Extensive review regarding comparisons between the Ultra and PRO - used as digital transports to external dac, results on page 3

[Musician]

Just like after reading this... I know it's a subjective opinion but there is no way to remember sounding details after 8 hours.

I know… but I have those golden ears

Youre right though, this whole thread gonna be very subjective , just writing what I hear.
More to come tomorrow.

 

[jed1]

Because It sounds slightly better than the stock supply, even in digital domain. However , this is the supply I use now, a LPS with LT 1084 regulator and schottky diodes. Its even better longtherm listening, but a very small difference compared to the Apple iPad charger.

View attachment 10368

Apple charger as well as WiiM's charger does not have ground pin. Do you expect any benefit of using a charger with ground pin?

 

[Musician]

Apple charger as well as WiiM's charger does not have ground pin. Do you expect any benefit of using a charger with ground pin?

I have not tried that, sorry.

 

[Musician]

Now, listening to the Ultra with the internal dac with different digital filters. As standard, the WiiM Ultra uses a linear phase, fast roll off filter.
It sounds good, but the midrange sound somewhat shut in for my ears. Its good but not magical good.
I guess this is the setting most of us use. But the sound can be slightly better by using another digital filter.

If I want the sound to be more like the Linn klimax DS renew and the Rega dac R with filter nr.2 , instead I use the minimum phase, fast roll off filter.

The sound gets more three dimensional and slightly more fun to listen to . I have only used loudspeakers for the listening. That way I can hear the stereo phantom image as its intended on most recordings. My Markaudio speakers are able to show those differences clearly.

Try it !

 

[Longfellow78]

Im gonna be very subjective now.
First a little writing about the sound from the internal dac.

I have started the burn in process of the WiiM ultra using its internal dac . I had a Quick listening the first hour using TIDAL connect and the sound wasnt particulary good, a little hard and sterile without any real soundstage to talk about. Very inferior to the Rega dac R . I was a little dissapointed. I put the ultra on a playlist and turned off my poweramp.

8 hours later , after I went outside and came back , the sound has transformed to a much better soundstage , more bass and less hard in the treble . Lets see how this developes…

People who listens to this unit directly from the box can definitely draw the wrong conclusions.

Edit: the rca I use is a Focal elite cable, 1 meter. This triple screened cable is the best sounding I have found below 200 bucks. The price is only 15 dollars.

View attachment 10413View attachment 10416

I never heard of digital burn in. Is this really real?

 

[Longfellow78]

Now, listening to the Ultra with the internal dac with different digital filters. As standard, the WiiM Ultra uses a linear phase, fast roll off filter.
It sounds good, but the midrange sound somewhat shut in for my ears. Its good but not magical good.

If I want the sound to be more like the Linn klimax DS renew and the Rega dac R with filter nr.2 , I instead use the minimum phase, fast roll off filter.

The sound gets more three dimensional and slightly more fun to listen to . I have only used loudspeakers for the listening. That way I can hear the stereo phantom image as its intended on most recordings. My Markaudio speakers are able to show those differences clearly.

Try it !

How do you change digital filters on the WiiM? I didn't see an option for this? Is it I the home app. I was already using an apodising filter on my external dac. Do the WiiM digital filters only apply to it's internal dac and not via optical out to an external DAC? Thanks.

 

[Longfellow78]

I never heard of digital burn in. Is this really real?

Not sure why laughing. @Achim1811. Legitimate question. Chatgpt certainly says it doesn't exist in digital components and is a placebo effect.

 

[Burnside]

How do you change digital filters on the WiiM? I didn't see an option for this? Is it I the home app. I was already using an apodising filter on my external dac. Do the WiiM digital filters only apply to it's internal dac and not via optical out to an external DAC? Thanks.

The filters are only relevant when using the WiiM DAC and analogue output. As the optical connection is digital, the WiiM's DAC doesn't come into play

 

[Longfellow78]

The filters are only relevant when using the WiiM DAC and analogue output. As the optical connection is digital, the WiiM's DAC doesn't come into play

Perfect thanks.

 

[Burnside]

I never heard of digital burn in. Is this really real?

See this and subsequent discussion

Burn In - Pro Plus

About how long does it take to burn in?

forum.wiimhome.com

 

[slartibartfast]

Not sure why laughing. @Achim1811. Legitimate question. Chatgpt certainly says it doesn't exist in digital components and is a placebo effect.

That is why he is laughing

 

[Mr Ee]

Perfect thanks.

Did you find the app screen to change the filters?

 

[Longfellow78]

Did you find the app screen to change the filters?

Thanks. I'm on holiday so no wiim. But am using digital out so I have no need for them.

 

[Musician]

How do you change digital filters on the WiiM? I didn't see an option for this? Is it I the home app. I was already using an apodising filter on my external dac. Do the WiiM digital filters only apply to it's internal dac and not via optical out to an external DAC? Thanks.

You have seven different filters to play with.

 

[Musician]

I never heard of digital burn in. Is this really real?

If you ask me- yes. But its mainly the capacitors in the analog stage and the SMPS that has to settle and the reason it sound slightly different after burn in.

The difference with the WiiM ultra is big enough to not trust the listening impressions the first hour. After about 6 hours musicplaying without any amplifier on it sounded better when I started listening again. Had it running without sound the whole night, but it didnt get any better today. So 6-7 hours burn in is needed ( use ordinary music ).

Good explanation from PS audio:

 

[Steve Woodhouse]

Any A/B subjective tests need to be properly controlled and at least double blind. Anything else is open to bias, to which we’re all susceptible.

 

[Musician]

I have started the music comparison between the ultra and the pro used as digital transports to my Rega dac R. I shall also review if there is a sound difference using the asynkron USB output to my dac .

Also, there will be a verdict if the internal ultras dac is good enough and maybe even better sounding than the Rega dac R .
I have started with electrical spdif using a very short, stiff 75 Ohm cable .

I always use longtherm listening on the same source a couple of hours, using different volume regulation depending om my mood , playing higher spl and also very low. Is it fun to listen to the music ?

This avoids Nocebo .

So - the WiiM Pro/ Rega dac R will begin tomorrow with my 20 reference recording material on TIDAL , some of it from Stockfish records.

On saturday its the Ultra.

 

[onlyoneme]

Here;

Digital volume control question - which is better?

24bit 96Khz source in most cases. Is it possible to determine if using digital volume in the wiim pro or an external DAC (SMSL M500 in my case) is better? Scenario one - use digital volume in wiim pro feeding optical into M500 DAC set at fixed volume Scenario two - use fixed volume in wiim pro...

forum.wiimhome.com

It was my conclusion after reading your measurements that not many active analog preamps with volume regulation delivers a noisefloor as low as -130 dB.

But I didn't show it with measurements. I just show some measurements, that's all.

 

[Smartplug]

Im gonna be very subjective now.
First a little writing about the sound from the internal dac.

I have started the burn in process of the WiiM ultra using its internal dac . I had a Quick listening the first hour using TIDAL connect and the sound wasnt particulary good, a little hard and sterile without any real soundstage to talk about. Very inferior to the Rega dac R . I was a little dissapointed. I put the ultra on a playlist and turned off my poweramp.

8 hours later , after I went outside and came back , the sound has transformed to a much better soundstage , more bass and less hard in the treble . Lets see how this developes…

People who listens to this unit directly from the box can definitely draw the wrong conclusions.

Edit: the rca I use is a Focal elite cable, 1 meter. This triple screened cable is the best sounding I have found below 200 bucks. The price is only 15 dollars.

View attachment 10413View attachment 10416

Burn in? I heard that so many times. Even Audioholics would not buy that. The only thing that get burn in is your mind thinking that there’s change when there’s none.

 

[Smartplug]

Because It sounds slightly better than the stock supply, even in digital domain. However , this is the supply I use now, a LPS with LT 1084 regulator and schottky diodes. Its even better longtherm listening, but a very small difference compared to the Apple iPad charger.

View attachment 10368

What’s is that Lps? Another salesman snake oil.