Test WIIM pro+ with different power supplies

[Rudivanb]

When I stop laughing, I will have to plug all my Hifi components into different sockets to improve the sound.

Maybe we should try to plug it all into one socket of a power block....

 

[Musician]

I have finally listened with Wiim Pro powered by the IFI Power X and comparing the IFI to the LPS (Linear Power Supply) as tested earlier in this post this post , using my playlist on Qobuz: Wiim Pro PSUs test .
The description of the DAC/Amp and headphones etc. is in my profile.

First I tried the IFI in the last outlet of the power block:
Music played, but after approx. 2 minutes got a distorted crackling sound. After turning off, and on again the Wiim same thing happened.
Switched from Coax to optical connection between the Wiim and amp, no distorted sound at all. The problem was solved by turning the IFI 180⁰ in the outlet; using the Coax connection gave no issues anymore. So that shows that the IFI is sensitive to the correct polarity.

Note: I prefer using the Coax output because in my case it sounds better.
Now the listening could finally begin:
1. With IFI iPower X in the last outlet of power strip:
Not 100% happy, knowing it can sound better.

2. With the IFI in the 3rd outlet, which is normally used for the PSU to the Wiim: better than 1. Music sounds louder than with the LPS, with some tracks I prefer to set a lower volume. It sounds very clean, though I am a bit less emotionally involved in the music, maybe a bit of nervousness is added by the IFI. S-sounds are okay, but a bit less variety in them. Maybe there is a little bit less force in the sub lows. I feel less urge to listen to every track in the playlist completely. It sounds very good, yet I am still missing something.

Going back to the LPS powering the Wiim:
3. More subtleties, details and especially more natural. For example in the track by Kendji Girac and Soprano their different voices are easier to seperate. Emotions in the music are easier conveyed.
Because music sounds apparently a bit less loud, I can turn up the volume higher, yet without any listening fatigue.
These small but important improvements brought by the LPS, make me want to listen, not analytical but for pleasure.

With a warm sounding system you might prefer the IFI, however in my set I will keep using the LPS powering the Wiim Pro and enjoy the music... a lot.

Thank you for the listening review. You seems to have a lot of listening experience and this is the kind of differences one can expect with different power supplies. I have read another similar review regarding the ifi ipower x. The sound is very clean but the perceived involvement in the music is slightly lacking. Maybe a paradox, because a more analytical sound tend to be less musical in some cases. I havent heard the ipower x myself , but your review of it makes me less eager to try it.

My five cents:
It seems like some switch mode power supplies makes the sound ”louder” or perceived as ” more dynamic” , and this might give a false caracter of perceived improvement in the sound - instead, one gets tired listening longtherm and this is not an issue with most good LPS.

 

[Rudivanb]

Thank you for the listening review. You seems to have a lot of listening experience and this is the kind of differences one can expect with different power supplies. I have read another similar review regarding the ifi ipower x. The sound is very clean but the perceived involvement in the music is slightly lacking. Maybe a paradox, because a more analytical sound tend to be less musical in some cases.

Thank you and yes, going to concerts a lot with unamplified music does help. Although it is not always a blessing. Sometimes musicians might be playing very well, but if, to my ears, the instruments don't match optimal soundwise, then it can be difficult for me to enjoy the music.
Next chapter for me is to see if I can get further improvement by adding a Kemp QA plug, an older non-adjustable version.

 

[Griff]

I have finally listened with Wiim Pro powered by the IFI Power X and comparing the IFI to the LPS (Linear Power Supply) as tested earlier in this post this post , using my playlist on Qobuz: Wiim Pro PSUs test .
The description of the DAC/Amp and headphones etc. is in my profile.

First I tried the IFI in the last outlet of the power block:
Music played, but after approx. 2 minutes got a distorted crackling sound. After turning off, and on again the Wiim same thing happened.
Switched from Coax to optical connection between the Wiim and amp, no distorted sound at all. The problem was solved by turning the IFI 180⁰ in the outlet; using the Coax connection gave no issues anymore. So that shows that the IFI is sensitive to the correct polarity.

Note: I prefer using the Coax output because in my case it sounds better.
Now the listening could finally begin:
1. With IFI iPower X in the last outlet of power strip:
Not 100% happy, knowing it can sound better.

2. With the IFI in the 3rd outlet, which is normally used for the PSU to the Wiim: better than 1. Music sounds louder than with the LPS, with some tracks I prefer to set a lower volume. It sounds very clean, though I am a bit less emotionally involved in the music, maybe a bit of nervousness is added by the IFI. S-sounds are okay, but a bit less variety in them. Maybe there is a little bit less force in the sub lows. I feel less urge to listen to every track in the playlist completely. It sounds very good, yet I am still missing something.

Going back to the LPS powering the Wiim:
3. More subtleties, details and especially more natural. For example in the track by Kendji Girac and Soprano their different voices are easier to seperate. Emotions in the music are easier conveyed.
Because music sounds apparently a bit less loud, I can turn up the volume higher, yet without any listening fatigue.
These small but important improvements brought by the LPS, make me want to listen, not analytical but for pleasure.

With a warm sounding system you might prefer the IFI, however in my set I will keep using the LPS powering the Wiim Pro and enjoy the music... a lot.

Hi @Rudivanb one bit that's got me head scratching. What's the turning 180 in the power block about?

 

[Rudivanb]

Sorry for my lousy English.
From the mains one pole is neutral (0 V), the other pole of a power socket has the mains voltage (230 V), at least in this country.
Below are two images, not of my actual power block, but to show what I meant by turning 180⁰.
Does this clarify it?

 

[Griff]

Sorry for my lousy English.
From the mains one pole is neutral (0 V), the other pole of a power socket has the mains voltage (230 V), at least in this country.
Below are two images, not of my actual power block, but to show what I meant by turning 180⁰.
Does this clarify it?

View attachment 4250View attachment 4251

Thanks cleared it up, your English was not an
issue, UK plug user here, our plugs are one way only.

 

[Rudivanb]

Thanks cleared it up, your English was not an
issue, UK plug user here, our plugs are one way only.

Then you should be fine if you are using a Power X. Because IFI is from the UK, we can assume that they have considered the correct polarity.

 

[canard]

I imagine that the same thing exists in UK format.. explains the use of German power strips "schuko" to take advantage of this to check the phase..we often have surprises on the device side, or even more often, on the side of our installations electric... etc.

 

[Vangelo51]

Theres always a risk of drawing wrong conclusions making a fool of myself- But hey, its christmas.
Bits are bits … or ?


File A : less dynamic, more together - a paradox, maybe more musical ?

File B : more dynamic, more spatial details when a lot of instruments is in the mix. I cant follow the base player as easy as file A though.


Overall good quality on this recording material. I thought the differences between file A and B was slightly bigger with my lm317 LPS . With my Apple charger from 2012 they sounded more the same, however there was a difference.

Edit: just listened to the TIDAL version using ethernet to my WiiM pro and the lm317 power supply and it sounded even better = audacity in a computer is not 100% transparent ( I already knew this from doing my own recordings )

Interesting.

I got response back from one of my hifi buddies:

Okay, Track A has more Lower End Bass output, but sounds a little vague.
Track B less Bass output, but better balanced sound ,stereo imaging etc.

Track A was supplied Wiim standard power supply
Track B was Temple Audio Supercaps.

....I think that we can hear a difference is a good enough test.

 

[Musician]

Interesting.

I got response back from one of my hifi buddies:

Okay, Track A has more Lower End Bass output, but sounds a little vague.
Track B less Bass output, but better balanced sound ,stereo imaging etc.

Track A was supplied Wiim standard power supply
Track B was Temple Audio Supercaps.

....I think that we can hear a difference is a good enough test.

As I have shown with my listening to both your files and onlyoneme:s riddle ( I was 100 % correct pointing out the different powersupplies ! ) there is differences that CAN be heard. This has been shown in this thread.

Now, the ASR mob will never agree to this, probably because many of them uses cheap computer speakers, cheap earphones and listens to spotify which they believe is good enough for transparent sound. No wonder they cant hear the differences !

 

[onlyoneme]

As I have shown with my listening to both your files and onlyoneme:s riddle ( I was 100 % correct pointing out the different powersupplies ! ) there is differences that CAN be heard. This has been shown in this thread.

Mate, you were finding stereo image differences in the monaural content, so please stop talking about what has been shown here. You guessed correct and it's fine but if you really want to verify what you hear, make a blind test with a proper methodology like ABX for example. I've suggested it to you.

 

[onlyoneme]

Now, the ASR mob will never agree to this, probably because many of them uses cheap computer speakers, cheap earphones and listens to spotify which they believe is good enough for transparent sound. No wonder they cant hear the differences .

I'm a part of the ASR mob, so thanks for reminding me what is the quality of my equipment.

 

[Musician]

Interesting.

I got response back from one of my hifi buddies:

Okay, Track A has more Lower End Bass output, but sounds a little vague.
Track B less Bass output, but better balanced sound ,stereo imaging etc.

Track A was supplied Wiim standard power supply
Track B was Temple Audio Supercaps.

....I think that we can hear a difference is a good enough test.

There are real sound differences using those two powersupplies with the WiiM as digital bridge - and in real life, in the listening room, the sound differences are probably even bigger because you used audacity to record the music and that computer program is not 100 % transparent .

 

[Musician]

I'm a part of the ASR mob, so thanks for reminding me what is the quality of my equipment.

I dont see you as part of the ASR mob. You and Vintageflanker are nice guys, and Im sure you both use TIDAL

 

[CrystalGipsy]

I would love for someone to explain to me sensinl how a different psu can affect a pure digital stream to another dac. I can understand thr potential for some small gains using the inbuilt DAC.

There are real sound differences using those two powersupplies with the WiiM as digital bridge - and in real life they probably are even bigger because you used audacity to record the music and that computer program is not 100 % transparent .

Unless the psu affects the amount of jitter created on the Wiims spdif output and your DACs not good at dealing and cleaning and reclocking incoming data then I find it hard to believe it would alter anything on the Wiim on the digital domain.

Your ongoing analogue equipment may be more susceptible to a low quality psu putting out garbage into the mains which may be a big flaw in that equipment’and that’s what you’re hearing. Perhaps @onlyoneme would have picked up any issues with psu changing anything in his tests.

 

[Vangelo51]

Mate, you were finding stereo image differences in the monaural content, so please stop talking about what has been shown here. You guessed correct and it's fine but if you really want to verify what you hear, make a blind test with a proper methodology like ABX for example. I've suggested it to you.

Monaural? I know you only have ONE speaker, but this was stereo:

 

[onlyoneme]

There are real sound differences using those two powersupplies with the WiiM as digital bridge - and in real life, in the listening room, the sound differences are probably even bigger because you used audacity to record the music and that computer program is not 100 % transparent .

I will capture whatever you want in the digital domain, using two different WiiMs with two different PSUs and using 2 different interfaces and the proper software which is fully transparent, and you will tell me if you can hear a difference, ok?

 

[Vangelo51]

I'm a part of the ASR mob, so thanks for reminding me what is the quality of my equipment.

Hey...come clean with us and tell us which speaker you use? Genelec like Amir? They are expensive, but you only need one

 

[onlyoneme]

I dont see you as part of the ASR mob. You and Vintageflanker are nice guys, and Im sure you both use TIDAL

So you are wrong because I'm not a nice guy and I don't use tidal.

 

[Vangelo51]

I will capture whatever you want in the digital domain, using two different WiiMs with two different PSUs and using 2 different interfaces and the proper software which is fully transparent, and you will tell me if you can hear a difference, ok?

Already tried this, and I couldn't tell them apart.
Maybe if you used proper stereo, better quality file and a better of selection of music to at least give us a chance