[Completed Beta] Beta Test: Multi-Room Low Latency Mode for Line-In, Optical-In, Phono-In, TV, and Bluetooth Inputs

[WiiM Team]

Hi WiiM Community,

We are seeking beta testers for the new Multi-Room Low Latency Mode. This feature reduces audio delay for Line In, Optical In, Phono In, TV, and Bluetooth inputs, enhancing multi-room sync to provide a smoother and more synchronized listening experience. This feature will be available for all WiiM products; however, the beta test is open to all WiiM products except the WiiM Mini.

Why are we introducing this?

In multi-room setups, even a slight delay can disrupt the seamless audio experience we aim to deliver. Currently, with a Wi-Fi connection, group delay is around 100ms, which may be reduced to 60ms with an Ethernet connection in future updates. This improvement can significantly enhance audio timing across rooms, making it feel like you’re listening to a unified sound source, even in different spaces.

How to join this Beta?

If you’re interested in testing this new feature, please provide your WiiM Forum username and MAC address in the Beta Test link.

Your feedback is invaluable in helping us fine-tune this feature for a flawless multi-room experience!

Dec 4, 2024 Update:

The feature will be rolled out later this month, with updates being delivered to each product in batches.

 

[Wiimer]

Hi WiiM Community,

We are seeking beta testers for the new Multi-Room Low Latency Mode. This feature reduces audio delay for Line In, Optical In, Phono In, TV, and Bluetooth inputs, enhancing multi-room sync to provide a smoother and more synchronized listening experience. This beta test is available for all WiiM products except the WiiM Mini.

Why are we introducing this?

In multi-room setups, even a slight delay can disrupt the seamless audio experience we aim to deliver. Currently, with a Wi-Fi connection, group delay is around 100ms, which may be reduced to 60ms with an Ethernet connection in future updates. This improvement can significantly enhance audio timing across rooms, making it feel like you’re listening to a unified sound source, even in different spaces.

How to join this Beta?

If you’re interested in testing this new feature, please provide your WiiM Forum username and MAC address in the Beta Test link.

Your feedback is invaluable in helping us fine-tune this feature for a flawless multi-room experience!

Hi

I have the Smart Preset beta firmware. Will this beta version work at the same time?
(In any case, do I need to update all devices to be grouped?)


Also, does it mean that perhaps the group delay, which used to be over 1000 ms, has been reduced to 100 ms?

Thank you.

 

[Mr Ee]

Two questions for now.
1) Do all wiims to be added to such a group for testing need to be registered for the beta, or just the source (parent) wiim in the group?
2) Does this still maintain 48khz sample rate? (I know many bemone the lack of so called hi res for mutiroom audio; to me it makes sense!)

If this allows the lip sync "issue" with grouped wiims to be reduced enough to make TV watchable that'd be amazing.

Edit: for (1), having re-read Wiimer's post, I think he's asking the same thing.

 

[Wiimer]

Two questions for now.
1) Do all wiims to be added to such a group for testing need to be registered for the beta, or just the source (parent) wiim in the group?

Edit: for (1), having re-read Wiimer's post, I think he's asking the same thing.

Yes, but your question is more precise than mine.

 

[WiiM Team]

Hi

I have the Smart Preset beta firmware. Will this beta version work at the same time?
(In any case, do I need to update all devices to be grouped?)


Also, does it mean that perhaps the group delay, which used to be over 1000 ms, has been reduced to 100 ms?

Thank you.

Hi,

We are working to integrate the Smart Preset and Multi-room Low Latency Mode features into a unified beta firmware, allowing you to test both simultaneously.

Regarding group delay, the Multi-room Low Latency Mode aims to reduce latency to approximately 100 milliseconds, a significant improvement from the previous delay of over 1000 milliseconds.

If you have further questions or need assistance, please let us know.

Best regards,
WiiM Support

 

[Wiimer]

Hi,

We are working to integrate the Smart Preset and Multi-room Low Latency Mode features into a unified beta firmware, allowing you to test both simultaneously.

Regarding group delay, the Multi-room Low Latency Mode aims to reduce latency to approximately 100 milliseconds, a significant improvement from the previous delay of over 1000 milliseconds.

If you have further questions or need assistance, please let us know.

Best regards,
WiiM Support

Done. Three units for now.

 

[WiiM Team]

Two questions for now.
1) Do all wiims to be added to such a group for testing need to be registered for the beta, or just the source (parent) wiim in the group?
2) Does this still maintain 48khz sample rate? (I know many bemone the lack of so called hi res for mutiroom audio; to me it makes sense!)

If this allows the lip sync "issue" with grouped wiims to be reduced enough to make TV watchable that'd be amazing.

Edit: for (1), having re-read Wiimer's post, I think he's asking the same thing.

Hi Mr Ee,

Thank you for your questions!

1. All WiiM devices in the group need to be registered for the beta in order to participate in testing. This is due to changes in our multiroom algorithm, which requires each device in the group to be on the same beta firmware.

2. Yes, the sample rate for group playback remains at 48kHz. Our updated multiroom algorithm will also make it easier to support hi-res audio in multiroom setups. We’re actively working on this feature, so please stay tuned for future updates!

Warm Regards,
WiiM Support

 

[Wiimer]

Hi Mr Ee,

Thank you for your questions!

1. All WiiM devices in the group need to be registered for the beta in order to participate in testing. This is due to changes in our multiroom algorithm, which requires each device in the group to be on the same beta firmware.

2. Yes, the sample rate for group playback remains at 48kHz. Our updated multiroom algorithm will also make it easier to support hi-res audio in multiroom setups. We’re actively working on this feature, so please stay tuned for future updates!

Warm Regards,
WiiM Support

Can I test this beta version with persistent groups as well?

 

[WiiM Team]

Can I test this beta version with persistent groups as well?

Hi Wiimer,

Yes, we’ll be introducing WiiM Persistent Groups in the next firmware update, and the beta version will also support this feature.

Best regards,
WiiM Support

 

[WiiM Team]

Done. Three units for now.

Hi Wiimer,

We have identified a critical issue in the beta firmware, and we regret to inform you that the release will be delayed by a few days. Once the issue is resolved, we will promptly push the beta firmware to you.

 

[Wiimer]

Hi Wiimer,

We have identified a critical issue in the beta firmware, and we regret to inform you that the release will be delayed by a few days. Once the issue is resolved, we will promptly push the beta firmware to you.

Thank you for letting us know.
Yes, there is nothing wrong on my end.

 

[Wiimer]

Hi Wiimer,

We have identified a critical issue in the beta firmware, and we regret to inform you that the release will be delayed by a few days. Once the issue is resolved, we will promptly push the beta firmware to you.

Hi Team,

I just finished installing the beta firmware and did a little testing.
Conclusions first, so far so great!

My test:.

1. Linked the Pro and Amp pro to the WiiM Ultra and created a group.
2. I set the Ultra's input to Bluetooth and paired my phone.
3. Played a Youtube video on the phone.
4. Placed the phone near the Amp Pro (slave) and listened to the sound while recording the screen.

The video and audio delay was within the range of 50ms~200ms. There is almost no discomfort in normal video viewing and it is comfortable.

I will test it again tomorrow, but I just wanted to let you know.

Thanks for the great job.

 

[Greyspace]

So far, watching TV with the HDMI input on the Amp with it being the master and a Pro joined to it is pretty remarkable. Honestly, it's better than I was even expecting considering given what's going on in the background for that to happen. Audio and video syncing is completely tolerable and the multiroom group seems perfectly in sync as well. I did notice that the audio output from the Pro (slave) was significantly quieter at the same level than it is when playing from say a network source. I had to crank up the connected amplifier or slide the volume level for the Pro way over to the right. Not sure what that's about, but I'll keep playing with it.

I added a Mini to the group, and as expected, nothing played through it. I hope that Minis as slaves for a low-latency group is a possibility in the future. But, I was very relieved that when I kept them all in a group and changed the source to a streaming music service, the Mini *did* continue to work with that as the input. So, thank you for retaining the ability for beta and non-beta devices to multiroom with network as the input.
This is a cool feature that I hoped the Amp had when I bought it. So color me happy! Seems stable and well done so far.

 

[WiiM Team]

So far, watching TV with the HDMI input on the Amp with it being the master and a Pro joined to it is pretty remarkable. Honestly, it's better than I was even expecting considering given what's going on in the background for that to happen. Audio and video syncing is completely tolerable and the multiroom group seems perfectly in sync as well. I did notice that the audio output from the Pro (slave) was significantly quieter at the same level than it is when playing from say a network source. I had to crank up the connected amplifier or slide the volume level for the Pro way over to the right. Not sure what that's about, but I'll keep playing with it.

I added a Mini to the group, and as expected, nothing played through it. I hope that Minis as slaves for a low-latency group is a possibility in the future. But, I was very relieved that when I kept them all in a group and changed the source to a streaming music service, the Mini *did* continue to work with that as the input. So, thank you for retaining the ability for beta and non-beta devices to multiroom with network as the input.
This is a cool feature that I hoped the Amp had when I bought it. So color me happy! Seems stable and well done so far.

Thank you so much for your feedback!

I’ve shared your issue with our team, and they will investigate the low-volume issue on the slave device.

As for the WiiM Mini, it will support the Multiroom Low Latency mode feature in the future—stay tuned!

Warm regards,
WiiM Support

 

[Wiimer]

My second test.
MRM group with Amp Pro as master (Amp Pro + Ultra + pro)


[HDMI]

Hisense TV > (ARC) > Amp pro​

Test 1 : Youtube

View attachment 1000001703.mp4

Test 2 : Youtube
(No delay for the first clap, 100 ms for the second, 300 ms for the third)
View attachment 1000001701.mp4

Test 3 : Netflix
View attachment 1000001707.mp4


The MRM experience over HDMI is very very excellent. To my ears, there is no latency at all. Latency is nominally less than 100ms, I believe. There are no audio interruptions or noise. Also, I did not notice any difference in volume on my device.


[Bluetooth]

Xiaomi 13T pro > (Bluetooth) > Amp pro​

Test 1 : Youtube
View attachment 1000001709.mp4


Test 2 : Youtube
View attachment 1000001710.mp4


Test 3 : Netflix
View attachment 1000001714.mp4


The Bluetooth connection has an additional delay of about 200ms, which is more than HDMI. While this inevitably feels uncomfortable when listening to audio while staring at the mouth movements, it did not bother me much during actual viewing.

Considering that there used to be significant delays with Bluetooth, this is a great improvement. Like HDMI, also had no problems with sound interruptions or noise.

Thank you