I can't get Wiim Pro to work with S.M.S.L. m300SE

[bsacco335]

Please HELP a NEWBIE here .... I'm really struggling to get the Wiim Pro and S.M.S.L .to work together/ at all.

Here's my setup.

Incoming WIFi signal (Amazon Music) to Wiim Pro which then hands off signal to my vintage 70s Receiver/Amp for amplification.

I bought a S.M.S.L M300SE because someone told me that the DAC in it was better than the Wiim Pro.

So, now I recieived the S.M.SL. unit but I can't get it to work with the Wiim Pro.

Please advise on how to set up the signal chain because I'm really confused!

I need Step-by-step instructions because I'm a newbie.

Thx, bob

 

[Mr Ee]

Please HELP a NEWBIE here .... I'm really struggling to get the Wiim Pro and S.M.S.L .to work together/ at all.

Here's my setup.

Incoming WIFi signal (Amazon Music) to Wiim Pro which then hands off signal to my vintage 70s Receiver/Amp for amplification.

I bought a S.M.S.L M300SE because someone told me that the DAC in it was better than the Wiim Pro.

So, now I recieived the S.M.SL. unit but I can't get it to work with the Wiim Pro.

Please advise on how to set up the signal chain because I'm really confused!

I need Step-by-step instructions because I'm a newbie.

Thx, bob

Obviously previous attempts to assist you with this have failed somehow!
Perhaps tell us what you have tried?

However, I'll try again...

Assuming you are using an optical connection:
The pro came with an optical cable.
Take the little plastic covers off each end.
Put one end into the Optical OUT port on the pro. There are two optical ports, make sure it's not the IN one!
They can sometimes be a little tricky to plug in correctly. They only go in one way, so try turning 90 degrees at a time and pushing gently-ish. It should click into place.
The other end goes into the optical IN of the smsl. Same procedure.
Ensure the wiim is set to optical out.
Ensure the smsl is set to use the optical in.

If you are using a coax connection then go from the coax out on the pro to the coax in on the smsl.
You'd be using your own cable for this - the pro does not come with one of these.
Ensure the wiim is set to coax out, and the smsl to coax in.

From the smsl to your amp (it's a pre amp, iirc, right?):
Are you using the xlr outputs on the smsl? i.e. the bal-r and bal-l sockets?
Do you have the cables for this? If so, connect these to the pre amp, and ensure the preamp is set to use that input.

If not, you'd need to use the 'SE' socket on the smsl to go to the pre amp.
For this you would need a 3.5mm to stereo rca adapter.
e.g. you could use the red/white rca cable pair that came with the pro for this, the adapter plugged into the smsl and one end of the cable plugged into the adapter and the other into an rca input on your pre amp.

I hope this gets you closer!
Tell us how far you get - e.g. if you plug in some headphones to the smsl can you hear what the wiim is playing?

And, of course, make sure the volume on both is turned up!

 

[Brantome]

Please HELP a NEWBIE here .... I'm really struggling to get the Wiim Pro and S.M.S.L .to work together/ at all.

Here's my setup.

Incoming WIFi signal (Amazon Music) to Wiim Pro which then hands off signal to my vintage 70s Receiver/Amp for amplification.

I bought a S.M.S.L M300SE because someone told me that the DAC in it was better than the Wiim Pro.

So, now I recieived the S.M.SL. unit but I can't get it to work with the Wiim Pro.

Please advise on how to set up the signal chain because I'm really confused!

I need Step-by-step instructions because I'm a newbie.

Thx, bob

How far did you get with the previous instructions and diagram?

What make/model is your vintage amp?

 

[Brantome]

My assumption is that @bsacco335 was not aware that his SMSL has XLR analog outputs only. (And perhaps a 3,5mm jack socket.)
My next assumption is that the "vintage amp" has no such inputs.
For all this scenarios exists adapters, more information would be helpful.

Yeah, even though I’ve had hi-fi kit of one type or another for well over fifty years, I’ve never had nor used kit with xlr balanced connections that I recall. I must admit that advising someone with limited experience to get this particular DAC sounds like poor advice tbh.

Like you I suspect the difficulty is with this device rather than the WiiM and vintage amp…

 

[Brantome]

And, but that is more a general phenomenon, I do not understand approaches like "...heard, that DAC xyz is better than the internal WiiM DAC".
Especially for self-declared "newbies" I would highly recommend to complete first step before entering the second. As in real life it could end in trouble.
To leave the "newbie" status needs mainly one thing: Experience! Once you are able to connect things and to point out sound differences another "better" DAC could eventually be the way to go.

Agreed.

As a newbie, I’d take what I know like the usual red/white RCA cables and line out from the WiiM Pro into a line level input (CD/Tape/Aux) RCA input on my vintage amp, listen to that for a while and get used to how the WiiM app works with my streaming service. The internal DAC isn’t bad and can actually be quite listenable on a good amp as I found out when comparing it to the test WiiM Pro Plus I have.

After a few weeks or so, I’d maybe look at an external DAC that can take optical or coax output from the Pro, and which has outputs compatible with my amp - again, given the amp’s age, probably the same line level inputs used in stage one.

It would help immensely if the OP stated what their setup is in some detail ie. what’s the amp, do they want to listen primarily thru that or on headphones etc etc.