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

[Musician]

I need both AirPlay and Chromecast to meet my family need. So, WiiM Pro or Pro+ is my choice for now.

If you have an Apple TV4k in the same room you dont need another AirPlay device. You can cast to Apple TV and use hdmi arc cable to the ultra. You can also use the Apple TV remote to control volume on the ultra, even TIDAL connect.

I was positively surprised.

 

[Longfellow78]

Most important for a digital cable is 75 ohm, good screening and short length.
I use a rca cable thats 75 ohm , 50 cm long made for video . I guess 1 meter sound the same.

Is the one I bought garbage? Should I used the WiiM included toslink instead? I swapped that out as it wouldnt play 24 bit songs, but wiim send me a personal firmware update that fixed it (crazy right). But I'd already installed the coax. It seems fine to me, but it was very very cheap.

 

[Musician]

Is the one I bought garbage? Should I used the WiiM included toslink instead? I swapped that out as it wouldnt play 24 bit songs, but wiim send me a personal firmware update that fixed it (crazy right). But I'd already installed the coax. It seems fine to me, but it was very very cheap.

Optical has the advantage of galvanic isolation between the streamer and the dac. I would try both toslink and spdif If I were you. Your cable is probably good enough. Many times its very cheap but good enough cables used inside streamers and amplifiers. Use the spdif cable that sounds best with your dac , toslink or coaxial.

 

[alpha_zulu]

No joke: My Audio Quest coax cable has such directional arrows.
And I seriously wonder what they're for! That wouldn't make any physical sense, would it?

 

[Longfellow78]

No joke: My Audio Quest coax cable has such directional arrows.
And I seriously wonder what they're for! That wouldn't make any physical sense, would it?

I think likely not.

 

[Smartplug]

No joke: My Audio Quest coax cable has such directional arrows.
And I seriously wonder what they're for! That wouldn't make any physical sense, would it?

 

[job31]

Thx a lot for your review.
My wiim pro goes in a adi 2 dac fs, I was thinking for a an upgrade to the pro but I think i’ll stay where I am.

Btw with a good power supply it’s a fcking good streamer....

 

[Longfellow78]

Thx a lot for your review.
My wiim pro goes in a adi 2 dac fs, I was thinking for a an upgrade to the pro but I think i’ll stay where I am.

Btw with a good power supply it’s a fcking good streamer....

I only bought it and returned my wiim Pro for changing the parametric eq from the screen and that it looked better. Ha.

 

[onlyoneme]

LPSU itself does not, but the PSU parameters mentioned in my post create an outcome akin to a signature of the LPSU.

I have designed few LPSU for my custom R2R DAC, And based on the PSU , the sound signature has varied a lot.

These parameters define how the PSU interacts with the powered device, but results will vary, it can be audible in different ways or simply inaudible.

 

[jed1]

If you have an Apple TV4k in the same room you dont need another AirPlay device. You can cast to Apple TV and use hdmi arc cable to the ultra. You can also use the Apple TV remote to control volume on the ultra, even TIDAL connect.

I was positively surprised.

Thanks for the suggestion. My audio set up does not have a TV. If I had a TV, my DAC has HDMI ARC input so I don't need Ultra for volume control.

 

[jed1]

Is the one I bought garbage? Should I used the WiiM included toslink instead? I swapped that out as it wouldnt play 24 bit songs, but wiim send me a personal firmware update that fixed it (crazy right). But I'd already installed the coax. It seems fine to me, but it was very very cheap.

I think it is a good cable. It is a short 75 ohm coaxial cable. So, it should perform for this application.

 

[adias]

No joke: My Audio Quest coax cable has such directional arrows.
And I seriously wonder what they're for! That wouldn't make any physical sense, would it?

Do not know about AQ, but the reason arrows are used on interconnects has to do where the shield is grounded, normally on the source side. Not snake oil just good engineering.

 

[jed1]

Do not know about AQ, but the reason arrows are used on interconnects has to do where the shield is grounded, normally on the source side. Not snake oil just good engineering.

For analogue cables, some manufacturers use balanced cables (like starquad cables) and do exactly this configuration. However, for coaxial cable to transmit HF signal, it is just unnecessary - potentially making things worse.

 

[adias]

For analogue cables, some manufacturers use balanced cables (like starquad cables) and do exactly this configuration. However, for coaxial cable to transmit HF signal, it is just unnecessary - potentially making things worse.

Not my experience. YMMV.

 

[onlyoneme]

Do not know about AQ, but the reason arrows are used on interconnects has to do where the shield is grounded, normally on the source side. Not snake oil just good engineering.

Cables are usually grounded on both sides. There are some cases when single side grounding is fine, but it is not the digital coaxial cable.

 

[pbr]

Since this a pro and ultra comparison, both are connected on same dac and speakers. When I run rc, the ultra cut too much as oppose on pro. The result pro sound better with engaging sound. The ultra became sound bright and weak bass. Both rc sets the same parameter. Does anyone getting the same?

With eq or room control?

 

[Musician]

Re
Focal elite vs Linn black
Describe "better", do you have measurements? Which cable do you prefer the look of and/or build quality.

Hi - no , no measurements just listening .

The Focal Elite 1 meter looks and feels like a highend cable , tripple screened with very good connectors. The price for 1 meter is only 30 bucks. Its made for car stereo.

Earlier , I did an extensive listening comparison on pinkfishmedia comparing 5 different rca interconnects . One of them was the cable that came with the WiiM pro. The Focal Elite stood out as the best sounding, a bargain , clean, tight, and with lots of details. The Linn black interconnect came out as number 2, a brittish musical sound with a bit to much midbass and less details in the top end.

( The Linn silver interconnect correct those faults in the black interconnect , being better but cost much more )

I can with all my heart recommend the Focal Elite rca 1 meter for the ultra , or any other dac as an analog rca cable. In many cases, you can hear the difference .

 

[Suntoucher]

I only use 75 ohm coaxial cables from my WiiM Pro and my cd transport to the Lyngdorf amp.
I highly recommend Belden 1694a or Canare L-5CFB in combination with the crimped Canare RCAP plugs that are true 75 ohm connectors.

 

[merifon]

When RCA are involved, there is the possibility that 75 Ohm is not the real impedance involved.
Finding the best coupling among cable and inlets, should be matter of oscilloscope testing. Without a real view of what's happening, anything is speculation. Anyway, short lengths can help...

 

[Aquarius]

I only use 75 ohm coaxial cables from my WiiM Pro and my cd transport to the Lyngdorf amp.
I highly recommend Belden 1694a or Canare L-5CFB in combination with the crimped Canare RCAP plugs that are true 75 ohm connectors.

Thanks, have been wondering if the BJC coax will fit «plug-size-wize»