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

[adias]

If your DAC has a usb in, the Ultra usb is quite good. I doubt the Cambridge will beat it.

 

[Frans]

If your DAC has a usb in, the Ultra usb is quite good. I doubt the Cambridge will beat it.

As far as I know the Cambridge streamer has no usb out like the ultra. Only an usb input for an usb stick.

 

[adias]

As far as I know the Cambridge streamer has no usb out like the ultra. Only an usb input for an usb stick.

Correct. One more reason to prefer Ultra > DAC USB.

 

[Musician]

I’m looking for subjective sound Impressions purely as streamer. More specifically digital coax output. Wiim pro vs ultra.

Anyone ?

The jitter performance is a little better using the Ultra. This can be verified by several measurements. With my external Rega dac R I can hear a very very small advantage with my Ultra compared to my WiiM pro. The small differences can be heard in the stereo image.

The sound advantage using my rega dac r is however much greater than between the different WiiM transports, meaning my WiiM pro with Rega dac r sounds better than my WiiM Ultra with the inbuilt dac.

Very subjective opinion :

My Yamaha wxc50 streamer with inbuilt dac is 85% subjective soundquality.

WiiM ultra with inbuilt dac is 90 % subjective soundquality.

The sound quality is 95% with the WiiM pro-Rega combination, and about 97% with the Ultra - Rega.

Hope this helps.

 

[iulian]

I use Wiim Amp occasionally as a streamer with USB out on my Musician Pegasus 2 DAC. Do you think that if I buy Wiim Ultra for the same purpose there will be any improvement in sound quality?

 

[Smartplug]

I use Wiim Amp occasionally as a streamer with USB out on my Musician Pegasus 2 DAC. Do you think that if I buy Wiim Ultra for the same purpose there will be any improvement in sound quality?

No! Your amp will just passed the bit stream to the dac and process it just like standard amp. If you want improvement try using room correction or fix your room accoustics.

 

[Swann36]

The reviewer in this video isn't taken seriously for good reason.

I’d agree it’s an entertainment so always do your own research from his channel

 

[Dude]

There is ( strangely enough ) almost no subjective reviews how the WiiM ultra sounds compared to the pro+ and other streamers like the Bluesound node or Eversolo .

Please share your subjective impressions about the sound quality of the WiiM ultra streamer in this thread.
Dont make any links to payed youtubers, on this - I want real owners to contribute with reviews. No measurements or numbers allowed.
How good is the internal dac sounding compared to a Chord qutest or a denafrips, or other dacs ?

On two different systems, one new audiophile level and the other 1990s consumer, the Pro Plus beat the Ultra by a hair or two. It is a bargain for sure.

 

[Steve Woodhouse]

On two different systems, one new audiophile level and the other 1990s consumer, the Pro Plus beat the Ultra by a hair or two. It is a bargain for sure.

There will be absolutely no audible difference in a controlled comparison.

 

[Dude]

There will be absolutely no audible difference in a controlled comparison.

If so, then the Pro Plus is even more of a bargain!

 

[mlsstl]

If so, then the Pro Plus is even more of a bargain!

I have an Ultra and a Pro Plus and they sound the same to me. Prior to this I had a nice external DAC (Schiit Bifrost 2) and compared it back-to-back and level-matched when I got the WiiM units. Couldn't tell any difference so sold the Bifrost. I know other people claim they hear profound differences between various good measuring DACs, but that's their problem, not mine.

The only reason to get an Ultra over the Pro Plus is if you want the extra features the Ultra offers (display screen, phono input, etc.)

 

[Burnside]

I have an Ultra and a Pro Plus and they sound the same to me. Prior to this I had a nice external DAC (Schiit Bifrost 2) and compared it back-to-back and level-matched when I got the WiiM units. Couldn't tell any difference so sold the Bifrost. I know other people claim they hear profound differences between various good measuring DACs, but that's their problem, not mine.

The only reason to get an Ultra over the Pro Plus is if you want the extra features the Ultra offers (display screen, phono input, etc.)

Brace yourself for the "your system isn't revealing enough" put-down

 

[mlsstl]

Brace yourself for the "your system isn't revealing enough" put-down

I hope they can forgive me for enjoying the system I have, though I doubt it. I'm just a cloth-eared neanderthal....

 

[dominikz]

I have an Ultra and a Pro Plus and they sound the same to me. Prior to this I had a nice external DAC (Schiit Bifrost 2) and compared it back-to-back and level-matched when I got the WiiM units. Couldn't tell any difference so sold the Bifrost. I know other people claim they hear profound differences between various good measuring DACs, but that's their problem, not mine.

The only reason to get an Ultra over the Pro Plus is if you want the extra features the Ultra offers (display screen, phono input, etc.)

That is so refreshing to read!

Greetings from another cloth-eared neanderthal who doesn't subscribe to the idea that competently designed DACs have a "sound"!

 

[Dude]

I have an Ultra and a Pro Plus and they sound the same to me. Prior to this I had a nice external DAC (Schiit Bifrost 2) and compared it back-to-back and level-matched when I got the WiiM units. Couldn't tell any difference so sold the Bifrost. I know other people claim they hear profound differences between various good measuring DACs, but that's their problem, not mine.

The only reason to get an Ultra over the Pro Plus is if you want the extra features the Ultra offers (display screen, phono input, etc.)

There are some things inside that make the Ultra “better” for some users:
“Comparing Wiim Ultra to Pro Plus guts

- Power Supply Implementation

• WiiM Pro Plus: Uses an external 5V/2A USB-C wall-wart adapter (Switch Mode Power Supply) combined with internal DC-to-DC converters.

• WiiM Ultra: Features a built-in, shielded internal SMPS with dedicated, high-quality voltage regulators. It connects directly to AC mains via a figure-8 cable.

- Operational Amplifiers (Analog Output Stage)

• WiiM Pro Plus: Utilizes standard Texas Instruments NE5532/NE5534 op-amps. These are proven and cost-effective but represent an older architecture.

• WiiM Ultra: Upgrades to premium TI OPA1612 op-amps for the I/V (current-to-voltage) conversion stage and TI OPA1611 op-amps for the output buffers. These deliver a significantly lower noise floor and higher common-mode rejection ratio. (Note: It still uses NE5532s for the analog inputs).

- PCB Layout and Signal Path

• WiiM Pro Plus: Built across three separate internal boards (digital motherboard, streamer daughterboard, and analog board) connected by ribbon cables.

• WiiM Ultra: Employs an advanced 4-layer PCB. The analog output design incorporates a DC servo circuit, which removes the need for series coupling capacitors in the signal path to improve audio purity.

- Internal Shielding

• WiiM Pro Plus: Standard consumer-grade component separation.

• WiiM Ultra: Utilizes heavier internal chassis shielding to physically isolate the internal power supply and digital electronics from the sensitive analog audio circuitry.”

 

[MCG555]

There are some things inside that make the Ultra “better” for some users:
“Comparing Wiim Ultra to Pro Plus guts

- Power Supply Implementation

• WiiM Pro Plus: Uses an external 5V/2A USB-C wall-wart adapter (Switch Mode Power Supply) combined with internal DC-to-DC converters.

• WiiM Ultra: Features a built-in, shielded internal SMPS with dedicated, high-quality voltage regulators. It connects directly to AC mains via a figure-8 cable.

- Operational Amplifiers (Analog Output Stage)

• WiiM Pro Plus: Utilizes standard Texas Instruments NE5532/NE5534 op-amps. These are proven and cost-effective but represent an older architecture.

• WiiM Ultra: Upgrades to premium TI OPA1612 op-amps for the I/V (current-to-voltage) conversion stage and TI OPA1611 op-amps for the output buffers. These deliver a significantly lower noise floor and higher common-mode rejection ratio. (Note: It still uses NE5532s for the analog inputs).

- PCB Layout and Signal Path

• WiiM Pro Plus: Built across three separate internal boards (digital motherboard, streamer daughterboard, and analog board) connected by ribbon cables.

• WiiM Ultra: Employs an advanced 4-layer PCB. The analog output design incorporates a DC servo circuit, which removes the need for series coupling capacitors in the signal path to improve audio purity.

- Internal Shielding

• WiiM Pro Plus: Standard consumer-grade component separation.

• WiiM Ultra: Utilizes heavier internal chassis shielding to physically isolate the internal power supply and digital electronics from the sensitive analog audio circuitry.”

Thank you for these information…

 

[mlsstl]

There are some things inside that make the Ultra “better” for some users:
“Comparing Wiim Ultra to Pro Plus guts...

Nice list of the Ultra's superiorities but I still don't hear a difference. But, I'll also admit to being a cloth-eared Neanderthal, though one who enjoys his music.

 

[Dude]

Nice list of the Ultra's superiorities but I still don't hear a difference. But, I'll also admit to being a cloth-eared Neanderthal, though one who enjoys his music.

“some users” I hear little difference so I assume on a “better” system, I might hear a bird fart clearer. Probably not.
The fact of the matter is that the level at which consumer audio touches and goes deep into what used to be audiophile only territory has grown a lot since the advent of integrated circuits and their endless improvements for decades. Plus improved quality of electronic components.

 

[adias]

There are some things inside that make the Ultra “better” for some users:
“Comparing Wiim Ultra to Pro Plus guts

- Power Supply Implementation

• WiiM Pro Plus: Uses an external 5V/2A USB-C wall-wart adapter (Switch Mode Power Supply) combined with internal DC-to-DC converters.

• WiiM Ultra: Features a built-in, shielded internal SMPS with dedicated, high-quality voltage regulators. It connects directly to AC mains via a figure-8 cable.

- Operational Amplifiers (Analog Output Stage)

• WiiM Pro Plus: Utilizes standard Texas Instruments NE5532/NE5534 op-amps. These are proven and cost-effective but represent an older architecture.

• WiiM Ultra: Upgrades to premium TI OPA1612 op-amps for the I/V (current-to-voltage) conversion stage and TI OPA1611 op-amps for the output buffers. These deliver a significantly lower noise floor and higher common-mode rejection ratio. (Note: It still uses NE5532s for the analog inputs).

- PCB Layout and Signal Path

• WiiM Pro Plus: Built across three separate internal boards (digital motherboard, streamer daughterboard, and analog board) connected by ribbon cables.

• WiiM Ultra: Employs an advanced 4-layer PCB. The analog output design incorporates a DC servo circuit, which removes the need for series coupling capacitors in the signal path to improve audio purity.

- Internal Shielding

• WiiM Pro Plus: Standard consumer-grade component separation.

• WiiM Ultra: Utilizes heavier internal chassis shielding to physically isolate the internal power supply and digital electronics from the sensitive analog audio circuitry.”

And… most importantly Ultra offers USB digital out, of interest to those using an external DAC with filtered USB input.