WiiM Ultra

[Tremolo]

Do we know if the Ultra has a variable sub out/mains crossover filter?

 

[morillon]

Do we know if the Ultra has a variable sub out/mains crossover filter?

should be the case as on the "amp" ( just one sub output)

 

[holbob]

What I find curious is that the WiiM Amp is £319 GBP (uk price, Amazon)

The Ultra, as far as I can tell, adds a screen and a phono stage (perhaps) and removes the power amplification and speaker connections. Unless screens are really expensive I'd expect it to be cheaper than the Amp, or the same.

My price expectation is set by the WiiM Amp.

I think you're probably underestimating what a bargain the wiim amp actually is. The ultra looks like an incredible bargain for the price (£350). Check out the SMSL and Topping prices. Both devices are bargains (amp and ultra).

 

[JeremyFife]

I think you're probably underestimating what a bargain the wiim amp actually is. The ultra looks like an incredible bargain for the price (£350). Check out the SMSL and Topping prices. Both devices are bargains (amp and ultra).

Completely agree!

 

[gwing]

I would be happy if it was just a pro plus with hdmi output so you can have screen art etc. on a TV. I'd like to have balanced outputs but I can live without those by just running digital output to a DAC with XLRs.

 

[Yorkshire Mouth]

What I find curious is that the WiiM Amp is £319 GBP (uk price, Amazon)

The Ultra, as far as I can tell, adds a screen and a phono stage (perhaps) and removes the power amplification and speaker connections. Unless screens are really expensive I'd expect it to be cheaper than the Amp, or the same.

My price expectation is set by the WiiM Amp.

There’s no perhaps about it, it has a phono stage, which they’ve confirmed will be mm and mc.

The DAC will be better too, apparently.

 

[rgruber]

Both MM and MC? For some reason I thought MM only.

Does anyone know if it's a simple analog phono stage or if they are doing the phono equalization in the digital domain like the Waxwing?

There’s no perhaps about it, it has a photo stage, which they’ve confirmed will be mm and mc.

The DAC will be better too, apparently.

 

[Yorkshire Mouth]

Both MM and MC? For some reason I thought MM only.

Does anyone know if it's a simple analog phono stage or if they are doing the phono equalization in the digital domain like the Waxwing?

Sorry, dunno.

 

[tjf]

Ok, my guesses about the Ultra:

U.S / $ Price: $450 to $600

DAC: AKM 4499/4191 flagship (to compete with Eversolo DMP-A8) -- DAC cost comparisons to Wiim Amp DAC won't work here, as Wiim uses the old ESS 9018 DAC in the Amp...

USB Type A port for: USB Input for playback of USB drive content -- AND -- USB audio output to external DAC (yeah, I know - why would you need this...)

PEQ - 10 band w/rudimentary room correction (interested to see if Wiim implements greater than 12db boost/cut AND if they add LPF/HPF to the EQ??)

Miniature 3.5" Touchscreen -- strictly a marketing concession to Eversolo's success, rather than any improved functionality -- could be wrong here....

Then....Get ready for the Ultra Pro....say $600 - $700 U.S. with balanced outputs, better headphone amp built-in, and bigger touchscreen -- a TOTAL admission of going after Eversolo's place in the market!!!!!!

 

[Emlin]

Ok, my guesses about the Ultra:

U.S / $ Price: $450 to $600

DAC: AKM 4499/4191 flagship (to compete with Eversolo DMP-A8) -- DAC cost comparisons to Wiim Amp DAC won't work here, as Wiim uses the old ESS 9018 DAC in the Amp...

USB Type A port for: USB Input for playback of USB drive content -- AND -- USB audio output to external DAC (yeah, I know - why would you need this...)

PEQ - 10 band w/rudimentary room correction (interested to see if Wiim implements greater than 12db boost/cut AND if they add LPF/HPF to the EQ??)

Miniature 3.5" Touchscreen -- strictly a marketing concession to Eversolo's success, rather than any improved functionality -- could be wrong here....

Then....Get ready for the Ultra Pro....say $600 - $700 U.S. with balanced outputs, better headphone amp built-in, and bigger touchscreen -- a TOTAL admission of going after Eversolo's place in the market!!!!!!

Or wait until Monday for the truth.

 

[Tremolo]

AND if they add LPF/HPF to the EQ??)

I was curious too but, like morillon said, if they didn't in the wiim amp I doubt they do it in the Ultra. It is not something that can be done via firmware I guess. You need to route a different filter to each output, the LP to the sub out and the HP to the mains out. It's a pity, the Ultra could have benne a serious contender of the MiniDSP

 

[tjf]

I was curious too but, like morillon said, if they didn't in the wiim amp I doubt they do it in the Ultra. It is not something that can be done via firmware I guess. You need to route a different filter to each output, the LP to the sub out and the HP to the mains out. It's a pity, the Ultra could have benne a serious contender of the MiniDSP

Sorry, wasn't clear on my request for the PEQ features, rather than HPF/LPF for the "bass mgmt/subwoofer xover" function, I meant a "global" High Pass/Low Pass" function for the PEQ itself -- not the bass mgmt function, which I assume would be separate from the DSP/PEQ processing, as the mono subwoofer output would need it's own DAC stage in addition to the DACs for the main L/R outputs...

Currently the PEQ that Wiim uses has "Peak" and LS (Low Shelf) and HS (High Shelf) which aren't ideal for mimicking a HPF/LPF filter function in the "Global" PEQ -- especially with the 12db boost/cut limitation...

 

[Noob101]

I am still irritated about the (possibility) of no eARC on the Wiim Ultra. Prefer running the streaming services of the device rather than the TV although many will point out that there is little or no impact on sound quality (I assume). Why is there such a hesitance to go eARC when so many of the prerequisities are in place on so many devices, especially companies that have the platforms in place/in use?

 

[staticV3]

I am still irritated about the (possibility) of no eARC on the Wiim Ultra.

Specifically eARC, or HDMI ARC in general?

Because the WiiM Ultra will almost certainly have an HDMI ARC input.

That they omitted eARC makes sense to me, since the Ultra is firmly a Stereo device.

 

[Miguelón]

Streamers (or concretely WiiM ones) bring the intact file to a DAC when connected by USB or resample them?

Not concern by hi-res audio as CD quality is enough for me but I slightly dislike resampling weather is audible or not (a little psychological issue )

 

[staticV3]

Streamers (or concretely WiiM ones) bring the intact file to a DAC when connected by USB or resample them?

WiiM streamers support bit-perfect file transfer.

 

[ninetylol]

I just wished it had balanced outs, would be a perfect fit for V3 monoblocks.

This way i will probably stay on the WiiM Amp.

 

[gwing]

I just wished it had balanced outs, would be a perfect fit for V3 monoblocks.

This way i will probably stay on the WiiM Amp.

Yes, ditto. I'm currently running a separate external DAC from a pro+ primarily to get balanced outputs and a good headphone amp although it's otherwise no better than the Wiim's internal DAC.

 

[Tremolo]

Streamers (or concretely WiiM ones) bring the intact file to a DAC when connected by USB or resample them?

You can't connect a dac to a wiim streamer using usb. USB is only for playing audio files from a mass storage.

 

[Miguelón]

You can't connect a dac to a wiim streamer using usb. USB is only for playing audio files from a mass storage.

Are you sure? I thought that was mentioned it will be a usb output