Ongoing Beta Beta Test: Qobuz Connect

[QuarryHunslet]

What is the latest non-beta firmware for the WiiM Ultra? I have 5.2.714249, build date 20250418. I'm not sure if that's a beta or not.

That is the latest.

 

[adias]

My WiiM edition audio pro a10 still doesn’t but it’s overdue a firmware update…

That one and Amp Pro too. Both need new FW.

 

[alpha_zulu]

My Pro Plus works fine with latest firmware (not beta) and the Qobuz Connect beta app.

 

[Mark Dirac]

At Qobuz Club forum one user posted this today:

„Hi everyone. I've just been informed that the Qobuz Connect will be rolled out to all subscribers on 5th May. This will make a lot of people very happy I'm sure you will all agree.“


Great news!

This post has now been removed Qobuz Club, with no explanation (or apology). The poster never provided any credible evidence that the date would be May 5th.

 

[Burnside]

This post has now been removed Qobuz Club, with no explanation (or apology). The poster never provided any credible evidence that the date would be May 5th.

Or it’s Qobuz not wanting any news till they announce it…

 

[Horsey]

May 5th

Your terms are accepted.

 

[Balthazar B]

My WiiM edition audio pro a10 still doesn’t but it’s overdue a firmware update…

Nor the C10 (yet).

 

[adias]

Today I visited someone who owns a Marantz AVR. I pulled my iOS QC and was able to connect. The owner doesn’t even know what Qobuz is. The AVR gets FW updates automatically and already had the QC code.

 

[celeste]

I get the impression that all the Denon/Marantz/HEOS firmware in the wild is already QC-compatible. I'm kind of expecting WiiM will update the firmware soon on their non-Ultra devices and QC-ify everything before Qobuz makes it GA in their apps.

If I were Qobuz, I'd be all in favor of having the streamer environment capable ASAP. It'll only put pressure on the laggards -- cough, cough, Cambridge Audio -- to get with the program sooner than later.

i've got a denon avr-x6300h which is qc enabled, just to confirm

 

[alpha_zulu]

I suspect a major rollout by Qobuz at the beginning of May. My guess is that they will release app version 9.0, which will include Qubuz connect as standard. In addition, the new function will be promoted with great fanfare and the (so far) cooperating hardware manufacturers will be announced.

As I said, just my guess, but all the indications at the moment point in favour of such a scenario. We will see.

 

[Burnside]

I suspect a major rollout by Qobuz at the beginning of May. My guess is that they will release app version 9.0, which will include Qubuz connect as standard. In addition, the new function will be promoted with great fanfare and the (so far) cooperating hardware manufacturers will be announced.

As I said, just my guess, but all the indications at the moment point in favour of such a scenario. We will see.

High End 2025 at Munich May 15-18 would be my guess, with many of the manufacturers likely to be there as well.

 

[adias]

Latest Amp Pro fw has Connect built-in.

 

[Balthazar B]

Not seeing it here - I used that Android beta Qobuz app to Connect to a Pro Plus which was linked to a Mini, Pro and Ultra and let a playlist run for three or four songs. Everything was in step - the Qobuz and WiiM app on Android, the WiiM app on iOS and even the Ultra screen.

Just to close this out, the issue resolved when I uninstalled/reinstalled the beta app. After doing so, I did see a weird issue where all the QC and GC endpoints disappeared from the app, and there was an alert that I was not on the Internet (which I was), but that resolved when I rebooted my phone. BTW, since then I haven't seen any lagging in keeping up with track progress/transitions in single or multiroom streaming.

 

[Horsey]

Does Qobuz Connect actually work from the server to a router? Is that different from now using the WiiM app?

Will it operate from a desktop like a handheld? Will there be any other features like upsampling as an example.?Not pushing for that but curious.

 

[Balthazar B]

Does Qobuz Connect actually work from the server to a router? Is that different from now using the WiiM app?

Will it operate from a desktop like a handheld? Will there be any other features like upsampling as an example.?Not pushing for that but curious.

It works similarly to Google Cast, Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect, etc. The app running on your desktop and/or phone is the controller, which instructs the Qobuz cloud to play what you select on a renderer (which in the case of WiiM can be single or multiroom endpoints). So content is sent in full resolution from the cloud directly to whatever endpoint(s) you select, and you continue to control playback from your controller app(s). Make sense?

 

[adias]

It works similarly to Google Cast, Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect, etc. The app running on your desktop and/or phone is the controller, which instructs the Qobuz cloud to play what you select on a renderer (which in the case of WiiM can be single or multiroom endpoints). So content is sent in full resolution from the cloud directly to whatever endpoint(s) you select, and you continue to control playback from your controller app(s). Make sense?

In multiroom, my understanding is that resolution will be limited to 48kHz in all endpoints.

 

[DRC]

It works similarly to Google Cast, Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect, etc. The app running on your desktop and/or phone is the controller, which instructs the Qobuz cloud to play what you select on a renderer (which in the case of WiiM can be single or multiroom endpoints). So content is sent in full resolution from the cloud directly to whatever endpoint(s) you select, and you continue to control playback from your controller app(s). Make sense?

My understanding from the logs in Firewalla is that with Google Cast (and HEOS) content is sent to one endpoint that then distributes to the other endpoints. Sending the same content to all endpoints would be very inefficient.

 

[Balthazar B]

In multiroom, my understanding is that resolution will be limited to 48kHz in all endpoints.

Yes, that's the tradeoff -- currently, at least. You'd have to use something like Roon to move beyond that.

In the future, will WiiM release a simple multiroom content master that will send synched max resolution content to multiple Linkplay endpoints on the local network, and then let each endpoint process DAC, room correction, equalization, and all the other goodies? Anybody's guess.

 

[alpha_zulu]

Yes, that's the tradeoff -- currently, at least. You'd have to use something like Roon to move beyond that.

No real restriction, probably inaudible.

 

[Burnside]

In the future, will WiiM release a simple multiroom content master that will send synched max resolution content to multiple Linkplay endpoints on the local network, and then let each endpoint process DAC, room correction, equalization, and all the other goodies? Anybody's guess.

Hi res multi room has been on the roadmap for a while, and the second part re RC, EQ etc for each endpoint is what happens just now afaics