Rca or coaxial

[Bobby Gonzales]

Hello evrybody How to connect wiim pro plus with the Rotel RA 1572 MKII amplifier? Which connection will give better sound: RCA-RCA output or coaxail-coaxail output?

 

[es6rd6z]

Coaxial (or optical) will give better results because it's a digital output, meaning the audio goes directly toward the amp, without first being modified by the Wiim's DAC chip. This lets the amp's DAC chip do its magic.

 

[Mr Ee]

Or, just try both and see (or listen)
The rca interconnect might also play a part in the sound.

 

[Qnots]

Coaxial (or optical) will give better results because it's a digital output, meaning the audio goes directly toward the amp, without first being modified by the Wiim's DAC chip. This lets the amp's DAC chip do its magic.

That depends on which DAC is better. The one in the WiiM or the one in the amp.

 

[Bobby Gonzales]

Coaxial (or optical) will give better results because it's a digital output, meaning the audio goes directly toward the amp, without first being modified by the Wiim's DAC chip. This lets the amp's DAC chip do its magic.

Thank you for your answer, I always wondered when the DAC is used from the amplifier or when the external signal reaches it via RCA or COAXIAL cable. I thought it was the other way around.

 

[alpha_zulu]

The DAC of your amplifier is used if you connect either the optical or the coax output. The DAC of the WiiM is only used when using the RCA connection!

The DAC of the WiiM Pro Plus is pretty good, so you probably won't go wrong with the RCA connection. Finally, you have to decide for yourself which you like better.

 

[Bobby Gonzales]

Strange, I can't hear the difference

 

[DRC]

Strange, I can't hear the difference

Quite normal!

 

[alpha_zulu]

Strange, I can't hear the difference

Anything else would surprise me. Both devices are equipped with high-quality state of the art DACs. Why should they sound any different?

 

[Bobby Gonzales]

I don't know, here are two analog cables and here is one digital, I thought I would notice the difference

 

[alpha_zulu]

I don't know, here are two analog cables and here is one digital, I thought I would notice the difference

Don't understand what you mean.

 

[alex-mayer]

Both DACs may be pretty good - I would not expect to find a noticeable sonic difference there.

But the analog-output stages after the DAC may be very different: The op-amp used and the way the circuit is layed-out.
Furthermore the quality of the power supply can make a difference.

For that reason I exchanged the simple switched-mode power supply, that came with the WIIM Pro Plus, against a solid truly analog linear power supply ===> https://forum.wiimhome.com/threads/...ferent-power-supplies.1742/page-15#post-37126

 

[Matterhorn]

DACs don't all sound the same to me if the equipment is resolving enough to hear the difference. I've found that with resoving headphones I can easily hear differences in DACs.

 

[Bobby Gonzales]

I power my Wiim from the USB output in the Rotel amplifier, there is 5V 2.1 A

 

[Bobby Gonzales]

I was thinking about replacing the power cord with a better one, but I don't know if it makes sense?

 

[alex-mayer]

@ Matterhorn

Well, the best DACs either from AKM, ESS or Wolfson, are to my mind very close to each other.
They do have a slightly different "tonanilty", but all in all they seem to me on a fairly similar level.
Whereas the analog-out aswell as the power supply often shows much more technical and sonic differences...

 

[alex-mayer]

@ Bobby Gonzales

Just give it a try: Borrow from your dealer 2, 3 oder 4 power cords, and try them over a week-end.

 

[jacksnbox]

I just bought a Sony SRT-AN1000 to use with my Wiim Pro. I hooked up the RCAs as well as the optical when setting everything up. I have switched back and forth on several styles of music and I notice no difference between the two. So, I am going to keep using the Wiim DAC and RCA output.

 

[alpha_zulu]

Just give it a try: Borrow from your dealer 2, 3 oder 4 power cords, and try them over a week-end.

He doesn't hear any differences between the two DACs (which is quite normal in my opinion). And then you come up with power cords?

The most important thing is the room,
then the room again
and then the speakers.
.
Then all sorts of other things.
.
Then: cables, power supplies and any other voodoo ;-)

 

[alex-mayer]

Dear alpha-zulu,

I just recommended to give it a try.
That does not mean, that there will be an audible impact.

And well, it is not necessary to emphasize that
- room acoustics
- loudspeakers and proper loudspeaker positioning
is of utmost importance.
Then comes the source (LP, CD, SACD, etc.), the amplificaton, cables, etc.

And quality power supplies are definitely no voodoo - just take a look what sort of HF-garbage cheap switching-mode power supplies can produce. And then compare to a solid analogue linear power supply!

Finally: Why do you think WIIM offers a simple WIIM Pro, the better WIIM Pro Plus and in future the WIIM Ultra?