Beta Test: USB Output (Feature now publicly available)
- Thread starter ccs-digital
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I don’t think usb with sub would be feasible.
Received my Ultra a couple days ago and was disappointed to see “USB-output” to an external DAC was not an option. Then yesterday I get a prompt for a firmware update that claims it resolved this issue. I updated the firmware and now see I can set the output for USB. But lo and behold, it is not working with my Topping DAC, even though the WiiM app shows “Topping E70” as the connected device under the output menu.
Tried rebooting the Ultra and reinstalling the app but no dice.
Was also disappointed to discover the Ultra has the same track switching latency as did the Pro when switching between Qobuz tracks. The firmware update I installed yesterday alluded to possibly having addressed this issue but unfortunately it wasn’t so.
It’s a real shame this thing is painfully slow in initiating track playback, compared to other streamers. For me it’s a deal breaker, and WiiM doesn’t seem to have any intent on improving this aspect. Maybe it’s simply a limitation of the processing power. Guess they had to cut corners somewhere to meet the $329 price point.
Tried rebooting the Ultra and reinstalling the app but no dice.
Was also disappointed to discover the Ultra has the same track switching latency as did the Pro when switching between Qobuz tracks. The firmware update I installed yesterday alluded to possibly having addressed this issue but unfortunately it wasn’t so.
It’s a real shame this thing is painfully slow in initiating track playback, compared to other streamers. For me it’s a deal breaker, and WiiM doesn’t seem to have any intent on improving this aspect. Maybe it’s simply a limitation of the processing power. Guess they had to cut corners somewhere to meet the $329 price point.
I didn't notice this so far and I can't remember others having reported this issue. Did you send feedback through the WiiM Home app?
Processing power should be more than sufficient. It can handle 10 band PEQ, shortly to be extended to 10 band PEQ per channel. Other reasons could be network related.
Track latency? That’s called network downloading. Qobuz HiRes tracks are huge files. I don’t have this issue though. A new track will start within seconds of clicking it. You may want to check your internet speeds and make sure you’re using LAN and not WiFi.
I have plenty high network speed and bandwidth.
Why would it be network related when Cambridge, Bluesound and Eversolo streamers don’t exhibit the same issue?
Steve Huff mentioned the Ultra being slower in his review but I was hoping it was still faster than the Pro. If anything it seems a little slower than my recollection of the Pro.
Five to six seconds feels like an eternity compared to the instant playback I get when using other streamers. It’s definitely not my internet service, modem or router.
LAN is a no-go for my situation because it would require I run a cable across a hallway.
Terry Forsythe
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That's concerning. Does the WiiM app allow you to change the resolution of the USB output? A wild guess on my part, but I wonder if the WiiM Ultra is outputting a different sample rate and/or bit depth than what is expected by the Topping DAC?
My Ultra is due to arrive tomorrow, and I specifically bought it to use the USB output. I'll try it out and try to remember to report back in this thread.
UPDATE: My WiiM Ultra USB output is working perfectly. I am feeding it into a Raspberry Pi running CamillaDSP.
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The cpu and memory for both pro and ultra are same. Ultra does more processing with the inclusion of the display. More processing reduces responsive on the same given hardware and software.
I have amp connected to external dac, I could see on display changing that match sampling frequency. I don’t know about bit depth since mine dont display that.
Mr Ee
Major Contributor
No, not yet for the Ultra.
No issues from USB from the Ultra to three different DACs I’ve tested for what it’s worth.
I mean, seems like such a minor quibble but hey, what matters to each of us varies. I’ve never even noticed it was a problem. What’s interesting is if you play an album through where the songs fade into each other like a live album or Floyd, there’s no delay on the next track right?
Some user claim usb sounds better than optical/coax. Anyway you can verify that since you have it?
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Can you please send us a feedback ticket from the WiiM Home App so we can resolve this issue for you? Thank you for your assistance.
Here’s my thoughts from the previous page;
Post in thread 'Beta Test: USB Output'
https://forum.wiimhome.com/threads/beta-test-usb-output.3880/post-66491
Mr Ee
Major Contributor
May well depend on the dac itself.
Best to try for yourself when you get one!
It absolutely is DAC dependent. It requires a DAC with a filtered USB input and a very precise clock. If not the case it could even be worse...
They have stated it’s being looked into to see if it’s workable. I guess not everyone has a sub but definitely think not believable to use sub output with USB would limit its use for a lot of people. I could just use the sub output on my Kano TUK speakers but I really enjoy the more fine tuned options/control using the Ultra.
Terry Forsythe
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I just received mine today. I was relieved when I turned it on and a firmware update came through enabling USB output, which is the reason I bought the Ultra.
However, something is not quite right with the USB signal. Outputting from the WiiM Ultra to my Raspberry Pi, camilladsp-setrate isn't detecting sample rate changes when they occur.
To make sure it wasn't something wrong with the Raspberry Pi, I moved my USB cable from the WiiM Ultra over to my laptop and streamed Tidal from there. Streaming from the laptop to the Raspberry Pi, camilladsp-setrate detects the sample rate changes without any issues.
If I can't get the USB output working with camilladsp-setrate, I'll be returning the unit and reverting back to my WiiM Pro Plus.
UPDATE: I got camilladsp-setrate working. The issue I had was do a different cause.
To make sure it wasn't something wrong with the Raspberry Pi, I moved my USB cable from the WiiM Ultra over to my laptop and streamed Tidal from there. Streaming from the laptop to the Raspberry Pi, camilladsp-setrate detects the sample rate changes without any issues.
If I can't get the USB output working with camilladsp-setrate, I'll be returning the unit and reverting back to my WiiM Pro Plus.
UPDATE: I got camilladsp-setrate working. The issue I had was do a different cause.
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