Gapless Not Happening with Amazon Unlimited (help?)

[Bambooken]

Just set up my Ultra and the only service I subscribe to is Amazon Unlimited. I have an Apple ecosystem. When I use the Amazon Music desktop app, it automatically plays "gapless" - There is no on/off setting for gapless in the app's setting.
I've set up my Ultra and it's not doing gapless playback. AND… I have spent the last hour looking everywhere for a setting. I've looked in the Ultra interface directly and on the Wiim iOS app.
Where is this setting?
Why is it not automatically playing gaplessly?
I've searched this forum and the internet… I can't be the only person with this issue, right?
Any help will be greatly appreciated. Because this is a deal killer for me.
TIA

 

[Mr Ee]

How are you playing Amazon on the wiim?
From within the wiim app?
From the Amazon music app on android / apple?
From the desktop app on a computer?

Is it possible you are playing via chromecast?

 

[Burnside]

There isn’t a setting for gapless - if Amazon have marked the album as gapless, then it should play like that on WiiM devices unless, as @Mr Ee pointed out above, you’re using Chromecast to play which doesn’t support gapless playback at all.

We really need you to answer the questions above to get more detail on how you are initiating playback.

 

[Bambooken]

Thanks everyone for responding so quickly.
When I set up Amazon Unlimited, it appeared to require that I do it VIA Chromecast. I'll start figuring out how to circumvent that setup.
Any tips?
Thanks again… many times!

 

[Bambooken]

Okay, I've checked and double checked… no Chromcast is in use and I'm still getting the gaps. I'm in the "audition" phase of my purchase and I would like to resolve this and keep the Ultra. Oddly, there is not much about this issue anywhere online. I'm still assuming I'm doing something stupid on my end (until proved otherwise).
Again, when I use my dedicated Mac running the Amazon Music application (out to a component DAC), playback is gapless. When I use the Amazon Music Wiim app, it is not gapless.
I am using Dark Side of the Moon to test… since it has so many tracks that require gapless playback and I can assume it is set up properly for playback.
To set up… (using the iOS app) from the "Browse" menu, I have selected Amazon Music and logged in. Under Voice and Streaming, Amazon Alexa is not activated, Chromecast is not active.
Signed in to my account via Amazon Music, Wiim version.

What the heck am I doing wrong?
TIA

 

[Hulle Sack]

Please try also another (live) album for the test. Or an own album from NAS to find out if it's an amazon issue

 

[Bambooken]

Please try also another (live) album for the test. Or an own album from NAS to find out if it's an amazon issue

Outside of the Wiim platform (using the AmazonMusic app) the same album plays perfectly. No gaps.
Two other albums tested the same.
I’m starting to think that this is a Wiim/Amazon deployment issue. I’ve isolated it to only be happening via Wiim.

 

[Burnside]

Try using the Amazon page in the WiiM app so see if it plays gapless there.

To use the Amazon music app itself with WiiM you need to enable Alexa in the WiiM app as you need that for AlexaCast (the round cast icon) to be visible in the Amazon music app. If you use the rectangular cast icon, you are using chromecast which doesn’t support gapless playback. This assumes AlexaCast is available in your region - where are you?

 

[Hulle Sack]

This is therefore a good way of ruling out device errors. Since I don't use amazon, I would refer you to the WiiM FAQ:

Stream High-Resolution Audio with Amazon Music Casting on Your WiiM Device

Once your WiiM device is linked to your Amazon account, you're all set to stream music in high fidelity. Experience gapless playback of Hi-Res audio, up to 192 kHz/24-bits, from the Amazon Music App to your WiiM device using Amazon Music Casting....

faq.wiimhome.com

 

[Wiimer]

Just set up my Ultra and the only service I subscribe to is Amazon Unlimited. I have an Apple ecosystem. When I use the Amazon Music desktop app, it automatically plays "gapless" - There is no on/off setting for gapless in the app's setting.
I've set up my Ultra and it's not doing gapless playback. AND… I have spent the last hour looking everywhere for a setting. I've looked in the Ultra interface directly and on the Wiim iOS app.
Where is this setting?
Why is it not automatically playing gaplessly?
I've searched this forum and the internet… I can't be the only person with this issue, right?
Any help will be greatly appreciated. Because this is a deal killer for me.
TIA

Is the "Ultra HD" icon displayed on the playback screen of the WiiM home app?



In my testing, if you are playing in SD quality, you will not get gapless playback.

WIIM home app > Browse > Amazon Music icon > Settings >

Please open this screen and make sure "Amazon Music HD/UHD" is turned on.

 

[spicypadthai]

FWIW, I am listening to The Dark Side of the Moon (50th Anniversary 2023 Remaster) on Amazon Music via the WiiM app on the Ultra as I type this, and gapless works perfectly.

 

[WiiM Support]

Outside of the Wiim platform (using the AmazonMusic app) the same album plays perfectly. No gaps.
Two other albums tested the same.
I’m starting to think that this is a Wiim/Amazon deployment issue. I’ve isolated it to only be happening via Wiim.

Hi Bambooken,

Please play the album with WiiM Home App first, then send a feedback by selecting the 'Settings' tab>‘Feedback' so we can get your device log. We'll resolve this for you immediately. Thank you for your assistance and patience!

 

[alpha_zulu]

I think Wiimers posting #10 should be the solution. Not using HD can cause issues with gapless playback. (MP3 vs. FLAC)

 

[Bambooken]

I think Wiimers posting #10 should be the solution. Not using HD can cause issues with gapless playback. (MP3 vs. FLAC)

@Wiimer I did not give enough details in my postings, so to clarify…
Before posting here I had:

• Selected HD/UHD "on"
• Tested with Alexa both activated and not
• Made sure the Chromecast was not enabled. It turns out Chromecast never was, however I did start out with Alexa activated. Then deactivated it, and now re-activated again to see if that makes a difference

@WiiM Support - Before I bother you with logs, I'm gong to reset my Ultra and start over. Just in case some remnant of my turning on/off setting might be mucking up the works.
Lastly… As an FYI: The Version of Pink Floyd's DSOTM 2023 remaster, 50th anniversary edition is streaming at a whopping 5886 kbps 24-bit/192 kHz. My Wifi connection (where the Ultra resides) averages about 200 mbps.

 

[Burnside]

It’s still not clear whether you are using Amazon Music from within the WiiM app or casting from the Amazon Music app to the WiiM using AlexaCast (the round cast icon) or ChromeCast (the rectangular cast icon) or indeed even AirPlay or Bluetooth…

 

[deadwing]

It’s still not clear whether you are using Amazon Music from within the WiiM app or casting from the Amazon Music app to the WiiM using AlexaCast (the round cast icon) or ChromeCast (the rectangular cast icon) or indeed even AirPlay or Bluetooth…

@Bambooken, as stated by Burnside there are at least three ways of playing from Amazon Music, it is not clear how you are playing so I hope the following might clear up this point.
By playing using the Amazon Music service from within the Wiim app, music is gapless for me, in screenshot below note icon at the top

When playing from within the Amazon Music app you have two casting choices, screenshot below

When playing through the top choice with round icon, this is using Alexa Cast, for me music is gapless, screenshot below, note icon at the top

When playing through the bottom choice with the rectangular icon, this is using Chromecast, the music is not gapless(not supported by Chromecast), see screenshot, note icon at the top and no reporting of bit rate


I hope this gives some clarity on Amazon Music gapless play back. @Bambooken , let us know how you get on.

 

[alpha_zulu]

Great explanations. Great first post.

Welcome at WiiM forum, @deadwing !

 

[Bambooken]

To those wondering what ended up happening with this issue:
WiiM support has been excellent. The gapped playback was caused by me using the Amazon Music app rather than the WiiM app. If I only use the WiiM app to connect to Amazon Music (from within the WiiM app), then the playback is gapless. The interface (UI/UX) is not as good but it works and sounds great. So… for now, all is working.
Thanks to those above who responded… Much appreciated!

 

[Burnside]

The Amazon music app and AlexaCast should be gapless too - I take it you must have been using another means

 

[Bambooken]

The Amazon music app and AlexaCast should be gapless too - I take it you must have been using another means

I know it should be but in my case it is not… and I sure would like it to be.

For the time being, what is working is good enough for me while my focus shifts to other more important things.
Thanks much