Questions about multi-room setup and replacing Sonos

[radioabq]

Hello, everyone. I am endlessly frustrated with my Sonos system and I'm considering moving to a Wiim setup. I have a few questions that I haven't seen answered in searching through these forums or on Reddit.

My current setup is a Sonos Connect going into a Cambridge Topaz SR20 amp in our main listening room, a few Play1's around the house, and a Play5 in the bedroom. The music sources are a 40K+ library on my computer hard drive and Spotify. My questions are:

1) Am I right in thinking that I can have a similar setup with a Wiim Pro or Pro Plus in place of the Sonos Connect, and however many Wiim Minis I want to have around the house?

2) I have a Google Mini in one room. Can this be included in a multi-room setup with the Wiim Pro/Pro Plus? I see that Wiim will connect to Google devices, but I can't tell if they can be used in a Sonos-like setup.

3) I have Plex Media Server on my home computer -- it looks like I can stream my home music library using this, yes?

4) I don't think there's a way to bypass the DAC in the Cambridge amp, but it looks like I can bypass the DAC in the Wiim Pro/Pro Plus with the SPDIF out. Can someone confirm?

Is there's anything else that Wiim users think would be helpful to know?

Thank you for your help!

 

[simbun]

Are you looking to get rid of your Sonos devices? The reason I ask is because I don't think there's an analog/digital input on the Play 1's, so you'd need to replace them with a WiiM Mini/Pro and an active speaker.

Have you tried a UPnP solution? I have a couple of Play 1's and use MinimServer to index my music and BubbleUPnP as the controller and it's been rock solid. I only use the Sonos app to group/stereo pair the speakers.

I take it you don't like the new courageous Sonos app What a mess!

BubbleUPnP can also cast to the Google Mini but not in a group with Sonos.

 

[radioabq]

Yes, if I make the switch, I'll sell all of my Sonos speakers. I didn't know about the UPnP solution -- I'll look that up. Thanks for the tip!

The new courageous (lol) app is just the final straw. My system's performance has been degrading for a while now and all tech support can say is that it's due to wifi interference. Well, of course -- I live in a 1,500 one-floor house with a lot of stuff on wifi! There have been other issues that aren't worth going into and now I'm ready to bail.

I hope Wiim can be the answer, but I'll hold off until I hear from more folks here. Thanks!

 

[Mr Ee]

4) Correct, digital out from the wiim does not use the wiim's dac.
The plus's analog out is supposedly pretty good though.

2) Pros can be part of a chromecast group, so I'd assume there'd be no issues having wiim pros and a google mini in a group.
I have pros and a CC audio in a CC group.

 

[radioabq]

4) Correct, digital out from the wiim does not use the wiim's dac.
The plus's analog out is supposedly pretty good though.

2) Pros can be part of a chromecast group, so I'd assume there'd be no issues having wiim pros and a google mini in a group.
I have pros and a CC audio in a CC group.

Good to know -- thanks!

 

[Brantome]

2) Pros can be part of a chromecast group, so I'd assume there'd be no issues having wiim pros and a google mini in a group.
I have pros and a CC audio in a CC group.

But remember that mix in a group can’t be accessed from the WiiM Home app as it only sees/ plays to Linkplay groups, so you’d need to feed it from an app that plays to CC groups.

 

[simbun]

Yes, if I make the switch, I'll sell all of my Sonos speakers.

Ok with that in mind.

1) Am I right in thinking that I can have a similar setup with a Wiim Pro or Pro Plus in place of the Sonos Connect, and however many Wiim Minis I want to have around the house?

Correct

2) I have a Google Mini in one room. Can this be included in a multi-room setup with the Wiim Pro/Pro Plus? I see that Wiim will connect to Google devices, but I can't tell if they can be used in a Sonos-like setup.

As @Brantome stated, whilst the Pro/Pro Plus is a Google cast endpoint the WiiM Home app isn't Google cast compatible so it can't be used to cast to a Google cast device/group.

3) I have Plex Media Server on my home computer -- it looks like I can stream my home music library using this, yes?

If you enable DLNA in Plex then the WiiM Home app can browse your Plex library, but it's limited. If you wanted to see what this looked like, enable DLNA within Plex and use BubbleUPnP to browse.
The WiiM Home app itself is also very limited for local browsing, especially playlist management that consists of just:

• Add a track to the bottom of a new or existing playlist
• Remove a track from a playlist
• Delete a playlist

On the development roadmap is 'Native Plex Integration', but we don't know what that means as yet, so I wouldn't let that influence any purchase decision.

4) I don't think there's a way to bypass the DAC in the Cambridge amp, but it looks like I can bypass the DAC in the Wiim Pro/Pro Plus with the SPDIF out. Can someone confirm?

As others have stated, yes.

My system's performance has been degrading for a while now and all tech support can say is that it's due to wifi interference. Well, of course -- I live in a 1,500 one-floor house with a lot of stuff on wifi! There have been other issues that aren't worth going into and now I'm ready to bail.

I've never had problems myself but it's generally known that the WiFi performance of the WiiM's isn't great, so this is a bit of a red flag, so before you dive in with both feet I'd purchase one and check out its performance.


One last thing to mention is that unlike Sonos you'll need to use the Spotify app to play to WiiM devices as there isn't any native integration in the WiiM Home app.

 

[slartibartfast]

Yes, if I make the switch, I'll sell all of my Sonos speakers. I didn't know about the UPnP solution -- I'll look that up. Thanks for the tip!

The new courageous (lol) app is just the final straw. My system's performance has been degrading for a while now and all tech support can say is that it's due to wifi interference. Well, of course -- I live in a 1,500 one-floor house with a lot of stuff on wifi! There have been other issues that aren't worth going into and now I'm ready to bail.

I hope Wiim can be the answer, but I'll hold off until I hear from more folks here. Thanks!

Have you tried using your Sonos speakers with Logitech Media Server (now renamed Lyrion Music Server)? It might be worth trying before making any further decisions.

 

[radioabq]

As @Brantome stated, whilst the Pro/Pro Plus is a Google cast endpoint the WiiM Home app isn't Google cast compatible so it can't be used to cast to a Google cast device/group.

Thank you, Simbun! This is all very helpful. One follow-up to the above: I thought from reading other answers in this forum that I can create a group of Wiim and Google Mini/Nest Speaker in Google Home and then play the same music to the group. Is that not the case?

I already use the Spotify app over the Sonos app whenever possible, so no problems there. I decided to wade in slowly by picking up a couple of Pros. I'll give them a good long test before deciding to sell by Sonos speakers.

Thanks again!

 

[radioabq]

Have you tried using your Sonos speakers with Logitech Media Server (now renamed Lyrion Music Server)? It might be worth trying before making any further decisions.

I came across that option when researching Sonos alternatives. As I mentioned above, I'm going to test Wiim as a solution with a couple of Pros and see how it works. I used LMS back when I had a couple of Squeezeboxes ten or so years ago, but I'm also trying to find the most straightforward solution possible as I'm crazy busy between my day job and being a musician and I hope to not devote a lot of time to coming up with a new solution. But I'll definitely keep this in mind if the Wiims don't fit our needs, so thank for your suggesting!

 

[slartibartfast]

I came across that option when researching Sonos alternatives. As I mentioned above, I'm going to test Wiim as a solution with a couple of Pros and see how it works. I used LMS back when I had a couple of Squeezeboxes ten or so years ago, but I'm also trying to find the most straightforward solution possible as I'm crazy busy between my day job and being a musician and I hope to not devote a lot of time to coming up with a new solution. But I'll definitely keep this in mind if the Wiims don't fit our needs, so thank for your suggesting!

You can use Wiims with LMS as well

 

[simbun]

Thank you, Simbun! This is all very helpful. One follow-up to the above: I thought from reading other answers in this forum that I can create a group of Wiim and Google Mini/Nest Speaker in Google Home and then play the same music to the group. Is that not the case?

In the Google Home app you can create groups that contain WiiMs (except the Mini) and other Google Cast devices, but you can't play to that group from the WiiM Home app itself i.e. Spotify, and any of the hundreds of apps on Android that support Google Cast (including PlexAmp) can play to the group, just not the WiiM Home app.

 

[radioabq]

In the Google Home app you can create groups that contain WiiMs (except the Mini) and other Google Cast devices, but you can't play to that group from the WiiM Home app itself i.e. Spotify, and any of the hundreds of apps on Android that support Google Cast (including PlexAmp) can play to the group, just not the WiiM Home app.

Got it -- thanks for the helpful clarification.

 

[radioabq]

You can use Wiims with LMS as well

Now I'm intrigued. Good to know thanks!

 

[simbun]

Now I'm intrigued. Good to know thanks!

The Mini's aren't supported natively (as squeezelite players) so couldn't be part of an LMS sync group.

 

[cc_rider]

Switching to WiiMs won't fix your wifi issues. A new Mesh wifi setup will work wonders, assuming no interference from neighborhood wifi.

 

[radioabq]

Switching to WiiMs won't fix your wifi issues. A new Mesh wifi setup will work wonders, assuming no interference from neighborhood wifi.

I have an Eero mesh system that works great with every device in the house but Sonos. Their support blames my Sonos issues on wifi interference from other devices. I've seen posters in the Sonos subreddit mention having hours of support calls with Sonos and not being able to sort them out. I'd just like to move on altogether if I can.

 

[Jls]

I have an Eero mesh system that works great with every device in the house but Sonos. Their support blames my Sonos issues on wifi interference from other devices. I've seen posters in the Sonos subreddit mention having hours of support calls with Sonos and not being able to sort them out. I'd just like to move on altogether if I can.

I have SONOS Ports and an Eero mesh router, and no problems. I’m looking at the Ultra to simplify things. Phono input, USB drive. I’d like not being dependent on a computer based library.

 

[radioabq]

Brief update: I replaced my annoying Sonos system with three Wiim Pros, a Google Nest speaker (for the kitchen), and a Google Mini that I already had. Edifier R1280DB speakers with two of the Pros and the third going into our good system in the living room. It all works seamlessly and sounds wonderful. Good riddance, Sonos!