Stereo subwoofers

[Chris Bolkan]

Hi Wiim team!

I just bought the Wiim Ultra (hasn't even arrived yet), and I've been reading and learning all I can about it. I already have a feature request. You might consider it a corner case, but I think it may be doable and it would be awesome for more people that you might think. It would really be a combination of two feature requests, so it may not even be possible with just a software/firmware update....but I'll ask anyway.

1) The first feature would be to implement simultaneous outputs.... analog and digital.
2) The second feature would be to implement stereo crossovers

Doing this would make the ultra one of the most powerful solutions out there for high end audio. It would enable me to hook a second DAC up to the digital output and extract stereo bass for stereo subs. This would be my use case.
Another use case would be folks who want to bi-amplify two way speakers. It would really open up the capability of the Ultra.

Thanks for your consideration

Chris Bolkan

 

[Chris Bolkan]

I would LOVE to experiment with open baffle woofers to cover 50-250 Hz or so. I would not want to give up the feeling of actual physical displacement that my infinite baffle subwoofers provide, but I can imagine COMPLETE elimination of room nodes with open baffle mid bass! That would be AWESOME. My system has room nodes for sure and I would love to be rid of them, but the IB subs offer far more benefit than drawback from my perspective. But I never considered adding OB to cover mid-bass.

Wow! Another thing to play with if the Ultra could be set up to bi-amp!

 

[Deleted member 9731]

You can easily bi-amp using a preamp or DAC with two pair of outputs or just use Y cables off single outputs to feed each amp. Open baffle speakers are not nearly as room dependent as box speakers. They do need at least 3 feet from walls.

 

[574stereo]

It'd be great to be able to set the sub out to come from a separate output.

Main Out (choose output connection)
Sub out (mono/stereo, choose output connection, USB, Coax etc)


I've considered adding MiniDSP to my system but tbh the converters in the Ultra sound better and I'd like to keep using them for the main speakers, adding in a DAC to drive a pair of subs in true stereo.

 

[EddNog]

Just upvoted this. I want actual stereo sub outputs, or at the very least the ability to use two outputs at once while high-pass filtering only one of them. I am crossing over symmetrically placed subs at 150Hz.


The function of multiroom grouping is not designed for the way I am using it, and it makes it difficult to properly sync the speakers with the subs, as there is a very slight variability to the sync between the two WiiMs, and as a result, as I am running multiple sweeps to adjust phase, the resulting sweeps are not showing consistent behavior near the crossover point due to the two WiiMs not always having precisely the same timing in relation to each other. Having dual output functionality while picking which one(s) get high- or low-pass filtered would solve the problem easily, and would not require a separate physical subwoofer output, in case too many people are against the idea of the cost and clutter of two sub outs.

-Ed

 

[Chris Bolkan]

Yes, wouldn't it be awesome? The ability to bi-amplify would be a game changer and appears so simple from looking at the connections on the box. There must be a hardware limitation that prevents making the SW able to pass stereo signals to both the internal DACs and the digital outs at the same time while maintaining crossover functionality.

 

[Valentino]

This thread never got my attention for some weird reason. Super interesting setup, @Chris Bolkan.
I already had a MiniDSP Flex Eight doing it’s thing before I got the Ultra so no change there. My two closed box subwoofers crossed over at 45 Hz both get mono signal but they have individual EQ/room correction. Gotta love miniDSP.
Above 45 Hz three way dipoles.

 

[canard]

This thread never got my attention for some weird reason. Super interesting setup, @Chris Bolkan.
I already had a MiniDSP Flex Eight doing it’s thing before I got the Ultra so no change there. My two closed box subwoofers crossed over at 45 Hz both get mono signal but they have individual EQ/room correction. Gotta love miniDSP.
Above 45 Hz three way dipoles.

Funny... I also use very low cut-off closed sub, without too much level, processed via individual DSPs...
but dsp not for room correction, without interest at these frequencies in my case, but just for a very linear curve in the near field of these boxes...basic..
just to give credible volume, "air" etc. in acoustics...
(For this specific use... since there won't be much level, which is sometimes misunderstood... the subs don't even need to be big.. ;-) )
;-)

 

[Valentino]

The room correction applied in my setup is for subjective linearity, and it’s been done manually. 10 PEQs/ch in the Flex Eight.

Room assymetry leads to some nodes that need more taming on the left side than the 4th order LR crossover at 45 Hz can provide.

 

[canard]

My room is not that big and from experience, if efforts under 45hz really had to be made...it would be to benefit from it in the other rooms further away....hihi

 

[Valentino]

More bass than necessary in our kitchen I can assure you.