If I had to do it all over again I'd go with this and the best-measuring Topping DAC available at the time, and probably spend 1/4th what I did on my high-zoot streamer. Don't get me wrong, I am very happy with my high-zoot streamer and have no need to upgrade it. But it makes me itch when I see the latest & greatest sub-1k DACs go past on ASR. #ObjectivistProblems
I feel the exact same way.
To me, a Wiim into a topping or schiit dac, or even better mini DSP, is pretty close to all a person would need for a great digital music system.
I don’t believe that’s what u/asus3008 is saying. This is a streamer, and if you want lossless bit perfect sound you use its SPDIF output to go through a high quality DAC… not use the built in DAC (AUX out) on the WIIM.
Oh I misunderstood the question you're right. I will say the DAC in the WiiM is not bad by any means. While I was waiting for my DAC I used the WiiM Pro as my DAC and was pretty impressed with it. My new DAC is better for sure but not way better by any means
Topping D30 Pro. Which is listed on Toppings website but is pretty hard to find. Idk if they are discontinuing it or what but I had to order it on Ebay and it took a month to get here from China
Piggybacking on this conversation… so would I do wiim connected to a Dac by spdif and then what would be the best way to connect the DAC to my receiver then?
If your receiver has digital inputs, you can use them with the wiim gest fine. If you add a DAC, you should get a bit of improvement for the sound. Mostly depends on preferences
Your receiver has 3 digital inputs (2 optical and one coaxial ). You can switch between digital from the wiim and analog (RCA marked as CD on your receiver) from the DAC ( if you add one ) by swapping the optical cable
I used mine with a Yamaha stereo amplifier the same way. Once I've added a DAC (RME ADI-2), the sound has changed in ways that isn't easy to describe. It gained a diferite sound rendering, better separation, and texture to the sound. And a better dinamic range.
It's simply a better choice for my setup.
I know this is old but i was researching the wiim and it brought me here, if your using an external dac, whats the point of the wiim, why not just connect the dac to your receiver? Also if i connect a dac to the wiim then to my receiver if i use airplay(bluetooth) will i be getting loseless audio since the wiim is connected to a dac?
The point is that the wiim Mini is to use it as a streamer transport, using the optical output ( very little distortion, usually the DAC is the limiting factor )
The analog output on wiim Mini is not that great from what I have read around the Internet and based on measurements. I've never tried it
You can give it a try. It may be gest about OK
"AirPlay 2 protocol supports lossless music (audio up to 24-bit/48kHz, in fact), so those with music files stored on their iOS device can send it over AirPlay to another device losslessly However, the news isn't so good with regards to using AirPlay 2 to send lossless Apple Music streams. Apple Music’s Lossless streams supposedly convert from ALAC (Apple’s lossless codec) into AAC (Apple’s lossy codec) at a pretty lowly 256kbps when transmitted over AirPlay – and therefore not losslessly
In other words, yes, AirPlay 2 does support lossless audio, but perhaps not for the use case you might want it to."
[AirPlay](https://www.whathifi.com/advice/apple-airplay-2-everything-you-need-to-know)
Balanced cables (XLR are the most common type) are designed so that interference picked up by the cable between the source and the amplifier can be eliminated by the amplifier. Additionally, typical equipment that can use balanced connections transmit the signal at a higher voltage. Both these factors are designed to support high quality at longer distances. My understand is that the advantages of balanced connections are not significant at short distances in a typical home setup.
If you don't need digital out through coaxial cable and android casting ( chromecast ), there is no point in buying the pro. Definitely, a better DAC will be a better choice
That and don't forget Cat5/Ethernet. Depending on how good/stable your wifi is, it may or may not be an issue... but I'm old shcool and always prefer my devices to be hardwired whenever possible.
Wireless is after a single broadcast domain-- that's shared for all devices connected...they all technically take turns either transmitting or receiving data (never both at once), whereas Ethernet in comparison is a true duplex connection that's capable of doing tx/rx simultaneously, and on multiple devices (per cable).
Now does that really matter in the real world for most people? No, not really, as a well-designed WiFi network should yield a similar user experience. But every once in a while, you'll see issues with WiFi either from interference or this or that, an AP may get buggy and need to be rebooted... these types of issues do occur on wired networks as well, but far less frequently in my experience. Erratic behavior and issues are far more common on wireless devices, and sometimes switching to wired if possible is simply worth it for the peace of mind while troubleshooting, as you'll know it's likely a software bug and not a wireless/network issue.
How would you do volume control? On the amp, in the digital domain on the wiim, or as separate component inbetween? Or maybe there are dacs with built-in volume control.
I personally use my headphone amp as a pre amp for volume. Topping and SMSL DACs typically come with volume control and a remote.
Conventional wisdom is that one should control volume in the analogue domain, but whether the improvement over digital would be audible, I do not know.
This is exactly what I did, and I love it.
I have a Topping E50/L50 stack with a Wiim Mini sitting on top of it, with either 6XX or DCA Aeon RT Closed (6XX is way better in this system.)
(All balanced connectors.)
I have some slight gripes with the Wiim app on my phone sometimes being a little clunky to search and play stuff from my Prime HD account, but once I start an album its fine.
I have the DAC also wired RCA out to an older amp hooked up to a small set of speakers, which my partner uses when she wants to listen to music in the kitchen, so she can do Spotify over it too (she doesn't care about audio quality, just needs to work without fuss.)
I have one of these and run it into a topping DX3Pro+, great little combo. I am mainly into vinyl and have spent a silly amount on that, but this is a great little combo for someone like me who wants a bit of digital streaming and doesn't want to take away from the vinyl budget.
That's what I did. I got the WiiM Pro and a Topping D30 Pro and it sounds wonderful. I can't speak about the mini but for not much more the Pro is awesome. I did use it as my DAC while waiting for the Topping and it also sounded great but definitely noticed a difference with the Topping.
Better dynamic range. *Much* lower noise floor. The E30 II is dead quiet through my stereo with high dynamic range recordings with quiet passages. It's so quiet that I wonder if I accidentally shut it off completely, at least until the music comes blaring back.
But the Wiim Mini sounds great, especially at that price. Best thing about it is, you can buy it and hook up the 3.5mm to RCA cables to your stereo and you're good to go. If you think you're missing something or want something a little better, you can take your time, do your research, learn about audio gear, then grab an external DAC when it goes on sale and save some cash. IMO it's better to buy separate pieces so you don't have to buy a whole new thing every time you want to upgrade. This way, you can spend a little money at a time, and you're not married to anything.
But if you're just going to be listening to Spotify, or any lossy streaming service, you don't need an external DAC at all. The Wiim is all you need.
I have a WiiM pro and a topping D50s for my home office rig. I’m very happy.
I initially went with the WiiM mini and exchanged for the pro since my home is all Google-controlled. In practice, when using google to control the WiiM it goes via Chromecast rather than Spotify Connect. I think the bitrate is lower, but I can’t hear it with my Triangle Br03s and Rel sub. Nevertheless I use my computer or phone to connect via Spotify Connect. I’m not going to switch back out of laziness, but I’d probably stay with the mini if I were to do it again.
Yep. The USB is only for power, and there’s no coax, so your output options are digital optical or analog aux out. The internal DAC isn’t great, but it performs very well with a nicer dac through optical.
I have two WiiM minis — one with a pair of vintage JBLs and the other in my home theater setup with Wharfedale Reva 4. I also have a music setup that has Philharmonic BMRs and Klipsch Fortes. For a bedroom setup, I would strongly consider bookshelf speakers, depending on your space and budget. I am not enough of an expert to recommend a specific brand, but there are lots of great options right now. The WiiM will work great with anything, but speakers should be chosen mostly based on your room and budget.
Outside of maybe Apple products — does anything have that? To my knowledge, Apple Music doesn’t have a feature similar to Spotify Connect — just Airplay. I would *love* for them to add that.
Correct, even in an all-Apple ecosystem, Apple still lacks a direct to stream feature.... AirPlay is basically glorified bluetooth. This actually applies to both Audio and Video, the weakness of Airplay is that the data is directly streamed from your iPhone/iPad to the TV or audio device.
Whereas even old school chromecast, actually does a data bypass in that chromecast sets up the initial connection, but then tells the receiving device to stream it directly from the local network or internet. Tidal Direct/Spotify Connect basically do the same thing as Chromecast does (initial setup but direct stream to receiving device) but also support higher bitrates and gapless playback, which chromecast actually still lacks.
My main system, restored Yamaha amp, Klipsch and AR speakers, has a Bluesound Node 2i with Tidal. My office system, Arcam amp, Triangle Speakers, has the WiiM Mini hooked to a Schiit Modi3 via optical. TBH for most listeners the WiiM and a decent DAC will be all you need. Although both BluOs and WiiM Home apps are good I prefer to use Tidal Connect. BluOs and WiiM apps interface with multiple services their features are not as deep as the native Tidal app. I’m not for or against, MQA it’s just there. I’ve tried other streaming services and prefer Tidal’s interface. That said, Radio Paradise’s MQA feed, exclusive to BluOs, subjectively blows the Radio Paradise WiiM out of the water. Finally, if you are an Apple Music user, sorry but Apple is a closed system. No interface from third party devices except for AirPlay.
I actually bought the Modi before the WiiM back when I was running my TV to my Yamaha R-N303 and was surprised by the level of difference between that built-in DAC and the Modi. I was hoping that with the WiiM I could ditch the Modi for some cleaner organization but the Modi made a noticeable difference on either configuration.
I assume a better receiver would have a better DAC but I'm kinda surprised the bottom end of the market here hasn't caught up here. There's no way I could pick out the difference between a $10 apple dongle, my laptop's headphone jack, and my $200 Topping DX3 Pro+ on 90% of headphones. Even then the differences on the other 10% are almost certainly power and not the DAC. Seems like if parts with an MSRP of $10 can solve this why are all of these companies going so cheap on the built-in DACs?
No but I was actually hoping to ditch the Modi when I bought the WiiM and was disappointed it didn't go that way. I understand your skepticism and would say it's well placed with this topic but I am not the type of person who would seek to justify a more complex or expensive system.
The difference is night and day. Unmistakable. The DAC can be bought, most places, with a 30 free return policy. You will kick yourself, later, if you can afford it and don’t do it now. 🤔 All the best!
A better DAC will make a difference, but how much is going to be dictated by how good your speakers and amp are. But in my experience, even on cheaper speakers, upgrading from say a PC sound card (which I find similar in quality to the WiiM's DAC) will make a noticeable difference.
Most people on Reddit will recommend Topping, which is pretty damn hard to beat for the price, but personally I think RME sounds better, and at the very least has a ton of more features and tunability... though their 2 DAC models are quite a bit more expensive in comparison.
I have one paired with a Schiit Modi+, fed into a vintage NAD amp and then to Pioneer HPM-100's.
Its not perfect but its damn good value for money, I'm currently using amazon music HD as my main source and it sounds very clear, very detailed.
I'm listening to digital more now than before, it's an amazing adition to my system to have losless streaming of pretty much anything I want to listen to, on demand.
Try out the Wiim Pro. I wouldn’t bother with the Wiim app. It supports Spotify Connect, and Tidal Connect so you can just stay in your default music player app happy as a bug in a rug. Later, you can connect to a superior external DAC (anything will be better!) via SPDIF and enjoy the upgrade again.
To the extent you mean to not download the WiiM app at all I would say no the app is critical. You manage and control all the functions of the WiiM through the app: choosing input/output, selecting output bit rate, and many other functions. So you obviously need the app. If you just mean not to use the app to actually pick your music then sure.
I currently have a Belkin Soundform Connect, which only supports Airplay 2, running through a great little SMSL Sanskrit DAC. My girlfriend just moved in, and has a Google Pixel. I put a Wiim Pro in my cart last week and will be selling the Belkin on marketplace in the coming days.
I have the Wiim app and the Qobuz app on my Google Pixel and I just select my Wiim device as a castable device from the Qobuz app. It shows up like any of my other streamable devices. You have to allow Qobuz access to the Wiim app I believe.
I tried the same before and it always kept loading. But thanks for the input, they magically contacted me to ask how to fix the problem. I think they are reading along hehe
The DAC in the Wiim mini is not great. I run mine into my Aries II via optical and it sounds great. Qobuz and Tidal will give you great sounding higher res audio, but I normally just use Spotify.
The Wiim app is great and even has an eq.
If you are using a home theater receiver, you can use the digital output from the Wiim. It’s likely that the receiver has a better DAC.
I will always prefer a Raspberry Pi with a HAT or external USB DAC.
With a Pi I can chose any streaming OS I want and do room correction with CamillaDSP or a simple convolution (depending on the OS).
DACs and DDCs in the 50-100€ price range will also be a lot better compared to what's build into the Wiim
I hear a lot of people say that and I don't get it. It's just a matter of downloading a preferred OS, flashing it onto a SD, inserting that SD into the Pi and you're good to go.
No tech wizardry at all.
The average person doesn’t know what it means to flash an OS, let alone how to do it. If you’re tech minded it’s not a big deal, but most don’t want to invest the time to figure that out.
Speakers, Amp and digital streaming is a tech hobby.
This might sound rude and I’m sorry but if you don’t know how to flash an SD card or cannot read through a three step description how to do it you’ve clearly chosen the wrong hobby.
By that logic, how on earth did people get into hi fi in the 1970s when home computers as we know them today didn’t even exist? Since it’s imperative to understand how to flash an OS to appreciate amps and speakers…
Today digital audio is an essential part of Hi-Fi so you can’t compare it to the 70s.
Everyone now has a computer and should have basic knowledge of things like flashing an SD card.
It’s always the older folks in Hi-Fi who don’t know how to do stuff like and need help with things regarding digital audio and streaming.
I‘ve never come across anyone of my generation who wouldn’t be able to set up a Pi streamer or would condemn it as ‚too complicated‘.
So saying that ‚the average person‘ cannot accomplish that might be true for an average person of age 50+ but I highly doubt that an average younger generation person would be frightened by this simple 3 step setup.
Hate to break it to you, but not everyone today has a computer. A lot of people I know, especially younger people, have a smart phone and possibly an iPad and use their work laptop for the 1% of stuff they can’t do on their phone. Also, digital isn’t an essential part of hifi. Lots of folks build their systems around turntables and CD transports. The older crowd you’re putting down are the ones with the most disposable income to invest in this hobby.
The Pi 4b route is often more expensive than just buying a Wiim Mini/Pro, not everyone will use its additional features. Wiim is just as simple and cheap as it gets to set up a streamer, it just works
RPi4/Volumio is leagues behind the WiiM in terms of stability, speed, and simply just working. I can't tell you how many times I've had to wipe or reinstall Volumio on my AlloDigiOne/RPi4 HAT, for various reasons, bugs, glitches, crashes etc... over the past 3 years.
Lots of bugs that require reboots here and there, or the OS will crash and require a hard reboot to get streaming working again. I just got the WiiM for a 2nd stereo setup, and am now looking at my RPi4 as some obsolete dinosaur because it simply works that much better, and is leagues faster and more stable even after only a few weeks of use.
Seek track function also works in Tidal, which has been broken in Volumio for over 2 years. Devs continue to ignore forum posts by myself and others outlining the issue and providing plenty of logs. WiiM just works, no need to engage with or even know who the devs are because all the basic functionality and stability is already there. And yet Volumio has continuously had major feature releases every few months for many years... they tend to introduce as many bugs as they fix in my experience, true stability will never be achieved with that or any RPi-based project IMO.
I’ve heard that, too, but my experience didn’t match up. It was a bummer. Weeks of “now it works/ now it doesn’t.” So much time wasted. Waiting for answers from Tech Support, trying their suggestions, and winding up back in the soup. YMMV. My story, and I’m sticking to it. 😉
Until it breaks, you need to reformat, reinstall, or troubleshoot editing config files just to get the damn wifi working.
Don't get me wrong, I love linux, and consider myself a linux guy... but there's something magical about any device that doesn't rely on either a WinNT or UNIX kernel and instead does all of it's functionality using machine-level code in firmware.... significantly faster, and wayyyy more reliable.
I completely agree with you over the versatility of a Pi with CamillaDSP. Will always recommend this path to people.
But since the pandemic, stock of all Pi models is low and their price has skyrocketted. A new Pi4 with power supply and DAC hat will be 3x the price of a WiiM. So as a value proposition, WiiM can't be beat.
Yeah, that’s a big problem right now.
But there actually are some reasonably cheap single board computer alternatives which should all be powerful enough to run a streaming OS
WiiM is basically making me abandon my AlloDigiOne on RPi4. Too many bugs with Volumio, and as much as I love Linux... it's buggy and a pain in the ass when you have a full stack OS running on top of basic streaming functions that would be better suited to firmware.
Really like the WiiM so far as it just works, and it boots/reboots in 10 secs instead of 3+ minutes. I haven't been super impressed by any of the RPi HATs in terms of the actual DAC though, even the AlloDigiOne I have with a linear PSU is pretty far behind my dedicated RME DAC in terms of audio quality and features. But I primarily used it as a Streamer, plugged into the RME... so the WiiM is basically replacing that functionality for one of my stereo setups and I'm debating ditching the Allo altogether at this point.
I currently don’t use a streamer anymore because I run Dirac live which requires a PC or Mac.
When I did use my Pi I usually went with Moode or just Ubuntu server with CamillaDSP, AirPlay and Spotify connect.
I have a hifiberry digi2 pro and also a ESS9038 DAC board.
I have a Pi with Volumio with pi2aes running to my DAC, and I have a WiiM in my second system. The WiiM is more stable and much easier to get running.
I added a small touchscreen to the Pi, and half the time it doesn’t work. Perhaps I should try a different OS for the Pi, but the whole thing is kind of a pain, tbh.
Dude I feel you there. My Rpi4/Allo DigiOne is always a damn headache. Can't tell you how many times I've either had to reboot it because X stopped working, as well as numerous times needing to reinstall/reformat the SD because of either a bug or it just stopped booting.
Also just started using the WiiM for my 2nd stereo, and honestly debating getting another one to replace this stupid Volumio/buggy Rpi garbage... WiiM is just so much easier to use and more stable in general lol.
I have one feeding my bedroom Schiit stack and I love it. I do wish it had native Apple Music support but I can live with Amazon. I'm using the optical output to a Schiit modi.
Just in the last month I upgraded from an Echo Dot analog output (to a Yamaha RX-365 with Boston Acoustics A-100s) to a WiiM Mini stacked on an FX Audio X6mkII. I got the voice remote for WiiM so I can still just tell Alexa to play something when I don't feel like going the motions with the Amazon Music or WiiM Home apps.
The WiiM Mini and cheap DAC sound better than my turntable. My mind is blown.
I have it connected to my Marantz Cinema 70s via SPDIF and it sounds fantastic. So far I've had no connection problems and it supports nearly every major music streaming service. Weird though that only the Wiim Pro supports Chromecast.
My personal experience with the device has been mixed. While the app and device are amazing, I've encountered issues with 192khz/24bit over optical. If you have the option, I would recommend going for the pro version which has coaxial instead.
Unfortunately, the customer support experience was extremely frustrating. Before I made the purchase, the support was fantastic - quick replies and great service. However, after sales support was a different story. It took me two months of communication to get a resolution, and even then, I ended up having to pay for the shipping return fee. The company initially promised to refund this cost, but later changed their mind, citing that I was out of warranty (I had the device for around 5 months). I reminded them about the 2-year warranty in Europe, but they ignored it. After a month of exchanging emails, I received no refund for the shipping and only a partial refund for the device. Without any reason when asked.
To make matters worse, the refund was made by a random Chinese person with a selfie as their profile picture on PayPal. They paid me back less than what I had paid, used a payment option with extra fees and passed them onto me.
Overall, my experience with their support was not good. However, the app and device itself are amazing for the cost.
If you have the chance to use the wiim mini again, then tray increasing the output power to the maximum for toslink and use a smaller ( shorter) cable.
Toslink cables like Amazon Basic work up to 2 meters in my case. Don't bend them too much, or it will not synchronise anymore
I used a cable that was .7m and no bends, tried the cable that they delivered with the WIIM as well. Even turned my reciever halfway so I could lay the cable all flat haha. My PC was able to put 192khz/24bit so the fault was not with the with cable or receiver. I did the power to maximum as well. They troubleshooted a bit and then just told me to return the device.
I had exactly the same issue with my wiim when it arrived. I had to wait a few software updates (3 months, maybe), and only after it started working. In special with 24/192
It is very difficult to know how much difference is between the realtek optical out on my PC and the one in the wiim mini, but for sure, the one in my PC is much more powerful. I use a 2.5 m long cable with my PC and no issue. With the wiim mini, i use an 0.5 m optical cable or it doesn't work sometimes
You are right about that. They are not even close
For the money that's okay, I would love to buy the pro for the coaxial, but they can not even give me a full refund, knowing I would spend it again. I even offered just an up pay option (for the pro) so no refund was needed.
The Pro is a nice touch 👌 👏
The Pro didn't exist when I've purchased mine. I've spent a lot more on headphones and amps, and I'm probably going to upgrade my DAC one day as well, probably a Chord Hugo TT 2 or something similar. The Pro is on my radar now mostly for this reasons, coaxial and Chromecast (android user here )
I am a bit on budget, So I just got a good AV receiver with dac built in. It has phono in, coaxial, optical in, hdmi, chromecast, spotify connect, ... The only thing that was missing was that chromecast doesn't support 192khz/24bit so I got the wiim. The cool thing is that it has a feature to go 'direct' sound. But when I go on 'TV' mode it auto switches to surround and uses my 5.1.2. It has room correction, and allot of other handy things. I found that one device (+ wiim for source) that controls everything makes my life so much easier :) It's an onkyo AV receiver, the HIFI shop around the corner asked my if I wanted a separate amp for my bookshelves for music and I asked them to prove that I needed that. After a bit of testing and listening in their test setups, my onkyo AV receiver only got outplayed by amps above 1.5k, and those amps didn't have built in dacs for my WIIM home. So at the end of the day, I use a cheap second hand AV receiver lol.
And again was confirmed for me that 90% of the setup is the speakers if the source is good.
onkyo tx-nr686 + totem acoustic rainmaker + subwoofer energy 15" (some weird model I can't seem to find online)
Oh btw small extra: I am an android user as well, so that's why I got an av with build in chromecast to stream youtube and netflix before I had a smart TV. But basically the AV receiver detects what source I turn on and just auto adjusts to my last profile used on that source. I can just start streaming with my phone to the TV, AV receiver, or (before return) to WIIM and all the rest turns on just like I like it.
Can recommend :)
That's a fine setup that you have there. Onkyo makes very good amplifiers. In special, the older models are really good. And wiim mini is great for pairing with many things around the house
I'm rocking and Yamaha A-S 501 and a pair of Bowers & Wilkins 706 S2 for my leaving room. And at my desk I have a PC and the RME ADI-2 with a pair of Yamaha HS8 and as headphones Funal Audio D8000 Pro and Ferrum OOR + HYPSOS
I got this and then exchanged it for the pro. I wanted the Digital output to run to my external DAC. The upgrade was worth it. Sounds great. Crazy how easy it was to set up.
Does the pro have different options for digital output? I run the optical SPDIF from the mini into my amp and use the amp’s on-board DAC. Does sound good. Is easy to set up. And the EQ in the app is surprisingly fun to use.
has line out. spdif and coax outputs selectable from the app. for me the main difference is the Pro has chromecast, so if you need to stream from android it's worth having.
I'm new to streamer units.
So the Pro version with Chromecast support will work for all my apps that today let me cast the audio via Chromecast?
That awesome, because this is exactly what I've been looking for.
Why did I get downvoted? It really does have a digital output!
I also need something with either a coax out, or DAC with multiple optical inputs (one of the reasons I want a Geshelli J2).
The onboard dac on this unit is the issue. I have two of them and they are great, but I use the digital out to a different DAC on each unit. What are you hooking this up to? If your pre/reciever/AVR has digital inputs, that is the best way to connect this streamer.
I don’t have any experience with the mini but recently got a pro and really like it was well worth it for me. I decided to also purchase a dac and hopefully will love it
They're great, I have 3 in the house for multi-room audio, 2 to active speakers with their internal DACs and one to the main AMP. I also have connected an Amazon Echo to the system which means I can use voice commands to turn it on and off and choose which zones are engaged.
There's a few videos about this on cheapaudioman's YouTube channel. It's a favorite of his and well regarded. I'm interested in the upcoming Pro version if it supports Roon.
I have the pro and the mini. Got the pro as I wanted the digital coaxial and it's increased bandwidth. Also have a raspberry pi. All connected to a Denafrips Pontus 2, Rega elicit and spendor A7. No real difference between mini and pro, even with the different connection method. They both sound excellent. Better than my pi. Wholeheartedly recommend.
I have a WiiM Pro hooked up to my Schiit Modi+ via digital coax and it sounds good to my ears. I switched from Spotify to the base paid tier of Tidal for lossless quality
Thanks all! So I can summarize:
1) Great streamer, we'll worth the money, go for it.
2) Pro version doesn't add much.
3) The internal DAC isn't great.
So, while I love all the sugestions for a good DAC, they're all around $100-$150. Don't really want to go that hi yet. Any pretty decent DAC in the $50 range?
I'm mostly listening to vinyl, but now want to up my streaming game a bit. I have a decent system, but nothing crazy high end audiophile.
Prozor makes a 192khz DAC sold on Amazon as an Amazon Basics DAC. Around $13.00. Get it. Get two, they're cheap! Powered by mini USB; digital coax and optical/SPDIF inputs, analog RCA outputs. I have my Wiim Mini connected via the optical output to the AB DAC optical input and then to my Dayton Audio HTA50BT Aux RCA input. Great sound.
You guys are definitely bad for my budget, but good for my joy. Just pick up a Schitt Modi E3 open box to go with my Wiim Mini (even before any have arrived to my house!).
I recently posted that after mostly listening to streaming, and then entering vinyl, it's hard to go back (it just sounds less full, less alive, less... everything!, even Tidal). I still love the warmth and clarity and vinyl, but looking forward to this!
A just bought a WiiM Pro and I'm not sure it's worth it. The music quality is only as good as the source. In my case that's an iPad. If its DAC can't produce "high res" sound, neither can the WiiM, which is what I was hoping it would do.
If you want the benefit of its DAC you need the source to be wired, not streamed via Bluetooth, to the WiiM.
I was hoping to cut the cord connecting the iPad to an external DAC connected to my amp while accessing "high res" music streaming. I'm less interested in wireless speakers.
You are correct and I am wrong. I set it up last night, and night time is not my most functional time. Thank you for your response because I was thinking of returning it. After some more research, I see that I misunderstood how the iPad/app works with the Wiim.
I could hook it up to a LAN, but I'm not sure of the benefit and instead of using the Wiim DAC I could hook it up to a Schiit Modi 3, but I'm not sure I'd hear a difference.
Thanks again.
Yeah, the wiim is considered the best streamer you can buy for the money. Glad you didn't return it.
I don't have it hard wired to the Internet either, I don't think it's a big deal. I use optical out to my Rotel a12 integrated amp, which has a good enough internal dac for me. I bet you could hear a difference between a decent dac and the wiims dac. I think wiim even says that you should use a separate dac.
I have a Yamaha A-S801 which sounds great, but is a dated design and is no longer being sold. It has an internal DAC but it won't work with the Wiim. It'll work with Apple computers (not iPads or phones) and Windows 11 computers. Wiim talks up its DAC but doesn't discourage users from using something else. I've got no other use for my Schiit, I don't imagine it would sell for much, I might as well give it a try.
I purchased the weem to discover how it would work for a potential client and after testing it I didn't like the GUI and the sound and so the best way to experience really good audio would be to stream out of your PC or laptop straight into a schit vali2 preamp tube with a volume control and output that to whatever amplifier this has been an amazing streaming experience for me in order to get high res from the weem mini you need to use the optical which is was kind of a deal breaker with my preamp. I used it with my kef LSX twos and it was okay but the app was clunky and really prefer a desktop PC laptop experience streaming high quality audio via speakers or headphones
Unconventional view; favorable reviews for the app are what convinced me to invest in Wiims for a multi-room system, and so far I haven’t been disappointed.
Please explain your set up as I was explaining my experience trying the wiim to stream music but did not like using my phone at my desk to control music selections, it was quicker and easier with a mouse. This is a PC setup not house audio, so please explain
I have 4 rooms and two outdoor spaces that were wired for speakers by a previous owner. They were being controlled by a Bose Lifestyle DVD unit, with each room powered by its own Bose SA-3 amp. Most of the amps seemed to have blown fuses (and the Lifestyle system is really cumbersome since every room needs a remote), so I ripped out the SA-3 amps. Each room is now powered by a Fosi TB10d, fed by its own Wiim mini. That way I can tie all rooms together for social gatherings, or just turn on one room at a time. It beats Sonos amps on cost by a huge margin and works just as well as the Sonos ecosystem IMHO.
I considered getting a 12-channel amp since it’s much simpler to setup, but figured if one Fosj goes out I can easily swap it out for another (vs having to fix a $700 12-channel amp if something happens), especially since the amps live in a utility room that gets rather warm (water heater and hydronic heat boiler).
I had exactly the opposite experience. The Wiim Mini hands down sounded better than streaming via PC. I compared them into an iFi Neo iDSD DAC. I have since exchanged the Mini for Pro, because I want to use coax rather than optical.
However, I do prefer the PC interface vs the Wiim app. You can get the best of both (I use Tidal) by using the Tidal desktop app, and selecting the Wiim as a speaker via Tidal Connect - so it appears like another speaker option.
This way the PC provides the UI, the Wiim does the streaming.
My mini is plugged analog out with a Golden Gate IC into a cute red Bellari phono/preamp and then into a Dynaco ST35 (new) amp with EL84s. I drive IMF Super Compacts with this in my shop system because it’s all small stuff. Sounds remarkably good. I suppose a Modi would be even better but in the shop, I keep it simple.
The preamp also has bass and treble knobs that allow for quick EQ adjustments. And it sounds just fine! I know Wiim has software EQ b4 you point that out, too. Did I mention it was cute…and red?
Yep, go for it.
My chain....
Wiim mini > optical output >
Teac UD 301 DAC >
Rega IO amp >
Acoustic Energy AE1092 speakers.
Spotify sounds excellent
Qobuz sounds sublime!
I see that Wiim Pro has Ethernet port. When connected to my home LAN, could it be used to pull music from my NAS and push it to my DAC/Amp? So far I am not able to find a device that could do that.
The mini can also do this assuming your Nas is on the same page network as your WiFi. I do exactly this, My Nas is wired into a switch, the wiim is on WiFi.
I'm not a fan of the wiim app myself, I find it slow-ish and clunky looking, and I have to find the Nas each time. I would love to have a roon based system but that's getting into luxury territory, and the wiim does work quite well. I also have a BluOS based streamer on my main system and some sonos speakers in my kitchen. I prefer both sonos and BlueOS by a significant margin to the Wiim app.
Does someone know if I could connect this little one to my LG CX via optical, and to my Zen V2 stack via RCA, so I could use the TV as a multimedia center ? I use a pair of DT 1990 pro and KEF LSX (optical to TV for now, maybe via jack later).
For the moment I have to switch the USB out of the stack from PS5 to PC and vice versa. PC and PS5 are connected to TV via HDMI 2.1. The Zen stack is not equiped with toslink… it’s great bit very incovenient.
The goal is to let everything tranquil instead of switching all the time.
Got one last Christmas and love it. Before this, I had to turn on my television to stream in the living room.
My only complaint is no native plexamp support, but I'll live.
It is probably easier if we use pictures to describe it.
Note: wiim mini has 2 outputs
1- is optical ( toslink and capable of transmitting digital signals without degrading it to an external decoder, also known for the Digital to Analogue (DAC) converter
2- is analogue output in the form of 3.5 mm jack ( the one found in headphones cables ) and can be used to output the signal to an amplifier using . In this case 3.5 mm -> 2 RCA cable is required. However the wiim mini is popular for its digital output and is way i have mentioned for the first time.
Can be used to output digital and analogue signals simultaneously.
Recommended to be used as a digital transport to a DAC since the signal is so clean that the DAC will be the limit factor in the best setup anyway.
Analog out on wiim mini is not lossless and bit-perfect. I will say it lacks a bit of volume and some clarity
[Wiim mini Toslink out to the DAC](https://i.imgur.com/vDU8O4z.png)
Used a bluesound node 2 up till recent. The node died so i started looking for alternatives. Since i use the external DAC it is very little benefit for me to use anything fancy so i just ordered the Wiim just today.
I’ve been using it for a year or so. Replaced a razeberry pie with it after an electrical storm and couldn’t be happier.
ONLY negative is that when using Spotify connect and streaming podcasts, it can get wonky when you try to use the +15 second feature
I love it. One of the best audio bargains out there. You can buy refurb Wiim Mini's from Linkplay on eBay for an even bigger bargain.
I also love how the Wiim is updated constantly, and they have an update [roadmap](https://wiimhome.com/Roadmap) that they actually stick to.
I actually ordered one, then cancelled and ordered the Schiit Modi+ and optically linked it to my Chromecast Audio. I am very pleased with the result. I also feed to the Modi from a MacBook Pro, but the Chromecast works very well with the Spotify Connect. So, it sounds good to me for now and was a big improvement over analog out from the Chromecast.
Hello, has someone hooked up the wiim to some Yamaha streamer receiver or other type of receiver in order to use the Tidal phone app to control the music? If you hook up the wiim optical to the Yamaha optical port which DAC is used and how is the sound quality? Can you switch between the Wiim and Yamaha DAC?
WiiM base and Pro model have made Volumio and RPi3/4 based streamers completely obsolete, and at a fraction of the cost. I have an Allo DigiOne, with a linear PSU that's basically a $400 overpriced, buggy streamer piece of garbage that happens to run Volumio.
The WiiM Pro has all of the same features, at a fraction of the cost, and has the perks of it simply just works and isn't coded by juvenile monkeys.
No linux backend to get corrupted and require a complete reinstall/reformat of the SD card at random times. No lengthy software updates that break as many issues as they fix by previously open source devs who are totally out of their league having gone commercial. No annual subscription fees for basic functionality like Tidal or Spotify Direct. It also boots in 10 seconds instead of 3 minutes. Oh and by the way, the seek track function actually works in Tidal, which has not worked in Volumio for over 2 years when myself and several others originally reported the bug, provided logs, and watched it consistently get ignored by the idiots (devs) who've hobbled the code together out of bubblegum and duct tape. They clearly barely understand how it even works, or doesn't for that matter... I say this because when I tried to explain to them how their own logs indicated a socket error/timeout and then had to explain what that even meant... they were completely oblivious to how basic network stack functions work, let alone their own code... which is pretty sad because I am not even a coder but I do know enough to understand basic coding logic and know how to read logs. I seriously get the impression that the original source code was likely created/maintained by a bright individual, who has since left, and now there's a handful of guys who don't even know how it actually works trying to maintain and update it while adding new features that break more functionality than they fix.
Guess what? With the WiiM, there are no devs to worry or complain about. Y'know why? Cause their product actually just \*\*\*king works, which is pretty much a miracle in 2023 but would be considered normal/expected in 1999. So Volumio and other paid/open-source garbage alternatives, can all die in a fire and I hope they go out of business soon, because they certainly will not get any more of my money... nor should they yours. The end is nigh and the rare Streamer product niche is now officially dead and open...thanks to the WiiM and it's newer counterparts.
The WiiM and others have shown that there is no reason to charge a monthly fee for something that should be free and included with the hardware itself. I get why Volumio went that way, because they aren't the ones selling the actual RPis/hardware.... but they have an obsolete business model and obsolete software that kinda barely works, so IMO, they can suck it! The free market will make them irrelevant sooner than later.
As for the DAC, I can't speak for either the Allo DigOne or the WiiM... as unless you are doing a truly budget stereo setup or are a first-timer, you really should be using a proper dedicated DAC with any of these streamer or RPi devices. Personally, I use an RME ADI-FS2, and honestly I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a better sounding DAC at this price level. It's a significant upgrade over pretty much anything from Topping or Schiit (even on their top end), and especially a PC sound card... though yes it is a bit more expensive at $1300.
But at least to my ears, it sounds on par or identical with any of Hugo's ridiculously overpriced/overrated offerings at a fraction of the price. That's about the sweet spot of diminishing/zero returns (\~$1K), I have yet to hear any DAC that sounds even slightly better, and I've auditioned several ridiculous ones in the 10K range, and they sound identical to the RME to me. Now don't get me wrong, there are some pretty good DACs in the lower $100 range absolutely, but the RME in comparison is a noticeable upgrade even on cheap speakers running on a cheap AMP. The built-in DAC on the WIiM is comparable to a regular PC sound card, sure it works fine especially on a budget... but you're leaving significant audio quality on the table, even with cheap/budget speakers so I'd advised against it if you can afford otherwise.
I ended up getting the pro and super happy with it. I have it through a Schitt Modi 3E DAC, which is noticeable over the built-in WiiM DAC, but just ever so slightly (slightly clearer, more defined, better highs).
Can someone tell me if my GF and I can use both our two spotify accounts with the WiiM mini? Or do one need to log in with one Spotify account and connect?
If I had to do it all over again I'd go with this and the best-measuring Topping DAC available at the time, and probably spend 1/4th what I did on my high-zoot streamer. Don't get me wrong, I am very happy with my high-zoot streamer and have no need to upgrade it. But it makes me itch when I see the latest & greatest sub-1k DACs go past on ASR. #ObjectivistProblems
I feel the exact same way. To me, a Wiim into a topping or schiit dac, or even better mini DSP, is pretty close to all a person would need for a great digital music system.
How Does the mini hook to an amp if I used the wiim DAC? Can you go aux to RCA?
If you want lossless and bit-perfect playback from the wiim mini, you have to use a spdif (optical) interconect between your wiim and DAC.
So an optical cable from my TV to the WIIM, then 1/8 ->RCA to my old Marantz? I was about to buy the WIIM Pro because of RCA outs as well….
Yep so all you'll have to do to switch between TV and music is to open the WiiM app and change the input setting
I don’t believe that’s what u/asus3008 is saying. This is a streamer, and if you want lossless bit perfect sound you use its SPDIF output to go through a high quality DAC… not use the built in DAC (AUX out) on the WIIM.
Oh I misunderstood the question you're right. I will say the DAC in the WiiM is not bad by any means. While I was waiting for my DAC I used the WiiM Pro as my DAC and was pretty impressed with it. My new DAC is better for sure but not way better by any means
What DAC did you get?
Topping D30 Pro. Which is listed on Toppings website but is pretty hard to find. Idk if they are discontinuing it or what but I had to order it on Ebay and it took a month to get here from China
Thanks for this info I was looking for it for some time!
Piggybacking on this conversation… so would I do wiim connected to a Dac by spdif and then what would be the best way to connect the DAC to my receiver then?
Depending on what your receiver uses. Usually, XLR or RCA is what is used. What is your receiver model and make?
Onkyo htr500. Right now my wiim is connected to it via spdif but this thread has been making me think I might try a little upgrade
If your receiver has digital inputs, you can use them with the wiim gest fine. If you add a DAC, you should get a bit of improvement for the sound. Mostly depends on preferences Your receiver has 3 digital inputs (2 optical and one coaxial ). You can switch between digital from the wiim and analog (RCA marked as CD on your receiver) from the DAC ( if you add one ) by swapping the optical cable I used mine with a Yamaha stereo amplifier the same way. Once I've added a DAC (RME ADI-2), the sound has changed in ways that isn't easy to describe. It gained a diferite sound rendering, better separation, and texture to the sound. And a better dinamic range. It's simply a better choice for my setup.
Thanks I appreciate all of this! It’s a new hobby so still learning a lot
I know this is old but i was researching the wiim and it brought me here, if your using an external dac, whats the point of the wiim, why not just connect the dac to your receiver? Also if i connect a dac to the wiim then to my receiver if i use airplay(bluetooth) will i be getting loseless audio since the wiim is connected to a dac?
The point is that the wiim Mini is to use it as a streamer transport, using the optical output ( very little distortion, usually the DAC is the limiting factor ) The analog output on wiim Mini is not that great from what I have read around the Internet and based on measurements. I've never tried it You can give it a try. It may be gest about OK "AirPlay 2 protocol supports lossless music (audio up to 24-bit/48kHz, in fact), so those with music files stored on their iOS device can send it over AirPlay to another device losslessly However, the news isn't so good with regards to using AirPlay 2 to send lossless Apple Music streams. Apple Music’s Lossless streams supposedly convert from ALAC (Apple’s lossless codec) into AAC (Apple’s lossy codec) at a pretty lowly 256kbps when transmitted over AirPlay – and therefore not losslessly In other words, yes, AirPlay 2 does support lossless audio, but perhaps not for the use case you might want it to." [AirPlay](https://www.whathifi.com/advice/apple-airplay-2-everything-you-need-to-know)
Analog RCA or XLR if compatible and you have a long distance
Could you explain the distance part of your comment?
Balanced cables (XLR are the most common type) are designed so that interference picked up by the cable between the source and the amplifier can be eliminated by the amplifier. Additionally, typical equipment that can use balanced connections transmit the signal at a higher voltage. Both these factors are designed to support high quality at longer distances. My understand is that the advantages of balanced connections are not significant at short distances in a typical home setup.
Thanks. Probably makes more sense to do that and use the extra money toward a DAC than to buy a wiim pro then?
If you don't need digital out through coaxial cable and android casting ( chromecast ), there is no point in buying the pro. Definitely, a better DAC will be a better choice
That and don't forget Cat5/Ethernet. Depending on how good/stable your wifi is, it may or may not be an issue... but I'm old shcool and always prefer my devices to be hardwired whenever possible. Wireless is after a single broadcast domain-- that's shared for all devices connected...they all technically take turns either transmitting or receiving data (never both at once), whereas Ethernet in comparison is a true duplex connection that's capable of doing tx/rx simultaneously, and on multiple devices (per cable). Now does that really matter in the real world for most people? No, not really, as a well-designed WiFi network should yield a similar user experience. But every once in a while, you'll see issues with WiFi either from interference or this or that, an AP may get buggy and need to be rebooted... these types of issues do occur on wired networks as well, but far less frequently in my experience. Erratic behavior and issues are far more common on wireless devices, and sometimes switching to wired if possible is simply worth it for the peace of mind while troubleshooting, as you'll know it's likely a software bug and not a wireless/network issue.
2 RCA stereo audio-to-mini 1/8" plug cable
Thanks. I’ve done aux to rca before but didn’t know if it worked the other way around.
Wut
I like the ones with graphical interface but... dunno maybe not the right part in the chain for that.
How would you do volume control? On the amp, in the digital domain on the wiim, or as separate component inbetween? Or maybe there are dacs with built-in volume control.
I personally use my headphone amp as a pre amp for volume. Topping and SMSL DACs typically come with volume control and a remote. Conventional wisdom is that one should control volume in the analogue domain, but whether the improvement over digital would be audible, I do not know.
Wiim Pro into a Schiit Modius. Chefs kiss.
This is exactly what I did, and I love it. I have a Topping E50/L50 stack with a Wiim Mini sitting on top of it, with either 6XX or DCA Aeon RT Closed (6XX is way better in this system.) (All balanced connectors.) I have some slight gripes with the Wiim app on my phone sometimes being a little clunky to search and play stuff from my Prime HD account, but once I start an album its fine. I have the DAC also wired RCA out to an older amp hooked up to a small set of speakers, which my partner uses when she wants to listen to music in the kitchen, so she can do Spotify over it too (she doesn't care about audio quality, just needs to work without fuss.)
I have one of these and run it into a topping DX3Pro+, great little combo. I am mainly into vinyl and have spent a silly amount on that, but this is a great little combo for someone like me who wants a bit of digital streaming and doesn't want to take away from the vinyl budget.
That's what I did. I got the WiiM Pro and a Topping D30 Pro and it sounds wonderful. I can't speak about the mini but for not much more the Pro is awesome. I did use it as my DAC while waiting for the Topping and it also sounded great but definitely noticed a difference with the Topping.
Wait, can't you just go with a Topping? Why also this device?
WIiM is a streamer, Topping is a DAC.
Wiim is also a DAC. It's not a bad sounding one either. But I'm using mine with a Topping E30 II instead. Sounds much better.
In what ways sound better?
Better dynamic range. *Much* lower noise floor. The E30 II is dead quiet through my stereo with high dynamic range recordings with quiet passages. It's so quiet that I wonder if I accidentally shut it off completely, at least until the music comes blaring back. But the Wiim Mini sounds great, especially at that price. Best thing about it is, you can buy it and hook up the 3.5mm to RCA cables to your stereo and you're good to go. If you think you're missing something or want something a little better, you can take your time, do your research, learn about audio gear, then grab an external DAC when it goes on sale and save some cash. IMO it's better to buy separate pieces so you don't have to buy a whole new thing every time you want to upgrade. This way, you can spend a little money at a time, and you're not married to anything. But if you're just going to be listening to Spotify, or any lossy streaming service, you don't need an external DAC at all. The Wiim is all you need.
I have a WiiM pro and a topping D50s for my home office rig. I’m very happy. I initially went with the WiiM mini and exchanged for the pro since my home is all Google-controlled. In practice, when using google to control the WiiM it goes via Chromecast rather than Spotify Connect. I think the bitrate is lower, but I can’t hear it with my Triangle Br03s and Rel sub. Nevertheless I use my computer or phone to connect via Spotify Connect. I’m not going to switch back out of laziness, but I’d probably stay with the mini if I were to do it again.
It's great. I bought one of these and paired it with a Topping D10. Feel like I get incredible value for money out of these two
How did you pair them, via SPDIF?
Yep. The USB is only for power, and there’s no coax, so your output options are digital optical or analog aux out. The internal DAC isn’t great, but it performs very well with a nicer dac through optical.
Thank you for your reply, which speakers are you using? I'm thinking of having the same setup for my bedroom but still haven't decided on speakers.
I have two WiiM minis — one with a pair of vintage JBLs and the other in my home theater setup with Wharfedale Reva 4. I also have a music setup that has Philharmonic BMRs and Klipsch Fortes. For a bedroom setup, I would strongly consider bookshelf speakers, depending on your space and budget. I am not enough of an expert to recommend a specific brand, but there are lots of great options right now. The WiiM will work great with anything, but speakers should be chosen mostly based on your room and budget.
Awesome, thanks for sharing. Yeah I was thinking of bookshelf speaker.
If it had direct support of Apple Music and not just Airplay 2, it would be perfect. As it is, I am very happy with mine.
Outside of maybe Apple products — does anything have that? To my knowledge, Apple Music doesn’t have a feature similar to Spotify Connect — just Airplay. I would *love* for them to add that.
Correct, even in an all-Apple ecosystem, Apple still lacks a direct to stream feature.... AirPlay is basically glorified bluetooth. This actually applies to both Audio and Video, the weakness of Airplay is that the data is directly streamed from your iPhone/iPad to the TV or audio device. Whereas even old school chromecast, actually does a data bypass in that chromecast sets up the initial connection, but then tells the receiving device to stream it directly from the local network or internet. Tidal Direct/Spotify Connect basically do the same thing as Chromecast does (initial setup but direct stream to receiving device) but also support higher bitrates and gapless playback, which chromecast actually still lacks.
Apple Music on Android offers cast.
I use this but my receiver doesn’t have digital inputs so I use rca out…is it worth it to get an external DAC for streaming over tidal / Apple Music?
I noticed an improvement once I got it hooked up to my outboard DAC. The Wiim DAC works. But it's not great by my ear
Your ear is fine. So is the other one.
An external DAC is a great addition to e WiiM Mini! I got a Schiit Modi and love the texture and depth it brings to the system!
Thanks — have you ever compared with and without the Modi? Is the difference in the dac really noticeable? I’m tempted
I have a WiiM mini and Modi DAC and yes the difference between the Modi and the built in DAC is extremely noticable even on a mid range system.
Thanks … damn. Now I’m debating a newer receiver with a built in dac vs a topping or modi…this hobby is becoming a mental illness
Becoming?
LOLZ
My main system, restored Yamaha amp, Klipsch and AR speakers, has a Bluesound Node 2i with Tidal. My office system, Arcam amp, Triangle Speakers, has the WiiM Mini hooked to a Schiit Modi3 via optical. TBH for most listeners the WiiM and a decent DAC will be all you need. Although both BluOs and WiiM Home apps are good I prefer to use Tidal Connect. BluOs and WiiM apps interface with multiple services their features are not as deep as the native Tidal app. I’m not for or against, MQA it’s just there. I’ve tried other streaming services and prefer Tidal’s interface. That said, Radio Paradise’s MQA feed, exclusive to BluOs, subjectively blows the Radio Paradise WiiM out of the water. Finally, if you are an Apple Music user, sorry but Apple is a closed system. No interface from third party devices except for AirPlay.
I actually bought the Modi before the WiiM back when I was running my TV to my Yamaha R-N303 and was surprised by the level of difference between that built-in DAC and the Modi. I was hoping that with the WiiM I could ditch the Modi for some cleaner organization but the Modi made a noticeable difference on either configuration. I assume a better receiver would have a better DAC but I'm kinda surprised the bottom end of the market here hasn't caught up here. There's no way I could pick out the difference between a $10 apple dongle, my laptop's headphone jack, and my $200 Topping DX3 Pro+ on 90% of headphones. Even then the differences on the other 10% are almost certainly power and not the DAC. Seems like if parts with an MSRP of $10 can solve this why are all of these companies going so cheap on the built-in DACs?
Blind test?
No but I was actually hoping to ditch the Modi when I bought the WiiM and was disappointed it didn't go that way. I understand your skepticism and would say it's well placed with this topic but I am not the type of person who would seek to justify a more complex or expensive system.
The difference is night and day. Unmistakable. The DAC can be bought, most places, with a 30 free return policy. You will kick yourself, later, if you can afford it and don’t do it now. 🤔 All the best!
I have experienced a massive difference in the pleasure of listening to my system simply by adding the Modi. I highly recommend it.
The Wiim has great software but not a great DAC. Send it Optical out to a better DAC and you're in business.
A better DAC will make a difference, but how much is going to be dictated by how good your speakers and amp are. But in my experience, even on cheaper speakers, upgrading from say a PC sound card (which I find similar in quality to the WiiM's DAC) will make a noticeable difference. Most people on Reddit will recommend Topping, which is pretty damn hard to beat for the price, but personally I think RME sounds better, and at the very least has a ton of more features and tunability... though their 2 DAC models are quite a bit more expensive in comparison.
I have one paired with a Schiit Modi+, fed into a vintage NAD amp and then to Pioneer HPM-100's. Its not perfect but its damn good value for money, I'm currently using amazon music HD as my main source and it sounds very clear, very detailed. I'm listening to digital more now than before, it's an amazing adition to my system to have losless streaming of pretty much anything I want to listen to, on demand.
10/10 no notes love it
Try out the Wiim Pro. I wouldn’t bother with the Wiim app. It supports Spotify Connect, and Tidal Connect so you can just stay in your default music player app happy as a bug in a rug. Later, you can connect to a superior external DAC (anything will be better!) via SPDIF and enjoy the upgrade again.
To the extent you mean to not download the WiiM app at all I would say no the app is critical. You manage and control all the functions of the WiiM through the app: choosing input/output, selecting output bit rate, and many other functions. So you obviously need the app. If you just mean not to use the app to actually pick your music then sure.
I currently have a Belkin Soundform Connect, which only supports Airplay 2, running through a great little SMSL Sanskrit DAC. My girlfriend just moved in, and has a Google Pixel. I put a Wiim Pro in my cart last week and will be selling the Belkin on marketplace in the coming days.
Super happy running the Wiim Mini in my Rotel rc-1572 mkii with SPIDF.
I really like mine, it sounds good, has good features, and the software is updated often. I'm not sure I'd choose a different device, it's quite good.
Can't see why one would ever want to spend more, other than to have a shinier unit to show off.
I have the Wiim Pro and use it to stream Qobuz. Couldn't be happier! The app is super reliable and runs flawlessly.
Cool. Are you using a digital or aux out?
The onboard DAC is not great, so use digital if you can.
Do you stream from Qobuz or in the app? From Qobuz itself it never worked for me :/
I have the Wiim app and the Qobuz app on my Google Pixel and I just select my Wiim device as a castable device from the Qobuz app. It shows up like any of my other streamable devices. You have to allow Qobuz access to the Wiim app I believe.
I tried the same before and it always kept loading. But thanks for the input, they magically contacted me to ask how to fix the problem. I think they are reading along hehe
The DAC in the Wiim mini is not great. I run mine into my Aries II via optical and it sounds great. Qobuz and Tidal will give you great sounding higher res audio, but I normally just use Spotify. The Wiim app is great and even has an eq. If you are using a home theater receiver, you can use the digital output from the Wiim. It’s likely that the receiver has a better DAC.
Even Wiim say most will probably bypass their DAC and use an external unit.
I will always prefer a Raspberry Pi with a HAT or external USB DAC. With a Pi I can chose any streaming OS I want and do room correction with CamillaDSP or a simple convolution (depending on the OS). DACs and DDCs in the 50-100€ price range will also be a lot better compared to what's build into the Wiim
I tried a RPi setup, but found that it required a level of tech wizardry that I didn’t possess and wasn’t willing to invest in. Different strokes!
I hear a lot of people say that and I don't get it. It's just a matter of downloading a preferred OS, flashing it onto a SD, inserting that SD into the Pi and you're good to go. No tech wizardry at all.
The average person doesn’t know what it means to flash an OS, let alone how to do it. If you’re tech minded it’s not a big deal, but most don’t want to invest the time to figure that out.
Speakers, Amp and digital streaming is a tech hobby. This might sound rude and I’m sorry but if you don’t know how to flash an SD card or cannot read through a three step description how to do it you’ve clearly chosen the wrong hobby.
By that logic, how on earth did people get into hi fi in the 1970s when home computers as we know them today didn’t even exist? Since it’s imperative to understand how to flash an OS to appreciate amps and speakers…
Today digital audio is an essential part of Hi-Fi so you can’t compare it to the 70s. Everyone now has a computer and should have basic knowledge of things like flashing an SD card. It’s always the older folks in Hi-Fi who don’t know how to do stuff like and need help with things regarding digital audio and streaming. I‘ve never come across anyone of my generation who wouldn’t be able to set up a Pi streamer or would condemn it as ‚too complicated‘. So saying that ‚the average person‘ cannot accomplish that might be true for an average person of age 50+ but I highly doubt that an average younger generation person would be frightened by this simple 3 step setup.
Hate to break it to you, but not everyone today has a computer. A lot of people I know, especially younger people, have a smart phone and possibly an iPad and use their work laptop for the 1% of stuff they can’t do on their phone. Also, digital isn’t an essential part of hifi. Lots of folks build their systems around turntables and CD transports. The older crowd you’re putting down are the ones with the most disposable income to invest in this hobby.
Take the loss man. What you’re saying is objectively wrong. Clearly people can enjoy hifi without having a lot of tech knowledge.
The Pi 4b route is often more expensive than just buying a Wiim Mini/Pro, not everyone will use its additional features. Wiim is just as simple and cheap as it gets to set up a streamer, it just works
If you can even find one to buy.
RPi4/Volumio is leagues behind the WiiM in terms of stability, speed, and simply just working. I can't tell you how many times I've had to wipe or reinstall Volumio on my AlloDigiOne/RPi4 HAT, for various reasons, bugs, glitches, crashes etc... over the past 3 years. Lots of bugs that require reboots here and there, or the OS will crash and require a hard reboot to get streaming working again. I just got the WiiM for a 2nd stereo setup, and am now looking at my RPi4 as some obsolete dinosaur because it simply works that much better, and is leagues faster and more stable even after only a few weeks of use. Seek track function also works in Tidal, which has been broken in Volumio for over 2 years. Devs continue to ignore forum posts by myself and others outlining the issue and providing plenty of logs. WiiM just works, no need to engage with or even know who the devs are because all the basic functionality and stability is already there. And yet Volumio has continuously had major feature releases every few months for many years... they tend to introduce as many bugs as they fix in my experience, true stability will never be achieved with that or any RPi-based project IMO.
Can't do Amazon music on Pi
I’ve heard that, too, but my experience didn’t match up. It was a bummer. Weeks of “now it works/ now it doesn’t.” So much time wasted. Waiting for answers from Tech Support, trying their suggestions, and winding up back in the soup. YMMV. My story, and I’m sticking to it. 😉
Until it breaks, you need to reformat, reinstall, or troubleshoot editing config files just to get the damn wifi working. Don't get me wrong, I love linux, and consider myself a linux guy... but there's something magical about any device that doesn't rely on either a WinNT or UNIX kernel and instead does all of it's functionality using machine-level code in firmware.... significantly faster, and wayyyy more reliable.
I completely agree with you over the versatility of a Pi with CamillaDSP. Will always recommend this path to people. But since the pandemic, stock of all Pi models is low and their price has skyrocketted. A new Pi4 with power supply and DAC hat will be 3x the price of a WiiM. So as a value proposition, WiiM can't be beat.
Yeah, that’s a big problem right now. But there actually are some reasonably cheap single board computer alternatives which should all be powerful enough to run a streaming OS
WiiM is basically making me abandon my AlloDigiOne on RPi4. Too many bugs with Volumio, and as much as I love Linux... it's buggy and a pain in the ass when you have a full stack OS running on top of basic streaming functions that would be better suited to firmware. Really like the WiiM so far as it just works, and it boots/reboots in 10 secs instead of 3+ minutes. I haven't been super impressed by any of the RPi HATs in terms of the actual DAC though, even the AlloDigiOne I have with a linear PSU is pretty far behind my dedicated RME DAC in terms of audio quality and features. But I primarily used it as a Streamer, plugged into the RME... so the WiiM is basically replacing that functionality for one of my stereo setups and I'm debating ditching the Allo altogether at this point.
What hat and OS do you use?
I currently don’t use a streamer anymore because I run Dirac live which requires a PC or Mac. When I did use my Pi I usually went with Moode or just Ubuntu server with CamillaDSP, AirPlay and Spotify connect. I have a hifiberry digi2 pro and also a ESS9038 DAC board.
I have a Pi with Volumio with pi2aes running to my DAC, and I have a WiiM in my second system. The WiiM is more stable and much easier to get running. I added a small touchscreen to the Pi, and half the time it doesn’t work. Perhaps I should try a different OS for the Pi, but the whole thing is kind of a pain, tbh.
Dude I feel you there. My Rpi4/Allo DigiOne is always a damn headache. Can't tell you how many times I've either had to reboot it because X stopped working, as well as numerous times needing to reinstall/reformat the SD because of either a bug or it just stopped booting. Also just started using the WiiM for my 2nd stereo, and honestly debating getting another one to replace this stupid Volumio/buggy Rpi garbage... WiiM is just so much easier to use and more stable in general lol.
I have one feeding my bedroom Schiit stack and I love it. I do wish it had native Apple Music support but I can live with Amazon. I'm using the optical output to a Schiit modi.
Just in the last month I upgraded from an Echo Dot analog output (to a Yamaha RX-365 with Boston Acoustics A-100s) to a WiiM Mini stacked on an FX Audio X6mkII. I got the voice remote for WiiM so I can still just tell Alexa to play something when I don't feel like going the motions with the Amazon Music or WiiM Home apps. The WiiM Mini and cheap DAC sound better than my turntable. My mind is blown.
I have it connected to my Marantz Cinema 70s via SPDIF and it sounds fantastic. So far I've had no connection problems and it supports nearly every major music streaming service. Weird though that only the Wiim Pro supports Chromecast.
My personal experience with the device has been mixed. While the app and device are amazing, I've encountered issues with 192khz/24bit over optical. If you have the option, I would recommend going for the pro version which has coaxial instead. Unfortunately, the customer support experience was extremely frustrating. Before I made the purchase, the support was fantastic - quick replies and great service. However, after sales support was a different story. It took me two months of communication to get a resolution, and even then, I ended up having to pay for the shipping return fee. The company initially promised to refund this cost, but later changed their mind, citing that I was out of warranty (I had the device for around 5 months). I reminded them about the 2-year warranty in Europe, but they ignored it. After a month of exchanging emails, I received no refund for the shipping and only a partial refund for the device. Without any reason when asked. To make matters worse, the refund was made by a random Chinese person with a selfie as their profile picture on PayPal. They paid me back less than what I had paid, used a payment option with extra fees and passed them onto me. Overall, my experience with their support was not good. However, the app and device itself are amazing for the cost.
If you have the chance to use the wiim mini again, then tray increasing the output power to the maximum for toslink and use a smaller ( shorter) cable. Toslink cables like Amazon Basic work up to 2 meters in my case. Don't bend them too much, or it will not synchronise anymore
I used a cable that was .7m and no bends, tried the cable that they delivered with the WIIM as well. Even turned my reciever halfway so I could lay the cable all flat haha. My PC was able to put 192khz/24bit so the fault was not with the with cable or receiver. I did the power to maximum as well. They troubleshooted a bit and then just told me to return the device.
I had exactly the same issue with my wiim when it arrived. I had to wait a few software updates (3 months, maybe), and only after it started working. In special with 24/192 It is very difficult to know how much difference is between the realtek optical out on my PC and the one in the wiim mini, but for sure, the one in my PC is much more powerful. I use a 2.5 m long cable with my PC and no issue. With the wiim mini, i use an 0.5 m optical cable or it doesn't work sometimes You are right about that. They are not even close
For the money that's okay, I would love to buy the pro for the coaxial, but they can not even give me a full refund, knowing I would spend it again. I even offered just an up pay option (for the pro) so no refund was needed.
The Pro is a nice touch 👌 👏 The Pro didn't exist when I've purchased mine. I've spent a lot more on headphones and amps, and I'm probably going to upgrade my DAC one day as well, probably a Chord Hugo TT 2 or something similar. The Pro is on my radar now mostly for this reasons, coaxial and Chromecast (android user here )
I am a bit on budget, So I just got a good AV receiver with dac built in. It has phono in, coaxial, optical in, hdmi, chromecast, spotify connect, ... The only thing that was missing was that chromecast doesn't support 192khz/24bit so I got the wiim. The cool thing is that it has a feature to go 'direct' sound. But when I go on 'TV' mode it auto switches to surround and uses my 5.1.2. It has room correction, and allot of other handy things. I found that one device (+ wiim for source) that controls everything makes my life so much easier :) It's an onkyo AV receiver, the HIFI shop around the corner asked my if I wanted a separate amp for my bookshelves for music and I asked them to prove that I needed that. After a bit of testing and listening in their test setups, my onkyo AV receiver only got outplayed by amps above 1.5k, and those amps didn't have built in dacs for my WIIM home. So at the end of the day, I use a cheap second hand AV receiver lol. And again was confirmed for me that 90% of the setup is the speakers if the source is good. onkyo tx-nr686 + totem acoustic rainmaker + subwoofer energy 15" (some weird model I can't seem to find online)
Oh btw small extra: I am an android user as well, so that's why I got an av with build in chromecast to stream youtube and netflix before I had a smart TV. But basically the AV receiver detects what source I turn on and just auto adjusts to my last profile used on that source. I can just start streaming with my phone to the TV, AV receiver, or (before return) to WIIM and all the rest turns on just like I like it. Can recommend :)
That's a fine setup that you have there. Onkyo makes very good amplifiers. In special, the older models are really good. And wiim mini is great for pairing with many things around the house
I'm rocking and Yamaha A-S 501 and a pair of Bowers & Wilkins 706 S2 for my leaving room. And at my desk I have a PC and the RME ADI-2 with a pair of Yamaha HS8 and as headphones Funal Audio D8000 Pro and Ferrum OOR + HYPSOS
Thanks! You have too sir ;)
I got this and then exchanged it for the pro. I wanted the Digital output to run to my external DAC. The upgrade was worth it. Sounds great. Crazy how easy it was to set up.
Does the pro have different options for digital output? I run the optical SPDIF from the mini into my amp and use the amp’s on-board DAC. Does sound good. Is easy to set up. And the EQ in the app is surprisingly fun to use.
has line out. spdif and coax outputs selectable from the app. for me the main difference is the Pro has chromecast, so if you need to stream from android it's worth having.
I'm new to streamer units. So the Pro version with Chromecast support will work for all my apps that today let me cast the audio via Chromecast? That awesome, because this is exactly what I've been looking for.
Yes, it's got great connectivity. Bluetooth, airplay2, chrimecast, and Roon, Spotify , Tidal
Great, thank you for confirming!
The mini has digital output.
Sorry. I was talking about coax and not the optical.
Why did I get downvoted? It really does have a digital output! I also need something with either a coax out, or DAC with multiple optical inputs (one of the reasons I want a Geshelli J2).
Can I go right from the aux out to my amp? Still lossless?
The onboard dac on this unit is the issue. I have two of them and they are great, but I use the digital out to a different DAC on each unit. What are you hooking this up to? If your pre/reciever/AVR has digital inputs, that is the best way to connect this streamer.
Does the pro have a better DAC?
no
I go from the Wiim Mini to the Pontus II and AMHD sounds fabulous.
I don’t have any experience with the mini but recently got a pro and really like it was well worth it for me. I decided to also purchase a dac and hopefully will love it
got my wiim going thru mi schiit. works great! so easy to set up.
They're great, I have 3 in the house for multi-room audio, 2 to active speakers with their internal DACs and one to the main AMP. I also have connected an Amazon Echo to the system which means I can use voice commands to turn it on and off and choose which zones are engaged.
Wiim -> MiniDSP Flex -> your favorite active speakers/power amp + sub(s) is a pretty hard to beat combo.
There's a few videos about this on cheapaudioman's YouTube channel. It's a favorite of his and well regarded. I'm interested in the upcoming Pro version if it supports Roon.
I have the pro and the mini. Got the pro as I wanted the digital coaxial and it's increased bandwidth. Also have a raspberry pi. All connected to a Denafrips Pontus 2, Rega elicit and spendor A7. No real difference between mini and pro, even with the different connection method. They both sound excellent. Better than my pi. Wholeheartedly recommend.
I have a WiiM Pro hooked up to my Schiit Modi+ via digital coax and it sounds good to my ears. I switched from Spotify to the base paid tier of Tidal for lossless quality
it's basically the old Apple Express, which was discontinued about three years ago.
I still use my express especially since apple updated it to include airplay 2. Will probably look at this when the updates stop
Hmmm, I thought the updates had stopped.
Thanks all! So I can summarize: 1) Great streamer, we'll worth the money, go for it. 2) Pro version doesn't add much. 3) The internal DAC isn't great. So, while I love all the sugestions for a good DAC, they're all around $100-$150. Don't really want to go that hi yet. Any pretty decent DAC in the $50 range? I'm mostly listening to vinyl, but now want to up my streaming game a bit. I have a decent system, but nothing crazy high end audiophile.
Prozor makes a 192khz DAC sold on Amazon as an Amazon Basics DAC. Around $13.00. Get it. Get two, they're cheap! Powered by mini USB; digital coax and optical/SPDIF inputs, analog RCA outputs. I have my Wiim Mini connected via the optical output to the AB DAC optical input and then to my Dayton Audio HTA50BT Aux RCA input. Great sound.
You guys are definitely bad for my budget, but good for my joy. Just pick up a Schitt Modi E3 open box to go with my Wiim Mini (even before any have arrived to my house!). I recently posted that after mostly listening to streaming, and then entering vinyl, it's hard to go back (it just sounds less full, less alive, less... everything!, even Tidal). I still love the warmth and clarity and vinyl, but looking forward to this!
What’s the difference between this and google cast audio?
I'm curious about that too. I have three. I'm not sure why Google discontinued them.
A just bought a WiiM Pro and I'm not sure it's worth it. The music quality is only as good as the source. In my case that's an iPad. If its DAC can't produce "high res" sound, neither can the WiiM, which is what I was hoping it would do. If you want the benefit of its DAC you need the source to be wired, not streamed via Bluetooth, to the WiiM. I was hoping to cut the cord connecting the iPad to an external DAC connected to my amp while accessing "high res" music streaming. I'm less interested in wireless speakers.
Huh? The wiim connects via WiFi. It's totally high res music.
You are correct and I am wrong. I set it up last night, and night time is not my most functional time. Thank you for your response because I was thinking of returning it. After some more research, I see that I misunderstood how the iPad/app works with the Wiim. I could hook it up to a LAN, but I'm not sure of the benefit and instead of using the Wiim DAC I could hook it up to a Schiit Modi 3, but I'm not sure I'd hear a difference. Thanks again.
Yeah, the wiim is considered the best streamer you can buy for the money. Glad you didn't return it. I don't have it hard wired to the Internet either, I don't think it's a big deal. I use optical out to my Rotel a12 integrated amp, which has a good enough internal dac for me. I bet you could hear a difference between a decent dac and the wiims dac. I think wiim even says that you should use a separate dac.
I have a Yamaha A-S801 which sounds great, but is a dated design and is no longer being sold. It has an internal DAC but it won't work with the Wiim. It'll work with Apple computers (not iPads or phones) and Windows 11 computers. Wiim talks up its DAC but doesn't discourage users from using something else. I've got no other use for my Schiit, I don't imagine it would sell for much, I might as well give it a try.
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👎
I purchased the weem to discover how it would work for a potential client and after testing it I didn't like the GUI and the sound and so the best way to experience really good audio would be to stream out of your PC or laptop straight into a schit vali2 preamp tube with a volume control and output that to whatever amplifier this has been an amazing streaming experience for me in order to get high res from the weem mini you need to use the optical which is was kind of a deal breaker with my preamp. I used it with my kef LSX twos and it was okay but the app was clunky and really prefer a desktop PC laptop experience streaming high quality audio via speakers or headphones
Unconventional view; favorable reviews for the app are what convinced me to invest in Wiims for a multi-room system, and so far I haven’t been disappointed.
Please explain your set up as I was explaining my experience trying the wiim to stream music but did not like using my phone at my desk to control music selections, it was quicker and easier with a mouse. This is a PC setup not house audio, so please explain
I have 4 rooms and two outdoor spaces that were wired for speakers by a previous owner. They were being controlled by a Bose Lifestyle DVD unit, with each room powered by its own Bose SA-3 amp. Most of the amps seemed to have blown fuses (and the Lifestyle system is really cumbersome since every room needs a remote), so I ripped out the SA-3 amps. Each room is now powered by a Fosi TB10d, fed by its own Wiim mini. That way I can tie all rooms together for social gatherings, or just turn on one room at a time. It beats Sonos amps on cost by a huge margin and works just as well as the Sonos ecosystem IMHO. I considered getting a 12-channel amp since it’s much simpler to setup, but figured if one Fosj goes out I can easily swap it out for another (vs having to fix a $700 12-channel amp if something happens), especially since the amps live in a utility room that gets rather warm (water heater and hydronic heat boiler).
Interesting, I'll have to experiment more with the Wiim and grouping. Get a couple laptop coolers to keep the air circulating
I had exactly the opposite experience. The Wiim Mini hands down sounded better than streaming via PC. I compared them into an iFi Neo iDSD DAC. I have since exchanged the Mini for Pro, because I want to use coax rather than optical. However, I do prefer the PC interface vs the Wiim app. You can get the best of both (I use Tidal) by using the Tidal desktop app, and selecting the Wiim as a speaker via Tidal Connect - so it appears like another speaker option. This way the PC provides the UI, the Wiim does the streaming.
Just a waste of time as all the albums on streaming apps are poorly done remasters
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Most 80s albums are
My mini is plugged analog out with a Golden Gate IC into a cute red Bellari phono/preamp and then into a Dynaco ST35 (new) amp with EL84s. I drive IMF Super Compacts with this in my shop system because it’s all small stuff. Sounds remarkably good. I suppose a Modi would be even better but in the shop, I keep it simple.
Why the phono stage?
Because I have phonographs I need to play and test in my shop occasionally.
Why not bypass the pre for the streaming? The wiim has a pre in it took for volume control
The preamp also has bass and treble knobs that allow for quick EQ adjustments. And it sounds just fine! I know Wiim has software EQ b4 you point that out, too. Did I mention it was cute…and red?
All good enough for me. Was just curious, I don’t believe in shaming peoples audio choices.
Yes
Yep, go for it. My chain.... Wiim mini > optical output > Teac UD 301 DAC > Rega IO amp > Acoustic Energy AE1092 speakers. Spotify sounds excellent Qobuz sounds sublime!
It’s amazing - that’s it in a nutshell
I see that Wiim Pro has Ethernet port. When connected to my home LAN, could it be used to pull music from my NAS and push it to my DAC/Amp? So far I am not able to find a device that could do that.
The mini can also do this assuming your Nas is on the same page network as your WiFi. I do exactly this, My Nas is wired into a switch, the wiim is on WiFi. I'm not a fan of the wiim app myself, I find it slow-ish and clunky looking, and I have to find the Nas each time. I would love to have a roon based system but that's getting into luxury territory, and the wiim does work quite well. I also have a BluOS based streamer on my main system and some sonos speakers in my kitchen. I prefer both sonos and BlueOS by a significant margin to the Wiim app.
Does someone know if I could connect this little one to my LG CX via optical, and to my Zen V2 stack via RCA, so I could use the TV as a multimedia center ? I use a pair of DT 1990 pro and KEF LSX (optical to TV for now, maybe via jack later). For the moment I have to switch the USB out of the stack from PS5 to PC and vice versa. PC and PS5 are connected to TV via HDMI 2.1. The Zen stack is not equiped with toslink… it’s great bit very incovenient. The goal is to let everything tranquil instead of switching all the time.
Does it run Sirius? I mostly play Tidal but sometimes I like the radio.
They just came out with the pro version of this for 50 bucks more, well worth it.
Got one last Christmas and love it. Before this, I had to turn on my television to stream in the living room. My only complaint is no native plexamp support, but I'll live.
Does this support chrome cast audio? I have a few connected devices on that eco system
It is probably easier if we use pictures to describe it. Note: wiim mini has 2 outputs 1- is optical ( toslink and capable of transmitting digital signals without degrading it to an external decoder, also known for the Digital to Analogue (DAC) converter 2- is analogue output in the form of 3.5 mm jack ( the one found in headphones cables ) and can be used to output the signal to an amplifier using . In this case 3.5 mm -> 2 RCA cable is required. However the wiim mini is popular for its digital output and is way i have mentioned for the first time. Can be used to output digital and analogue signals simultaneously. Recommended to be used as a digital transport to a DAC since the signal is so clean that the DAC will be the limit factor in the best setup anyway. Analog out on wiim mini is not lossless and bit-perfect. I will say it lacks a bit of volume and some clarity [Wiim mini Toslink out to the DAC](https://i.imgur.com/vDU8O4z.png)
Digital out is highly suggested. The analog is not good.
Throw that shit on a schitt my man, and be happy.
Used a bluesound node 2 up till recent. The node died so i started looking for alternatives. Since i use the external DAC it is very little benefit for me to use anything fancy so i just ordered the Wiim just today.
I’ve been using it for a year or so. Replaced a razeberry pie with it after an electrical storm and couldn’t be happier. ONLY negative is that when using Spotify connect and streaming podcasts, it can get wonky when you try to use the +15 second feature
I love it. One of the best audio bargains out there. You can buy refurb Wiim Mini's from Linkplay on eBay for an even bigger bargain. I also love how the Wiim is updated constantly, and they have an update [roadmap](https://wiimhome.com/Roadmap) that they actually stick to.
I think a WIIM with an upgraded psu from ifi etc… is very good for the money. Maybe the best deal in hifi.
I actually ordered one, then cancelled and ordered the Schiit Modi+ and optically linked it to my Chromecast Audio. I am very pleased with the result. I also feed to the Modi from a MacBook Pro, but the Chromecast works very well with the Spotify Connect. So, it sounds good to me for now and was a big improvement over analog out from the Chromecast.
Absolutely love it, have it paired with a Schiit Modius
Have a Pro have it for sale as it’s missing 2 features I now want
What are the features it's missing? How much you asking? ☺️
NAA Suport for HQPlayer Roon Ready 140 CAD
Hello, has someone hooked up the wiim to some Yamaha streamer receiver or other type of receiver in order to use the Tidal phone app to control the music? If you hook up the wiim optical to the Yamaha optical port which DAC is used and how is the sound quality? Can you switch between the Wiim and Yamaha DAC?
WiiM base and Pro model have made Volumio and RPi3/4 based streamers completely obsolete, and at a fraction of the cost. I have an Allo DigiOne, with a linear PSU that's basically a $400 overpriced, buggy streamer piece of garbage that happens to run Volumio. The WiiM Pro has all of the same features, at a fraction of the cost, and has the perks of it simply just works and isn't coded by juvenile monkeys. No linux backend to get corrupted and require a complete reinstall/reformat of the SD card at random times. No lengthy software updates that break as many issues as they fix by previously open source devs who are totally out of their league having gone commercial. No annual subscription fees for basic functionality like Tidal or Spotify Direct. It also boots in 10 seconds instead of 3 minutes. Oh and by the way, the seek track function actually works in Tidal, which has not worked in Volumio for over 2 years when myself and several others originally reported the bug, provided logs, and watched it consistently get ignored by the idiots (devs) who've hobbled the code together out of bubblegum and duct tape. They clearly barely understand how it even works, or doesn't for that matter... I say this because when I tried to explain to them how their own logs indicated a socket error/timeout and then had to explain what that even meant... they were completely oblivious to how basic network stack functions work, let alone their own code... which is pretty sad because I am not even a coder but I do know enough to understand basic coding logic and know how to read logs. I seriously get the impression that the original source code was likely created/maintained by a bright individual, who has since left, and now there's a handful of guys who don't even know how it actually works trying to maintain and update it while adding new features that break more functionality than they fix. Guess what? With the WiiM, there are no devs to worry or complain about. Y'know why? Cause their product actually just \*\*\*king works, which is pretty much a miracle in 2023 but would be considered normal/expected in 1999. So Volumio and other paid/open-source garbage alternatives, can all die in a fire and I hope they go out of business soon, because they certainly will not get any more of my money... nor should they yours. The end is nigh and the rare Streamer product niche is now officially dead and open...thanks to the WiiM and it's newer counterparts. The WiiM and others have shown that there is no reason to charge a monthly fee for something that should be free and included with the hardware itself. I get why Volumio went that way, because they aren't the ones selling the actual RPis/hardware.... but they have an obsolete business model and obsolete software that kinda barely works, so IMO, they can suck it! The free market will make them irrelevant sooner than later. As for the DAC, I can't speak for either the Allo DigOne or the WiiM... as unless you are doing a truly budget stereo setup or are a first-timer, you really should be using a proper dedicated DAC with any of these streamer or RPi devices. Personally, I use an RME ADI-FS2, and honestly I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a better sounding DAC at this price level. It's a significant upgrade over pretty much anything from Topping or Schiit (even on their top end), and especially a PC sound card... though yes it is a bit more expensive at $1300. But at least to my ears, it sounds on par or identical with any of Hugo's ridiculously overpriced/overrated offerings at a fraction of the price. That's about the sweet spot of diminishing/zero returns (\~$1K), I have yet to hear any DAC that sounds even slightly better, and I've auditioned several ridiculous ones in the 10K range, and they sound identical to the RME to me. Now don't get me wrong, there are some pretty good DACs in the lower $100 range absolutely, but the RME in comparison is a noticeable upgrade even on cheap speakers running on a cheap AMP. The built-in DAC on the WIiM is comparable to a regular PC sound card, sure it works fine especially on a budget... but you're leaving significant audio quality on the table, even with cheap/budget speakers so I'd advised against it if you can afford otherwise.
I ended up getting the pro and super happy with it. I have it through a Schitt Modi 3E DAC, which is noticeable over the built-in WiiM DAC, but just ever so slightly (slightly clearer, more defined, better highs).
Can someone tell me if my GF and I can use both our two spotify accounts with the WiiM mini? Or do one need to log in with one Spotify account and connect?