Introducing WiiM Amp Pro

[WiiM Support]

Wiim's answer from Dec. 2023 did not assume that all four speakers "stay at 8 ohm." Their guidance was quite clear: powering nominally 8 ohm speakers in parallel (ie, four speakers in total) is OK and should not present any problems for the Amp, essentially because a pair of nominally 8 ohm speakers in parallel is an equivalent load to a single nominal 4 ohm speaker. Powering nominally 4 ohm speakers is parallel was discouraged, because the result is a nominal 2 ohm load, which can present problems to the amp.

Its common knowledge that an "8 ohm speaker" will present load impedances below 8 ohms in portions of the frequency range, typically minimums in the 6 ohm range or even lower. Similar with 4 ohm speakers, which commonly present loads in 3.2 ohm range. Wiim is well aware of this and their "blessing" for powering four 8 ohm speakers does not presuppose that those speakers never fall below 8 ohms.

So I suggest your two take-aways be:
1) you should consider driving 4 speakers from one Amp or Amp Pro only if the speakers are relatively higher impedance eg nominal 8 ohm
2) the Amp and Amp Pro should have no meaningful differences in this regard. The PFFB circuit in the Pro mitigates frequency response variations across load impedance changes, but does not fundamentally change the ability (or inability) to drive low-impedance loads. The Amp Pro amplifier improvements (ie, PFFB) doesn't offer more power, or a larger power supply, or improved support for very low impedance loads. It simply offers lower noise and essentially load-independent frequency response.

Hi Team, Inertiaman,

Thank you all for the valuable feedback on improving the documentation for the WiiM Amp and WiiM Amp Pro. We apologize for any confusion. To clarify, the minimum supported impedance for both products is 2.67 ohms, providing some flexibility for speakers with loads below 4 ohms. We’ll update the specs to include this information, which should help address any questions regarding supported loads.

 

[cc_rider]

Not sure if the new FCC approval yesterday is the Amp Pro, or a revised version of the Amp with the updated A98D module... The label just says WiiM Amp, no "Pro" seen.

Linkplay Technology Inc. FCC Filings

fcc.report

FCC ID 2BABF-AMP001B

fcc.report

 

[cc_rider]

Looks like it's an updated "B" version of the Amp, not the Pro:

https://device.report/linkplay

 

[ScratsAcorn]

Looks like it's an updated "B" version of the Amp, not the Pro:

https://device.report/linkplay

View attachment 12110

Wiim Amp Essential Edition (No Airplay)?

 

[fredofredo]

I'm not looking to be satisfied, but the amount of complaints re power and then they still say 4 speakers are fine. Maybe someone can test it with 4 speakers and see how it fairs.

Strange how a question gets turned into some people are impossible to satisfy. Again I'm not looking for more power just clarity in what I can and can't do realistically, not just based on specs at 8 ohm, very few speakers have an impedance that stays at 8ohm across the frequency range as you clearly stated, Wiim just gave a general basic answer based on assupmtion all 4 speakers will stay at 8ohm. Just be more clear about things in the specs then.

Anyway you have such a lovely way of calling people dummies and so on so I'll just leave this chat. Good luck to anyone running 4 speakers on there Wiim Amp.

Sorry, didn't mean to necessarily give you a hard time. But I've been in audiophile world for nearly 30 years now, I can't recall anyone thinking they could/should drive two pairs of speakers from a single pair of amplifier outputs, that's just not very smart. You'll end up damaging your amp, your speakers, or both. The only situation where that MIGHT not happen is the rare case of especially benign, high load speakers like the classic Quad ESLs or several vintage horn designs. I'm guessing those are not the speakers you're trying to use with a WiiM amp, LOL...

 

[harkpabst]

Wiim Amp Essential Edition (No Airplay)?

This has been on sale before the certification date, if I remember correctly.

 

[D1N0]

WIIM seems to think it doesn't need the Youtubers anymore. They are becoming a main stream brand (even though Main Stream brands use Youtubers as well, especially Robinson and Darko.

 

[Burnside]

WIIM seems to think it doesn't need the Youtubers anymore. They are becoming a main stream brand (even though Main Stream brands use Youtubers as well, especially Robinson and Darko.

Wrong thread? Seems a bit of a non sequitur...

 

[guizzog31]

In theory, it would be available on Amazon today, 9/25, but the publication still says "not available at the moment" although it allows you to make the purchase. When should it be available?
Regards!

 

[onlyoneme]

Any clue what this B version might be? Did WiiM mention anything related somewhere?

Edit: looks like refreshed version with A98D as @cc_rider said.

 

[harkpabst]

It could be a custom installation amp.

 

[onlyoneme]

It could be a custom installation amp.

Possible. Or / and a part of the refreshed line of devices with new Chromecast SDK and another functionality missing.

 

[Burnside]

Possible. Or / and a part of the refreshed line of devices with new Chromecast SDK and another functionality missing.

Hopefully our new full time Community Manager can help bring clarity to queries such as these

 

[Smartplug]

Hopefully our new full time Community Manager can help bring clarity to queries such as these

When it comes of being engage and present on forum, nobody come close to brantome. The new added member are missing on action.

 

[biil]

Me thinks, single-post-bill is nothing but a lowly troll.


I cannot remember too many complaints from serious sources. I do not count in clueless Dandy Robinson or the (not at all) Scientific Audiophile. Erin had a weak moment when incorrectly applying multi-tone measurements. Other measurements indicate increased distortion at very low frequencies, the well known load dependency and decreasing power output into loads lower than 4 ohms. But you are the first real person I ever hear complaining about softened bass at high power demand. I certainly cannot hear that with my KEF LS50 at all, but I don't know your speakers, of course.


Make sure to follow the link provide by @Burnside above: The "ability to drive up to 4 speakers" is not a new feature of the WiiM Amp Pro. The same has been advertised for the WiiM Amp, already. I agree that this doesn't make sense in most scenarios. The WiiM Amp Pro should deal a lot better with impedance varying over frequency, but it's unlikely that it will have a higher power reserve.

Good thought; just wrong.
Bill is just a guy who would buy a Wiim Amp Pro in an instant, if it just had AirPlay2 like the original Amp does.
...Moving on

 

[ScratsAcorn]

This has been on sale before the certification date, if I remember correctly.

Has it been on sale in the US? I thought it was just seen in the UK Amazon Store

 

[onlyoneme]

When it comes of being engage and present on forum, nobody come close to brantome. The new added member are missing on action.

But @Brantome hides somewhere in Scotland and no one knows where exactly.

 

[Burnside]

But @Brantome hides somewhere in Scotland and no one knows where exactly.

If I spot him, I’ll let you know. It’s not that big a country

 

[onlyoneme]

If I spot him, I’ll let you know. It’s not that big a country

I really think it's a small country with few towns and islands where people like to cut off their fingers. Or maybe it's Ireland, dunno.
Anyway chances are big

 

[Inertiaman]

Good thought; just wrong.
Bill is just a guy who would buy a Wiim Amp Pro in an instant, if it just had AirPlay2 like the original Amp does.
...Moving on

You do realize that the "culprit" leading to the missing functionality that your cult demands is, almost certainly, the deity: Apple itself?
Its not like Wiim doesn't know how to implement Airplay (they've obviously done it in the past) or that the product lacks necessary hardware. Or that Wiim marketing mistakenly thought that there wasn't customer demand for the feature. The only plausible explanation is Apple being unfriendly (to put it mildly) in licensing Airplay.
So perhaps go spend your time and effort in some Apple forums complaining about their perpetually closed ecosystem and monopolistic overreach in their IP enforcement.