WiiM Mini Streamer

[onlyoneme]

I can switch to HiFi and it does stay that way.

Problem is , in many cases, these are 16-bit MQA still (referred to as MQA-CD).

So you are playing MQA unfolded (not a good thing) on HiFi tier.

There's hardly any escaping MQA on Tidal these days

That's what I've meant. You can get lossless flac on HiFi only if there is no master mqa version available. There is no guaranteed lossless content on Tidal any longer.

 

[Music1969]

That's what I've meant. You can get lossless flac on HiFi only if there is no master mqa version available. There is no guaranteed lossless content on Tidal any longer.

Yep, so you might as well go to the Master tier and decode it - objectively better than not decoding it.

I really like the Tidal app itself these days, more than I hate MQA.

But still hope MQA disappears.

Its good that Tidal have named it 'Masters' - they can replace MQA files with proper hi-res and still keep it 'Masters' in the app

 

[Merifon]

But still hope MQA disappears.

I am curious about the process that occurs upstream of the MQA: is it a decision of the publisher or an arbitrary choice of Tidal? (or both). It is certainly annoying in principle that certain masters born at 44/16 miraculously become super hires after a few tricks. For example, all the production of Kraftwerk, strictly 44/16 on any lossless platform, miraculously becomes UHD on Tidal master ...

 

[onlyoneme]

I am curious about the process that occurs upstream of the MQA: is it a decision of the publisher or an arbitrary choice of Tidal? (or both). It is certainly annoying in principle that certain masters born at 44/16 miraculously become super hires after a few tricks. For example, all the production of Kraftwerk, strictly 44/16 on any lossless platform, miraculously becomes UHD on Tidal master ...

I've heard that artists are paid more for playbacks on hifi plus level. So having mqa songs is more profitable for artists, at least in theory.

 

[Music1969]

It is certainly annoying in principle that certain masters born at 44/16 miraculously become super hires after a few tricks.

MQA-CD is definitely the worst of it.

I am curious about the process that occurs upstream of the MQA: is it a decision of the publisher or an arbitrary choice of Tidal? (or both).

Nobody knows for sure. There's been arguments that both have occurred. It's a 'black box' thing

Anyway, lets not go deep in MQA chat in this thread.

Back to WiiM Mini

 

[Merifon]

I've heard that artists are paid more for playbacks on hifi plus level. So having mqa songs is more profitable for artists, at least in theory.

yes, this makes sense, I confirm that Tidal allocates 10% of the monthly fee to the artist most listened to by the single subscriber. For a fistfull of dollars...
However, remembering that Neil Young got very angry about the wording "master", having the MQA removed, I wonder who decided in his case ...

 

[Merifon]

Anyway, lets not go deep in MQA chat in this thread.

Back to WiiM Mini

sure... My hand slipped

 

[Jim Shaw]

Anyway, lets not go deep in MQA chat in this thread.

It's all my fault. I use voice dictation to do most writing for me, and things sometimes slip out.
[Often, on purpose.]

People who know me say I talk just like I write. (!)

 

[Narnian]

Just discovered you can use direct radio URL links in the Wiim using Open Network Stream. Needed for radio stations I support to get the add-free streams.

Unfortunately you cannot label them yet so a feature request is going in. (or a bug fix it it is supposed to be there)

I for one do not like streaming stuff from my phone as a rule because then my phone is locked into that room and I cannot wander as much. Heos proved inadequate but the Wiim has (almost) everything I need. Make it into a box with all the cables in the back and add a network jack and it is golden.

 

[Viktor]

Just discovered you can use direct radio URL links in the Wiim using Open Network Stream. Needed for radio stations I support to get the add-free streams.

Unfortunately you cannot label them yet so a feature request is going in. (or a bug fix it it is supposed to be there)

I for one do not like streaming stuff from my phone as a rule because then my phone is locked into that room and I cannot wander as much. Heos proved inadequate but the Wiim has (almost) everything I need. Make it into a box with all the cables in the back and add a network jack and it is golden.

You can label radio streams in 4stream app under tunein ,custom url and then put name of station and after you play that stream open wiim app and try to put in favorite,try if it work that way but in 4stream app you can name the stream address.

 

[RadioBuddha]

My system isn't necessarily "top of the line" but it's decent enough to my ears - The WIIM feeds my SMSL Sanskrit 10th MKII, which goes to my Bottlehead Moreplay, to a Hafler DH-500 that drives a pair of PSB Stratus Gold(i)s. Like I said, maybe my stuff just can't resolve the difference, or perhaps its my old ears that can't pick it out.

Has anyone tried the difference between a 2016 Iphone 4" SE's sound and the WIIM, because to my simple ears, the ancient Iphone SE's Dac sounds great, the Sangean WFR-28 sounds perfect, both analogue out (line out) to rca jacks to an old and cheap integrated amplifier/speakers, if the WIIM is able to match an old Iphone, then I can use it, I am slightly worried though that their Dac is inferior to an Iphone's, I think 99 percent of the Youtube audio reviewers are full of beans, every product they describe is great in most aspects (most of them come across as hack shills), I fear that the WIIM might sound like garbage without an external Dac, because even the Youtube reviewers acknowledge that the WIIM's internal Dac is just OK.

 

[GiBo61]

Just discovered you can use direct radio URL links in the Wiim using Open Network Stream. Needed for radio stations I support to get the add-free streams.

Unfortunately you cannot label them yet so a feature request is going in. (or a bug fix it it is supposed to be there)

I for one do not like streaming stuff from my phone as a rule because then my phone is locked into that room and I cannot wander as much. Heos proved inadequate but the Wiim has (almost) everything I need. Make it into a box with all the cables in the back and add a network jack and it is golden.

I agree with you. It is nice to have the possibility to directly input the radio URL links (it works with lossless FLAC radios such as Radio Paradise or Naim Radio), Unfortunately I could not find a way to put a label to the links and this makes it messy to deal with a list of anonymous urls.

 

[GiBo61]

Has anyone tried the difference between a 2016 Iphone 4" SE's sound and the WIIM, because to my simple ears, the ancient Iphone SE's Dac sounds great, the Sangean WFR-28 sounds perfect, both analogue out (line out) to rca jacks to an old and cheap integrated amplifier/speakers, if the WIIM is able to match an old Iphone, then I can use it, I am slightly worried though that their Dac is inferior to an Iphone's, I think 99 percent of the Youtube audio reviewers are full of beans, every product they describe is great in most aspects (most of them come across as hack shills), I fear that the WIIM might sound like garbage without an external Dac, because even the Youtube reviewers acknowledge that the WIIM's internal Dac is just OK.

If you read the review linked a few posts above (http://www.audiophile.no/en/articles-tests-reviews/item/3074-review-wiim-mini) you will see that the Wiim Mini internal DAC does not sound so bad at all.

 

[Brantome]

I agree with you. It is nice to have the possibility to directly input the radio URL links (it works with lossless FLAC radios such as Radio Paradise or Naim Radio), Unfortunately I could not find a way to put a label to the links and this makes it messy to deal with a list of anonymous urls.

You can in the iOS app, I guess you might be using the android app?

 

[imral3]

If you read the review linked a few posts above (http://www.audiophile.no/en/articles-tests-reviews/item/3074-review-wiim-mini) you will see that the Wiim Mini internal DAC does not sound so bad at all.

It also depends on what the listeners source is.

 

[GiBo61]

You can in the iOS app, I guess you might be using the android app?

Yes, I use the Android app. If the feature is available on the iOS app I guess that sooner or later it will be also available for the other platform. The possibility to directly enter a network stream is missing on the Heos app used by my Denon streamer.

 

[Brantome]

I’ve also used a playlist on my NAS to hold such URLs, and use the tagging that allows me to assign labels viz.


#EXTM3U
# Radio Paradise Flac streams with metadata
#EXTINF:-1, Radio Paradise Main Mix FLAC

http://stream.radioparadise.com/flacm

#EXTINF:-1, Radio Paradise Mellow Mix FLAC

http://stream.radioparadise.com/mellow-flacm

#EXTINF:-1, Radio Paradise Rock Mix FLAC

http://stream.radioparadise.com/rock-flacm

#EXTINF:-1, Radio Paradise World/Etc Mix FLAC

http://stream.radioparadise.com/world-etc-flacm

I don’t know if you could put those in a .m3u playlist file on your phone and use that as a radio directory of sorts.

 

[Witterings]

to rca jacks to an old and cheap integrated amplifier/speakers,

I could be wrong but the ay you've described your amp / speakers may be the limiting factor for quality?

 

[RadioBuddha]

I’ve also used a playlist on my NAS to hold such URLs, and use the tagging that allows me to assign labels viz.


#EXTM3U
# Radio Paradise Flac streams with metadata
#EXTINF:-1, Radio Paradise Main Mix FLAC

http://stream.radioparadise.com/flacm

#EXTINF:-1, Radio Paradise Mellow Mix FLAC

http://stream.radioparadise.com/mellow-flacm

#EXTINF:-1, Radio Paradise Rock Mix FLAC

http://stream.radioparadise.com/rock-flacm

#EXTINF:-1, Radio Paradise World/Etc Mix FLAC

http://stream.radioparadise.com/world-etc-flacm

I don’t know if you could put those in a .m3u playlist file on your phone and use that as a radio directory of sorts.

Is there a way you can add a stream so you avoid the five or ten second intro of a public radio station's stream? And if anybody knows of an app like TuneIn that has a special way of just jumping into any streaming radio station without hearing, WNYC is supported by our listenters, etc.

 

[RadioBuddha]

I could be wrong but the ay you've described your amp / speakers may be the limiting factor for quality?

No, that is not what I am asking about, I like the quality already, out of the Iphone and Sangean, just looking for a comparable quality for a device that can replace a phone, the Sangean is not user friendly, but if the WIIM Mini is a step back from either, then I shall wait because I'm not interested in adding an external Dac.