Best connection wiim ultra - audiolab 7000A

[walburg]

Hello everybody,
just bought the wiim ultra (a week ago) and i have some doubts.
I've done some testing and using it as a streamer connected to the audiolab 7000A(integrated amplifier) via RCA and optical sounds about the same to me.
Maybe a little better using rca.

I tried also connecting it using an usb cable to the audiolab but after a while the wiim ultra begin to drop the connection, can it be the low quality cable?
In this case it's using the audiolab's dac?? Is this connection better than the other 2?

Anyway, the audiolab integrated amp can also be used as a power amplifier, In fact I use it as a power amp with my Denon 4700H for the front speakers.
I also tried connecting the wiim ultra as a preamp using the audiolab in power amp mode and like this I could here a lot of difference,
More fuller dinamic sound, the bass was much stronger and tighter.
Makes sense or it's just my immagination?

i would like to use it like this, the ultra as a pre and the audiolab as a power amp, but i don't want to unplug the denon and plug the wiim everytime.
Can i buy a switch of any sort to solve this?

Thank you.

 

[pieterv1]

A simple RCA switcher for can be had for very little money!

Curious that you find the best sounding combination is with the Ultra as digital preamp and the 7000A in (fully analog) poweramp mode.

The 7000A has long been on top of my wish list to combine with my WiiM Pro, until the Ultra was announced. The Ultra would allow me to just keep my current Rotel poweramp and sell the matching preamp, but I was still wondering if the 7000A, using its built-in DAC wouldn't sound better.

 

[walburg]

Yeah, i ordered an rca switcher just to try.
The audiolab is a great amp but didn't find the dac implementation that good. If I remember well the dac is the same that the ultra uses and they sound similar to my ears.

The preamp-poweramp combination surprised me also, that's why i started this thread.

 

[Musician]

Hello everybody,
just bought the wiim ultra (a week ago) and i have some doubts.
I've done some testing and using it as a streamer connected to the audiolab 7000A(integrated amplifier) via RCA and optical sounds about the same to me.
Maybe a little better using rca.

I tried also connecting it using an usb cable to the audiolab but after a while the wiim ultra begin to drop the connection, can it be the low quality cable?
In this case it's using the audiolab's dac?? Is this connection better than the other 2?

Anyway, the audiolab integrated amp can also be used as a power amplifier, In fact I use it as a power amp with my Denon 4700H for the front speakers.
I also tried connecting the wiim ultra as a preamp using the audiolab in power amp mode and like this I could here a lot of difference,
More fuller dinamic sound, the bass was much stronger and tighter.
Makes sense or it's just my immagination?

i would like to use it like this, the ultra as a pre and the audiolab as a power amp, but i don't want to unplug the denon and plug the wiim everytime.
Can i buy a switch of any sort to solve this?

Thank you.

The WiiM ultra is a kick-ass good preamp, so no wonder the sound is better than using the inbuilt pre in the audiolab.

 

[walburg]

The WiiM ultra is a kick-ass good preamp, so no wonder the sound is better than using the inbuilt pre in the audiolab.

Thanks, good to know that I'm not crazy

 

[ABAstroUK]

I'm running a Pro+ into a 7000A and have tried both RCA and Optical with very little, if any, noticeable difference. I haven't tried connecting to the power in but will give it a try.

Two advantages of using the 7000A as a preamp is: 1.using the power on volume limiter to avoid accidentally sending full volume from the WiiM.
2. Using the preout to a subwoofer (in integrated mode). The power in can then be used with a sub that has HPF output!

One question - did you equalise the levels when comparing the RCA input (7000A as preamp) with the power input?

 

[pieterv1]

I'm running a Pro+ into a 7000A and have tried both RCA and Optical with very little, if any, noticeable difference. I haven't tried connecting to the power in but will give it a try.

Two advantages of using the 7000A as a preamp is: 1.using the power on volume limiter to avoid accidentally sending full volume from the WiiM.
2. Using the preout to a subwoofer (in integrated mode). The power in can then be used with a sub that has HPF output!

One question - did you equalise the levels when comparing the RCA input (7000A as preamp) with the power input?

Fair point and one of my biggest fears! However, until now I have not yet seen reports of the WiiM Ultra jumping to full volume

My take is that an amp like the 7000A or the WiiM are both modern devices with digital control for the volume. I see no reason why one device would be more likely to do this than the other. In fact I really trust the WiiM when it comes to software-hardware integration and stability (although it needs to do a dozen more things than the amp)

 

[slartibartfast]

Fair point and one of my biggest fears! However, until now I have not yet seen reports of the WiiM Ultra jumping to full volume

My take is that an amp like the 7000A or the WiiM are both modern devices with digital control for the volume. I see no reason why one device would be more likely to do this than the other. In fact I really trust the WiiM when it comes to software-hardware integration and stability (although it needs to do a dozen more things than the amp)

I once bought an Arcam 9 amp with a remote control for the motorised volume pot. Very soon after buying it the volume knob rotated to full volume with no input from me . I returned it and got an Audiolab instead.

 

[walburg]

I'm running a Pro+ into a 7000A and have tried both RCA and Optical with very little, if any, noticeable difference. I haven't tried connecting to the power in but will give it a try.

Two advantages of using the 7000A as a preamp is: 1.using the power on volume limiter to avoid accidentally sending full volume from the WiiM.
2. Using the preout to a subwoofer (in integrated mode). The power in can then be used with a sub that has HPF output!

One question - did you equalise the levels when comparing the RCA input (7000A as preamp) with the power input?

I have no idea how to equalize the levels, but anyway when using the wiim ultra as a preamp and the audiolab 7000A as a poweramp I get much more dynamics.
Going over 50 in volume (wiim) it's already very loud.

 

[slartibartfast]

I have no idea how to equalize the levels, but anyway when using the wiim ultra as a preamp and the audiolab 7000A as a poweramp I get much more dynamics.
Going over 50 in volume (wiim) it's already very loud.

Volume isn't the same as dynamics. You can switch between different output levels on the Ultra.

 

[ABAstroUK]

I have no idea how to equalize the levels, but anyway when using the wiim ultra as a preamp and the audiolab 7000A as a poweramp I get much more dynamics.
Going over 50 in volume (wiim) it's already very loud.

Try and measure the SPL with a decibel meter at your normal listening position and write down the volume setting on the WiiM that corresponds to the same SPL for both configurations and then compare them at that same level. Also it may be worth lowering the Line Level Ouput (the default is 2Vrms) when feeding directly into the power amp which will reduce the maximum output level.

 

[walburg]

Volume isn't the same as dynamics. You can switch between different output levels on the Ultra.

I know, when talking about dynamics i mean fuller sound, punchier bass.
I don't have an spl meter, i can use the phone but it's not very acurate.
When the rca switch arrives gonna make more tests.

But anyway it's not a volume difference issue, using the wiim as a preamp and the audiolab as a poweramp gets me more dynamics.
I don't get that using it as a streamer/dac connected in rca at any volume.

 

[slartibartfast]

I know, when talking about dynamics i mean fuller sound, punchier bass.
I don't have an spl meter, i can use the phone but it's not very acurate.
When the rca switch arrives gonna make more tests.

But anyway it's not a volume difference issue, using the wiim as a preamp and the audiolab as a poweramp gets me more dynamics.
I don't get that using it as a streamer/dac connected in rca at any volume.

I wonder why that is then. The frequency response of both should be essentially flat.

 

[Mr Ee]

Possibly because it's not going through the audiolab's volume pot??

 

[ABAstroUK]

I know, when talking about dynamics i mean fuller sound, punchier bass.
I don't have an spl meter, i can use the phone but it's not very acurate.
When the rca switch arrives gonna make more tests.

But anyway it's not a volume difference issue, using the wiim as a preamp and the audiolab as a poweramp gets me more dynamics.
I don't get that using it as a streamer/dac connected in rca at any volume.

I'll try and test mine later today, I'm interested if I can detect any difference. I won't be able to run my sub however as the Pro+ doesn't have a sub out.

 

[ABAstroUK]

Possibly because it's not going through the audiolab's volume pot??

Surely if the volume is set to max on the 7000A then it should sound no different to feeding directly into the power amp? I can't believe the preamp circuitry would degrade the quality at all!

 

[pieterv1]

Surely if the volume is set to max on the 7000A then it should sound no different to feeding directly into the power amp? I can't believe the preamp circuitry would degrade the quality at all!

Maybe there's still an EQ setting active on the Audiolab? I guess that would be bypassed as well when it is set to pure poweramp mode.

 

[ABAstroUK]

Maybe there's still an EQ setting active on the Audiolab? I guess that would be bypassed as well when it is set to pure poweramp mode.

The only thing I'm aware of is an upsampling setting on the DAC, there's no other EQ settings AFAIK.

 

[harkpabst]

Is it really a problem that needs to be solved if @walburg just found the best connection between the WiiM Ultra and the 7000A and for him it happens to be using the Ultra as a pre-amp and the 7000 in power amp mode?

 

[Yoku-San]

Hello everybody,
just bought the wiim ultra (a week ago) and i have some doubts.
I've done some testing and using it as a streamer connected to the audiolab 7000A(integrated amplifier) via RCA and optical sounds about the same to me.
Maybe a little better using rca.

I tried also connecting it using an usb cable to the audiolab but after a while the wiim ultra begin to drop the connection, can it be the low quality cable?
In this case it's using the audiolab's dac?? Is this connection better than the other 2?

Anyway, the audiolab integrated amp can also be used as a power amplifier, In fact I use it as a power amp with my Denon 4700H for the front speakers.
I also tried connecting the wiim ultra as a preamp using the audiolab in power amp mode and like this I could here a lot of difference,
More fuller dinamic sound, the bass was much stronger and tighter.
Makes sense or it's just my immagination?

i would like to use it like this, the ultra as a pre and the audiolab as a power amp, but i don't want to unplug the denon and plug the wiim everytime.
Can i buy a switch of any sort to solve this?

Thank you.

Why not connect the Denon 4700H Front speaker out to the Line-In of the Ultra?