WiiM Mini Review (Streamer)

[Big White]

Hello, I have a Topping E30, if I buy wiim mini, can I connect the E30 to wiim and can I play my shared music files from DLNA?

and also ,

I am currently using Rpi4 and topping E30 and feeding them with shanti LPS, but I am not very satisfied with the sound quality, because before that I had rpi3b+ and it played better, should I buy wiim mini? If I buy wiim, I think I can get cleaner and detailed sound if I feed it with shanti, what do you think?

 

[onlyoneme]

Hello, I have a Topping E30, if I buy wiim mini, can I connect the E30 to wiim and can I play my shared music files from DLNA?

Yes.

If I buy wiim, I think I can get cleaner and detailed sound if I feed it with shanti, what do you think?

No idea, but you will receive the same digital audio data from the WiiM when you use LPS and whe you use SMPS.

 

[VintageFlanker]

How would Roon software change the measurement results of streamer hardware?

Assuming it is perfectly integrated, it should not. But no guarantee it is (Both EQ and Chromecast weren't before the last Pro firmware update).

 

[Ralph_Cramden]

Assuming it is perfectly integrated, it should not. But no guarantee it is (Both EQ and Chromecast weren't before the last Pro firmware update).

I assume that the Roon certification process, which is currently delaying WiiM's implementation, will guarantee it will be perfectly integrated, no?

 

[rarewolf]

Hello, I have a Topping E30, if I buy wiim mini, can I connect the E30 to wiim and can I play my shared music files from DLNA?
(…]

In short, yes… but the WiiM app’s implementation with a DLNA server is a bit sluggish for loading a large library, selecting tracks and building playlists.

However, the WiiM Mini, once installed and configured within your LAN, interfaces seamlessly with the likes of the JRiver media server and its smartphone app, resulting in a bitperfect 24/192 PCM stream via its S/PDIF optical output… no different from a hardwired USB connection to your media server

 

[morillon]

(you have to remember that the 192k in toslink is an extension of the 96k standard ( from effort to adat pro toslink ) which will really not concern all dacs...
always have to be warned.)

 

[Big White]

Hi, Wiim mini has arrived and I'm testing it, the sound quality is really good, even better than the rpi4 I used before, and it's very simple to use the clarity of the sound is as I want, I've tried in vain with Rpi and its problematic programs, 192khz 24 bit tracks play smoothly, I'm listening in the office now, I'll listen to it in my main system when I go home, the Eq feature is very good, it will be very good if parametric eq comes in the future.

 

[Merifon]

Hi, Wiim mini has arrived and I'm testing it, the sound quality is really good, even better than the rpi4 I used before, and it's very simple to use the clarity of the sound is as I want, I've tried in vain with Rpi and its problematic programs, 192khz 24 bit tracks play smoothly, I'm listening in the office now, I'll listen to it in my main system when I go home, the Eq feature is very good, it will be very good if parametric eq comes in the future.

If you use the EQ, remember to enable the volume control and set it at least 90-92%. Otherwise you could experience clipping with loudest signal.
It's a sort of bug, not yet solved. Without EQ, no problem at all.

 

[Big White]

Hello again, I am using windows 10 64 bit, I have shared the FLAC folder on disk E:, I have also turned on the media streaming setting in windows 10, but wiim only sees the itunes folder in disk C, it does not see the FLAC folder on disk E, how can I show the E: FLAC folder?

 

[Big White]

Ahh ok , I added E: FLAC folder from media player ,

"The easiest way to check and/or fix, is to open Windows Media player, Organize -> Manage Libraries -> Videos and then add the folder containing your videos. It will populate all the contents of the folder, and they should then be available to your DLNA devices"

 

[CauliflowerEars]

I use 2 WiiM with Apple Music (WIFI). WiiM Toslink out - Paradigm Link (digital in - Toslink out with Arc Room correction) - Topping DAC - Schiit Freya +. Works great and replaced Apple Airport Express. I use another to replace Airport Express in an outdoor system. Apple Music - WiiM Toslink out to Topping Dac to Paradigm Pre (outdoor system). I find the WiiM are a better replacement for the Airport Express compared with the Belkin Soundform Connect (I have two of these). The WiiM have a better app for control and options. If you are looking to move your Apple home system (I have 6 zones) from the Aiport Express, the WiiM look to be a good option.

Seems I have a similar scenario (and question): how is Wiim Mini better than Apple Airport Express 2 (or the other round)?

My girlfriend and many guests have non-Apple devices, but I will play mostly from Apple (MBP, iPhone, iPad) into a Topping D10S DAC (unless there's better sound quality for not crazy much more money) - WiFi streaming or through cable. Unfortunately, I don't (yet) know much in terms of different types of connections and keeping the audio quality high ...

 

[Jimbob54]

Well, colour me impressed with this.

As others have said, if you are an Amazon Music user this is a no brainer. If you have an alexa device in the same room as the hifi this Wiim is connected to you can get your amazon HD library into your DAC bit perfect and controlled by voice.

It finally convinced me to look at the PEQ in my RME ADI2 with a view to ditching the laptop. Instead of booting up the PC, loading the godawful windows AHD app, selecting the right headphone EQ in EAPO then having to have the TV (connected to the PC by HDMI) on as a display as well as the noisy PC itself I can now just tell the Alexa to play my music, it defaults to the Wiim connected to the RME,

I just need to turn the RME on and select correct headphone EQ and I am good. Genius.

And because it is Alexa compatible I can use my phone with the AHD (or Alexa app) on as a remote for simple functions from the phone lockscreen.

Its not a huge step up from the Chromecast audio but because of the Alexa tie in, for those in the Amazon music infrastructure it is a godsend.

Bravo Wiim.

 

[Jimbob54]

Well, colour me impressed with this.

As others have said, if you are an Amazon Music user this is a no brainer. If you have an alexa device in the same room as the hifi this Wiim is connected to you can get your amazon HD library into your DAC bit perfect and controlled by voice.

It finally convinced me to look at the PEQ in my RME ADI2 with a view to ditching the laptop. Instead of booting up the PC, loading the godawful windows AHD app, selecting the right headphone EQ in EAPO then having to have the TV (connected to the PC by HDMI) on as a display as well as the noisy PC itself I can now just tell the Alexa to play my music, it defaults to the Wiim connected to the RME,

I just need to turn the RME on and select correct headphone EQ and I am good. Genius.

And because it is Alexa compatible I can use my phone with the AHD (or Alexa app) on as a remote for simple functions from the phone lockscreen.

Its not a huge step up from the Chromecast audio but because of the Alexa tie in, for those in the Amazon music infrastructure it is a godsend.

Bravo Wiim.

Now- side question- is it possible to enable volume levelling/ replay gain through this route?

 

[rarewolf]

Now- side question- is it possible to enable volume levelling/ replay gain through this route?

Not if you still want bitperfect delivered to your DAC. Correct me if I’m wrong, but just like adjusting volume at the source and applying EQ, I believe volume-leveling modifies the PCM before it becomes analog.

 

[Jimbob54]

Not if you still want bitperfect delivered to your DAC. Correct me if I’m wrong, but just like adjusting volume at the source and applying EQ, I believe volume-leveling modifies the PCM before it becomes analog.

Yup. But do you know if you even can volume level through this route (where alexa streams to the WiiM rather than you pointing your amazon music app to the WiiM (when I believe it does do levelling, it gets loads quieter)

 

[rarewolf]

Yup. But do you know if you even can volume level through this route (where alexa streams to the WiiM rather than you pointing your amazon music app to the WiiM (when I believe it does do levelling, it gets loads quieter)

… but your WiiM’s DAC is never involved, if it is still handing off the digital to the RME, is it not?

 

[Jimbob54]

… but your WiiM’s DAC is never involved, if it is still handing off the digital to the RME, is it not?

No, but volume levelling/replay gain /loudness normalisation is digital. So could be done at the amazon server end, or in the WiiM before passing levelled signal to dac.

I don't want to control volume with the WiiM (though its perfectly capable of doing that), I just don't want large changes in volume between songs when I'm shuffling.

I've done more digging and they haven't enabled volume levelling for alexa devices but they have for the amazon music apps on phones.

 

[MrOtto]

Concerns about the bit perfectness with Tidal app playback:

Is Chromecast Audio Bit-Perfect? · Ivan Nikitin

nikitin.io

Any concerns about the methodology? Would like to see this tested with Wiim Mini and Tidal connect. Anyone?

 

[Ken Tajalli]

FWIW
I gave up on my Wiim mini at the end of the day!
I loved it at first, but in time I hit a road block, perhaps not totally be blamed on the Wiim, but a block never the less.
My problem was, that as well as my own local files, I needed to route streaming services to the Wiim. Before I go any further, for local files, Wiim worked perfectly, I mean, I could use it no problem.
You see Wiim is just the end point, the server needs to be able to send it correctly too, THAT was my issue.
It seems, serving live sources (live streams) is not as easy as playing local files. On Android, my trusted Neutron media player, could happily send to Wiim mini, and on Windows laptop, Jriver could easily play local files to Wiim mini.
BUT ....
Live sources, live broadcasts or live-streaming is another matter.
Ofcourse I know, Wiim app can manage a few streaming services, but I needed to apply my own DSP to it first and then send it to Wiim.
I found a neat free app, called "stream what you hear" that would (could) stream whatever you are listening to an endpoint, but not Wiim! It can send to just about any other software based UPNP player, but not Wiim.
At the end of the day, I realized that there is a simple method of replacing the Wiim with a software player, have my cake and be able to eat it too.
An old PC or an Android device connected to my DAC, with a software UPNP player.
A dis-used Android phone (need not be that powerful), and Neutron media player installed, setup as Media Renderer can do just about everything I needed and more.
Or a small PC with Jriver installed, set up as renderer.
- Just about any Android or windows player can play to them, as they show up as UPNP/DLNA players.
- Stream what you hear works with both, so live streaming is possible.
- Both Neutron and Jriver have powerful DSP engines, so I could implement my room correction at the renderer point.
In case of an Android phone, it would be no bigger or more expensive than a Wiim.
BTW, wiim does have a feature to add network stream to it, but it sort of didn't work for me.

 

[mefausto]

Hello everyone, sorry for the english, I'm writing with google translate...
I recently got a Wiim mini, all ok but...
I've noticed that Tidal streaming through it sounds too bright and with annoying treble for me. I have a Topping e30 dac connected via optical port. I also have a windows 10 pc with the Tidal app connected via usb to the Topping and listening is less tiring.
I also tried with Qobuz and it seems to me to be very similar...
What could it be about?