They must be very special ears. You should be proud.
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WiiM Pro Plus Streamer Review
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Ralph_Cramden
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Which are an extremely unreliable measure of the accuracy of the audio chain.
Why, exactly, are you here?
Sure. But then why bring it to this table?
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I bought a second Wiim Pro Plus today to feed my headphone amp.
@stadsbeplanner told me me via PN that he wasn't trolling. So i have to assume he is the same idiot i was 20 years ago. It's kind of off topic and old news for most of us, but i wrote it and might as well leave it here for anyone else who thinks these sound not as good because they are cheap and made from plastik:
The fact of the matter is, your hearing is incredibly good at detecting a panther rustling a few dry leaves in a jungle while stalking you, all the processing inside your brain is optimized for that.
But your, or anyone's hearing for that matter, is not an instrument. It's hardly repeatable or precise. Indeed, you are not only stricken with the problem of detection, but also memory, we are exceptionally bad at remembering a speakers volume just for 5 minutes and compare it to another volume, once the differences go below 3dB or so.
On top of that, we have all kinds of biases that bend and sometimes plainly overwrite what we hear. One of the strongest biases is sighted bias. If you see an amp that looks like a moldy potato but sounds really good and one that is diamond encrusted, but sounds just mediocre, you will almost always prefer the diamond one. I know you don't believe that, you think what you think you hear must be real, because it would mean you can't trust your hearing, so here is proof for sighted bias, the McGurk effect:
Getting aware of those limitations is a painful process all of us had to go through (not the young folk that started with the right data i guess). I bought the pricey cables in the 90ies and thought i could hear a difference. I bought the strange valve amps. I bought the hifi magazines and believed their crap. I painted the edges of my CDs with a sharpie.
What was i thinking? Not much apparently ;-)
Fact is, i was a fool back then, just like you are a fool today for believing you can hear differences in competently made DACs.
The pain you feel, going from one side of the argument to the other, is called cognitive dissonance.
Embrace it and come out on the other side with a larger understanding of your biological limitations.
It's not a valid opinion to be wrong. It's just wrong.
The value on these things is off the chart.
Fair enough, i apologize. Maybe you are just new here and still stuck in the 90ies Hifi magazine mindset, just like me until maybe 2015 or so.
The fact of the matter is, your hearing is incredibly good at detecting a panther rustling a few dry leaves in a jungle while stalking you, all the processing inside your brain is optimized for that.
But your, or anyone's hearing for that matter, is not an instrument. It's hardly repeatable or precise. Indeed, you are not only stricken with the problem of detection, but also memory, we are exceptionally bad at remembering a speakers volume just for 5 minutes and compare it to another volume, once the differences go below 3dB or so.
On top of that, we have all kinds of biases that bend and sometimes plainly overwrite what we hear. One of the strongest biases is sighted bias. If you see an amp that looks like a moldy potato but sounds really good and one that is diamond encrusted, but sounds just mediocre, you will almost always prefer the diamond one. I know you don't believe that, you think what you think you hear must be real, because it would mean you can't trust your hearing, so here is proof for sighted bias, the McGurk effect:
Getting aware of those limitations is a painful process all of us had to go through (not the young folk that started with the right data i guess). I bought the pricey cables in the 90ies and thought i could hear a difference. I bought the strange valve amps. I bought the hifi magazines and believed their crap. I painted the edges of my CDs with a sharpie.
What was i thinking? Not much apparently ;-)
Fact is, i was a fool back then, just like you are a fool today for believing you can hear differences in competently made DACs.
The pain you feel, going from one side of the argument to the other, is called cognitive dissonance.
Embrace it and come out on the other side with a larger understanding of your biological limitations.
It's not a valid opinion to be wrong. It's just wrong.
I would like to have another one just to send my phono preamp output into another room.
The value on these things is off the chart.
I purchased the Wiim Pro Plus about two weeks ago and have primarily been using Tidal Connect and Audirvana (streaming my own library) via UPnP, along with some radio streaming. While using these services, I realized that I could eliminate the need for a separate video streamer (Apple TV) and the Wiim by relocating my MacMini closer to my TV. By connecting the Mac directly to DAC and TV, I can access all the functionalities previously provided by the three devices. Consequently, I have now assigned audio and video streaming duties to the MacMini, and I have boxed up Apple TV and Wiim. That said, the Wiim Pro Plus is a flawless device. However, it's probably not the right fit for my needs.
How are you interacting with your MacMini?
I am subscribed to Audirvana Studio, which includes an app called Audirvana Remote. This setup allows me to access my personal library, stream from Tidal and Qobuz, and listen to radio stations. Although it supports podcasts, Chromecast, and UPnP, I am not using these at the moment. For video, I use my Mac, which is connected to a TV, and I control it with a compact wireless keyboard and trackpad.
RCA input enables Legacy analog components: Turntable, Cassette Deck, Reel-to-reel, etc.
Yorkshire Mouth
Major Contributor
How on earth would think the price would be less than the Pro Plus, when it does everything the Plus does and more.
I discovered a rich deposit of hopium and started to mine it.
Finally bit the bullet and invested. Outstanding. Love the EQ. Really simplified that system setup.
One nit: I tried my TT / phono pre on the analog input and it immediately began a consistent light distortion. I'll check the output gain on the phono pre.
Otherwise stellar user experience.
One nit: I tried my TT / phono pre on the analog input and it immediately began a consistent light distortion. I'll check the output gain on the phono pre.
Otherwise stellar user experience.
Yes. I enjoy my pro plus, however I have my cd player, nad 538 going to analogue input (already using Digi in) and this too occasionally clips in loud passages.
Ralph_Cramden
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Meet WiiM Ultra - The Digital Hub for Your Music
Hi WiiM Community! Meet the WiiM Ultra – the centerpiece of your audio setup that's here to make your music experience better than ever. With top-notch components and a user-friendly design, it's not just a music streamer – it's your go-to for bringing high-quality sound into your home. Whether...
forum.wiimhome.com
Highlights
- Premium 32-bit/384kHz ES9038 Q2M SABRE DAC, and high fidelity headphone amplifier TPA6120A2
- Latest Wi-Fi 6E and BT 5.3 with two antennas offering rock-solid Bluetooth or Wi-Fi audio streaming
- Elegant aluminum case with 3.5” vibrant touchscreen display covered with glass
- Built-in room correction takes precise acoustic measurements of your room, creating customized corrections for your speaker and subwoofer.
- Stream Hi-Res music with the bit-perfect digital output or high-fidelity analog audio (SNR>120dB, THD+N<0.00018%)
- Versatile streaming options including Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast Audio (CastLite), Alexa built-in, DLNA, Roon, and Squeezelite.
- Gapless playback of Hi-Res music up to 24-bit/192 kHz using USB, SPDIF, Coax, Line, and Headphone output.
- Audio input
- Bring your TV audio, recorder player, CD player, or another audio source into the digital world via either analog (RCA, Phono) or digital (Optical, HDMI ARC) port, up to 24-bit/192 kHz
- Audio output
- Through either analog (RCA, Headphone) or digital (Coax, Optical, USB) for connecting an amplifier or speaker
- Wireless to another BT, AirPlay or DLNA receiver
- Up to 192 kHz/ 24-bit, varying sample rate, and bit depth based on the audio source without resampling via Line out, Headphone, USB Coax, and Optical SPDIF
- Line out
- Maximum output: 2.1V RMS
- SNR: 121 dB (A-wt)
- THD+N (1 kHz): 0.00018% (-115 dB) for 44.1k to 192k
- FR curve: +/- 0.05 dB
- EQ
- Tailor your audio experience with versatile and independent EQ settings for each input source – HDMI, Optical, Line, Phono, BT, or Network.
- Access a robust suite of sound customization options, including 24 preset EQ settings, a 10-band graphic EQ, and an 10-band parametric EQ for precise sound adjustments.
- Subwoofer output
- Comprehensive bass management.
- Adjustable crossover frequency, level, phase, and latency.
- 12 V Trigger
- Automatically turns on your stereo receiver or amplifir
- Connectivity and power
- 100-240V AC input.
- Wi-Fi 6E, 802.11 b/g/n/ax 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz triple bands.
- Bluetooth 5.3 with BLE and BT LE Audio, supports both A2DP receiver and transmitter, AVRCP, HID, works with the WiiM voice remote.
- Ethernet, 10M/100 Mbps.
- USB Host for Storage – Access personal media library and use it as a media server for other WiiM and DLNA devices
- Glass-covered 3.5” vibrant touchscreen display:
- Displays App widgets, large album pictures, playback control, playing queue, presets, EQ, audio input and output, and device settings
- Guides users through the Out-of-Box Experience and firmware updates
- Provides feedback when there’s a change in the play mode
- Allows users to customize the wallpaper and display the time and date during standby mode
- Physical
- Dimensions: 8.1 x 8.1 x 2.9 inches (205 x 205 x 73 mm)
- Weight: 2.9 pounds (1.3 kg)
- LED: 4 Color RGBW LED indicates the device status
- LCD touch screen: 3.5”
- Volume knob: Adjust volume and play/pause button with glass cover.
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Apologies for my utter ignorance, but maybe someone may clarify this for me.
I bought a umik-1 microphone in order to take measurements with REW.
Now my question is: can I use these measurements in my wiim pro plus? Is there a way to use it's PEQ and the (hopefully soon released) room correction based on measurements taken with REW?
How would that work?
Thanks im advance!
I bought a umik-1 microphone in order to take measurements with REW.
Now my question is: can I use these measurements in my wiim pro plus? Is there a way to use it's PEQ and the (hopefully soon released) room correction based on measurements taken with REW?
How would that work?
Thanks im advance!
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