Test WIIM pro+ with different power supplies

[wiimzonbie]

That's my experience: i noticed a clear improvement on SQ jumping from the default power supply to an ifi smps. Not a night and day difference but clearly audible.
(Using a wiim pro just as a transport to my external dac)

 

[hgo58]

That's my experience: i noticed a clear improvement on SQ jumping from the default power supply to an ifi smps. Not a night and day difference but clearly audible.
(Using a wiim pro just as a transport to my external dac)

So your power supply changes the digital data you transport to sound better?

 

[wiimzonbie]

Have you ever heard about "digital noise"?
(and yes i know its just ones and zeros bla bla bla...)

 

[wiimzonbie]

And to make the situation even worse i can tell that I'm using with satisfaction also the lan silencer (also from ifi)
Sorry for the ot but i think its someway related to this topic
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Edit
Forgot to mention that obviously the system must be revealing enough to bring out those "little" differences

 

[tgf427]

If you really think that the power supply matter for the analog part of the WiiM, then you should use a powerbank. But I guess that doesn't look as fancy.

For the digital path, the kind of power supply don't matter. Either it works or not.

I am using the Wiim Pro as a digital transport only.
Most powebanks use internal switching circuits whitch introduces high-frequency noice. They are current limited compared to supercap. LPS. Output voltage fluctuates as the batteri discharges.
I had a Wiim Ultra for a week before sending it back. Used as digital transport, the Wiim Pro powered by the Allo Shanti smoked The Wiim Ultra with its internal switching mode power supply. It sounded grainy, lacked details, dynamics and soundstage depth.
The quality of the power supply for either analog or digital audio gear is important for the overall SQ. It is great that an affordable streamer with top notch software and stability as the Wiim Pro can be taken to another level with a good external LPS.

 

[harkpabst]

Used as digital transport, the Wiim Pro powered by the Allo Shanti smoked The Wiim Ultra with its internal switching mode power supply. It sounded grainy, lacked details, dynamics and soundstage depth.
The quality of the power supply for either analog or digital audio gear is important for the overall SQ. It is great that an affordable streamer with top notch software and stability as the Wiim Pro can be taken to another level with a good external LPS.

Is this universally true or your personal experience and preference?

 

[DRC]

Forgot to mention that obviously the system must be revealing enough to bring out those "little" differences

The usual argument of snake oil salesman. If you cannot hear a difference then you need to spend more money on your system to make it revealing.

 

[wiimzonbie]

I second what tgf is saying (yes, thats universally true), the only downside of using a lps with wiim pro is...price suitability: i mean..instead of spending 200€ on a lps you could start asking yourself if it is better to look for a whole finer streamer for just a "little" more money OR even getting a "good" smps that maybe gives you just a little improvement but its a more proportionate spending imo.
Btw last thing you should do is getting a "bad" (cheap) lps because that easily wouldn't take you to a real sq improvement
Drc: whatever you want sir

 

[onlyoneme]

Is this universally true or your personal experience and preference?

I'm pretty sure I would see any sign of differences in jtest when jitter correction mechanisms are off, for different PSUs. If statements above are true, of course.

 

[wiimzonbie]

I'm pretty sure I would see any sign of differences in jtest when jitter correction mechanisms are off, for different PSUs. If statements above are true, of course.

Honestly i don't know about that, in my world the last and most reliable judge is HAS (human auditory system) More seriously im not sure if jtest can really tell you how deep is the soundstage or how natural are the voices, etc.. But thats just my pov

 

[slartibartfast]

Honestly i don't know about that, in my world the last and most reliable judge is HAS (human auditory system) More seriously im not sure if jtest can really tell you how deep is the soundstage or how natural are the voices, etc.. But thats just my pov

If "Digital noise" changes anything I am pretty sure it can be measured.

 

[wiimzonbie]

Well if you guys really think that the quality of crystal oscillators, clocks, etc.. are completely irrelevant and in general if you think that a 200€ streamer can give the same performance of a 2000€ streamer just because "we are talking about ones and zeros bla bla bla...", unless someone gives you a measurement of this "scientific difference", well i tell you this: I'm nobody to make you change your mind. So go on with your ideas and no hard feelings

 

[slartibartfast]

Well if you guys really think that the quality of crystal oscillators, clocks, etc.. are completely irrelevant and in general if you think that a 200€ streamer can give the same performance of a 2000€ streamer just because "we are talking about ones and zeros bla bla bla...", unless someone gives you a measurement of this "scientific difference", well i tell you this: I'm nobody to make you change your mind. So go on with your ideas and no hard feelings

They aren't irrelevant but they can be measured

 

[wiimzonbie]

You answered your own question then..
Meaning whatever you do to give a better, cleaner, etc.. signal to your streamer, and then to your dac, it does improve the sq of the system (provided that the whole system is revealing enough..) But feel free to see things differently

 

[hgo58]

If "Digital noise" changes anything I am pretty sure it can be measured.

And if there were any such internal digital noise coming from the power supply the CPU would probably crash.

A bad CD or a bad cable can introduce errors in a digital stream but a good one cannot improve the sound!

 

[LucAce]

if you think that a 200€ streamer can give the same performance of a 2000€ streamer

Why shouldn't the €200 streamer be able to do that?
By the way: What is "streamer performance"?

That's my experience: i noticed a clear improvement on SQ jumping from the default power supply to an ifi smps. Not a night and day difference but clearly audible.
(Using a wiim pro just as a transport to my external dac)

Whatever calms your mind.

 

[hgo58]

Well if you guys really think that the quality of crystal oscillators, clocks, etc.. are completely irrelevant and in general if you think that a 200€ streamer can give the same performance of a 2000€ streamer just because "we are talking about ones and zeros bla bla bla...", unless someone gives you a measurement of this "scientific difference", well i tell you this: I'm nobody to make you change your mind. So go on with your ideas and no hard feelings

The difference between the streamers are more in the analog part and in the performance of the digital part (better algorithms etc). The noise from a power supply may degrade the analog signal, it doesn't change the digital data.

 

[slartibartfast]

Why shouldn't the €200 streamer be able to do that?
By the way: What is "streamer performance"?


Whatever calms your mind.

The whole Hi-Fi industry relies on the perception that if it costs more it must be better.

 

[wiimzonbie]

The noise from a power supply may degrade the analog signal, it doesn't change the digital data.

Oh really? Ok, thanks for this precious information
No really im not going to discuss with you guys you have rock solid certainties and im just full of doubts, so i keep reading your valuable claims (and learning, thank you)

 

[onlyoneme]

Oh really? Ok, thanks for this precious information
No really im not going to discuss with you guys you have rock solid certainties and im just full of doubts, so i keep reading your valuable claims (and learning, thank you)

Capturing the stream on the spdif output of the streamer is really an easy thing. And receiving bit to bit equal data with the source stream works as the proof that the digital data is unaffected.