Loving the Ultra!

[Longfellow78]

I've had my WiiM Ultra for about a week now and am quite impressed by it, especially for the price of an easy-to-setup-and-use commercial product. I was up and running in 10 minutes and half of that time was a firmware update out of the box. I also have a Mini and Pro elsewhere in my systems, though the Pro is currently replaced by the Ultra. My wife has always been frustrated by my RPi based players (whether pCP or HFB OS) so probably the biggest "like" about the Ultra is just how easy it is to use for her, especially with the Alexa capable voice remote.

Here's a short summary of my likes, annoyances, and suggestions.

LIST OF LIKES: excellent sounding DAC - better than expected; ease of setup; can select & play songs via WiiM app, screen, voice remote or as Squeezelite player using LMS -- switching between these options is very easy; respectable quality headphone output (shy of my several dedicated Schiit headphone amps but not bad); EQ ease of use and multiple custom presets; voice remote is easy to use. The room correction feature (beta on my setup) is turning into a game-changer for a $329 device. The subwoofer out, choice of crossover frequency and integration of sub and main speakers is very well done -- it has made my setup much simpler.

LIST OF ANNOYANCES: no add'l gain available beyond unity when used as preamp (need depends on power amp used); clock display often hard to read with many of the constantly changing backgrounds (poor or so-so contrast with many of the backgrounds); cover art doesn't always come up like it does with LMS; volume knob requires a lot of rotation; others complain about restrictive size of RCA connections though not an issue for me -- I'm not a fancy cables guy; switching to headphone requires manual change on screen or app (others like this since it lets them leave headphones plugged in all the time); the list of preset EQ options from WiiM are fairly worthless to me as they are overly dramatic (but its easy enough to create your own custom presets and since then they've added a beta option for room correction that is working extremely well for me)

LIST OF SUGGESTIONS: web page control that can run on any browser ala LMS/Material Skin and act as a WiiM app, not a Squeezelite endpoint (applies to all WiiM players); add feature to phone app to mute or reduce volume when phone rings (switchable off/on); choice to add a fixed background of your choice to the clock screen when in off/standby mode.

And the WiiM development staff has been very responsive in terms of listening to issues people are having and addressing them. I'm impressed.

I'm just waiting for mine to arrive to pair with an SMSL DO400. One question I have which I can't find anywhere but your post seems to hint at please is, is can you change between your own parametric EQ profiles on the included screen? This is really important for me. Obviously the preset profiles Wiim (and everyone uses) "pop" "rock" etc are absolute garbage and worthtless, and I have parametric EQ profiles for my headphones, but it's a pain going into the wiim app to change between them. I would love to change these direct from the screen, it's pretty key for me. Does it do this? Thanks.

 

[Wiimer]

I'm just waiting for mine to arrive to pair with an SMSL DO400. One question I have which I can't find anywhere but your post seems to hint at please is, is can you change between your own parametric EQ profiles on the included screen? This is really important for me. Obviously the preset profiles Wiim (and everyone uses) "pop" "rock" etc are absolute garbage and worthtless, and I have parametric EQ profiles for my headphones, but it's a pain going into the wiim app to change between them. I would love to change these direct from the screen, it's pretty key for me. Does it do this? Thanks.

Yes, Any custom PEQ or GEQ you create will be reflected on the Ultra screen.

WiiM Ultra Firmware v5.2.623336 Update - Jul 16, 2024

Please review the WiiM Ultra update release notes below. If you encounter any issues, feel free to reach out to us. 5.2.623336 (Latest) Release date: 7 / 16 / 2024 What's New: 1. Screen Display Enhancements: - Highlighted the currently playing Preset. - Playlists with over 200...

forum.wiimhome.com

 

[Longfellow78]

Yes, Any custom PEQ or GEQ you create will be reflected on the Ultra screen.

WiiM Ultra Firmware v5.2.623336 Update - Jul 16, 2024

Please review the WiiM Ultra update release notes below. If you encounter any issues, feel free to reach out to us. 5.2.623336 (Latest) Release date: 7 / 16 / 2024 What's New: 1. Screen Display Enhancements: - Highlighted the currently playing Preset. - Playlists with over 200...

forum.wiimhome.com

That is FRICKIN AWESOME. Thanks you. Weird it says up to four custom eqs can she show and then shows 6 in the picture though. Lol.

 

[Wiimer]

That is FRICKIN AWESOME. Thanks you. Weird it says up to four custom eqs can she show and then shows 6 in the picture though. Lol.

There are not only 6, there are 4 custom PEQs, 4 custom GEQs, and all of the preset EQs. Swipe up on the screen to see them all.

 

[Longfellow78]

There are not only 6, there are 4 custom PEQs, 4 custom GEQs, and all of the preset EQs. Swipe up on the screen to see them all.

Thanks. Can you choose the order? I would like my custom PEQ at the top.. Thanks.

 

[Wiimer]

Thanks. Can you choose the order? I would like my custom PEQ at the top.. Thanks.

The custom PEQs are currently at the top of the list, although they cannot be sorted; the order in which the custom PEQs are created in the WiiM app is directly reflected on the screen.

 

[01svtL]

Originally I was going to go with a pair of Aiyima A07 Max in mono mode and I ordered these PSUs for them, but when the Fosi V3 Kick Starter launched, I decided to go with the Fosi V3 instead. This was before I had any idea I was going to be getting an Ultra.

These are the PSUs I ordered: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2255799825157862.html

They have the correct power plugs, but if you want to go all out, you can even order upgraded power cables: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804474916867.html

Hey I got my V3’s today, though not in time to get them set up. I may not sleep tonight.
Anyway, how can you tell those PSU you bought are 10v? I don’t see that spec anywhere on that page, and the one I did find on Ali that specifically says 10v is double the price, and it uses the same stock pictures of the units.

 

[harkpabst]

Hey I got my V3’s today, though not in time to get them set up. I may not sleep tonight.
Anyway, how can you tell those PSU you bought are 10v? I don’t see that spec anywhere on that page, and the one I did find on Ali that specifically says 10v is double the price, and it uses the same stock pictures of the units.

You don't need 10 V PSUs, but 48 V PSUs. Either a single 10 A brick with a split cable or two 5 A bricks with a regular cable each.

Every PSU must have the necessary data printed to the case somewhere (and they do). Time to get out you magnifying glass.

 

[01svtL]

You don't need 10 V PSUs, but 48 V PSUs. Either a single 10 A brick with a split cable or two 5 A bricks with a regular cable each.

Every PSU must have the necessary data printed to the case somewhere (and they do). Time to get out you magnifying glass.

Sorry, I flipped it. 10A. That link doesn’t specify what the amperage is at all.

 

[Cal_Cobra]

Hey I got my V3’s today, though not in time to get them set up. I may not sleep tonight.
Anyway, how can you tell those PSU you bought are 10v? I don’t see that spec anywhere on that page, and the one I did find on Ali that specifically says 10v is double the price, and it uses the same stock pictures of the units.

The ones I got are 48V 7.3A:

Input voltage:AC100-240V 50 / 60HZ
Output voltage AC48V
Output Current: 7.3A

 

[pieterv1]

Quite hard to find a fitting thread...
DISCLAIMER: This video is made by John Darko, not by me. (I look much better!)
Stumbled over it only by coincidence during my daily YT amusement. FYI only, for all those interested in such videos. So, please do not blame me for the content! I am as innocent as usual..

Thanks for sharing of course! I wanted to share it as well and stumbled upon the same problem. Maybe the new moderator @QuarryHunslet could re-open the general thread again.

Interesting "review" or rather case study of John.

* Just watched the whole thing. I get his question: "do we really need a (small) touch screen on a device that'll most likely sit in a hifi rack?". I agree with his remarks at the beginning: it allows for a very clean look by removing physical buttons.

Meet WiiM Ultra - The Digital Hub for Your Music

Hi WiiM Community! Meet the WiiM Ultra – the centerpiece of your audio setup that's here to make your music experience better than ever. With top-notch components and a user-friendly design, it's not just a music streamer – it's your go-to for bringing high-quality sound into your home. Whether...

forum.wiimhome.com

 

[Franek Wichura]

I per-ordered the Ultra eons ago when it was widely marketed as being AirPlay2 ready or whatever, and we all know how that worked out. I'm not married to Apple Music so I decided to try Amazon Music Unlimited, and hit a funky Amazon Music Cloud/WiiM Ultra bug that oddly didn't effect all Amazon Music users, so perhaps it was some weird Amazon cloud regional thing, not sure, but WiiM support did indicate on the trouble ticket it was Amazon Cloud related.

After the latest Ultra and WiiM Home app updates, Amazon Music is working pretty good [occasional hick-up, but tolerable]. For schitts and giggles I decided to try a variety of other music streaming services, and honestly I keep coming back to Amazon. More of the catalog that I listen to is in hi-res there than any other service I've tried, they also have a nice variety of extras like alternate mixes, tons of live recordings, many in 24/96 or better, to my eyes it looks like Amazon is on their A game and I think I can safely cancel all other streaming music services and enjoy Amazon Unlimited for $9.99/month.

Everything sounds fantastic on the Ultra, I mean it really sounds outstanding! In my opinion the Saber DAC on the Ultra sounds every bit as good as my Topping E70 Velvet or SMSL DO200 PRO, so other then trying to jimmy up a DAC with balanced XLR to go balanced out to your amp, or some other niche use case, the onboard DAC is a winner! After adding a 12" sealed AT 300W RMS active sub, and running the room calibration my dedicated 2.1 system sounds fantastic, and that's using a pair of Sony test speakers, which will be replaced by some killer Swans and I'll rerun the room correction routing again for the new speakers.

The more I use the Ultra, the more I'm loving it!! I'm even considering taking the coax or fiber out from my Oppo 105D Blu Ray player and running it to the Ultra. That would make the Oppo attached to THREE different systems haha HDMI out to my Onkyo AVR 5.2.4 Atmos setup, stereo XLR to a Dartzeel NHB-108 reference design [upgraded] Transaudio amp using the Oppo Saber32 9018 Reference DAC, and then a digital out that would use the internal DAC on the Ultra which will likely go to a pair of Fosi Audio V3 mono blocks. It would be interesting to see if there's any difference between the two Saber32 DACs from the same Oppo source.

Over all I'm thrilled with the WiiM Ultra, it's my first WiiM product and it's impressive to say the least. I'll continue adding to it, I have a Dayton Audio turntable I'll hook up to it, and that'll likely do it for a while. Hopefully WiiM will add some fun things, like a variety of VU meters both analog and digital, maybe some cool screen savers, and they have one button space left on the Home screen, what will become of that valuable screen real-estate? A new WiiM Ultra app? Or?

Can you confirm what kind of BT codecs was installed on Wiim ultra?. Is it still just ACC?. Or something better like aptx or LDAC?.

 

[Mr Ee]

From the wiim ultra faq page.
Google it

Will the Bluetooth output support aptX and/or LDAC codecs?

It does not support aptX or LDAC codecs. However, it does support the BT LE Audio codec LC3, in addition to SBC and AAC codecs.