Best connection wiim ultra - audiolab 7000A

[ABAstroUK]

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?

Absolutely no problem, I was just curious why the preamp of the 7000A would be worse? I feel more comfortable having the power on volume limiter of -20dB on the 7000A to save my speakers

 

[slartibartfast]

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?

Just a mystery which must have a reason

 

[ABAstroUK]

Just a mystery which must have a reason

Just tested it briefly, can't tell any difference myself. RCA out to Aux1 max volume on amp versus RCA out to Power in

 

[pieterv1]

Just tested it briefly, can't tell any difference myself. RCA out to Aux1 max volume on amp versus RCA out to Power in

And how about the Ultra's analog output vs digital?

 

[ABAstroUK]

And how about the Ultra's analog output vs digital?

I don't have an Ultra as yet, just a Pro+. The DAC in the 7000A is the same ESS chip as the Ultra so I doubt there's any perceptible difference. I switch periodically between the Pro+ DAC and 7000A DAC and I'm yet to hear any difference with my 62 year old ears

 

[harkpabst]

I don't have an Ultra as yet, just a Pro+. The DAC in the 7000A is the same ESS chip as the Ultra so I doubt there's any perceptible difference.

Once you have one, don't forget to check.

And no, don't get me wrong, I'm not about to say "You will be surprised" or anything like that. I just think its possible that there is a difference and it might be more to a listener's preference or just not. I don't pretend to know. But if someone tells me he likes the Ultra as a pre-amp better than that of the 7000A, it's certainly not like he told me "after one week of burn-in".

Having said that, I understand everyone who wouldn't even care about small differences if this meant losing the additional "mechanical" safety measure of an analogue pre-amp. I for my self have been using the WiiM Ultra as a pre-amp into a pair of V3 Monos for many weeks now (and through a number of firmware updates) and I didn't have any issues.

 

[walburg]

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

What? I read your message 4 times to understand it
So connecting via rca the denon to the ultra? Is this possible.

Anyway, i will test this preamp-poweramp again on saturday to see if I'm crazy or not.

 

[Yoku-San]

What? I read your message 4 times to understand it
So connecting via rca the denon to the ultra? Is this possible.

Anyway, i will test this preamp-poweramp again on saturday to see if I'm crazy or not.

Yes, that should be possible. You can route the line-in signal to the line-out, no problem. And you should be able to set and save a desired volume level for the line-in which fits the rest of your surround system.

 

[duffers0]

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.

Having just bought both the 7000a and the Ultra I am going through the various connection options now.
Upon a quick review using Rca line out into aux1 I found the sound dull and laid back.
Using toslink optical out from the Ultra into the 7000a demonstrated a much clearer / more detailed implementation of the same dac. Substituting Optical for coax again revealed another subtle improvement. Then tried USB out from Ultra to USB in on the Audiolab. Connection and handshake took a reboot of the Wiim. Initially I found a brighter presentation but fatiguing after a while. Settled on Coax out from the Wiim at present.
LG oled G65 HDMI to Ultra (earc cec enabled) and a trigger to the 7000a turns everything on and off when using the tv.
Wiim audio set to max fixed. Wiim providing sub out and bass management. Only downside is tv volume controlled by Audiolab remote rather than Wiim, LG / SKY stream etc.

 

[cristoo]

Wiim audio set to max fixed. Wiim providing sub out and bass management. Only downside is tv volume controlled by Audiolab remote rather than Wiim, LG / SKY stream etc.

I think - but may be mistaken - that this in not good approach, I mean Wiim bass management and fixed volume. Coz in that case sub will be at constant volume while mains volume will change on amp and there will be all setup volume mismatch. I guess when using wiim sub out and bass management, wiim should work as pre amp.

 

[harkpabst]

I think - but may be mistaken - that this in not good approach, I mean Wiim bass management and fixed volume. Coz in that case sub will be at constant volume while mains volume will change on amp and there will be all setup volume mismatch. I guess when using wiim sub out and bass management, wiim should work as pre amp.

Exactly. The negative impact will be far less subtle than the difference between S/PDIF over optical or S/PDIF over coaxial.