic to setup, can also use a proper USB mic plugged into your phone. Very clever and has really improved my SQ. You can fine tune the curves/correction it creates. And can save different EQs for different inputs .
5. Subwoofer output with control, can alter the cut off from 60 to mid 200s, and you can dictate whether it HPs your mains or not. Is included in the EQ. All the EQ comes out of all the outputs, not just the analog RCAs.
6.Probably more that I can't recall at the moment !
SQ through the onboard ESS dac is very listenable if not just plain very good. I almost see no reason to bother with an external DAC. But this is DIY, so I've ordered the Xingcore U30 USB I2S board to be able to feed my AD1862/FIFO set up with usb digital from the Ultra. Will be an interesting comparison.
I've been planning a semi active setup and have some active XOs at the ready but not implemented yet. The SW output now makes me rethink, but it is just a single mono. I'm wondering if I split with into 2 with a simple 'Y' and then buffer it, it would be ok into 2 channels?
The screen is small but large enough to get the jist of the album art from 2.5m. The app is very nicely done. The packaging it comes in is up there with Dyson/Apple products, if that sort of thing floats your boat. And it comes with all the cables you could need to send the signal in and out. ...actually maybe not a USB out.
Edit..more on the HDMI ARC. I am into my picture quality aswell and I had my Sky Q box into my 4k TV into the HDMI ARC port of the TV. When I got the Wiim , not really knowing what ARC is, thought I'd better put the Ultra into the ARC socket, and so moved the Sky into a 'normal' hdmi socket. Well it seems to have improved the PQ quite a bit. Don't know why!
1. It just works, always, and seamlessly. Something my Volumio Rpi didn't. To say the least! Whether streaming or then switching to hdmi ARC ( which I'm new to!...more on that later) for TV playback.
2. The Tidal and Spotify casting works very well.
3. It has native links for Radio Paradise and BBC Radio channels. I thought the Beeb had managed to preclude third parties from doing this. So whilst it remains, it's a bonus.
4.Room correction which uses your mobile phone mic to setup, can also use a proper USB mic plugged into your phone. Very clever and has really improved my SQ. You can fine tune the curves/correction it creates. And can save different EQs for different inputs .
5. Subwoofer output with control, can alter the cut off from 60 to mid 200s, and you can dictate whether it HPs your mains or not. Is included in the EQ. All the EQ comes out of all the outputs, not just the analog RCAs.
6.Probably more that I can't recall at the moment !
SQ through the onboard ESS dac is very listenable if not just plain very good. I almost see no reason to bother with an external DAC. But this is DIY, so I've ordered the Xingcore U30 USB I2S board to be able to feed my AD1862/FIFO set up with usb digital from the Ultra. Will be an interesting comparison.
I've been planning a semi active setup and have some active XOs at the ready but not implemented yet. The SW output now makes me rethink, but it is just a single mono. I'm wondering if I split with into 2 with a simple 'Y' and then buffer it, it would be ok into 2 channels?
The screen is small but large enough to get the jist of the album art from 2.5m. The app is very nicely done. The packaging it comes in is up there with Dyson/Apple products, if that sort of thing floats your boat. And it comes with all the cables you could need to send the signal in and out. ...actually maybe not a USB out.
Edit..more on the HDMI ARC. I am into my picture quality aswell and I had my Sky Q box into my 4k TV into the HDMI ARC port of the TV. When I got the Wiim , not really knowing what ARC is, thought I'd better put the Ultra into the ARC socket, and so moved the Sky into a 'normal' hdmi socket. Well it seems to have improved the PQ quite a bit. Don't know why!
I don't have the Ultra but the Pro Plus and the security updates finish at the end of 2026 so we'll see then if it becomes a paper weight.
Mine doesn't have a USB input but I use USB via my DLNA enabled modem so it works like an additional NAS.
Mine doesn't have a USB input but I use USB via my DLNA enabled modem so it works like an additional NAS.
I have the Ultra and have been using it to stream from Spotify via Google Cast. I haven't tried the phono preamp but I like that it has that feature. The screen is nothing special but it's a nice feature. I especially like that the remote control is wireless, not IR, so you don't need to fit it with iron sights to aim it precisely enough to work, unlike the remote on my erstwhile Topping DAC. As long as the remote is in range it works no matter where it's pointed.
I haven't done a ton of critical listening with it but first impressions of the sound quality are very positive. For the money I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.
I haven't done a ton of critical listening with it but first impressions of the sound quality are very positive. For the money I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.
Sounds good in a few ways!
@rabbitz : end of security updates practically never make any device a paper weight. It just keeps working. End of the company so end of the app and firmware development as new Android/IOS/MacOS/Windows versions appear have impact. I was not aware that the old app then refuses to function but I learned quickly. So having a remote control may be a benefit. Worst case being island operation.
@rabbitz : end of security updates practically never make any device a paper weight. It just keeps working. End of the company so end of the app and firmware development as new Android/IOS/MacOS/Windows versions appear have impact. I was not aware that the old app then refuses to function but I learned quickly. So having a remote control may be a benefit. Worst case being island operation.
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And of course local storage either via SSD or via USB should then be criteria. Always fail safe so Internet/LAN independent.
The remote for the Ultra doesn't allow much access. I wonder if you search for it's IP address you could access it all through a browser, and whether the software is in there like the app.
All if it goes wrong commercially obviously. For now all is good!
All if it goes wrong commercially obviously. For now all is good!