Finally have my optimal setup with the WiiM Ultra

[erictheperic]

After hours upon hours, days, weeks.... I have arrived at the best setup I can do.

Device: WiiM Ultra with WiiM Remote 2

Use cases:

WiFi/DLNA - Android tablet/phone with Symfonium (fed by Plex server on Synology NAS)
Optical input - Windows PC for Youtube/occasional game/browsing
WiFi - Paradise Radio (WiiM Home app integration)

Audio equipment:

Output 1: Coaxial output to Kali MM-6 speakers (essentially the LP-6 V2 with digital input)
Output 2: USB Output to Sennheiser BTD 700 dongle which connects to Sennheiser HDB 630 Headphones

WiiM Remote preset 1: Coax Out, any input, custom EQ, set volume to 20
WiiM Remote preset 2: USB Out, any input, flat EQ, set volume to 25
WiiM Remote preset 3: Paradise Radio - Main Mix

The audio is as "untouched" as I can get it.
PC is set to optical output, 24bit/96khz, no effects, no spatial sound, 100% volume.
Symfonium sends data via DLNA, no EQ or whatsoever.
WiiM Ultra itself outputs to Coax or USB.

Optical input has auto-sensing, so that wakes the WiiM up automatically when starting playback on PC.
Starting a DLNA-stream on Android does the same, as well as a Radio Paradise preset on the remote.
Only thing I have to keep in mind that I have to stop the DLNA stream before switching sources, otherwise Symfonium doesn't know what's going on with the WiiM and will act weird.

BTD 700 dongle has AptX Adaptive with selectable quality/low latency-mode with 3 button taps to switch between them.
So 3 taps if I want audio/video synced on PC, 3 taps again if I switch to listening music.

I have tried so many setups, each one had its limitations. Technical, practical, always something to be desired.
But I think I finally found the optimal setup for now.

I'm happy, and I'm tired...

 

[Wiimer]

After hours upon hours, days, weeks.... I have arrived at the best setup I can do.

Device: WiiM Ultra with WiiM Remote 2

Congratulations on completing the setup.
Was Remote 2 included with your Ultra?

 

[erictheperic]

Thanks! I bought the remote seperately, mostly for the bluetooth connection vs IR of the Remote 1 (EDIT: read next 2 posts), which was hit and miss a lot of the time (situational). It's also heavier, feels/looks/clicks better and has usb-c charging!

 

[QuarryHunslet]

Thanks! I bought the remote seperately, mostly for the bluetooth connection vs IR of the Remote 1, which was hit and miss a lot of the time (situational). It's also heavier, feels/looks/clicks better and has usb-c charging!

Both remote controls are Bluetooth, I’m not sure where you got the idea that the original Voice Remote was infrared?

 

[erictheperic]

Both remote controls are Bluetooth, I’m not sure where you got the idea that the original Voice Remote was infrared?

That's odd, I read a comparison online where the Remote 2 was differentiated by bluetooth connectivity. I stand corrected then. It seemed very logical to me though, since the Remote 1 was constantly missing button presses, especially when lying flat on my desk (yes I replaced the batteries). Responsiveness and reliability is 100% on the Remote 2.

 

[harkpabst]

That's odd, I read a comparison online where the Remote 2 was differentiated by bluetooth connectivity. I stand corrected then. It seemed very logical to me, since the Remote 1 was constantly missing button presses, especially when lying flat on my desk. Responsiveness and reliability is 100% on the Remote 2 though.

As long as the change improved the user experience it doesn't matter much in the end.

 

[QuarryHunslet]

That's odd, I read a comparison online where the Remote 2 was differentiated by bluetooth connectivity. I stand corrected then. It seemed very logical to me though, since the Remote 1 was constantly missing button presses, especially when lying flat on my desk (yes I replaced the batteries). Responsiveness and reliability is 100% on the Remote 2.

Hopefully the incorrect comparison online wasn’t on this forum, or any official WiiM website.

I have never had any issues with any of my many Voice Remote devices.

 

[erictheperic]

Hopefully the incorrect comparison online wasn’t on this forum, or any official WiiM website.

I have never had any issues with any of my many Voice Remote devices.

There's a good chance it was an automatic AI generated search result.

 

[QuarryHunslet]

There's a good chance it was an automatic AI generated search result.

Unfortunately, these are often known to be inaccurate, and shouldn’t be relied upon to be accurate.

 

[r5yk5]

Only thing I have to keep in mind that I have to stop the DLNA stream before switching sources, otherwise Symfonium doesn't know what's going on with the WiiM and will act weird.

This is so annoying and partly why I gave up on symfonium. (It's more than that for me in that I don't want the queue reliant on my phone).

I do wonder though if this can be solved on symfonium's end. I'm sure there is a setting to treat external stop (switching sources?) as stop rather than pause. Maybe symfonium could be configured to disconnect from the renderer on external stop.

I don't know. I have no idea how all this stuff works. Maybe @simbun would.

If so you could make a feature request at symfonium.

 

[simbun]

This is so annoying and partly why I gave up on symfonium. (It's more than that for me in that I don't want the queue reliant on my phone).

I have a feeling it would better if WiiM switched to a PAUSED_PLAYBACK state rather than a STOPPED (which has multiple meanings in UPnP) when switching inputs, but I may be able to look further into that tomorrow.