WiiM Amp Streaming Amplifier Review

[Pritaudio]

Any chance the speakers blow out if the volume slider is accidently ( or otherwise) turned up.
it may sound nasty, but can it damage speakers or amp section.

also, is the equalisation feature updates that are coming to wiim pro, also coming to the wiim amp too.
how will it be implemented considering the amp section isn’t exactly linear across the spectrum.

 

[harkpabst]

Any chance the speakers blow out if the volume slider is accidently ( or otherwise) turned up.
it may sound nasty, but can it damage speakers or amp section.

Every amp can blow almost every tweeter if the input signal gets the amp into nasty clipping. It's not ver likely with the WiiM Amp. Also, there are multiple other ways to adjust the volume. So notging special here that doesn't apply to any.other amp.

also, is the equalisation feature updates that are coming to wiim pro, also coming to the wiim amp too.

Yes, it is. 10 band PEQ. Some already have it.

how will it be implemented considering the amp section isn’t exactly linear across the spectrum.

The amp section is perfectly linear across the spectrum. It's just as load dependent as any other cheap class D amp without PFFB. There is nothing that could be corrected beforehand. Any deviation that might occur due to load dependency could be compensated for using EQ (if necessary), but it needs to be individually tailored to each speaker.

 

[Julf]

Every amp can blow almost every tweeter if the input signal gets the amp into nasty clipping.

Can I rephrase that as "every amp that can put too much current/power into the speaker, for example by producing much more than the rated power, can destroy a tweeter".

What destroys a tweeter is not clippin per se, but excessive power/current through the voice coil.

Recommended reading: Speaker Failure: The Truth

 

[mikessi]

how will it be implemented considering the amp section isn’t exactly linear across the spectrum.

@amirm recorded max +1, -0.5 dB at 20KHz. Admittedly the change in level starts at a low 5 kHz, but it's +0.3 or - 0.15 at 10 kHz. Not audible by 99% of people in 99% of systems. The change at 15 kHz -- +0.5 or -0.3 dB -- might be audible to young folks but so easily compensated even with existing EQ controls in the Wiim, it's trivial. This really is the least of audible concerns.

 

[Everett T]

@amirm recorded max +1, -0.5 dB at 20KHz. Admittedly the change in level starts at a low 5 kHz, but it's +0.3 or - 0.15 at 10 kHz. Not audible by 99% of people in 99% of systems. The change at 15 kHz -- +0.5 or -0.3 dB -- might be audible to young folks but so easily compensated even with existing EQ controls in the Wiim, it's trivial. This really is the least of audible concerns.

Agreed, for all practical purposes it's flat to everyone's ears. I doubt 1db with our auditory memory is audible.

 

[harkpabst]

Can I rephrase that as "every amp that can put too much current/power into the speaker, for example by producing much more than the rated power, can destroy a tweeter".

What destroys a tweeter is not clippin per se, but excessive power/current through the voice coil.

Yes, you can.

Clipping just "helps" destroying the tweeter in so far as it creates HF energy where there is none (or much less) in the input signal. But in the end it's always current through the voice coil that determines a speakers behavior. Alive or dying.

 

[Julf]

Yes, you can.

Clipping just "helps" destroying the tweeter in so far as it creates HF energy where there is none (or much less) in the input signal. But in the end it's always current through the voice coil that determines a speakers behavior. Alive or dying.

Of course the frequency spectrum of a lot of modern popular music looks very much like that of clipping.

 

[Descartes]

I purchased one for the kitchen paired with a pair of KEF LS50 and TV it sounds wonderful!

 

[Head_Unit]

Clipping just "helps" destroying the tweeter in so far as it creates HF energy where there is none (or much less) in the input signal.

There is some amount of extra HF (50%*) but that's a lesser factor. What happens is if the gain gets turned way up then treble peaks of at most a couple watts can turn into tens of watts and POOF goes the tweeter. Not my insight, it's from here
https://www.aes.org/e-lib/browse.cfm?elib=5737

*Difference from a sine wave to a square wave worst case. Let's see, 1 volt peak-to-peak give 0.35Vrms. Compared to a square wave which would be 0.5Vrms (a perversion of "rms" I think but anyway). So yeah like 50%.

 

[Brantome]

WiiM Amp Pro with "an upgraded DAC, PFFB support, the latest Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 technologies, and Dolby Audio support" just announced

WiiM Launches Ultra And Amp Pro Launched At High-End Munich Show

WiiM Is launching two new streaming products at this year';s High-End Munich show. The WiiM Ultra Pro and WiiM Amp Pro will be on display at Hall 2, Stand F7.

www.forbes.com

 

[Jeromeof]

WiiM Amp Pro with "an upgraded DAC, PFFB support, the latest Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 technologies, and Dolby Audio support" just announced

WiiM Launches Ultra And Amp Pro Launched At High-End Munich Show

WiiM Is launching two new streaming products at this year';s High-End Munich show. The WiiM Ultra Pro and WiiM Amp Pro will be on display at Hall 2, Stand F7.

www.forbes.com

PFFB is probably the big upgrade and the increase in price is very reasonable

 

[rsc1]

WiiM Amp Pro with "an upgraded DAC, PFFB support, the latest Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 technologies, and Dolby Audio support" just announced

WiiM Launches Ultra And Amp Pro Launched At High-End Munich Show

WiiM Is launching two new streaming products at this year';s High-End Munich show. The WiiM Ultra Pro and WiiM Amp Pro will be on display at Hall 2, Stand F7.

www.forbes.com

$369 for the Amp Pro with a better DAC, more power and PFFB?? Who wants to buy my OG WiiM Amp....

Edit: power isn't actually more it's the same

 

[Matias]

The Amp Pro is what the original Amp should have been in the 1st place imo.

 

[rsc1]

The Amp Pro is what the original Amp should have been in the 1st place imo.

Could it have been better - yes. But it was already a very good product at a very respectable price. If you don't care as much about having PFFB (a lot of people can't hear the difference anyway even if they claim they do) and having the best DAC it's a good way to save some money by getting the original one.

 

[GiBo61]

$369 for the Amp Pro with a better DAC, more power and PFFB?? Who wants to buy my OG WiiM Amp....

The power is the same

 

[Guddu]

The power is the same

Clearly they haven't optimized the amplification section for max power output for the chip with suitable PSU, neither current WiiM Amp nor new Wiim Amp Pro.
But they cannot go beyond 2-3 db more w.r.t. total output even if they do.

P.E. But it still is a more than decent upgrade for another 70$, for sure.

 

[TedBaker]

Compared to the original WiiM amp it has nothing I want. The amp is okay for my 2.1 system in my tv room but I wanted more power.

 

[im_gumby]

Compared to the original WiiM amp it has nothing I want. The amp is okay for my 2.1 system in my tv room but I wanted more power.

These aren't the amps you are looking for.... (Jedi Mind joke)

Look, lets be real. The box really works well for someone wants something for a small system in a small room where you're not driving anything big.

If you want more power and just an amp... there are other options like a DIY Purifi kit that would be cost effective.

 

[Antlestxp]

Gonna grab one as a preamp!

 

[lithoc]

I'm hoping they use dual tpa3255 in the future
We will have wiim amp ultra with dual tpa3255 pbtl chip soon?