tl;dr: I'm feeding a miniDSP Flex HT via Toslink for all processing, so the WiiM's DAC and analog outs won't be used. Is there any reason (better clocking, cleaner digital signal, etc.) that the Pro Plus or Ultra would perform better as a pure transport than the standard WiiM Pro in a high-end system?
Hi everyone,
I'm in the late stages of designing a new audio system and have decided on a WiiM streamer to act as my dedicated music transport. I've done a lot of reading and I'm leaning towards the WiiM Pro, but before I pull the trigger, I wanted to tap into the community's expertise to make sure I'm not missing a key feature or performance benefit of the Pro Plus or the Ultra.
My primary goal is to get the purest possible digital signal to my external processor (miniDSP Flex HT). The WiiM's internal DAC and analog outputs will not be used.
Here is a quick overview of the planned system:
With that in mind, I have a few specific questions for the experts here:
Thanks in advance for sharing your knowledge and experience! Happy to provide any more details if that would be useful.
Hi everyone,
I'm in the late stages of designing a new audio system and have decided on a WiiM streamer to act as my dedicated music transport. I've done a lot of reading and I'm leaning towards the WiiM Pro, but before I pull the trigger, I wanted to tap into the community's expertise to make sure I'm not missing a key feature or performance benefit of the Pro Plus or the Ultra.
My primary goal is to get the purest possible digital signal to my external processor (miniDSP Flex HT). The WiiM's internal DAC and analog outputs will not be used.
Here is a quick overview of the planned system:
- Processor/DAC: The WiiM will send a digital signal to a miniDSP Flex HT. This unit will handle all D/A conversion, active crossovers, and room correction via Dirac Live.
- Amplifier: Buckeye Amps 3-Channel (Hypex or Purifi -- TBD).
- Speakers: B&W CM9 S2 (L/R) and a matching CM Centre 2 S2.
- Subwoofers: A pair of high-performance subs (likely Rythmik FVX12s/Hsu VTF-TN1/RSL Speedwoofer 12S or similar).
With that in mind, I have a few specific questions for the experts here:
- Bit-Perfect Transport: Is there any reason to believe that the Pro Plus or the Ultra would deliver a cleaner or "more" bit-perfect digital signal to the miniDSP than the standard Pro? Does their internal architecture, power supply, or clocking offer any tangible benefit when used purely as a transport? I plan to mostly stream high-quality audio from Tidal if that's relevant.
- Connections: My plan is to connect the WiiM to the miniDSP via Toslink (Optical) for electrical isolation. Are there any advantages to the connections on the Pro Plus or Ultra (namely USB) in this context?
- Room Correction: I know the Ultra has its own room correction feature. Does this offer any benefits in conjunction with or over a full Dirac Live calibration performed by the miniDSP? Or is it completely bypassed when sending a digital signal out?
- Anything I'm Missing? Is there any other subtle feature, performance benefit, or quality-of-life improvement in the Pro Plus or Ultra that I might be overlooking for a transport-only application in a highly resolving system like this? There's obviously the screen with the Ultra, but if the sound quality is the same, not sure that alone is worth it to me.
Thanks in advance for sharing your knowledge and experience! Happy to provide any more details if that would be useful.