8/31

[Hollywood]

Hijacked was only meant as a joke, hence the smiley. We're all pretty relaxed about what's discussed where so I as moderator didn't see the need to step in

Some forums are very picky about discussing a thread off topic. Over at the LMS forums, many discussions are all lumped into one thread. The Material Skin thread there is almost 700 pages long. I try to stay on topic, really.

Although I really like the WiiM, I was going to find another device because of the missing the beginning of a song. WiiM said they would fix that and they did. Right now a big issue is when LMS apps (Material Skin or Orange Squeeze) skip tracks when you press Next. Members here speculated this native LMS support will fix that.

We share our ideas and concerns here and WiiM has been great about coming up with a solution.

Thanks.

 

[Brantome]

Yeah, the skip track seems to be an LMS/UPNPBridge/WiiM issue that the very capable developer of UPNPBridge seems to think can't be easily fixed. Must say I'm not aware of that happening with the WiiM Squeezelite beta firmware - hopefully you'll get that soon.

 

[Hollywood]

If you have no Alexa devices then you wouldn't normally need the app but what Brantome is saying is that you haven't set the WiiMs up properly for Amazon Music and one way you would be able to tell is if you had the Alexa app.

I just seen under WiiM device Settings, Voice, there is a Chromecast setting. The one in my office was turned off. Now Amazon Music sees that WiiM Pro. I also have a mini and it does not have the Chromecast setting. Neither do the 2 Audiocast.

I was actually looking to see if there was a setting to check for new firmware, which I didn't see, but did find the Chromecast.

 

[Brantome]

I just seen under WiiM device Settings, Voice, there is a Chromecast setting. The one in my office was turned off. Now Amazon Music sees that WiiM Pro. I also have a mini and it does not have the Chromecast setting. Neither do the 2 Audiocast.

I was actually looking to see if there was a setting to check for new firmware, which I didn't see, but did find the Chromecast.

For the purposes of Amazon Music, you should ignore ChromeCast as Amazon doesn’t formally support it for its hi res tracks, and as you’ve also found, the WiiM mini doesn’t support ChromeCast. Also, the voice settings you mention are only for setting the voice assistant language and whether the device supports lossless audio for an Alexa MRM group. Again, the mini doesn’t in an MRM group but the Pro does. So, for all intents and purposes for Amazon Music, you should ignore both ChromeCast and that Voice section for the moment.

As mentioned before, you need to link your WiiM devices, one by one, using the Amazon Alexa option in the WiiM Home app Browse page. If that option doesn’t appear on the Browse page, choose Manage Services to toggle it on.

Once you have done that for all your WiiM devices (not the AudioCast devices as they don’t support Amazon Music at all from what I see), you should then be able to see all WiiM devices in the Amazon Music app “connect to a device“ list with a small round casting icon as opposed to the square one which signifies ChromeCast. If you see that, you will be able to cast from the Amazon Music app to any of your WiiM devices bit perfect up to 24/192.

If you don’t see all your WiiM devices then in the Amazon Music app, you may need to check using the Alexa app as previously described.

Please confirm you’ve followed the steps to link your WiiM devices via the Amazon Alexa option in the WiiM Home app browse page, and what you then see after that in the Amazon Music app.

 

[Hollywood]

For the purposes of Amazon Music, you should ignore ChromeCast as Amazon doesn’t formally support it for its hi res tracks, and as you’ve also found, the WiiM mini doesn’t support ChromeCast. Also, the voice settings you mention are only for setting the voice assistant language and whether the device supports lossless audio for an Alexa MRM group. Again, the mini doesn’t in an MRM group but the Pro does. So, for all intents and purposes for Amazon Music, you should ignore both ChromeCast and that Voice section for the moment.

As mentioned before, you need to link your WiiM devices, one by one, using the Amazon Alexa option in the WiiM Home app Browse page. If that option doesn’t appear on the Browse page, choose Manage Services to toggle it on.

Once you have done that for all your WiiM devices (not the AudioCast devices as they don’t support Amazon Music at all from what I see), you should then be able to see all WiiM devices in the Amazon Music app “connect to a device“ list with a small round casting icon as opposed to the square one which signifies ChromeCast. If you see that, you will be able to cast from the Amazon Music app to any of your WiiM devices bit perfect up to 24/192.

If you don’t see all your WiiM devices then in the Amazon Music app, you may need to check using the Alexa app as previously described.

Please confirm you’ve followed the steps to link your WiiM devices via the Amazon Alexa option in the WiiM Home app browse page, and what you then see after that in the Amazon Music app.

Thanks. it will take a few days to read the Terms And Conditions. It is VERY long! As I am very concerned about privacy, without reading everything, will Amazon have access to my phone's mic or any other way to listen to me?

Also, any word if anyone received the new firmware?

Thanks!

 

[Brantome]

Thanks. it will take a few days to read the Terms And Conditions. It is VERY long! As I am very concerned about privacy, without reading everything, will Amazon have access to my phone's mic or any other way to listen to me?

Also, any word if anyone received the new firmware?

Thanks!

No, stories of Amazon Alexa eavesdropping conversations are overhyped and misreported, plus you can disable hands free Alexa (if indeed it's not already disabled by default) and microphone access to the Alexa and Amazon Music apps if that's a concern. Plus as I've said, linking to your Alexa account is to allow AlexaCast and MRM groups, not to facilitate the use of its voice assistant.

There's no mention yet of anyone having received the mooted firmware but as has been said many times, 31/8 was merely a target date not a cast iron commitment - and even if it had been met, it still takes a few days or more to rollout to the entire estate.

 

[Hollywood]

31/8 was merely a target date not a cast iron commitment

it was either Leave It To Beaver or Dennis The Menace, but the line was "they wouldn't print it in a comic book if it wasn't true".

Thanks for the explanation. I will try to link the WiiMs as you wrote (busy now though). I have little or no experience with allowing mics and cameras. You said you can set it up to listen only on demand, that works. That's why I like the forums because some of you have real world experience to share.

Thank You!

 

[WiiM Support]

Hi Team,

Rest assured, we haven't forgotten about the firmware release dates we promised two weeks ago. We actually kicked off our batch updates yesterday (8/31 PST), starting with PEQ for the WiiM Mini. Next up, we'll be rolling out combined PEQ and squeezelite updates for the WiiM Pro and Pro Plus sometime next week. Thanks for your continued support!

 

[Brantome]

Hi Team,

Rest assured, we haven't forgotten about the firmware release dates we promised two weeks ago. We actually kicked off our batch updates yesterday (8/31 PST), starting with PEQ for the WiiM Mini. Next up, we'll be rolling out combined PEQ and squeezelite updates for the WiiM Pro and Pro Plus sometime next week. Thanks for your continued support!

Hi, is Squeezelite for the Mini still on the cards at some point?

 

[WiiM Support]

Hi, is Squeezelite for the Mini still on the cards at some point?

Yes, we can do that, but it will require sacrificing some current features like Amazon MRM.

 

[Brantome]

Yes, we can do that, but it will require sacrificing some current features like Amazon MRM.

That’s a pity, but I guess there’s only so much you can do with the limited resources the Mini has. I think the management of different firmware versions for the one model will be a headache for you unless you can offer some way in the app for users to choose which features they want to drop and those they want to keep, even if that means the device has to reboot to download a “custom” firmware with only the required features - and I guess being able to do that relies on the existing firmware being modular enough to allow it. Not an easy one to crack I would think…

 

[Mr Ee]

That’s a pity, but I guess there’s only so much you can do with the limited resources the Mini has. I think the management of different firmware versions for the one model will be a headache for you unless you can offer some way in the app for users to choose which features they want to drop and those they want to keep, even if that means the device has to reboot to download a “custom” firmware with only the required features - and I guess being able to do that relies on the existing firmware being modular enough to allow it. Not an easy one to crack I would think…

Yeah; I don't think they should take away an existing feature to provide a new one.
Might be another one where only a pro will do!

 

[Hiphiman]

That’s a pity, but I guess there’s only so much you can do with the limited resources the Mini has. I think the management of different firmware versions for the one model will be a headache for you unless you can offer some way in the app for users to choose which features they want to drop and those they want to keep, even if that means the device has to reboot to download a “custom” firmware with only the required features - and I guess being able to do that relies on the existing firmware being modular enough to allow it. Not an easy one to crack I would think…

Yeah; I don't think they should take away an existing feature to provide a new one.

Yes, that is a shame but I agree that replacing, say, Amazon MRM to accommodate Squeezelite might be a retrograde step. Especially since, as a fairly early Mini adopter, the main reason for purchase was to be able to stream Amazon Music and have the option to make it multiroom.
Very grateful to have PEQ, mind you.

 

[canard]

that the choice is offered is so complicated...?
we could even imagine that the standard would be for all the other different other services and for those wanting to use amazon have access to specific firmware...?
(Would there be a solution to remove and therefore perhaps lighten the Alexa firmware for which is not concerned... seems to me a very heavy function (?))

 

[Brantome]

that the choice is offered is so complicated...?
we could even imagine that the standard would be for all the other different other services and for those wanting to use amazon have access to specific firmware...?

Why denigrate Amazon Music as the ‘outsider’? As said by @Hiphiman above, support for Amazon Music is what drew a lot of users to WiiM in the first instance, and support for bit perfect casting from the Amazon Music app was a world first and probably is still only achievable using WiiM devices. Why take a potentially unique feature and demote it to second place?

 

[Brantome]

Yeah; I don't think they should take away an existing feature to provide a new one.
Might be another one where only a pro will do!

Agree 200%

 

[Mr Ee]

Why denigrate Amazon Music as the ‘outsider’? As said by @Hiphiman above, support for Amazon Music is what drew a lot of users to WiiM in the first instance, and support for bit perfect casting from the Amazon Music app was a world first and probably is still only achievable using WiiM devices. Why take a potentially unique feature and demote it to second place?

2nd place is first loser

 

[canard]

Why denigrate Amazon Music as the ‘outsider’? As said by @Hiphiman above, support for Amazon Music is what drew a lot of users to WiiM in the first instance, and support for bit perfect casting from the Amazon Music app was a world first and probably is still only achievable using WiiM devices. Why take a potentially unique feature and demote it to second place?

always a bit of the same subject..trying to sort things out and not just refer to who shouts the loudest..it will be interesting to understand the real profile of wiim users...roon? lms? Alexa? an external dac or not so mini or pro? see the distribution of streaming services? ;-)
you are certainly right for the air appeal that was the announcement of the amazon service on wiim... but hey what is it really...?
the enormous energy put by wiim on the support of amazon see the management which was infernal the mqa of tidal etc. is it so representative of the current distribution among used wiims..?
I know nothing about it...
my point is not to degenerate Amazon etc but just to gently stir up reflection...
I maintain on the other hand that the window of the actors of such a forum is still seriously open to question... a big difference between what is "good for me" or "the collective - general interest of wiim"
;-)
(but if there is the possibility of choosing a firmware "roon" "lms" "amazon"... the question is more...
or just agree that the mini was a "mini solution" and that there are therefore the pros for go further..and basta.
maybe a more powerful mini and with a more serious integrated dac will come one day (?) ;-)
)

 

[Brown Sound]

Sounds like they may need to design a Mini Plus for some of these extra features but keeping the smaller form factor?? Just an idea.

 

[onlyoneme]

Looks like Roon case again. If I remember correctly only AirPlay cast was announced as exclusive for the Pro family.