Smart (Linkplay) Speaker

[scottm]

Hi, in my main room I have a Wiim Pro connected to my amp, but would like the option of listening in my kitchen, sometimes in isolation, other times as a multi-room setup.

I'm considering a budget smart speaker, either Audio Pro A10 (non-WiiM) or Edifier MS50A, both of which I understand should link with the WiiM, albeit without full functionality, such as Room Correction, etc.

Most of my listening is streaming my own collection (flacs served by MinimServer), although I also Google Cast (Bandcamp, BBC Sounds, etc.)

Firstly I was wondering which one of the speakers is thought to sound best? From reviews I reckon the A10, but not sure if there's much between them.

Secondly I was hoping to gain a better understanding of how a linked smart speaker works in practice. For instance, to play my flacs can I initiate an audio stream directly to the speaker or must it always be linked with my WiiM Pro as the master?
I believe the Edifier doesn't support Google Cast so does this mean only that I couldn't Cast directly to the speaker, or would it also be the case that the speaker wouldn't output a Google Cast that was sent to the WiiM?
I haven't used a linked setup before so anything else I should be aware of/have overlooked with these two devices?

Thanks.

 

[Burnside]

Hi, in my main room I have a Wiim Pro connected to my amp, but would like the option of listening in my kitchen, sometimes in isolation, other times as a multi-room setup.

I'm considering a budget smart speaker, either Audio Pro A10 (non-WiiM) or Edifier MS50A, both of which I understand should link with the WiiM, albeit without full functionality, such as Room Correction, etc.

Most of my listening is streaming my own collection (flacs served by MinimServer), although I also Google Cast (Bandcamp, BBC Sounds, etc.)

Firstly I was wondering which one of the speakers is thought to sound best? From reviews I reckon the A10, but not sure if there's much between them.

Secondly I was hoping to gain a better understanding of how a linked smart speaker works in practice. For instance, to play my flacs can I initiate an audio stream directly to the speaker or must it always be linked with my WiiM Pro as the master?

in the case of Minimserver, you could direct playback to either speaker separately, or as a linked group if you wish both to play the same track simultaneously.

I believe the Edifier doesn't support Google Cast so does this mean only that I couldn't Cast directly to the speaker, or would it also be the case that the speaker wouldn't output a Google Cast that was sent to the WiiM?

Correct - in order to use Google Cast/ Chromecast to send to linked speakers, both must first be grouped together in the Google home app and hence both must support Chromecast. You can link them in the WiiM app and just send audio to the Chromecast capable device , that won’t work.

I haven't used a linked setup before so anything else I should be aware of/have overlooked with these two devices?

Thanks.

 

[scottm]

Thanks for your response. Can I check if there's a typo in your final point, did you mean to say that you can't link them and just cast to the Chromecast device, rather than saying you can link them? That would seem to make more sense if I've understood correctly.

 

[Wiimer]

Thanks for your response. Can I check if there's a typo in your final point, did you mean to say that you can't link them and just cast to the Chromecast device, rather than saying you can link them? That would seem to make more sense if I've understood correctly.

You can link the WiiM pro and A10 speakers as one group on the WiiM home app.


When music is played on the Pro (the reader device in this group) using Chromecast, sound is produced from the Pro. However, no sound is produced from the A10, which does not support Chromecast.

 

[scottm]

You can link the WiiM pro and A10 speakers as one group on the WiiM home app.
View attachment 23225

When music is played on the Pro (the reader device in this group) using Chromecast, sound is produced from the Pro. However, no sound is produced from the A10, which does not support Chromecast.

My understanding is that the A10, at least the mk II version, does support Chromecast?

However my question to @Burnside which you quoted was about his response on the Edifier speaker which I know doesn't have Chromecast.

 

[Wiimer]

My understanding is that the A10, at least the mk II version, does support Chromecast?

However my question to @Burnside which you quoted was about his response on the Edifier speaker which I know doesn't have Chromecast.

Yes, my mistake, there is no sound coming from the Edifier speaker.

 

[Mr Ee]

Chromecasting to the parent of a wiim group will result in sound only from that parent.
You need to chromecast to a chromecast group.

However, something to potentially consider is any speaker with a digital input and using a wiim mini (but no chromecast) or pro as its source.

 

[scottm]

Thanks all. It seems like if having Chromecast is important to me then only the A10 would be able to fulfill this out of the two devices.

@Mr Ee I had thought about another WiiM connected to speakers, but the cost (it would have to be a WiiM Pro due to Chromecast issue) is more than I was planning to spend. Also issues of tidiness/space having multiple devices, cables, etc in my kitchen.
I'm just looking for something fairly basic, but better than Bluetooth, that I can have playing while cooking dinner, etc.

I know also that the WiiM Sound is on the way, but suspect this will cost even more.