Beta Test: USB Output (Feature now publicly available)

[ccs-digital]

USB Out firmware installed v5.0.621154 (requires app v2.10.2).

Initially I didn’t think it was working as USB Out wasn’t shown as an option in Audio Output - however when I connected my Topping DX3 Pro+ (DAC/Headphone amp) to the Amp USB port the option appeared and it correctly identifies the connected device.

Currently listening to my Amp through headphones connected to the DX3 Pro+ and it seems to be working really well. Another great addition to the WiiM Amp feature set

I can now repurpose my WiiM Pro elsewhere as it was acting as the input to the DX3 Pro+ for headphone listening, now replaced by the Amp.

 

[Smartplug]

USB Out firmware installed v5.0.621154 (requires app v2.10.2).

Initially I didn’t think it was working as USB Out wasn’t shown as an option in Audio Output - however when I connected my Topping DX3 Pro+ to the Amp USB port the option appeared and it correctly identifies the connected device.

Currently listening to my Amp through headphones connected to the DX3 Pro+ and it seems to be working really well. Another great addition to the WiiM Amp feature set

I can now repurpose my WiiM Pro elsewhere as it was acting as the input to the DX3 Pro+ for headphone listening, now replaced by the Amp.

The purpose of this usb are just for headphones?

 

[Brantome]

The purpose of this usb are just for headphones?

No, as in the post you quote, it’s feeding an external DAC then headphones

 

[Deleted member 1420]

No, as in the post you quote, it’s feeding an external DAC then headphones

So the Amp is only used a the streamer, right? So it is listening "through" the Topping which means the Amp does nothing for the sound. Or do I understand something totally wrong?

 

[Brantome]

So the Amp is only used a the streamer, right? So its listening "through" the Topping which means the Amp does nothing for the sound. Or do I understand something totally wrong?

I guess if you’ve applied EQ/PEQ then that’ll be applied to the USB digital output too, just as a Pro/Plus would for their outputs (Bluetooth apart)

 

[Deleted member 1420]

Nothing for my old brain, just found the chain and the conclusion a bit...

 

[Smartplug]

we usually get two firmware update every month. I wonder if separate left and right would be release or maybe usb out is ready for release.

 

[BowsAndArrows]

USB Out firmware installed v5.0.621154 (requires app v2.10.2).

Initially I didn’t think it was working as USB Out wasn’t shown as an option in Audio Output - however when I connected my Topping DX3 Pro+ to the Amp USB port the option appeared and it correctly identifies the connected device.

Currently listening to my Amp through headphones connected to the DX3 Pro+ and it seems to be working really well. Another great addition to the WiiM Amp feature set

I can now repurpose my WiiM Pro elsewhere as it was acting as the input to the DX3 Pro+ for headphone listening, now replaced by the Amp.

that's awesome. so it's safe to say that ultra will probably ship with this working out of the box, then... hmm makes things kinda interesting maybe i should just get the ultra even though i don't need the screen etc.

 

[Wiimer]

USB Out firmware installed v5.0.621154 (requires app v2.10.2).

Initially I didn’t think it was working as USB Out wasn’t shown as an option in Audio Output - however when I connected my Topping DX3 Pro+ to the Amp USB port the option appeared and it correctly identifies the connected device.

Currently listening to my Amp through headphones connected to the DX3 Pro+ and it seems to be working really well. Another great addition to the WiiM Amp feature set

I can now repurpose my WiiM Pro elsewhere as it was acting as the input to the DX3 Pro+ for headphone listening, now replaced by the Amp.

Thanks.

I should have tried turning on the amp connected to USB, although nothing showed up in WHA when I tried that.

I will try that later!

 

[Brantome]

I must have missed the invite - I’ve submitted a ticket to see if I can get the beta for my Amp.

 

[Wiimer]

I guess if you’ve applied EQ/PEQ then that’ll be applied to the USB digital output too, just as a Pro/Plus would for their outputs (Bluetooth apart)

ーーーーーーーーー
Edit; This may be a bug, EQ adjustments are not reflected in the sound on both USB-Out and Speaker-Out.
Ticket #506339.
ーーーーーーーーー



Unfortunately, it appears that EQ is not applicable to USB output at this time...

View attachment VID_20240629_093300.mp4

Also, as far as I have been able to ascertain, simultaneous output to the Subwoofer is not possible, so this would seem to be a completely headphone-only output.

 

[Wiimer]

@WiiM Team, @WiiM Support,
Hi, Thanks for the new feature.

My USB Out beta test.

My experience was a bit different from that of @ccs-digital.

When I connected a small speaker to the amplifier (SMSL AO200) I had prepared for testing, a "USB Out" appeared on the WHA's audio output. However, there is no model name there.



Also, the audio output is not displayed on the now playing screen.

I will have to try other DACs on this.

I can't say anything about the sound quality yet, but the volume was low compared to the speaker output, so the volume had to be increased considerably on the amplifier side. This resulted in an increased amount of noise from the speakers. However, I believe this is a problem with my AO200 amplifier.

Next time I will test with the SMSL M200 DAC and Topping PA5, the M200 has a problem with pop noise between different sample rates and I will see if the USB output solves this.

Thank you.

 

[Wiimer]

This is a continuation of the USB Out test.

WiiM amp >> SMSL M200 DAC (AKM4497) >> Topping PA5 (gen1)

In this connection, brand name was displayed in WHA.



But again, no output information is displayed; perhaps WiiM is incompatible with SMSL.


Played tracks with different sample rates on Amazon music.
44.1khz -> 96kHz
44.1khz -> 192kHz

My experience to date has been that WiiM + M200 DAC set produces popping noise between certain songs. This happens on both coax and optical.

Now, I ran the same test with USB Out and got no noise at all. (This may be a natural result, but I do not know the detailed mechanism.)

View attachment VID_20240629_111243.mp4



As mentioned earlier, USB Out is less loud than the speaker outputs, so DAC and amplifier volume had to be turned up considerably to maintain the volume level when switching outputs. (This is only in my system.)

Regarding this, I hope that volume control per output will be added in a future update. Alternatively, a scene registration feature would be ideal.

Finally, I checked the noise in silence: WiiM amp, M200, and PA5, all three devices at full volume, and listened to the noise when nothing was playing. I put my ear to the tweeter and heard nothing.

Thank you.

 

[Smartplug]

This is a continuation of the USB Out test.

WiiM amp >> SMSL M200 DAC (AKM4497) >> Topping PA5 (gen1)

In this connection, brand name was displayed in WHA.
View attachment 8507


But again, no output information is displayed; perhaps WiiM is incompatible with SMSL.
View attachment 8508

Played tracks with different sample rates on Amazon music.
44.1khz -> 96kHz
44.1khz -> 192kHz

My experience to date has been that WiiM + M200 DAC set produces popping noise between certain songs. This happens on both coax and optical.

Now, I ran the same test with USB Out and got no noise at all. (This may be a natural result, but I do not know the detailed mechanism.)

View attachment 8509



As mentioned earlier, USB Out is less loud than the speaker outputs, so DAC and amplifier volume had to be turned up considerably to maintain the volume level when switching outputs. (This is only in my system.)

Regarding this, I hope that volume control per output will be added in a future update. Alternatively, a scene registration feature would be ideal.

Finally, I checked the noise in silence: WiiM amp, M200, and PA5, all three devices at full volume, and listened to the noise when nothing was playing. I put my ear to the tweeter and heard nothing.

Thank you.

It look like just minor issue need to be resolve before it’s ready for primr time. I’m excited on that usb out as I have an amp. Think about, all these features being added at no cost to us. I know one company took them for long time just to support tidal max whereas wiim already supported that before anyone does. Wiim secret sauce!

 

[Wiimer]

WiiM amp USB-Out Beta test.

Ticket #506339

EQ adjustments are not reflected in the sound on both USB-Out and Speaker-Out.

Android WHA 2.10.2.240625
Firmware 5.0.621154

 

[Brantome]

Requested the beta firmware yesterday for my Amp and it arrived overnight - don’t recall the update saying anything other than it was for USB Out.

First fleeting thoughts:

1. As mentioned before, it does allow the use of both USB Media input and USB Output at the same time thru the use of a USB hub. I used this cheap hub ( www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0CQRN5CB9/ ) and a usb y-splitter to both power my external SSD drive and feed the USB Audio to my Linn amp. Indeed, I even played some tracks from the USB drive back out thru to my amp with no issues.

2. The Audio Settings for USB Out are rather scant compared to optical&digital out - just Volume Limit, Audio Channel, Volume Balance, and Fade-in & Fade-out Effects. Thinking about it a bit more, the audio stream I guess is different - for USB, it’s still in effect a “data” stream rather than the PCM stereo stream the others produce. That probably explains the reduced set of settings, why volume levels differ and why (in contradiction to what I presumed earlier) EQ/PEQ aren’t applied to USB Out.

 

[Wiimer]

Requested the beta firmware yesterday for my Amp and it arrived overnight - don’t recall the update saying anything other than it was for USB Out.

First fleeting thoughts:

1. As mentioned before, it does allow the use of both USB Media input and USB Output at the same time thru the use of a USB hub. I used this cheap hub ( www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0CQRN5CB9/ ) and a usb y-splitter to both power my external SSD drive and feed the USB Audio to my Linn amp. Indeed, I even played some tracks from the USB drive back out thru to my amp with no issues.

2. The Audio Settings for USB Out are rather scant compared to optical&digital out - just Volume Limit, Audio Channel, Volume Balance, and Fade-in & Fade-out Effects. Thinking about it a bit more, the audio stream I guess is different - for USB, it’s still in effect a “data” stream rather than the PCM stereo stream the others produce. That probably explains the reduced set of settings, why volume levels differ and why (in contradiction to what I presumed earlier) EQ/PEQ aren’t applied to USB Out.

Does your WiiM amp apply EQ on the speaker out? Mine does not change the sound when I change the EQ value.

 

[Brantome]

Does your WiiM amp apply EQ on the speaker out? Mine does not change the sound when I change the EQ value.

I’ll need to connect some speakers up again to the Amp and check - my living room was getting a bit clustered and the Amp was taking a rest

Also, back to your comments about no clicking between tracks - as per my earlier comments, I’d now guess this is due to the usb output being a data rather than audio stream, so there’s no input sample rate to change.

 

[Wiimer]

I’ll need to connect some speakers up again to the Amp and check - my living room was getting a bit clustered and the Amp was taking a rest

Thanks.
I would be happy to check with you after the holidays.

Also, back to your comments about no clicking between tracks - as per my earlier comments, I’d now guess this is due to the usb output being a data rather than audio stream, so there’s no input sample rate to change.

I finally understand.
There is so much here that I do not know.

 

[Brantome]

There is so much here that I do not know.

Me too