Bit Perfect Setting

Davide

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Joined
Jul 23, 2023
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Dear WiiM Development Team,

your streamer is simply a fantastic tool.

There are a couple of things I would suggest though.

The first, which frustrates many people, is the fact that the audio from the digital output is bit perfect or no.
Now, for the peace of all users, I would like to ask please if you can put a single simple setting in the menu, called Bit Perfect, to be set On or Off. So that when active it creates a direct stream from the source to the digital output, bypassing any volume controls, eq, limiter, sample rate converter, etc.
So we don't have to check every time that everything is ok...

Thanks in advance for your attention.
 
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The output is bit perfect if fixed volume is on and EQ is off, so only two things to check…

Edit: since originally writing this, WiiM have introduced other features such as balance, volume limit, mono, PEQ which will impact bit perfectness - broadly speaking, anything that will effect a change will impact bit perfect almost by definition…
 
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Dear WiiM Development Team,

your streamer is simply a fantastic tool.

There are a couple of things I would suggest though.

The first, which frustrates many people, is the fact that the audio from the digital output is bit perfect.
Now, for the peace of all users, I would like to ask please if you can put a single simple setting in the menu, called But Perfect, to be set On or Off. So that when active it creates a direct stream from the source to the digital output, bypassing any volume controls, eq, limiter, sample rate converter, etc.
So we don't have to check every time that everything is ok...

Thanks in advance for your attention.
Never heard such a request
 
Dear WiiM Development Team,

your streamer is simply a fantastic tool.

There are a couple of things I would suggest though.

The first, which frustrates many people, is the fact that the audio from the digital output is bit perfect.
Now, for the peace of all users, I would like to ask please if you can put a single simple setting in the menu, called But Perfect, to be set On or Off. So that when active it creates a direct stream from the source to the digital output, bypassing any volume controls, eq, limiter, sample rate converter, etc.
So we don't have to check every time that everything is ok...

Thanks in advance for your attention.
Do you want a switch like AVR's Pure Direct Mode?

If so, I understand what you mean. However, in the case of WiiM, this feature may create new troubles. Because it automatically adjusts the volume.

For example, if you accidentally press the switch when the volume of the WiiM is at 10%, the volume will be fixed at 100% and an explosive sound will pop out of the speakers.
 
You've probably never had to deal with noise and distortion problems induced by digital streams (regardless of audibility).
Even professional audio interfaces, if not carefully set in their DSP settings, are not bit perfect. See Motu Ultralite Mk5 for example, where if you mute unused mixer channels you gain 1dB of SNR. Or where even if the equalizer is set to a flat line you get in certain conditions an overflow with relative distortion.
In fact, many HiFi devices have a setting to reproduce the bit perfect signal in the digital domain, without having to fiddle with the various settings.
It's not about being lazy, it's about making a functional and user friendly product, as is the trend of modern products.
Who uses Excel instead of the calculator is lazy perhaps?
Please... don't make unnecessary comments.
 
Do you want a switch like AVR's Pure Direct Mode?

If so, I understand what you mean. However, in the case of WiiM, this feature may create new troubles. Because it automatically adjusts the volume.

For example, if you accidentally press the switch when the volume of the WiiM is at 10%, the volume will be fixed at 100% and an explosive sound will pop out of the speakers.
Ok thanks, this is a good answer.
However, those who opt for this mode know what they are usually doing...

EDIT. Enabling this option may forcefully prompt the user for the volume to be set to 100% first
 
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Useless comments aside.

This is what WiiM FAQ says:
To keep compatibility with the legacy optical audio receivers, we set the maximal output to 48 kHz/16-bit by default. You can adjust the output up to 192 kHz/24 bit from the WiiM Home App. It can be done by selecting the device tab > tap the device setting gear icon > Select audio settings > SPDIF output resolution. Then select your target sample rate and bit depth, play test audio to verify if your downstream receiver is able to receive it.

So I wonder, if the spdif output is set to 96kHz and you play 192kHz audio, does WiiM resample?
Is there some limiter that controls the true peaks in that case?
What about a possible reduction of bit depth (if spdif out set eg to 48/16 and play 96/24)? Is dither applied?

And mono maakes three.
As per the MQA page.

Four with the above…
 
Maybe my comment was useless, maybe not!
The mqa page already has a one button (but many to get to the menu) option to enable bit perfect.

Interesting question about dither though...
 
The point of Davide saying seeing an indication on the display on wiim will ensure setup was correct. Some users want to see display of indication some don’t. I personally want to see display indication.
 
With volume fixed and EQ off, WiiM Pro is bit-perfect. Tested over S/PDIF coax at up to 24/192. RME provides test files for their DAC.

Interestingly, with EQ on but 'flat' the test failed. So steer clear of the equaliser.
 
Sound is personal taste some users just want more spice on how it was recorded by sound engineer. On old recording, I don’t like bit perfect. I use eq to spice things up a bit.
 
Sure. PEQ can also compensate for headphone or room response. I apply mine downstream in the DAC.
 
Many years (decades?) ago this used to be my philosophy. There were no tone controls on 'higher' end amps. Folks would experiment with swapping in and out different interconnect and speaker cables to desperately try and 'improve' the response through the audio chain. They'd even tinker with the individual speaker drivers.

As I've aged I've come to realise how forlorn this approach was. Mixing/mastering is not perfect. Reproducer and room responses are not perfect. Human hearing is definitely not perfect, and becomes progressively less so with passing years.

Delivery of bit-perfect audio data out of a streamer simply ensures that I can then apply suitable 'correction' in my chosen signal processing environment.
 
Tinker with da Vinci? Of course I wouldn't know where to start. I do, on the other hand, need to wear spectacles in order to correct my eyesight deficiencies sufficiently to admire his craftsmanship.

EQ isn't about changing the position or intensity of instruments in an artist's mix. It's largely (IMO) to correct for deficiencies in the audio transmission chain from studio to brain.
 
Indeed. Each to their own. But, as I say, I cast off the 'hair shirt' approach a long while back. Life's too short ... and imperfect. Besides, you can never escape the EQ 'evil' entirely: consider what your DAC's reconstruction filter is actually doing... ;)
 
Thanks heaven we can choose. In peaceful discussion, harmony 😉 and each one to his own likes. But (for me!!) EQs are always the evil 😇
Edit: May be I have heard to many amateurs playing around with this toy destroying good music.
In the very past i have had an HiFi EQ. I played with it, with phonometer and so on. Never satisfied!! Solution? I sold it in a hurry ;)
 
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