Need Help with Fine-Tuning Low Volume on Wiim AMP

[Matkoni]

Hey everyone, I'm really happy with the Wiim AMP I just got, but there's one thing that's bugging me.

My speakers (Elac Debut Reference, which have pretty average sensitivity) are about 3 meters away from me, and I'm having a hard time finding the right volume setting on the Wiim Amp when I just want to play some background music.

Basically, the first few notches on the volume control go from 'I can’t hear anything' to 'still nothing,' then 'barely audible,' 'I can hear it, but it’s too quiet,' and suddenly 'ouch, that’s too loud for background music.'

In short, I feel like there aren’t enough subtle increments in the lower volume range, and to be honest, it’s kind of annoying.

Is there a trick to make the volume increase more gradual or add more fine-tuning to those first few notches?

 

[harkpabst]

I'd call this rather unusual. The WiiM Home App gives a clear percentage reading of the volume control from 0 to 100. Where (in actual numbers) do you feel is the border between "too quiet" and "too loud"?

The hardware remote adjust the volume in steps of 3. Using your phones hardware volume buttons do the same, if the WiiM Home App is in the foreground and displaying any music page while you hit them. Not sure about the volume knob from the top of my head, I think it's using increments of 3 as well. You can drag the slider for finer adjustment.

The volume control from within 3rd party apps con work totally different as well, so the results could.bw different. What is your actual source?

 

[Matkoni]

Thanks a lot for your reply.
So, I’m currently staying in temporary housing without Wi-Fi, I just have the 5G connection from my phone to share.
Basically, right now, I can’t really use the Wiim Home app, my only option is a basic Bluetooth connection.

But a few months ago, when I was staying somewhere else, I did have Wi-Fi and access to the app, and I already had the same issue.

Basically, if the volume increases by 3% increments, at 12% I can barely hear anything, at 15% I can hear it but it’s not loud enough, and the vocals aren’t clear. Then at 18%, it’s too loud for background music.
Whether I turn the physical volume knob directly or use the volume buttons on my phone, it’s the same.

I’m surprised I’m the only one dealing with this issue

 

[TimWiim]

Thanks a lot for your reply.
So, I’m currently staying in temporary housing without Wi-Fi, I just have the 5G connection from my phone to share.
Basically, right now, I can’t really use the Wiim Home app, my only option is a basic Bluetooth connection.

But a few months ago, when I was staying somewhere else, I did have Wi-Fi and access to the app, and I already had the same issue.

Basically, if the volume increases by 3% increments, at 12% I can barely hear anything, at 15% I can hear it but it’s not loud enough, and the vocals aren’t clear. Then at 18%, it’s too loud for background music.
Whether I turn the physical volume knob directly or use the volume buttons on my phone, it’s the same.

I’m surprised I’m the only one dealing with this issue

Have you tried adjusting Volume Limit? E.g 95%, 90% to adjust to your personal taste as the volume control scales

 

[Matkoni]

Have you tried adjusting Volume Limit? E.g 95%, 90% to adjust to your personal taste as the volume control scales

A thousand thanks, that's exactly what I was looking for, it solved my problem.

 

[TimWiim]

A thousand thanks, that's exactly what I was looking for, it solved my problem.

Welcome - FYI don’t know if you saw it, WiiM just did an update to their App, by tapping on the volume slider you can now increase / decrease by +/- 1 step instead of 3

 

[biil]

Hey everyone, I'm really happy with the Wiim AMP I just got, but there's one thing that's bugging me.

My speakers (Elac Debut Reference, which have pretty average sensitivity) are about 3 meters away from me, and I'm having a hard time finding the right volume setting on the Wiim Amp when I just want to play some background music.

Basically, the first few notches on the volume control go from 'I can’t hear anything' to 'still nothing,' then 'barely audible,' 'I can hear it, but it’s too quiet,' and suddenly 'ouch, that’s too loud for background music.'

In short, I feel like there aren’t enough subtle increments in the lower volume range, and to be honest, it’s kind of annoying.

Is there a trick to make the volume increase more gradual or add more fine-tuning to those first few notches?

Same here.
Just AirPlaying from iPad or iPhone. And volume is too low or it is too high. Increments are not fine enough.
Edit: OK I see that if I use volume slider on the screen I can get full variable volume control. But using volume clicker is really wide step variable. Really wide.

 

[slartibartfast]

Same here.
Just AirPlaying from iPad or iPhone. And volume is too low or it is too high. Increments are not fine enough.
Edit: OK I see that if I use volume slider on the screen I can get full variable volume control. But using volume clicker is really wide step variable. Really wide.

Did you read the replies to the post you quoted?

 

[biil]

Did you read the replies to the post you quoted?

Yes, of course. Did I miss something?
I think it's just an issue with the hardware volume controls of iPhone / iPad. On the Mac I can hold shift-option keys and then adjusting volume keyboard buttons up or down will adjust in much smaller increments. On iOS devices I don't know any way to do this.
But as I said; simply using the onscreen volume slider takes care of this issue.

 

[slartibartfast]

Yes, of course. Did I miss something?
I think it's just an issue with the hardware volume controls of iPhone / iPad. On the Mac I can hold shift-option keys and then adjusting volume keyboard buttons up or down will adjust in much smaller increments. On iOS devices I don't know any way to do this.
But as I said; simply using the onscreen volume slider takes care of this issue.

Changing the volume limit in Audio Settings worked for the original poster.

 

[biil]

Changing the volume limit in Audio Settings worked for the original poster.

Hmm. I'll look at that again.
I assumed his problem turned out to not, actually, be same as mine; as "Volume Limit" is just that; Protection to make sure you don't blow out your neighbors, or your speaker cones. Don't see what that would have to do with with stepped volume adjustment degree. Also, I don't think I want to reduce the capability of my Amp to go to 100%. But as I said, I'll take a deeper look at that setting.

 

[harkpabst]

I think it's just an issue with the hardware volume controls of iPhone / iPad.

This is really not a problem iOS users would have reported regularly.

In another thread on a similar topic somebody finally remembered that the had installed a 3rd party app to boost loudness or something like that. Can you double check that nothing like this is interfering here? Even a 3% step should never go from "too low" to "too loud".

The WiiM Amp is designed to not ever clip with a full scale digital signal, even with volume control set to 100. Could be loud still, depending on speaker sensitivity. What are the absolute volume settings when you encounter this issue? Is it like going from 6 to 9 or rather from 42 to 45?

 

[biil]

This is really not a problem iOS users would have reported regularly.

In another thread on a similar topic somebody finally remembered that the had installed a 3rd party app to boost loudness or something like that. Can you double check that nothing like this is interfering here? Even a 3% step should never go from "too low" to "too loud".

The WiiM Amp is designed to not ever clip with a full scale digital signal, even with volume control set to 100. Could be loud still, depending on speaker sensitivity. What are the absolute volume settings when you encounter this issue? Is it like going from 6 to 9 or rather from 42 to 45?

Yeah, I have no special app affecting anything.
Right now I'm just using AirPlay over WiFi from iPad and/or iPhone. And adjusting volume using the volume up/down buttons on the device.
Using a decibel meter, I find that clicking volume button up/down adjusts the volume by about 8-10db per click. Seems like a lot, but...?
In any case, with my speakers, and in my space, it seems like music is too soft at one level. But then if I click the volume up; then it's too loud.
As I said, I can get a completely variable volume control by using the touchscreen volume slider. So not any big deal really.

Anyway... I'm just breaking in this Amp, and how to best use it. And I have a lot more to explore. (haven't even touched on my Apple Music Service via my TV which is connected to my Wiim Amp via my TV (HDMI ARC) Yikes!

 

[slartibartfast]

Yeah, I have no special app affecting anything.
Right now I'm just using AirPlay over WiFi from iPad and/or iPhone. And adjusting volume using the volume up/down buttons on the device.
Using a decibel meter, I find that clicking volume button up/down adjusts the volume by about 8-10db per click. Seems like a lot, but...?
In any case, with my speakers, and in my space, it seems like music is too soft at one level. But then if I click the volume up; then it's too loud.
As I said, I can get a completely variable volume control by using the touchscreen volume slider. So not any big deal really.

Anyway... I'm just breaking in this Amp, and how to best use it. And I have a lot more to explore. (haven't even touched on my Apple Music Service via my TV which is connected to my Wiim Amp via my TV (HDMI ARC) Yikes!

You still haven't said what your numerical volume settings are. When the volume changes by 8-10dB what are the amp volume levels?

 

[cooky560]

I feel the wiim amp might benefit from a "muting" switch, some of my vintage amps have this, while active, the volume is reduced by 20db, allowing for much more fine control at low volumes.

Volume 3 without muting on that amp is loud enough to shake the walls, volume 3 with muting is about the same as 0.5 without it.

I am the sort who will never change the volume dial from it's favourite setting, but might turn on "muting" if I have guests over to lower the volume so they can talk.

 

[harkpabst]

Volume 3 without muting is loud enough to shake the walls, volume 3 with muting is about the same as 0.5 without it.

With a volume scale from 0 to 100 this is certainly nothing I would like to have.

 

[slartibartfast]

I feel the wiim amp might benefit from a "muting" switch, some of my vintage amps have this, while active, the volume is reduced by 20db, allowing for much more fine control at low volumes.

Volume 3 without muting is loud enough to shake the walls, volume 3 with muting is about the same as 0.5 without it.

I am the sort who will never change the volume dial from it's favourite setting, but might turn on "muting" if I have guests over to lower the volume so they can talk.

Are you using volume 3 out of 100? How? Mine is always at least 35-40.

 

[cooky560]

With a volume scale from 0 to 100 this is certainly nothing I would like to have.

My amps have a max of 10, obviously you'd have to adjust the numbers to suit the wiim's scale.

My wiim amp spends most its life in the 45-50 range

 

[harkpabst]

My wiim amp spends most its life in the 45-50 range

Glad to hear that, we're talking bthe same language here. And a change from 45 to 42 or from 45 to 48 should be rather subtle. More.fine grained resolution is available through the app, but +/- 3 steps are really not a night and day difference.

 

[cooky560]

Glad to hear that, we're talking bthe same language here. And a change from 45 to 42 or from 45 to 48 should be rather subtle. More.fine grained resolution is available through the app, but +/- 3 steps are really not a night and day difference.

I'm a little surprised, that when I spoke to you about my vintage amp with a muting function, I thought it would of be obvious, that was in reference to the vintage amp's usage scenario and how the wiim might benefit from a muting function as well, to allow people finer control over the volume.

I'm sorry if my English didn't make that clear.