Listening impressions with the WiiM Ultra compared to the WiiM pro+ and compared to other streamers

[wavetomars]

I don’t have a great point of comparison (I was previously using an inexpensive optical to RCA converter to get a signal into my old receiver), but as far as subjective opinions go, I quite like the sound of the DAC in the Wiim Ultra.

I am primarily listening to music via HDMI ARC connect to an LG C1 that is in turn connected to an Apple TV to stream Apple Music. I recently upgraded my speakers from gen 1 Andrew Jones Pioneer towers to a set of Focal Aria 936s. As part of that transition, I purchased the Wiim Ultra, and also have a Buckeye Hypex amp on order (in the meantime, I’m using an older Harman Kardon HK3375 receiver for amplification).

Honestly, it sounds great to me already! I don’t find the sound lacking detail, clarity, soundstage, or musicality. I know this might be a bit of a faux pas in the audiophile world, but I have enjoyed the “Acoustic” and “Rock” EQ settings (I know a lot of folks prefer a more neutral sound).

I tried room correction but wasn’t a fan of the sound at all.

I’ve also used the Line In to listen to records (Project Debut Carbon, Ortofon Blue, connected to a Project tube phono stage). I assume the DAC doesn’t come into play here since we’re dealing with analog signals (?) but I had no issues with the sound quality there. Haven’t tried the built in phono preamp (I’m just kind of assuming that my separate one will be better).

Happy to answer any questions that folks have!

 

[Musician]

I don’t have a great point of comparison (I was previously using an inexpensive optical to RCA converter to get a signal into my old receiver), but as far as subjective opinions go, I quite like the sound of the DAC in the Wiim Ultra.

I am primarily listening to music via HDMI ARC connect to an LG C1 that is in turn connected to an Apple TV to stream Apple Music. I recently upgraded my speakers from gen 1 Andrew Jones Pioneer towers to a set of Focal Aria 936s. As part of that transition, I purchased the Wiim Ultra, and also have a Buckeye Hypex amp on order (in the meantime, I’m using an older Harman Kardon HK3375 receiver for amplification).

Honestly, it sounds great to me already! I don’t find the sound lacking detail, clarity, soundstage, or musicality. I know this might be a bit of a faux pas in the audiophile world, but I have enjoyed the “Acoustic” and “Rock” EQ settings (I know a lot of folks prefer a more neutral sound).

I tried room correction but wasn’t a fan of the sound at all.

I’ve also used the Line In to listen to records (Project Debut Carbon, Ortofon Blue, connected to a Project tube phono stage). I assume the DAC doesn’t come into play here since we’re dealing with analog signals (?) but I had no issues with the sound quality there. Haven’t tried the built in phono preamp (I’m just kind of assuming that my separate one will be better).

Happy to answer any questions that folks have!

Thanks for your review.
When you use your external phonostage to analog in to the ultra I suppose the signal goes through the inbuilt A/D converter.
The RIAA correction seems to be done digitally in the Ultra, I would try it ( without the project ) to see how good it sounds.

 

[Musician]

Only two persons ( Brantome and wavetomars ) have written a sound review .

All ultra owners - Welcome with a subjective review of the Ultra .

 

[bherren]

Yes in fact when I told them I could hear difference between ess and akm that I’m crazy because it was subjective that nobody give a damn. They only care objective as proof. I would bet using their own system ess vs akm with blind folded I could answer that question. Also, have long time friend with home system consist of multiple dac ess and akm I was able to pinpoint which is ess and akm without knowing his system. As soon I heard his music I told him your dac is ess chipset he said how the hell you know? I said golden ear my friend!

Out of curiosity, when you do that akm vs ess test, do you also configure the DAC filters to be similar ? (The defaults might differ). Also did you compare several akm vs several ess DACs ? Or just the two specific ones you had for the test ?

 

[Steve Woodhouse]

Very interesting.

One quick point. For some, the goal of any piece of kit is to get out of the way. To reproduce the original file in way that’s identical, or as close as possible to the original. The more you differ from that the ‘worse’ it is, the closer you are to that the ‘better’ it is.

Others prefer colouration. Vinyl colours. Valves colour.

I’m not going to say one approach is right and the other wrong.

But any answer to the question at the top of the thread is surely dependent on that approach.

 

[Steve Woodhouse]

Indeed, subjective is personal opinion and it’s not right or wrong. It’s their take whether we believe on it or not. Everyone is entitled to opinion but many in here would start attacking you.

As I regularly note, de gustibus non disputandum est.

 

[pieterv1]

I’ve also used the Line In to listen to records (Project Debut Carbon, Ortofon Blue, connected to a Project tube phono stage). I assume the DAC doesn’t come into play here since we’re dealing with analog signals (?) but I had no issues with the sound quality there.

All analog inputs are in fact digitized to be able to control the volume and apply eq/room correction. Even the phono RIAA correction happens in the digital domain so the curve is probably near ideal

Glad you like the overall sound! Still waiting for mine!

 

[Smartplug]

Out of curiosity, when you do that akm vs ess test, do you also configure the DAC filters to be similar ? (The defaults might differ). Also did you compare several akm vs several ess DACs ? Or just the two specific ones you had for the test ?

If you been listening to the same music since younger age, anything that changes in texture, decay, timber, dynamic and timing you would know what to look for. It doesn’t matter what filter I’m able to pinpoint blind test, sending to the other room and come back and tell difference. Many if not all would listen to hundreds of music randomly. I don’t do that, I only listen to few songs over and over since I was young and continue to this day. Of course since this is subjective, nobody will take it seriously because it was done by ear not measurements. If they sound same, that means their design was copied and could be patent lawsuit infringement.

 

[corsaro]

Be interesting to see how you moderate this

 

[corsaro]

I'm interested about this topic, and I'm curious if everyone test or compare only the preamp section !?

 

[Steve Woodhouse]

If you been listening to the same music since younger age, anything that changes in texture, decay, timber, dynamic and timing you would know what to look for. It doesn’t matter what filter I’m able to pinpoint blind test, sending to the other room and come back and tell difference. Many if not all would listen to hundreds of music randomly. I don’t do that, I only listen to few songs over and over since I was young and continue to this day. Of course since this is subjective, nobody will take it seriously because it was done by ear not measurements. If they sound same, that means their design was copied and could be patent lawsuit infringement.

PULLED OFF TOPIC.

Mr.Plug, I appreciate your point.

But many of the terms you use are a bit vague, “texture, decay, timber, dynamic and timing”. They’re not all terms an audio engineer/producer would use in a studio to describe sound quality as an end result.

One that they would use is ‘timbre’, but by that they’d exclusively and entirely use that to describes frequency response, which we can easily measure.

‘Dynamic’? Do you mean dynamic range? We can easily and accurately measure that, too.

When you’ve listened to this music for years, has that always been on great kit?

Genuine questions.

As for timing and decay, a semi-reasonable DAC will reproduce 20kHz - that’s a sine wave dipping to a point, then increasing to a peak, then repeat over and over again 20,000 times a second. If a DAC measures it as being able to do this without distortion, what do these terms even mean?

You can only hear up to 20kHz if you’re young and lucky. The idea that a device can be measured to do that without distortion, but that it can’t do 100-10,000Hz (most of what we hear from a recording) without cocking it up, is untenable.

LETS GET BACK ON TOPIC!

 

[Smartplug]

PULLED OFF TOPIC.

Mr.Plug, I appreciate your point.

But many of the terms you use are a bit vague, “texture, decay, timber, dynamic and timing”. They’re not all terms an audio engineer/producer would use in a studio to describe sound quality as an end result.

One that they would use is ‘timbre’, but by that they’d exclusively and entirely use that to describes frequency response, which we can easily measure.

‘Dynamic’? Do you mean dynamic range? We can easily and accurately measure that, too.

When you’ve listened to this music for years, has that always been on great kit?

Genuine questions.

As for timing and decay, a semi-reasonable DAC will reproduce 20kHz - that’s a sine wave dipping to a point, then increasing to a peak, then repeat over and over again 20,000 times a second. If a DAC measures it as being able to do this without distortion, what do these terms even mean?

You can only hear up to 20kHz if you’re young and lucky. The idea that a device can be measured to do that without distortion, but that it can’t do 100-10,000Hz (most of what we hear from a recording) without cocking it up, is untenable.

LETS GET BACK ON TOPIC!

If you live nearby with me, I would set up challenge on you using your own gear blind folded me many times over and i will prove you that I can tell difference. Of course seeing is believing. Ok back to topic as await your subjective review.

 

[d6jg]

There aren’t many people that actually have an Ultra as yet so the sample size here is going to be too small to be representative. If someone would like to send me an Ultra I will gladly give a review.

 

[Smartplug]

There aren’t many people that actually have an Ultra as yet so the sample size here is going to be too small to be representative. If someone would like to send me an Ultra I will gladly give a review.

I’m mainly interested in comparison from amp ess dac to ultra ess new dac if the improvement was audible enough even layman can hear it.

 

[d6jg]

I’m mainly interested in comparison from amp ess dac to ultra ess new dac if the improvement was audible enough even layman can hear it.

Define “layman”

 

[onlyoneme]

I’m mainly interested in comparison from amp ess dac to ultra ess new dac if the improvement was audible enough even layman can hear it.

How would you like to compare when only one device had line outputs?

 

[steadyshot]

Most probably it will sound better than Wiim pro plus . I guess Wiim would have used focus groups of people putting in comparison in blind tests ultra vs pro plus before they release it . They were doing it also for Wiim pro plus where they shared listening impressions from users testing it against other dacs .

 

[Smartplug]

Define “layman”

a person without professional or specialized knowledge in a particular subject.

 

[Smartplug]

Most probably it will sound better than Wiim pro plus . I guess Wiim would have used focus groups of people putting in comparison in blind tests ultra vs pro plus before they release it . They were doing it also for Wiim pro plus where they shared listening impressions from users testing it against other dacs .

I think wiim should put how many star on each its devices based on measurements so the buyer knows what their getting on their purchase. Let say, their top end ultra get 5 and mini get 2. That’s just an example.

 

[Brantome]

I think wiim should put how many star on each its devices based on measurements so the buyer knows what their getting on their purchase. Let say, their top end ultra get 5 and mini get 2. That’s just an example.

That sounds like rather perverse marketing to me - come buy my two star product!! Nobody would…