Best Audio Quality?

[Difertv]

Good afternoon.

I want to buy the Wiim pro plus or even the next Ultra model that will be released soon. But I have an Onkyo 9.2 Ch Receiver with Dolby Atmos. The question is if by connecting the Wiim equipment via optical cable to the Receiver, will I be able to listen to music with higher quality? or it would be the same and I would just spend my money?

Since currently to play the audio from streaming services I am using and listening via Amazon TV Cube device through the streaming apps (Tidal, Sirius XM, etc.) and it is connected directly to my receiver via HDMI.

Thank you for helping me with my questions.

 

[pieterv1]

A TV always resamples audio to 48Khz when sending audio digitally over HDMI or optical.

Connecting a WiiM streamer to your receiver over optical will allow bit-perfect playback at sample rates matching the original source material.

Whether you'll notice a difference, I doubt it, but maybe the more streamlined experience of using a dedicated streamer, focused on music and audio instead of your TV might be worth it

 

[Jls]

This may be irrelevant, but my TV has about a dozen options for audio options for audio processing, and the default is lots.

 

[Difertv]

A TV always resamples audio to 48Khz when sending audio digitally over HDMI or optical.

Connecting a WiiM streamer to your receiver over optical will allow bit-perfect playback at sample rates matching the original source material.

Whether you'll notice a difference, I doubt it, but maybe the more streamlined experience of using a dedicated streamer, focused on music and audio instead of your TV might be worth it

Hello good morning. I appreciate your response, but I am not using the audio streaming apps through the TV. I am using an Amazon device called TV Cube (like Fire TV) and I have it connected to my receiver via HDMI directly. This device is ready for Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, And DDPlus.

For that reason, my question is whether using a Wiim device can give me, also connected to my receiver, better and real difference audio quality when playing these audio services.

 

[Brantome]

I also had a Fire TV Cube connected via HDMi directly into my amp. However, the Amazon Music app isn’t bit perfect and plays everything back at the resolution of the device it’s connected to, which in my case was 24/192 (despite what the Amazon music app might tell you). In comparison with the Heos Link HS2 which I had at the time connected to that same amp, I found the Fire Tv Cube playback to be thin and without substance.

In contrast, the WiiM Mini which I used over optical into the amp sounded as good as the Heos if not better, as well as allowing bit perfect casting from the Amazon Music app which the Heos couldn’t. Also, the HEOS app was exécrable and lacked many of the features of the native Amazon Music app.

While WiiM devices don’t (yet?) support the Dolby formats you mention, I found their playback of stereo Amazon Music, whether that be SD, HD or UHD, to be so much better than any devices I had previously used.

 

[Jls]

Here’s my TV audio options. These are applied even to optical out.

Sound Modes

• Standard: The default option, which offers OK sound for a variety of content.
• Cinema: Boosts the bass and gives the sound a surround effect.
• Clear Voice: Makes the treble stand out, making voices sound clearer.
• Sports: Amplifies the surround sound effect, making you feel like you’re in the stadium.
• Music: Extends the frequency range, making music sound extra dynamic.
• Game: Amplifies the surround effect, bass, and treble.

 

[Brantome]

Here’s my TV audio options. These are applied even to optical out.

Sound Modes

• Standard: The default option, which offers OK sound for a variety of content.
• Cinema: Boosts the bass and gives the sound a surround effect.
• Clear Voice: Makes the treble stand out, making voices sound clearer.
• Sports: Amplifies the surround sound effect, making you feel like you’re in the stadium.
• Music: Extends the frequency range, making music sound extra dynamic.
• Game: Amplifies the surround effect, bass, and treble.

None of which I’d use if I were looking for the “best audio quality” for music playback. However, others may like their use and are free to do so

 

[Jls]

None of which I’d use if I were looking for the “best audio quality” for music playback. However, others may like their use and are free to do so

Just trying to figure out why using a TV in the sound chain will produce unexpected results. Even if it all digital.

 

[Difertv]

I also had a Fire TV Cube connected via HDMi directly into my amp. However, the Amazon Music app isn’t bit perfect and plays everything back at the resolution of the device it’s connected to, which in my case was 24/192 (despite what the Amazon music app might tell you). In comparison with the Heos Link HS2 which I had at the time connected to that same amp, I found the Fire Tv Cube payback to be thin and without substance.

In contrast, the WiiM Mini which I used over optical into the amp sounded as good as the Heos if not better, as well as allowing bit perfect casting from the Amazon Music app which the Heos couldn’t. Also, the HEOS app was exécrable and lacked many of the features of the native Amazon Music app.

While WiiM devices don’t (yet?) support the Dolby formats you mention, I found their playback of stereo Amazon Music, whether that be SD, HD or UHD, to be so much better than any devices I had previously used.

Thank you very much for your information, it has been very helpful to me. And in fact, when I am playing, for example, Tidal with the HI-FI Plus service and I listen to the tracks in master audio, when I put "info" on it, my receiver displays Output: 5.1.4 48 Khz" regardless of the quality of the song, and this is another thing that I don't know if it's because the receiver even has that playback output capacity or if I'm doing something wrong.

 

[Brantome]

Thank you very much for your information, it has been very helpful to me. And in fact, when I am playing, for example, Tidal with the HI-FI Plus service and I listen to the tracks in master audio, when I put "info" on it, my receiver displays Output: 5.1.4 48 Khz" regardless of the quality of the song, and this is another thing that I don't know if it's because the receiver even has that playback output capacity or if I'm doing something wrong.

5.1.4 sounds like one of the AVR’s Dolby Atmos formats. While WiiM devices don’t support Dolby, I would suggest that even a WiiM Mini feeding digitally over optical into your AVR playing in stereo mode would sound better than what your Fire Tv Cube or TV can deliver.

If you were to use the Pro Plus or Ultra, the question would be whether their DAC feeding analogue over RCA connections into your AVR would sound better than a digital feed into your AVR using the Onkyo’s DAC - that would solely be a matter of your ears as to which sounded better to you.

For better quality music listening, I’d stick to two channel stereo from a WiiM device. By all means, if you wish to listen to Dolby Atmos or any other multi channel music source, stick with the Cube and the AVR’s multi channel mode. It’s your choice, and you could have both…

 

[FreakyKiwi]

The TV sound modes are probably only effective when using the built-in TV speakers, you should easily be able to test if they have any impact on sound to your AVR.

If you don't have an existing WiiM multiroom implementation, or plan to make this zone part of one, I'm not sure that the WiiM is the best choice here as you will lose support for Atmos playback from Tidal which I have found to be quite good for some music - despite being a lossy format here.

What model is your AVR?
If it's mid range or higher it should have support for network streaming built in.

 

[pieterv1]

Thank you very much for your information, it has been very helpful to me. And in fact, when I am playing, for example, Tidal with the HI-FI Plus service and I listen to the tracks in master audio, when I put "info" on it, my receiver displays Output: 5.1.4 48 Khz" regardless of the quality of the song, and this is another thing that I don't know if it's because the receiver even has that playback output capacity or if I'm doing something wrong.

I think you've answered your own question

The likely reason is probably the fact that the OS used by Amazon devices is actually Android based. Android is known for resampling all system audio to 48Khz.

 

[Brantome]

I think you've answered your own question

The likely reason is probably the fact that the OS used by Amazon devices is actually Android based. Android is known for resampling all system audio to 48Khz.

It doesn’t in the case I mentioned above where the Fire TV Cube outputs at the max resolution of the device it’s connected to - the Amazon music app there can report it’s delivering up to 24/192, while my Linn Amp will show 24/192 for all tracks received from the TV Cube.

 

[pieterv1]

It doesn’t in the case I mentioned above where the Fire TV Cube outputs at the max resolution of the device it’s connected to

I see! The main takeaway then seems to be that his amplifier reports a maximum quality of 48Khz "only".

And the most straightforward way to get bit-perfect playback (with automatic sample rate switching) would be a dedicated streamer connected through coax/toslink.

 

[Jozhix]

To get best audio from my wiim i use av switch box, to bipass my av reciever. No need to turn on tv to listen to the music. Wiim->dac->switch->dsp->amp->speakers
Tv->Reciever->switch->dsp->amp->speakers

I doubt you will hear any difference, just a better expierience using wiim streaming app and much better measurements 'on paper'.

 

[GusGusNFT]

its simple. The answer is no. AVRs are build for movies not dedicated for music. I know I spent a lot of money into home theater, and now I wished I had bought the best 2.1 set up instead.

Stereo dedicated equipment have better components for music. Any AVR will sound good for movies but not for music. I can hear the difference when I play music in my living room home theater vs my 2.1 dedicated for music set up.

Also you’ve got to take into account, how good your ears are. My employer tests my listening yearly. So I can hear the difference well between Spotify and 16/44.1 or higher. Once I get old old, I’ll prolly won’t care

My best advice, buy something that sounds good to you and that you are happy with. Do not listening to others or YouTubers. Buy the best quality product you can afford. Buy quality products that one day you can pass down to your family members.

Good luck in this never ending money pit hobby.

 

[Difertv]

The TV sound modes are probably only effective when using the built-in TV speakers, you should easily be able to test if they have any impact on sound to your AVR.

If you don't have an existing WiiM multiroom implementation, or plan to make this zone part of one, I'm not sure that the WiiM is the best choice here as you will lose support for Atmos playback from Tidal which I have found to be quite good for some music - despite being a lossy format here.

What model is your AVR?
If it's mid range or higher it should have support for network streaming built in.

Hi´ Thanks for your response my AVR is The Onkyo 9.2 Ch. Model TX-RZ730 with Supported Audio Formats: MP3 (.mp3/.MP3): • Supported formats: MPEG-1/MPEG-2 Audio Layer 3 • Supported sampling rates: 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz • Supported bitrates: Between 8 kbps and 320 kbps, and VBR WMA (.wma/.WMA): • Supported sampling rates: 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz • Supported bitrates: Between 5 kbps and 320 kbps, and VBR • WMA Pro/Voice/WMA Lossless formats are not supported. WAV (.wav/.WAV): WAV files contain uncompressed PCM digital audio. • Supported sampling rates: 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz, 192 kHz • Quantization bit: 8 bit, 16 bit, 24 bit AIFF (.aiff/.aif/.AIFF/.AIF): AIFF files contain uncompressed PCM digital audio. • Supported sampling rates: 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz, 192 kHz • Quantization bit: 8 bit, 16 bit, 24 bit AAC (.aac/.m4a/.mp4/.3gp/.3g2/.AAC/.M4A/.MP4/.3GP/.3G2): • Supported formats: MPEG-2/MPEG-4 Audio • Supported sampling rates: 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz • Supported bitrates: Between 8 kbps and 320 kbps, and VBR FLAC (.flac/.FLAC): • Supported sampling rates: 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz, 192 kHz • Quantization bit: 8 bit, 16 bit, 24 bit LPCM (Linear PCM): • Supported sampling rates: 44.1 kHz, 4

Also has Network Streaming built in, like Tidal, Amazon Music (Not Hd) Tune In, Pandora, Etc. But when play directly from the AVR I feel the audio not is with good quality.

 

[Jozhix]

But when play directly from the AVR I feel the audio not is with good quality.

What do you compare with? Is network source is the same?
AVR has different sound modes, even stereo has room correction and bass management (more bass usually should sound better for average listener). Too many variables.
But in general, AVR is your weakest link, no matter what your audio source will be.

 

[Difertv]

What do you compare with? Is network source is the same?
AVR has different sound modes, even stereo has room correction and bass management (more bass usually should sound better for average listener). Too many variables.
But in general, AVR is your weakest link, no matter what your audio source will be.

Hello, my comment is based on or compared to the fact that I have, for example, the Tidal HI-FI plus service and if I play it directly through the AVR I have no way of checking that it is outputting the tracks with master or hi-fi sound. The graphical interface with the information when playing the music is very basic, compared to when I play it with the TV cube device.

 

[Difertv]

I thank everyone who gave me information and suggestions, I am determined to buy the Wiim Ultra when it is available and test its sound through the various available platforms. I think it will be a piece of equipment that will be very worth acquiring to add to my equipment.