Old School here. I have a Pioneer Spec 1 preamp and a Spec 2 power amp I bought new in 1977. I use it mainly in the living/dining room area and have a couple of el cheapo huge loud speakers. The Wiim Ultra lets me give it a new life with streaming. I just received the WiiM Ultra today and had it all setup within an hour. I'm now listening to Amazon Music, Spotify and my Plex server. It all sounds great for these old ears. I have my theater room set up for movies and any critical listening on vinyl on some newer gear. Thanks for the video.
I think you did a great job of answering questions. There are a lot of new audiophiles to be out there and you are really helping them. I truly think that Wiim with their pricing strategy is going to capture a large market share and going to make some companies nervous. By the way, your screen saver made me think of that Don McLean song (Vincent) Starry Starry Night for some reason.
Thanks Mike, in all reality our hobby is pretty small so I just like doing my part to help grow it. This is a good product to help with the growth as well.
I would like to know how it functions as a player as in plugging in my USB SSD that includes my CD archival back up files. Will it recognize AAC or ALAC? Will it separate files by folder, artist, album?
I’ve had the WiiM Ultra on my home office desktop streaming Roon, Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect, Qobuz and FLAC & DSD files from my home NAS. They drive a pair of Swan OS10s quite beautifully. I have a Chord Mojo hooked up via Coax for headphones and an HDMI Arc connection to my LG OLED monitor for AppleTV. Cheers
Update: I have a WiiM pro and Android Samsung S24 Ultra. 2 days ago Room Corection appeared after a software update in the WiiM app. Ran the Room Corection and it sounds great.
Perfect. Job one is connectivity, usability and (above all) stability and reliability. What has had so many of us running from earlier products is the frustration of dropped connections or (BluOS) having to reload apps and re-configure ad nauseum. If this device provides that kind of usability, utility and consistency then this audiophile is all in. Nice follow up to a good initial review. Thanks.
Good to know in no uncertain terms from an actual user that USB OUT works to feed an external DAC. I want to use the better jitter reducing clock circuit in an external DAC, and USB's asynchronous output is a good way to do so. Thanks!
@MattCoykendall1 Hi! could you test if the usb would work with an usb HUB? I'm interested to use it with hard drive and external DAC link at the same time. Thank youuuu
So I have a lg sound bar which works well nice sound But I got into these echo studio speakers which sound amazing (2x echo studios +sub)& can only group together in the Alexa app max 3 When playing music from Amazon Music I can get both systems working together with a very slight delay (mad echoing) When I came across the Wiim it mentioned syncing systems in multiroom situations So is it possible to play both speaker setups through the Wiim with the speakers working in unison ❓🙂
hi Matt will the ultra allow file playing and sorting from a usb portable hdd that is not powered externally? I have 625 cds ripped onto a 1tb portable seagate freeagent go. It always works on my laptop but i am not sure if the usb on the wiim ultra will work. wiim website unhelpful. thanks in advance
I really appreciated this. One of the best things about Wiim is their product support. How they managed to get ten bands of PEQ to work on the mini -- and do it for free! -- is incredible. When my two yr old Mini bricked, not only did they respond to my emails (!) they actually sent a replacement free. I am intrigued by the Ultra. I wonder if there are any use cases that would make it a better option than a mini + a good DAC?
@@MattCoykendall1 I find that using house curve to measure and generate peq settings for the mini works pretty well. I imagine this gets similar results to the built in room correction in the Ultra. It would be interesting to compare!
I have a functionality question. I'm using a Wiim Pro to stream into my stereo system, which is also built around my TV and doubles as a home theater. I have setup the Pro to pass through the optical from the TV to my DAC. It automatically detects an in-coming optical signal and passes switches to that input within a few seconds. However, the automatic switching is not 100% reliable. It has gotten better, but sometimes it won't switch properly. As a result, I'm running a second DAC with an optical splitter so that my GF can press "input 1" on the preamp remote and get TV sound, no questions asked. The switching speed and reliability have improved with updates.. But I have found that if I use Tidal connect while the TV is playing, then it will disable the automatic detection and not re-enable it for quite some time. My only concrete reason to upgrade to the Ultra would be improved sound quality and and potential reliability. Have you tested with a TV? If so, could you find any instances where the Ultra gets confused and doesn't pass thgrough the signal? Thanks!
Thanks for sharing. Slight of topic question. If your using the rca's out from the dac to your home theater system do you lose the 5.1 output from a tv movie with dolby digital signal and just get stereo output ? Thanks
@@deadline7610 My whole system is only two channel. But I don't believe the Wiim supports any kind of surround sound. If you owned a surround sound receiver or processor, you would want to plug that into the eARC port on your TV instead and hook up the Wiim another way. The receiver would most likely have analog and digital aux inputs. In a system like mine, it would be setup how it is, Wiim to DAC to pre-amp to power amp to speakers. If I integrated a surround receiver, that would plug into the TV and the front left and right channels on the receiver would go to the pre-amp in bypass mode and then on to the power amp. The other speakers if I had them, might be driven directly by the receiver.
My Ultra volume isn’t consistent, do you know how to make it play at the same volume through all songs played? Thanks for the information. I just purchased this and am still wondering if I made a mistake. Subbing and liking, thanks again.
Just ordered one, should be here tomorrow. Using in place of the Node2i. I think the room correction and equalizer will improve a few things in my system plus having a hdmi input should improve the tv sound over optical. My biggest issue is the day after ordering I see that node is coming out with three new units. The mini would make a great budget streamer only for a no frills item that still uses the great blusound app for control and streamer options.
Can you use it as a music server and plug in a hard drive into the USB or can it detect a NAS drive on your network and serve music that way? Im looking for a streamer and music server unit thanks
My line-in input appears to be overloading with just a 700mv max input (pre sensitivity on 0db). I have set it on -6db and it seems to have fixed the issue. This needs sorting out on the next update, surely?
Question for anyone. I bought a Wiim Ultra to connect my new TV to a 2.1 system comprising a Fosi Bluetooth amp , a pair of Sony 55s, and an old powered sub. Everything works great together. But have I gained anything for better streaming audio? Up to now, I’ve been streaming UA-cam and Apple Music from my iPhone to the Fosi via BT. Previously, I couldn’t see the need for a dedicated streamer, but the Ultra looked like a sexy solution for the HDMI interface I needed. Now I can stream Amazon Music through the Wiim via WiFi, but I still need my phone for controlling the Wiim Ultra. When listening to streaming audio, what advantage is provided to by streaming through the Wiim (besides the s/w eq, room connection, etc.) to the amp, vs BT from my phone to the amp? Thanks for answering my question regarding potential Air Play and Apple Music support via a future f/w update.
Hi Matt. Is there a tutorial on setting up room correction on the WIIM Ultra? Could you offer up some tips? I managed to save two GRAPHIC EQ room correction that sounded amazing but when I added my sub to the Wii it would only test and correct and save in a Parametric configuration (which did not help to improve my listening experience)
Glad you mentioned no AirPlay. My main system used a Node. Although Tidal is my main source, I’m an XM subscriber too. I like XM (Deep Tracks, Classic Vinyl) as well. No app support means XM gets AirPlay on my office WiiM Mini, Schiit Modi3. Not like I’m planning on “upgrading” just to have album covers on a screen I can’t see from across the room, but good info when someone asks me.
Great vids Matt, really informative! I know this can very TV dependant, but any lip sync issues when using the HDMI ARC port? Also I think you covered this and it seems the answer is no, but is it possible to have the screen time out on certain inputs? For instance if you don't want the screen glaring at you when watching a film or listening to your turntable. Thanks!
I didn't notice any sync issues with my tv anyways but like you mentioned there are a lot of variables with different brands. You can set the screen to turn off when your not actively touching it, once you touch the screen it comes back on.
@@MattCoykendall1 Ah perfect thank you! I have a wonderful Lyngdorf TDAI 1120 currently, works brilliantly, sounds great, but there's something drawing me to this wiim and wanting to use it with a separate power amp. Just to try something different. I don't think it would be an upgrade so it's not upgrade-itis, more try something different-itis 🙈
Great videos on this! Im considering using this, mostly for streaming over Chromecast, with my 6000a as well and am slightly confused about the different options for connecting them. If using this into the 6000a, with a sub connected to the Wiim, what are the differences between using the 6000a in its different modes, and connecting the devices via RCA vs optical? My understanding is connecting via RCA would use the Wiim's DAC while via optical would use the 6000a's DAC. I'm guessing the latter would be preferable? And does the mode of the 6000a affect this, or does mode just effect what controls volume?
I've heard so much talk about using "Chromecast" for streaming but getting information on what it is, what it does, what one needs to use it, how it sounds is nearly impossible. Do you have any info on this?
Hi really need your opinion on the wiim ultra vs eversolo dmp a6me. Is there a big difference in sound quality. Was going to buy either the a6me or the a8 but wiim came out with this product. I am building a simple system. Your recommended streamer directly into my amplifier. Thanks again
Thanks Matt, another great one. I'll give a try to the Ultra's phono stage. If it makes me sell my zen phono it will be one of the best invests in my whole life.
I'm using a Schiit Mani into the line-in and this input appears to be overloading with just a 700mv max input (pre sensitivity on 0db). I have set it on -6db and it seems to have fixed the issue. This needs sorting out on the next update, surely?
Another question… can you add AirPlay connectivity with a device like the Belkin SoundForm Connect AirPlay 2 Adapter & Airplay 2 Receiver interfaced to the toslink input? Thank you for the video. Take care.
@@sneakyds You should let the community know. I’m only familiar by name with the Bellingham but I don’t know if there are others that might fill this void. Would be a good topic for a short video. Just a suggestion. Take care.
@@MattCoykendall1 Thanks for the reply. I'm doing research to get back into the hobby. I always had a stereo setup as a kid (receiver and two speakers) and l'm looking into getting my first "real" 2.1 setup. With the high pass/ low pass capability, the Wiim Ultra is definitely a contender for my system. Thanks again.
I currently have a WiiM Mini using optical out into a 6000a (using the 6000a DAC). I'm curious if you tested the Ultra with your 6000a in this way? Is the Ultra and its upgraded ESS DAC a notable step up from the 6000a's internal DAC? I'm pretty happy with my current setup, the Mini is definitely a barebones, yet highly capable, device.
The DAC in the 6000a is fine a 9018 if I remember correct. That won’t be where the difference would be made in this case, the biggest benefit might be the room correction that isn’t offered on the mini hardware. The mini is a great device and I use one to this day so don’t feel like your missing out on any new found clarity, it’s more so the other features, hdmi, RC and what not.
I found the Ultra internal DAC to be a disappointment, it is rather veiled and congested on my system. I was hoping for better, as my external DAC uses the same chip. Night and day.
Is the room correction accomplished thru the internal dac? Meaning if I used the ultra with an external dac would the room correction feature be disabled / negated?
I am using the WiiM Pro with an SMSL SU-1 DAC and Room correction. The Room Correction and EQ are done in the Digital area so the WiiM internal DAC will not be used.
Always educational - Enjoyed video- Thank you Matt!- however really, found (Samsung Frame)? visual image change very distracting. Tuned into to see what you were saying as my priority. Just sayin.
As an avid CD collector, I also love streaming music, but do I really "need" this (the Wiim Ultra), if I'm already able to stream nearly any music service through my Marantz receivers using the HEOS app?
Thank you for your inputs on the WIIM ultra I have a question ok two 1. I’m thinking of using the coax Out to my Genelec Digital Input Can I still use the sub out in conjunction ? 2. I’m confused between the Audiolab 6000 A play and the Ultra The 6000 A play gives me a great amp which I would need and a better DAC Streaming on the 6000 sux but I could use a WIIM mini just for that. So Ultra or 6000 A play if you had to choose Thanks 🙏
I’m fine with AirPlay not being supported, but can you use it with Apple Music from an Apple TV connected to your tv along with the WiiM ultra. Is there anything special regarding the setup?
Great video! But... it seems that all the reviews I see don't answer by question. I currently have 4 sonos amps and 3 sonos connects all running on the S1 system. How well does the wiim connect with one another? If I want all the same music playing in my house the sonos does it perfectly. As well as each different room or zone playing different music. None of my sonos and hard wired to my internet they seem to have their own network. I mainly use Spotify and Pandora and occasionally my files from my computer. Does wiim do all that? The price point of the wiim is much better than splurging for all new sonos on the S2 system. Please let me know. Thanks.
The Wiim Ultra can do that if you select one of the streaming platforms like Google Cast or Airplay. I open Spotify on my phone and select if I want the music to stream on the Wiim Ultra, or on a 'group' of different Google Cast speakers throughout the house (which may not may not include the Wiim Ultra - I specify that when creating speaker groups in the Google Home app). An example is that I can be listening to Spotify on my Wiim Ultra system, but then I change the speaker in Spotify to my 'Main Level Group' - which includes the Wiim Ultra, a speaker in my kitchen, and a speaker in my entryway.
Excellent follow-up video! Do you happen to know why there is no sound coming out of my Wiim ULTRA on HDMI input. HDMI input is connected to my TV HDMI ARC which is set to ARC mode. My WiiM ULTRA is connected to USB out to my Denafrips IRIS DDC / ARESII DAC, which goes to FREYA+ preamp?
Does the USB out function properly to the Ares DAC? If yes does the HDMI function if the USB is unplugged? Just trying to work through if it’s possibly a bug with the USB out.
USB out to DDC/DAC is working great with Tidal streaming and Optical in which has the Audiolab 6000CDT CD player connected. The ULTRA detects the input when I play something from the TV because it automatically switch over to HDMI input by itself, but there is no sound coming out. Will check later to see if I use the COAX out, instead of the USB out works and get back to you. Thanks.
@@zombielandiii2711 The WiiM ultra DAC isn't bad, the SMSL SU1 is slightly better not a lot better to my ears. knowing what I hear now I'd just keep the WiiM ultra without the SMSL SU1 DAC.
My Wiim Ultra wont map to my NAS directly via IP path.. DLNA works but my NAS only maps one share in DLNA . The Wiim Home DESKTOP app maps fine (eg \\192.168.0.10\share\music), but grts an error via Android app. Plex works ok BUT it maps on the PC, i need it to map to NAS as jts always on. Help!
Hello, can I play music from Wiim Ultra into Denon Home 150s speakers through Wi-Fi ou Wired Networking, or any somehow way to use Denon Home 150s Speakers with this Wiim Ultra? Thanks
Thanks for the followup! Great to see! I do have a question. I'm always wondering about why devices like this don't support DTS and Dolby, etc. If the device is designed to connect to a TV and the predominant audio format (lossless) is in these two formats, why do we never see audiophile gear support it? Beyond this, one question I can never really get answered is, if the TV obviously supports those formats and has to convert them to PCM, does it remain lossless and that's essentially what we're getting on a device like this? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Either works, if the turntable has a built in phono pre you want to use just go in the standard input, if your turn table doesn’t have a built in go into the phono input.
I’m trying to play my music files on my computer through the Wiim using WiFi. The files show up on the Wiim screen, and appear to be playing, but I get no sound. I have streaming activated on the computer, and it recognizes the Wiim. The Wiim shows the files in its directory. I’ve tried the various sound settings on the. Computer. It was working at one time, but then I lost sound.
No Airplay, no purchase (yet). Bummer because I was saving up to upgrade from my Wiim Mini. That display screen and form factor were the big draw for me.
I bought the ultra, and for 8 days I was happy with this unit, then it died : ( all outputs nothing was happening, luckily I could send it back to the book store . I went online and Yes there are issues, screens, outputs, and other things . So I'm going to leave it awhile and see if reliability improves. I really liked the features too .
I ll buy this wiim ultra , i am in hifi for 30 years , and i am new to dac s and streaming ( i didn t live on the moon ) is it s good stsrting point or maybe better a laiV dac and dedicated streamer ?
I need a stereo device with 4 HDMI in and two HDMI out. And the normal connections a normal DAC has. I dont want surround, but no stereo device has this 🤔
Also pre-ordered mine. Got today an mail about the airplay situation. Seems like they don't know for sure if it can be anabled per software update, but maybeee it is: We also cannot say whether this will be possible in the future via a software update.
@MattCoykendall1 Hi! could you test if the usb would work with an usb HUB? I'm interested to use it with hard drive and external DAC link at the same time. Thank youuuu
Nice! I ordered mine already and it should come around August 9. I wonder if it will sum to my Onkyo RZ 50 playing Tidal or Qobuz? I know that those apps are integrated already in the Onkyo but they sound awful. I have a pair of Wharfedale Diamond 9.5 speakers that do sound much better when i play music through my Macbook Air to a Ifi one DAC to an analogue input on the AVR. Ive read that the DAC on this Wimm Ultra sound very good. That the main point on why i bought this streamer. Thanks!
Hi, i'm a bit new to all this so bear with me. I'm about to rip my CD collection to FLAC files & store on a HDD, can I use the USB to connect & will it read the files. Thanks.
On the topic of sound quality .... We've reached a point where all this stuff is far more alike than different. All the specs tell us there will be no audible defects or enhancements... so describing sound (in audiophile terms, at least) is simply a waste of time. Matt is correct when he describes these as "transparent". A proper DAC, Streamer, Amplifier, Pre-Amp etc. should not have a voice of it's own. It should be attempting to reproduce the recorded audio waveform as accurately as possible. That is, after all, the very definition of "High Fidelity".
That is not true. Apart from power related differences due to noisy power supplies causing trouble, there is also the issue of clocking and the time domain. That is a neglected area in cheaper gear. PRAT is an important part of music.
@@D1N02the OP is correct. And “power” is one of the worst snake oil campaigns in audio. Now you aren’t incorrect about low noise power supplies being good. That point is true in a vacuum at least. The problem is how exaggerated the overall importance of the power supply is. Most modern power supplies are perfectly fine provided they supply the given product’s full demand , and I would agree that a little headroom is good. But if they are in spec, they most likely don’t have any audible noise concerns. It’s just modern technology, it is generally more than good enough, and has been for years, and especially in just the last few years. It is also worth noting that a linear power supply is NOT automatically better than a SMPS either. Good SMPS implementations on these super quiet GaN based Class D obviously aren’t causing any problems, and this is easily measured and quantified. The Hi-Fi ruse is coming to an end. Take it from a guy who is in the industry and sees the writing on the wall. Ultra-Fi will survive due to the money and egos of the ultra rich who otherwise don’t care about value or even truth for that matter. But most of Hi-Fi is in for a rude awakening. Millennials, and Gen Z are not buying overpriced gear. They grew up building their own PCs and watching Linus Tech Tips and others scientifically debunk snake oil cables, along with other things. They know what these internal components are actually worth.
@@lukerestlessstudios Too many people listening to too many people who stand to make a lot of money from the people listening to them. We've become a hobby overseen by opportunists with no better interest than parting us from our money.
@@Douglas_Blake_579 Bingo. And that said I’d even say I’ve meant people who are otherwise decent folk who really believe all this stuff, and it’s not to say that they make a “bad” product. It might even be a really good, and excellent sounding product just ignoring price for a moment. However one can be honest and decent but just simply wrong. And in that wrongness build a completely unnecessary and price bloated product that again might be good in a vacuum but is just not necessary, and lacks appreciable value because it is so far past having already slammed straight and headfirst into the wall of diminishing returns.
Excellent review. I support fully your decision not to attempt to describe the sound. In my view equipment reviews should only cover functionality as the sound made by any kit will vary wildly with accompanying equipment and room conditions.
I do care about how it sounds because I already have a WIIM pro that for my usecase has the same functionality as the Ultra. i don't care for a screen or a better internal DAC, since I will be using it as a streamer only. So sound is primary for me.
I have read some reports of improved measurements between the two going in the favor of the Ultra. There are currently a few people going really deep on the measurement side of things on the Wiim forum.
@@MattCoykendall1 I will just wait for some reviewers with reference systems that can judge by ear what the improvements over the pro or pro plus are and how it compares to the Eversolo's or the Volumio's My hopes aren't very high tough. WIIM make decent hardware but the software side is their forte.
It does, but at the same time the pro is that you can adjust the parametric eq to work with your records, which other higher priced options like the eversolo a8 don’t provide. I know this defeats the purpose of analog, but 90% of new records are taken from digital masters anyway, and I like all my sources to sound similar rather than having everything sound different.
Here what i think wiim ultra (update hardware and sotfware dll exe software ) version model should have : 1) Since motherboard (with cpu that have gpu ) and graphic card that have many hdmi connectors. 2) Can i send music from pc ( music center, foobar musicbee) using hdmi pc to hdmi to wiim device ? For listen music i need to use microsoft directsound that is configure link to hdmi device or use to bypass microsoft OS the exlusive wasapi high definition audio of the hdmi device ( transparent hdmi of HC that use behave like the hdmi of my recent lg tv). With wasapi i have more db spl sound without change volume of HC avr or LG TV !! Volume seem control only by HC hdmi device. 3) Since wiim device has a internal dac and usb connector : ,can i use pc usb c to wiim usb c to listen audio . A FIio Q1 mark 2 portable device do this for headphone because fiio has a microsoft windows asio driver . Is there a wiim ultra asio driver ? 3) Does wiim ultra can receive sound rom phone using chromecast wifi protocol ? All my libratone speaker has a CCAudio connected to the input jack . 4) 2 sub out 5) 2 stereo pre out to bypass the internal amp and don't use the banana speaker level . 6) be able to use the second hdmi out connector that some HC avr has. Old audio device has a way to hear sound on 2 speaker A or 2 speaker B without the need to deconnect or reconnect speaker wire cable. The second hdmi in some HC avr is a kind a speaker B if the device behave like an hdmi to speaker device. HC mode can be A only, B only, A and B . Lest eversolo DMP A10 seem to have that but with rca and xlr pre out but cost 10x the price of xiim ultra !!!! Jriver is an HTPC ( sichbo dvbt tuner with IR wifi bt ) and HAPC ( foobar fiio) but need all in one ampli for view image and listen audio.. i want new kodi mce software !!! Microsoft should implement for hdmi and usb a multichannel driver ( asio, more stable flexible audio like apple core audio.). No way to edit in audio daw multichannel track mix using usb or hdmi. Does Dante routing channel software can do that without need HC HA stupid ampli ( auro 3D, dts atmos in listen mode only) . Having sub, room dsp eq, usb, hdmi is really great on WU for the price.
Had this for a week or so running my studio actives & sub that have made their way into our living room. Here are my thoughts. Firstly, this is an incredible thing for the money. Invaluable control with the room correction for anyone who hasn’t treated their room for the money. It’s made a hell of a difference for me. I also think they just updated the unit to set the screen sleep on the app. Bass management is great. I would like an auto phase check and delay set rather than just a user selectable delay. I don’t think the majority of Jo public will know how to set that. 180 phase flip is good but a delay essentially lets you set it perfectly. I’m relatively sure this can be done automatically even though I’ve always phase aligned speakers through physical or microphone measurement manually. Bass management included in the eq preset would be nice. I have different sub levels for 2.1 film and music which I have to adjust myself manually. It would be nice if there was a toggle to include bass management presets in the change. Also, sort of related, you can have different eq settings for different inputs and that doesn’t adjust the sub settings which is sometimes preferable but I’d rather have the option. The room eq takes over the parametric and you can’t use the graphic eq when that’s on. I accept this is a bit niche. When you do the room correction eq it adjusts all the bands on the parametric leaving you nothing left. If you turn the graphic on that turns the parametric off. I don’t know if the hardware can handle it but ideally both on at the same time would be ideal so the PEQ can be used for room correction and the graphic for personal taste broadband adjustment. Even better would be stackable PEQ where you set the room correction, save that so it’s always on and then use another set of PEQ & GEQ for personal preference. Again, I accept that 10 bands of PEQ is plenty for most people and it may only get used for their room correction but why have presets if that’s all it’s for :-). Finally, the room EQ algorithm isn’t perfect. If you try it twice and save the results you may get wildly different eq. However, it does a good job of getting you to a starting point much like AI. I tried it using the built in mic on an iPhone knowing full well it will be compromised and it did a reasonable job which I think will be great for anyone who is not comfortable starting. You can then save it and tweak it from there knowing if you mess up you can go back to the save. I haven’t yet compared it to a proper reference microphone and measurement software. But I’d be happy leaving it where it is with my few modifications as it sounds good and took 10 minutes including my tweaks and no extra hardware and relatively low skill. Final point, I know there’s a compromise for simplicity sometimes but it would be nice is there was more/easily findable explanations of why you need to set a delay for this or a curve for that in the literature or a link to it online with the unit. There’s some settings in there which just reference a certain desirable eq curve and offer no explanation. Why not stick a little I in a circle which explains it and shows you the curve and guides the user. It felt a bit like ‘well you should know that’ in places. I still don’t know how I’m going to get my reference mic into the measurement system to test it with a better mic as it’s not USB. I’m sure I’ll find out. Else I just won’t be able to try out the auto room correction with a good mic and I’ll have to do it all external.
@@outolempinimi5165 I use SMAART which probably has similar functionality and yes that would be something I will do when I get a spare day to do it. For now I've just used my ears. I may pass some feature requests on to WiiM. For now it shall be lost in the comment section 🙂
Great answer on how it sounds. I will get this because it has USB out and is transparent. My current WiiM pro is great, but I need the sub out and bass management.
I did not care for the USB output of the Ultra, even with a DDC. It was rather edgy and jittery. I was rather disappointed, I found the TOSLINK to sound the best in my system. But, I would still recommend purchasing for the Bass Management.
Great Video!!! Mine just came in on Wednesday. I have it paired In a third system with a Parasound z3 pre going into a pair of aiyima ao7 max in mono. I like it. I did not need this streamer as I have others such as the Eversolo etc. I call it audiophile FOMO. This streamer sounds great in the little setup I have it in. Great build quality, surprisingly nice screen. I’m impressed with it. I’m not sure why anyone would purchase a hires streamer and get upset that it didn’t have AirPlay. Or any wireless based/ multicast protocol. Wired for me 100% of the time. I never turn my streamers off. No point.
Glad to hear it met expectations, I like mine as well so far. It’s not perfect but for this price it’s already more than anyone else is offering and I would expect we will see more advancements in future firmware updates.
Every other Wiim device has Airplay built in so not having it in Wiim’s flagship product is a huge miss considering the installed base of Apple iPhone and Apple Music users.
@@jp93309I’m an iPhone user but I also value sound quality. I only use directly connected sources. Who needs Apple airplay, or chromecast in an audiophile device!?!? I never use any wireless multicast protocols for music listening. Not sure why it would be a showstopper. I mean buy an Apple TV then.
Just got mine and have to report that unfortunately the HDMI ARC does not work with active HDMI cables. This is despite the fact that the Bullet Train HDMI 2.1 active cable I am using passes ARC and CEC over standard copper anyway. The WiiM Ultra is the first product I have ever encountered that does not work with ARC over a high quality active cable. The strange part is volume control and CEC functions actually do work even though the TV doesn’t seem to think so. But of course, what does that matter If no audio signal is getting through? It does work with a standard passive nondirectional cable. Unfortunately for me, I could only set my Ultra close enough to the TV just to test that it was simply receiving a signal at all. As my electronics stack is on the opposite side of the room hence my active cable solution. The good news is on a passive cable at least even eARC with pass-through works. Though that is likely just a lucky break and by chance as I do not believe this is an officially certified eARC port. I have run this set up with this exact TV, which is an LG G2 on these exact cables (and I have two of them and tested both of them to be sure it wasn’t an individual cable) on multiple products in all kinds of classes and price points. Everything from a Sonos Amp which also features an ARC only port. To a Denon AVR-X4700H, a Sony STR-AZ5000ES, a Marantz AV10, and even a Trinnov Altitude. All of these had ARC or eARC working perfectly on this setup. I think WiiM’s big miss here is that they did not opt for a certified eARC port. As in my experience the eARC standard fixed a lot of old ARC’s problems. I have submitted a ticket to WiiM. I’m hoping that they can find a way to resolve this as I figure it is got to be at least a firmware issue of some kind and hopefully not a hardware issue. it’s a shame really because between this and the lack of AirPlay 2. An otherwise great product that sounds superb, especially for this crazy value of a price point has really shot itself in the foot, and will not be a good solution for many people. WiiM, if you read this comment: you need to fix this broken HDMI implementation, and rerelease the hardware with a trade up option after acquiring the AirPlay 2 certification. As there is little more agonizing than a “better” or “higher” product losing features. That is something that will never ever make sense on anything. You should’ve delayed the product for un finished products are incredibly frustrating. I would’ve gladly paid up to $500 for a product that included AirPlay 2 and went a step further with the HDMI implementation by allowing the unit to project a menu and playback information to the TV. And for future reference I’d consider paying up to almost $1000 for a product that features all of these things along with balanced stereo outputs and a balanced sub output, along with digital multi channel out, and a new top shelf discrete DAC such as the AKM 4499EX or Sabre ES9039 with an objectively transparent and noise silent analog preamp stage.
Thanks for letting us know the details, I dont have any active HDMI configurations in my setup so I just didn't run into this one. The support is generally pretty good so hopefully for your sake it can be a simple addition over a firmware update.
Thank you for looking into this and explaining it. I am not a big Airplay user, but I will be returning mine now that I know my Ultra does not have it because they did not wait for the certification. It is mind-boggling that all their other products have it, and they chose not to wait with the Ultra. For that, I will return mine. Besides, I just got the M1, and it destroys anything WiiM makes. Yes, they have fancier software, but all I care about is proper bass management, and they both have it, so I will get my money back.
WTF is up with all the Ultra reviews not saying anything about the sound? Yada yada features features - Man I can look that shit up myself! Tell me if its stable and how it sounds compared to similar devices like the Node.
I would say with an external DAC, the WiiM Ultra wins that one. I found the internal DAC of the Ultra to be a bit veiled and congested, the Node wins that one. I was really kind of disappointed, I expected better out of the Ultra. As far as stability, both the Node and the WiiM, at least in my case, were and are trouble free. I prefer the WiiM Pro+ or Ultra over the Node N130, I sold my Node. The WiiM simply offers so much more, and the built in room correction, EQ, PEQ and bass management take the Ultra to another level. Node better get to work, because they are more than likely losing market share.
@@michaelwright1602 Thanks! Couldn't find anything on the sound between the two. I have a Node N130 now and no DAC except the one build in to the Node. I think ill keep the Node for now thanks 🙂
@@christianh2247 Good choice, nothing wrong with the Node. But, when you hear the WiiM Ultra, and experience the software, that could be a game changer when you get an external DAC. That is what prompted me to sell my Node.
Here's a general comment you can take to the bank ... They *ALL* sound far more alike than different. 90% of the chocolaty mids and tunderous bass stuff is just advertising trying to get you to spend your money there instead of somewhere else. It is to Matt's credit that he does not play those kinds of childish games.
Old School here. I have a Pioneer Spec 1 preamp and a Spec 2 power amp I bought new in 1977. I use it mainly in the living/dining room area and have a couple of el cheapo huge loud speakers. The Wiim Ultra lets me give it a new life with streaming. I just received the WiiM Ultra today and had it all setup within an hour. I'm now listening to Amazon Music, Spotify and my Plex server. It all sounds great for these old ears. I have my theater room set up for movies and any critical listening on vinyl on some newer gear. Thanks for the video.
I think you did a great job of answering questions. There are a lot of new audiophiles to be out there and you are really helping them. I truly think that Wiim with their pricing strategy is going to capture a large market share and going to make some companies nervous. By the way, your screen saver made me think of that Don McLean song (Vincent) Starry Starry Night for some reason.
Thanks Mike, in all reality our hobby is pretty small so I just like doing my part to help grow it. This is a good product to help with the growth as well.
Room correction, re: EQ is underrated. Used it on Wiim Pro in big tube system. Superb.
Thanks Matt ! Well worth doing the follow up video, great job !
I would like to know how it functions as a player as in plugging in my USB SSD that includes my CD archival back up files. Will it recognize AAC or ALAC? Will it separate files by folder, artist, album?
I’ve had the WiiM Ultra on my home office desktop streaming Roon, Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect, Qobuz and FLAC & DSD files from my home NAS.
They drive a pair of Swan OS10s quite beautifully.
I have a Chord Mojo hooked up via Coax for headphones and an HDMI Arc connection to my LG OLED monitor for AppleTV.
Cheers
Update: I have a WiiM pro and Android Samsung S24 Ultra. 2 days ago Room Corection appeared after a software update in the WiiM app. Ran the Room Corection and it sounds great.
Saw this as well. I haven't tried it yet though
Thank you for your video. I just bought the WiiM and enjoyed watching and learning
Perfect. Job one is connectivity, usability and (above all) stability and reliability. What has had so many of us running from earlier products is the frustration of dropped connections or (BluOS) having to reload apps and re-configure ad nauseum. If this device provides that kind of usability, utility and consistency then this audiophile is all in. Nice follow up to a good initial review. Thanks.
Its buggy, wont turn off, and screen flickers like hell.
Very honest review. Congratulations 🎉 It’s hard to convince anyone that a so cheap product has a huge impact and value for the money.
Thanks for watching!
I enjoy your channel!
I have shared many reviews with my friends.
Keep them coming.
Much appreciated!
Outstanding as always Matt! Thank you and keep up the great work.
You bet!
Thanks Matt. I feel I have a good overview to make an informed buying decision.
Glad to hear it!
Good to know in no uncertain terms from an actual user that USB OUT works to feed an external DAC. I want to use the better jitter reducing clock circuit in an external DAC, and USB's asynchronous output is a good way to do so. Thanks!
Glad I could help!
but you cant use sub out while using usb out. FAIL
@@codyparnellI connect a subwoofer using speaker level inputs.
Wow, so this can be used as a Streamer + Room Correction, but then fed to my DAC (via USB) ? Lot of value here.
I use room correction to position my speakers. I don’t like the digital constrained sound of the resulting EQ corrections.
There is a "Turn Off Screen in Standby Mode". It wasn't working at first but now it does after an update. Everything else about that section is true.
@MattCoykendall1 Hi! could you test if the usb would work with an usb HUB? I'm interested to use it with hard drive and external DAC link at the same time. Thank youuuu
USB hub works
@@MattCoykendall1 that's great! 😘
So I have a lg sound bar which works well nice sound
But I got into these echo studio speakers which sound amazing (2x echo studios +sub)& can only group together in the Alexa app max 3
When playing music from Amazon Music I can get both systems working together with a very slight delay (mad echoing)
When I came across the Wiim it mentioned syncing systems in multiroom situations
So is it possible to play both speaker setups through the Wiim with the speakers working in unison ❓🙂
Great 2nd follow-up review on WiiM Ultra! Thank you^^
No problem!
Pl do a comparison of wiim ultra vs DMP-a6. My question even though dmp a-6 costs 2X, is it worth going for
hi Matt will the ultra allow file playing and sorting from a usb portable hdd that is not powered externally? I have 625 cds ripped onto a 1tb portable seagate freeagent go. It always works on my laptop but i am not sure if the usb on the wiim ultra will work. wiim website unhelpful. thanks in advance
You've introduced a great product. How about a recommendation for budget amp and speakers or perhaps a powered speaker with inputs?
I really appreciated this. One of the best things about Wiim is their product support. How they managed to get ten bands of PEQ to work on the mini -- and do it for free! -- is incredible. When my two yr old Mini bricked, not only did they respond to my emails (!) they actually sent a replacement free. I am intrigued by the Ultra. I wonder if there are any use cases that would make it a better option than a mini + a good DAC?
The major limitation on the mini is no room correction.
@@MattCoykendall1 I find that using house curve to measure and generate peq settings for the mini works pretty well. I imagine this gets similar results to the built in room correction in the Ultra. It would be interesting to compare!
I have a functionality question. I'm using a Wiim Pro to stream into my stereo system, which is also built around my TV and doubles as a home theater. I have setup the Pro to pass through the optical from the TV to my DAC. It automatically detects an in-coming optical signal and passes switches to that input within a few seconds. However, the automatic switching is not 100% reliable. It has gotten better, but sometimes it won't switch properly. As a result, I'm running a second DAC with an optical splitter so that my GF can press "input 1" on the preamp remote and get TV sound, no questions asked. The switching speed and reliability have improved with updates.. But I have found that if I use Tidal connect while the TV is playing, then it will disable the automatic detection and not re-enable it for quite some time. My only concrete reason to upgrade to the Ultra would be improved sound quality and and potential reliability. Have you tested with a TV? If so, could you find any instances where the Ultra gets confused and doesn't pass thgrough the signal? Thanks!
Run the TV output directly to the DAC.
The Wiim not needed.
@@IronHorsey3 My DAC doesn't have a remote. So switching its input isn't a GF friendly solution.
@@zackw4941 - Quite a bummer.
Thanks for sharing.
Slight of topic question.
If your using the rca's out from the dac to your home theater system do you lose the 5.1 output from a tv movie with dolby digital signal and just get stereo output ?
Thanks
@@deadline7610 My whole system is only two channel. But I don't believe the Wiim supports any kind of surround sound. If you owned a surround sound receiver or processor, you would want to plug that into the eARC port on your TV instead and hook up the Wiim another way. The receiver would most likely have analog and digital aux inputs.
In a system like mine, it would be setup how it is, Wiim to DAC to pre-amp to power amp to speakers. If I integrated a surround receiver, that would plug into the TV and the front left and right channels on the receiver would go to the pre-amp in bypass mode and then on to the power amp. The other speakers if I had them, might be driven directly by the receiver.
My Ultra volume isn’t consistent, do you know how to make it play at the same volume through all songs played? Thanks for the information. I just purchased this and am still wondering if I made a mistake. Subbing and liking, thanks again.
If you have an iPhone , you’ll find this facility in the equaliser . It’s called sound check and it makes everything the same volume level.
Using fixed output and bypassing the DSP volume control would be the more hi-fi thing to do 😉
Haha agreed
That would be better fidelity, but don't you lose the single volume control for subwoofer out and power amp.
@@Never2Late2GiveUp i imagine so. The solution would be an analog volume stage…the Eversolo A8 has a nice one…i believe it’s a resistor ladder.
Just ordered one, should be here tomorrow. Using in place of the Node2i. I think the room correction and equalizer will improve a few things in my system plus having a hdmi input should improve the tv sound over optical. My biggest issue is the day after ordering I see that node is coming out with three new units. The mini would make a great budget streamer only for a no frills item that still uses the great blusound app for control and streamer options.
What's the brand of your integrated amp underneath the Wiim Ultra, please ?
Can you use it as a music server and plug in a hard drive into the USB or can it detect a NAS drive on your network and serve music that way? Im looking for a streamer and music server unit thanks
My line-in input appears to be overloading with just a 700mv max input (pre sensitivity on 0db).
I have set it on -6db and it seems to have fixed the issue. This needs sorting out on the next update, surely?
Are the music streaming services like Tidal and Spotify cast to the Ultra or does the Ultra have these within its software like an app? Thanks
Only "if" you were going to step up the dac, which external dac would you think is near or below the $250.00 range, if any?
Question for anyone. I bought a Wiim Ultra to connect my new TV to a 2.1 system comprising a Fosi Bluetooth amp , a pair of Sony 55s, and an old powered sub. Everything works great together. But have I gained anything for better streaming audio? Up to now, I’ve been streaming UA-cam and Apple Music from my iPhone to the Fosi via BT. Previously, I couldn’t see the need for a dedicated streamer, but the Ultra looked like a sexy solution for the HDMI interface I needed. Now I can stream Amazon Music through the Wiim via WiFi, but I still need my phone for controlling the Wiim Ultra. When listening to streaming audio, what advantage is provided to by streaming through the Wiim (besides the s/w eq, room connection, etc.) to the amp, vs BT from my phone to the amp?
Thanks for answering my question regarding potential Air Play and Apple Music support via a future f/w update.
Thank you so much for this one.
You bet!
Hi Matt. Is there a tutorial on setting up room correction on the WIIM Ultra? Could you offer up some tips? I managed to save two GRAPHIC EQ room correction that sounded amazing but when I added my sub to the Wii it would only test and correct and save in a Parametric configuration (which did not help to improve my listening experience)
Glad you mentioned no AirPlay. My main system used a Node. Although Tidal is my main source, I’m an XM subscriber too. I like XM (Deep Tracks, Classic Vinyl) as well. No app support means XM gets AirPlay on my office WiiM Mini, Schiit Modi3. Not like I’m planning on “upgrading” just to have album covers on a screen I can’t see from across the room, but good info when someone asks me.
Hello does this device supports UA-cam music?
You would need to use chromecast, no integrated app in the software for this at this point.
So would it be better to get this instead of a dac? Then add an Amp to have headphone out?
Great vids Matt, really informative! I know this can very TV dependant, but any lip sync issues when using the HDMI ARC port? Also I think you covered this and it seems the answer is no, but is it possible to have the screen time out on certain inputs? For instance if you don't want the screen glaring at you when watching a film or listening to your turntable. Thanks!
I didn't notice any sync issues with my tv anyways but like you mentioned there are a lot of variables with different brands. You can set the screen to turn off when your not actively touching it, once you touch the screen it comes back on.
@@MattCoykendall1 Ah perfect thank you! I have a wonderful Lyngdorf TDAI 1120 currently, works brilliantly, sounds great, but there's something drawing me to this wiim and wanting to use it with a separate power amp. Just to try something different. I don't think it would be an upgrade so it's not upgrade-itis, more try something different-itis 🙈
Great videos on this! Im considering using this, mostly for streaming over Chromecast, with my 6000a as well and am slightly confused about the different options for connecting them.
If using this into the 6000a, with a sub connected to the Wiim, what are the differences between using the 6000a in its different modes, and connecting the devices via RCA vs optical? My understanding is connecting via RCA would use the Wiim's DAC while via optical would use the 6000a's DAC. I'm guessing the latter would be preferable? And does the mode of the 6000a affect this, or does mode just effect what controls volume?
I've heard so much talk about using "Chromecast" for streaming but getting information on what it is, what it does, what one needs to use it, how it sounds is nearly impossible. Do you have any info on this?
random question but do any eq adjustments made on the wiim affect the analog and phono input as well?
Yes.
You can assign different eq to each input.
Nice video. To confirm, will the usb input show album artwork form a usb stick with music files ?
What about a separate power supply? Any recommendations?
Hi really need your opinion on the wiim ultra vs eversolo dmp a6me. Is there a big difference in sound quality. Was going to buy either the a6me or the a8 but wiim came out with this product. I am building a simple system. Your recommended streamer directly into my amplifier. Thanks again
Thanks Matt, another great one. I'll give a try to the Ultra's phono stage. If it makes me sell my zen phono it will be one of the best invests in my whole life.
I'm using a Schiit Mani into the line-in and this input appears to be overloading with just a 700mv max input (pre sensitivity on 0db).
I have set it on -6db and it seems to have fixed the issue. This needs sorting out on the next update, surely?
Another question… can you add AirPlay connectivity with a device like the Belkin SoundForm Connect AirPlay 2 Adapter & Airplay 2 Receiver interfaced to the toslink input? Thank you for the video. Take care.
Yes
@@sneakyds You should let the community know. I’m only familiar by name with the Bellingham but I don’t know if there are others that might fill this void. Would be a good topic for a short video. Just a suggestion. Take care.
@@stevenwaldstein2249 sorry, which community?
Is the crossover a high pass and low pass filter (sending high frequencies to the analog out and low frequencies to the sub out)? Thanks.
Yes and yes
@@MattCoykendall1 Thanks for the reply. I'm doing research to get back into the hobby. I always had a stereo setup as a kid (receiver and two speakers) and l'm looking into getting my first "real" 2.1 setup. With the high pass/ low pass capability, the Wiim Ultra is definitely a contender for my system. Thanks again.
@@DavidBrown-eo3hw you bet, good luck on your audio journey!
I currently have a WiiM Mini using optical out into a 6000a (using the 6000a DAC). I'm curious if you tested the Ultra with your 6000a in this way? Is the Ultra and its upgraded ESS DAC a notable step up from the 6000a's internal DAC? I'm pretty happy with my current setup, the Mini is definitely a barebones, yet highly capable, device.
The DAC in the 6000a is fine a 9018 if I remember correct. That won’t be where the difference would be made in this case, the biggest benefit might be the room correction that isn’t offered on the mini hardware. The mini is a great device and I use one to this day so don’t feel like your missing out on any new found clarity, it’s more so the other features, hdmi, RC and what not.
@@MattCoykendall1 Thanks for the insight. Keep up the great vids. Your CSS Critons are beautiful, btw. Really nicely done finish work!
I was going to ask this same question
I found the Ultra internal DAC to be a disappointment, it is rather veiled and congested on my system. I was hoping for better, as my external DAC uses the same chip. Night and day.
Is the room correction accomplished thru the internal dac? Meaning if I used the ultra with an external dac would the room correction feature be disabled / negated?
I am using the WiiM Pro with an SMSL SU-1 DAC and Room correction. The Room Correction and EQ are done in the Digital area so the WiiM internal DAC will not be used.
The phono pre is actually fairly acceptable for an entry level turntable..
Always educational - Enjoyed video- Thank you Matt!- however really, found (Samsung Frame)? visual image change very distracting. Tuned into to see what you were saying as my priority. Just sayin.
As an avid CD collector, I also love streaming music, but do I really "need" this (the Wiim Ultra), if I'm already able to stream nearly any music service through my Marantz receivers using the HEOS app?
How does it compare sound wise to the Wiim Pro+?
So no airplay but can I listen to music via the Hdmi input from an iPad and get hi res?
Isn't there a per input volume setting? Setting the analog input to max volume for HT bypass use perhaps?
Not a bad idea, that should work here
Thank you for your inputs on the WIIM ultra
I have a question ok two
1. I’m thinking of using the coax Out to my Genelec Digital Input
Can I still use the sub out in conjunction ?
2. I’m confused between the Audiolab 6000 A play and the Ultra
The 6000 A play gives me a great amp which I would need and a better DAC
Streaming on the 6000 sux but I could use a WIIM mini just for that.
So Ultra or 6000 A play
if you had to choose
Thanks 🙏
Did you find out about the USB out in conjunction with sub out? I'm have the same doubt.
how do you connect a cd transport to this device?
I’m fine with AirPlay not being supported, but can you use it with Apple Music from an Apple TV connected to your tv along with the WiiM ultra. Is there anything special regarding the setup?
Yes should be no problem with a hdmi cable from ARC out to HDMI in from Ultra.
Great video! But... it seems that all the reviews I see don't answer by question. I currently have 4 sonos amps and 3 sonos connects all running on the S1 system. How well does the wiim connect with one another? If I want all the same music playing in my house the sonos does it perfectly. As well as each different room or zone playing different music. None of my sonos and hard wired to my internet they seem to have their own network. I mainly use Spotify and Pandora and occasionally my files from my computer. Does wiim do all that? The price point of the wiim is much better than splurging for all new sonos on the S2 system. Please let me know. Thanks.
The Wiim Ultra can do that if you select one of the streaming platforms like Google Cast or Airplay. I open Spotify on my phone and select if I want the music to stream on the Wiim Ultra, or on a 'group' of different Google Cast speakers throughout the house (which may not may not include the Wiim Ultra - I specify that when creating speaker groups in the Google Home app). An example is that I can be listening to Spotify on my Wiim Ultra system, but then I change the speaker in Spotify to my 'Main Level Group' - which includes the Wiim Ultra, a speaker in my kitchen, and a speaker in my entryway.
Excellent follow-up video!
Do you happen to know why there is no sound coming out of my Wiim ULTRA on HDMI input. HDMI input is connected to my TV HDMI ARC which is set to ARC mode. My WiiM ULTRA is connected to USB out to my Denafrips IRIS DDC / ARESII DAC, which goes to FREYA+ preamp?
Does the USB out function properly to the Ares DAC? If yes does the HDMI function if the USB is unplugged? Just trying to work through if it’s possibly a bug with the USB out.
USB out to DDC/DAC is working great with Tidal streaming and Optical in which has the Audiolab 6000CDT CD player connected. The ULTRA detects the input when I play something from the TV because it automatically switch over to HDMI input by itself, but there is no sound coming out. Will check later to see if I use the COAX out, instead of the USB out works and get back to you. Thanks.
Also check the tv setting in case it’s defaulting to something strange
@@MattCoykendall1
Most TVs do require you to select "HDMI-ARC" as the output in the sound menus.
Keep up the great work
I bought the WiiM ultra and its a great product, I added a SMSL SU1 DAC to it but the WiiM ultra DAC is great as well.
Is it worth it to buy the smsl? Or the internal DAC is more or less the same?
@@zombielandiii2711 The WiiM ultra DAC isn't bad, the SMSL SU1 is slightly better not a lot better to my ears. knowing what I hear now I'd just keep the WiiM ultra without the SMSL SU1 DAC.
@@zombielandiii2711
Don't expect major differences, if any at all. Finetuning with the EQ will be the best 'upgrade'. Btw, I own them both.
My Wiim Ultra wont map to my NAS directly via IP path.. DLNA works but my NAS only maps one share in DLNA . The Wiim Home DESKTOP app maps fine (eg \\192.168.0.10\share\music), but grts an error via Android app. Plex works ok BUT it maps on the PC, i need it to map to NAS as jts always on. Help!
Hello, can I play music from Wiim Ultra into Denon Home 150s speakers through Wi-Fi ou Wired Networking, or any somehow way to use Denon Home 150s Speakers with this Wiim Ultra? Thanks
Thanks for the followup! Great to see!
I do have a question. I'm always wondering about why devices like this don't support DTS and Dolby, etc. If the device is designed to connect to a TV and the predominant audio format (lossless) is in these two formats, why do we never see audiophile gear support it? Beyond this, one question I can never really get answered is, if the TV obviously supports those formats and has to convert them to PCM, does it remain lossless and that's essentially what we're getting on a device like this? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Can this Wiim replace the RIP Logitech Touch as a streamer with a screen to connect to a DAC without the need to an app installed in a cell ?
Can you connect to a wiim ultra a turntable w/ built in pre amp or using an ext. phono amp?
Either works, if the turntable has a built in phono pre you want to use just go in the standard input, if your turn table doesn’t have a built in go into the phono input.
I’m trying to play my music files on my computer through the Wiim using WiFi. The files show up on the Wiim screen, and appear to be playing, but I get no sound. I have streaming activated on the computer, and it recognizes the Wiim. The Wiim shows the files in its directory. I’ve tried the various sound settings on the. Computer. It was working at one time, but then I lost sound.
No Airplay, no purchase (yet). Bummer because I was saving up to upgrade from my Wiim Mini. That display screen and form factor were the big draw for me.
If Airplay is key in your setup just keep an eye on this, I have a feeling we will see a hardware revision in the future once they have certification.
@@MattCoykendall1 I use an Apple TV as an easy work around for airplay as I have it hooked up to my Tv anyway.
nad products will push display info on to a display that is connected to arc. I hope the wiim gets that feature
I bought the ultra, and for 8 days I was happy with this unit, then it died : ( all outputs nothing was happening, luckily I could send it back to the book store . I went online and Yes there are issues, screens, outputs, and other things . So I'm going to leave it awhile and see if reliability improves. I really liked the features too .
I ll buy this wiim ultra , i am in hifi for 30 years , and i am new to dac s and streaming ( i didn t live on the moon ) is it s good stsrting point or maybe better a laiV dac and dedicated streamer ?
I need a stereo device with 4 HDMI in and two HDMI out. And the normal connections a normal DAC has. I dont want surround, but no stereo device has this 🤔
Matt, when are we getting Roon certification? I have the Pro+ running through my Roon Nucleus One and am blown away at the sound quality improvements.
It now has it…
@@sneakyds It sounds really really good too. I picked up the Roon Nucleus One and am not looking back.
Also pre-ordered mine. Got today an mail about the airplay situation. Seems like they don't know for sure if it can be anabled per software update, but maybeee it is: We also cannot say whether this will be possible in the future via a software update.
It would certainly be a huge turn of events if they figured it out without a hardware change but at this point I am not optimistic.
Maybe I missed this, but can you plug thumbdrive into it and play music from that USB thumbdrive?
Yes it doubles as a input for a media library as well as usb output to a DAC
@MattCoykendall1 Hi! could you test if the usb would work with an usb HUB? I'm interested to use it with hard drive and external DAC link at the same time. Thank youuuu
I own the Ultra and found out that the Sub Out doesn’t work when using the USB out to feed an external DAC, thought that this should be noted set up.
Hello, did any update helped to achieve that combination yet?
Hello, did any update helped to achieve that combination yet?
Nice! I ordered mine already and it should come around August 9. I wonder if it will sum to my Onkyo RZ 50 playing Tidal or Qobuz? I know that those apps are integrated already in the Onkyo but they sound awful. I have a pair of Wharfedale Diamond 9.5 speakers that do sound much better when i play music through my Macbook Air to a Ifi one DAC to an analogue input on the AVR. Ive read that the DAC on this Wimm Ultra sound very good. That the main point on why i bought this streamer. Thanks!
Hi, i'm a bit new to all this so bear with me. I'm about to rip my CD collection to FLAC files & store on a HDD, can I use the USB to connect & will it read the files. Thanks.
I am planning the same. I think it does.
On the topic of sound quality ....
We've reached a point where all this stuff is far more alike than different. All the specs tell us there will be no audible defects or enhancements... so describing sound (in audiophile terms, at least) is simply a waste of time.
Matt is correct when he describes these as "transparent". A proper DAC, Streamer, Amplifier, Pre-Amp etc. should not have a voice of it's own. It should be attempting to reproduce the recorded audio waveform as accurately as possible. That is, after all, the very definition of "High Fidelity".
That is not true. Apart from power related differences due to noisy power supplies causing trouble, there is also the issue of clocking and the time domain. That is a neglected area in cheaper gear. PRAT is an important part of music.
@@D1N02
You had me right up until you said "Prat" .... Which is just a bullsmudge made-up audiophile thing.
@@D1N02the OP is correct. And “power” is one of the worst snake oil campaigns in audio. Now you aren’t incorrect about low noise power supplies being good. That point is true in a vacuum at least. The problem is how exaggerated the overall importance of the power supply is. Most modern power supplies are perfectly fine provided they supply the given product’s full demand , and I would agree that a little headroom is good. But if they are in spec, they most likely don’t have any audible noise concerns. It’s just modern technology, it is generally more than good enough, and has been for years, and especially in just the last few years. It is also worth noting that a linear power supply is NOT automatically better than a SMPS either. Good SMPS implementations on these super quiet GaN based Class D obviously aren’t causing any problems, and this is easily measured and quantified. The Hi-Fi ruse is coming to an end. Take it from a guy who is in the industry and sees the writing on the wall. Ultra-Fi will survive due to the money and egos of the ultra rich who otherwise don’t care about value or even truth for that matter. But most of Hi-Fi is in for a rude awakening. Millennials, and Gen Z are not buying overpriced gear. They grew up building their own PCs and watching Linus Tech Tips and others scientifically debunk snake oil cables, along with other things. They know what these internal components are actually worth.
@@lukerestlessstudios
Too many people listening to too many people who stand to make a lot of money from the people listening to them.
We've become a hobby overseen by opportunists with no better interest than parting us from our money.
@@Douglas_Blake_579 Bingo. And that said I’d even say I’ve meant people who are otherwise decent folk who really believe all this stuff, and it’s not to say that they make a “bad” product. It might even be a really good, and excellent sounding product just ignoring price for a moment. However one can be honest and decent but just simply wrong. And in that wrongness build a completely unnecessary and price bloated product that again might be good in a vacuum but is just not necessary, and lacks appreciable value because it is so far past having already slammed straight and headfirst into the wall of diminishing returns.
Any idea if Wiim is going to offer a power amp to pair with the Ultra? Seems like the logical next step.
What I gather the next release is the WiiM Amp 2 but I agree a power amp would be the move.
Every 4 to 5 years, a small device comes along and makes everything else look stupid. The mini and the ultra are such devices.🎉🎉
is it possible to stick a USB/SSD drive in the back of the wiim ultra and play when the device is not connected to the network?
I don’t think so, USB input is not an available selection on the unit alone, it is only available through the app on my Iphone or Ipad.
@@ehulbert5 thx
If I use DAC out, will I be able to use sub out too?
Yes
@@MattCoykendall1 That's cool, as I heard that sub out will work via Optical out. I didn't know that via USB too. Thanks!
Excellent review. I support fully your decision not to attempt to describe the sound. In my view equipment reviews should only cover functionality as the sound made by any kit will vary wildly with accompanying equipment and room conditions.
I do care about how it sounds because I already have a WIIM pro that for my usecase has the same functionality as the Ultra. i don't care for a screen or a better internal DAC, since I will be using it as a streamer only. So sound is primary for me.
I have read some reports of improved measurements between the two going in the favor of the Ultra. There are currently a few people going really deep on the measurement side of things on the Wiim forum.
@@MattCoykendall1 I will just wait for some reviewers with reference systems that can judge by ear what the improvements over the pro or pro plus are and how it compares to the Eversolo's or the Volumio's My hopes aren't very high tough. WIIM make decent hardware but the software side is their forte.
You will likely be more interested in the Volumio Motivo I have coming up soon.
@@MattCoykendall1Look forward to it Volumio !!! , Please include the big name OEMs under that platform
I think I’ll get a wiim amp as I only want an amp with hdmi to my tv with a sub. The trouble with the wiim ultra has no amp
Excellent
Thanks
I'm guessing that the phono input must go through an analog to digital converter which would make it much less attractive
It does, but at the same time the pro is that you can adjust the parametric eq to work with your records, which other higher priced options like the eversolo a8 don’t provide. I know this defeats the purpose of analog, but 90% of new records are taken from digital masters anyway, and I like all my sources to sound similar rather than having everything sound different.
can it play dsf dxd, iso, ape files?
Here what i think wiim ultra (update hardware and sotfware dll exe software ) version model should have :
1) Since motherboard (with cpu that have gpu ) and graphic card that have many hdmi connectors.
2) Can i send music from pc ( music center, foobar musicbee) using hdmi pc to hdmi to wiim device ? For listen music i need to use microsoft directsound that is configure link to hdmi device or use to bypass microsoft OS the exlusive wasapi high definition audio of the hdmi device ( transparent hdmi of HC that use behave like the hdmi of my recent lg tv). With wasapi i have more db spl sound without change volume of HC avr or LG TV !! Volume seem control only by HC hdmi device.
3) Since wiim device has a internal dac and usb connector : ,can i use pc usb c to wiim usb c to listen audio . A FIio Q1 mark 2 portable device do this for headphone because fiio has a microsoft windows asio driver . Is there a wiim ultra asio driver ?
3) Does wiim ultra can receive sound rom phone using chromecast wifi protocol ? All my libratone speaker has a CCAudio connected to the input jack .
4) 2 sub out
5) 2 stereo pre out to bypass the internal amp and don't use the banana speaker level .
6) be able to use the second hdmi out connector that some HC avr has. Old audio device has a way to hear sound on 2 speaker A or 2 speaker B without the need to deconnect or reconnect speaker wire cable. The second hdmi in some HC avr is a kind a speaker B if the device behave like an hdmi to speaker device. HC mode can be A only, B only, A and B .
Lest eversolo DMP A10 seem to have that but with rca and xlr pre out but cost 10x the price of xiim ultra !!!! Jriver is an HTPC ( sichbo dvbt tuner with IR wifi bt ) and HAPC ( foobar fiio) but need all in one ampli for view image and listen audio.. i want new kodi mce software !!!
Microsoft should implement for hdmi and usb a multichannel driver ( asio, more stable flexible audio like apple core audio.). No way to edit in audio daw multichannel track mix using usb or hdmi. Does Dante routing channel software can do that without need HC HA stupid ampli ( auro 3D, dts atmos in listen mode only) . Having sub, room dsp eq, usb, hdmi is really great on WU for the price.
WiiM Amp Pro that is coming out also has no AirPlay. I guess relations with Apple went south.
Not sure what the deal is but I do know I have the pro model on its way for review
JUST BOUGHT 1' I ALREADY HAVE THE NAD M10' FOR FRONT ROOM' MY ULTRA WILL PAIR WITH 'THE FIVE'S IN B.R.
usb out does work, but you can not use usb out and sub out at the same time. deal breaker for me
WiiM app is way better looking than BluOS. Bluesound paid a lot for a visual refresh but it was implemented very poorly.
Had this for a week or so running my studio actives & sub that have made their way into our living room. Here are my thoughts.
Firstly, this is an incredible thing for the money. Invaluable control with the room correction for anyone who hasn’t treated their room for the money. It’s made a hell of a difference for me. I also think they just updated the unit to set the screen sleep on the app.
Bass management is great. I would like an auto phase check and delay set rather than just a user selectable delay. I don’t think the majority of Jo public will know how to set that. 180 phase flip is good but a delay essentially lets you set it perfectly. I’m relatively sure this can be done automatically even though I’ve always phase aligned speakers through physical or microphone measurement manually.
Bass management included in the eq preset would be nice. I have different sub levels for 2.1 film and music which I have to adjust myself manually. It would be nice if there was a toggle to include bass management presets in the change. Also, sort of related, you can have different eq settings for different inputs and that doesn’t adjust the sub settings which is sometimes preferable but I’d rather have the option.
The room eq takes over the parametric and you can’t use the graphic eq when that’s on. I accept this is a bit niche. When you do the room correction eq it adjusts all the bands on the parametric leaving you nothing left. If you turn the graphic on that turns the parametric off. I don’t know if the hardware can handle it but ideally both on at the same time would be ideal so the PEQ can be used for room correction and the graphic for personal taste broadband adjustment. Even better would be stackable PEQ where you set the room correction, save that so it’s always on and then use another set of PEQ & GEQ for personal preference. Again, I accept that 10 bands of PEQ is plenty for most people and it may only get used for their room correction but why have presets if that’s all it’s for :-).
Finally, the room EQ algorithm isn’t perfect. If you try it twice and save the results you may get wildly different eq. However, it does a good job of getting you to a starting point much like AI. I tried it using the built in mic on an iPhone knowing full well it will be compromised and it did a reasonable job which I think will be great for anyone who is not comfortable starting. You can then save it and tweak it from there knowing if you mess up you can go back to the save.
I haven’t yet compared it to a proper reference microphone and measurement software. But I’d be happy leaving it where it is with my few modifications as it sounds good and took 10 minutes including my tweaks and no extra hardware and relatively low skill.
Final point, I know there’s a compromise for simplicity sometimes but it would be nice is there was more/easily findable explanations of why you need to set a delay for this or a curve for that in the literature or a link to it online with the unit. There’s some settings in there which just reference a certain desirable eq curve and offer no explanation. Why not stick a little I in a circle which explains it and shows you the curve and guides the user. It felt a bit like ‘well you should know that’ in places.
I still don’t know how I’m going to get my reference mic into the measurement system to test it with a better mic as it’s not USB. I’m sure I’ll find out. Else I just won’t be able to try out the auto room correction with a good mic and I’ll have to do it all external.
I think this would get much more needed attention at Wiim forums. For calibrated results why not use REW and transfer the results to Wiim PEQ?
@@outolempinimi5165 I use SMAART which probably has similar functionality and yes that would be something I will do when I get a spare day to do it. For now I've just used my ears.
I may pass some feature requests on to WiiM. For now it shall be lost in the comment section 🙂
Great answer on how it sounds. I will get this because it has USB out and is transparent. My current WiiM pro is great, but I need the sub out and bass management.
I did not care for the USB output of the Ultra, even with a DDC. It was rather edgy and jittery. I was rather disappointed, I found the TOSLINK to sound the best in my system. But, I would still recommend purchasing for the Bass Management.
Great Video!!! Mine just came in on Wednesday. I have it paired In a third system with a Parasound z3 pre going into a pair of aiyima ao7 max in mono. I like it. I did not need this streamer as I have others such as the Eversolo etc. I call it audiophile FOMO. This streamer sounds great in the little setup I have it in. Great build quality, surprisingly nice screen. I’m impressed with it. I’m not sure why anyone would purchase a hires streamer and get upset that it didn’t have AirPlay. Or any wireless based/ multicast protocol. Wired for me 100% of the time. I never turn my streamers off. No point.
Glad to hear it met expectations, I like mine as well so far. It’s not perfect but for this price it’s already more than anyone else is offering and I would expect we will see more advancements in future firmware updates.
I'll take your Eversolo, what model do you have
Every other Wiim device has Airplay built in so not having it in Wiim’s flagship product is a huge miss considering the installed base of Apple iPhone and Apple Music users.
@@BoRerunn I have a DMP-A6 going into a Gustard R26 dac
@@jp93309I’m an iPhone user but I also value sound quality. I only use directly connected sources. Who needs Apple airplay, or chromecast in an audiophile device!?!? I never use any wireless multicast protocols for music listening. Not sure why it would be a showstopper. I mean buy an Apple TV then.
Just got mine and have to report that unfortunately the HDMI ARC does not work with active HDMI cables. This is despite the fact that the Bullet Train HDMI 2.1 active cable I am using passes ARC and CEC over standard copper anyway. The WiiM Ultra is the first product I have ever encountered that does not work with ARC over a high quality active cable. The strange part is volume control and CEC functions actually do work even though the TV doesn’t seem to think so. But of course, what does that matter If no audio signal is getting through? It does work with a standard passive nondirectional cable. Unfortunately for me, I could only set my Ultra close enough to the TV just to test that it was simply receiving a signal at all. As my electronics stack is on the opposite side of the room hence my active cable solution. The good news is on a passive cable at least even eARC with pass-through works. Though that is likely just a lucky break and by chance as I do not believe this is an officially certified eARC port. I have run this set up with this exact TV, which is an LG G2 on these exact cables (and I have two of them and tested both of them to be sure it wasn’t an individual cable) on multiple products in all kinds of classes and price points. Everything from a Sonos Amp which also features an ARC only port. To a Denon AVR-X4700H, a Sony STR-AZ5000ES, a Marantz AV10, and even a Trinnov Altitude. All of these had ARC or eARC working perfectly on this setup. I think WiiM’s big miss here is that they did not opt for a certified eARC port. As in my experience the eARC standard fixed a lot of old ARC’s problems. I have submitted a ticket to WiiM. I’m hoping that they can find a way to resolve this as I figure it is got to be at least a firmware issue of some kind and hopefully not a hardware issue. it’s a shame really because between this and the lack of AirPlay 2. An otherwise great product that sounds superb, especially for this crazy value of a price point has really shot itself in the foot, and will not be a good solution for many people. WiiM, if you read this comment: you need to fix this broken HDMI implementation, and rerelease the hardware with a trade up option after acquiring the AirPlay 2 certification. As there is little more agonizing than a “better” or “higher” product losing features. That is something that will never ever make sense on anything. You should’ve delayed the product for un
finished products are incredibly frustrating. I would’ve gladly paid up to $500 for a product that included AirPlay 2 and went a step further with the HDMI implementation by allowing the unit to project a menu and playback information to the TV. And for future reference I’d consider paying up to almost $1000 for a product that features all of these things along with balanced stereo outputs and a balanced sub output, along with digital multi channel out, and a new top shelf discrete DAC such as the AKM 4499EX or Sabre ES9039 with an objectively transparent and noise silent analog preamp stage.
Thanks for letting us know the details, I dont have any active HDMI configurations in my setup so I just didn't run into this one. The support is generally pretty good so hopefully for your sake it can be a simple addition over a firmware update.
Thank you for looking into this and explaining it. I am not a big Airplay user, but I will be returning mine now that I know my Ultra does not have it because they did not wait for the certification. It is mind-boggling that all their other products have it, and they chose not to wait with the Ultra. For that, I will return mine. Besides, I just got the M1, and it destroys anything WiiM makes. Yes, they have fancier software, but all I care about is proper bass management, and they both have it, so I will get my money back.
I haven’t had my hands on the m1 yet, getting some good praises though.
@@MattCoykendall1 the one to look at for sure
WTF is up with all the Ultra reviews not saying anything about the sound? Yada yada features features - Man I can look that shit up myself! Tell me if its stable and how it sounds compared to similar devices like the Node.
I would say with an external DAC, the WiiM Ultra wins that one. I found the internal DAC of the Ultra to be a bit veiled and congested, the Node wins that one. I was really kind of disappointed, I expected better out of the Ultra. As far as stability, both the Node and the WiiM, at least in my case, were and are trouble free. I prefer the WiiM Pro+ or Ultra over the Node N130, I sold my Node. The WiiM simply offers so much more, and the built in room correction, EQ, PEQ and bass management take the Ultra to another level. Node better get to work, because they are more than likely losing market share.
@@michaelwright1602 Thanks! Couldn't find anything on the sound between the two. I have a Node N130 now and no DAC except the one build in to the Node. I think ill keep the Node for now thanks 🙂
@@christianh2247 Good choice, nothing wrong with the Node. But, when you hear the WiiM Ultra, and experience the software, that could be a game changer when you get an external DAC. That is what prompted me to sell my Node.
Here's a general comment you can take to the bank ... They *ALL* sound far more alike than different. 90% of the chocolaty mids and tunderous bass stuff is just advertising trying to get you to spend your money there instead of somewhere else.
It is to Matt's credit that he does not play those kinds of childish games.
@@Douglas_Blake_579 No disagreement there, it just depends on what you are looking for. Or wanting to hear.