Using Wiim Ultra with a Marantz 2270 – Volume control & line out level advice?

[Fralle]

Here’s a draft of your forum post in EnHi everyone,

I'm planning to use a Wiim Ultra together with a vintage Marantz 2270 receiver, and I'm wondering how best to approach volume control in this setup.

Ideally, I’d like to use the Wiim to control the volume. If I set the volume knob on the Marantz to around 12 or 1 o’clock and leave it there, would I experience a noticeable loss in sound quality by adjusting volume exclusively through the Wiim?

Also, which line out level setting on the Wiim Ultra would you recommend for this type of use?

Of course, I’ll experiment myself once I have everything hooked up, but I’m curious if anyone here has tried a similar setup. If so, how did it work out for you?

 

[Burnside]

The receiver manual states a line in sensitivity of 180mV, so I’d set your WiiM line out level to 200 mVrms. Set the Marantz volume level all the way down, and the WiiM output volume to 100% then slowly increase the Marantz volume to the loudest you’d ever want to play it, then turn the WiiM volume down to your normal listening level. Don’t touch the Marantz volume after than and just use the WiiM’s volume control thereafter

 

[Fralle]

The receiver manual states a line in sensitivity of 180mV, so I’d set your WiiM line out level to 200 mVrms. Set the Marantz volume level all the way down, and the WiiM output volume to 100% then slowly increase the Marantz volume to the loudest you’d ever want to play it, then turn the WiiM volume down to your normal listening level. Don’t touch the Marantz volume after than and just use the WiiM’s volume control thereafter

Only downside is that I really want to use the internal phono stage instead of the one in the Ultra. So when playing vinyl I will have to use the knob.

Such a shame there are so few options of adding a remote control to a vintage reciever. None that I know you can get in Europe really.

 

[rccarguy]

Only downside is that I really want to use the internal phono stage instead of the one in the Ultra. So when playing vinyl I will have to use the knob.

Such a shame there are so few options of adding a remote control to a vintage reciever. None that I know you can get in Europe really.

In that case, just use add the Wiim as a regular line level (fixed) device, controlling the master volume for the wiim and every other device on the Marantz.

 

[Fralle]

In that case, just use add the Wiim as a regular line level (fixed) device, controlling the master volume for the wiim and every other device on the Marantz.

I can actually do that? How exactly?

 

[rccarguy]

I can actually do that? How exactly?

Just use a spare input on the Marantz.

 

[Fralle]

In that case, just use add the Wiim as a regular line level (fixed) device, controlling the master volume for the wiim and every other device on the Marantz.

Sorry, I missunderstood. I thought you meant I could actually control all the volume on the Marantz from the Wiim.

Your solution is not really a solution though since what I really want is a way to remote control the reciever.

It's such a pain to have to get up and control the volume when watching TV for instance.

 

[rccarguy]

Sorry, I missunderstood. I thought you meant I could actually control all the volume on the Marantz from the Wiim.

Your solution is not really a solution though since what I really want is a way to remote control the reciever.

It's such a pain to have to get up and control the volume when watching TV for instance.

If you are using the marantz for other sources it's not recommended, as one input will be much louder than the other since you would have fixed sources or LP and cd the variable ie ultra if you forget yo adjust volume on marantz before switching inputs...


Unless you set a max output on ultra so at that level matches your other inputs
..it's doable. But not ideal

 

[Eoin]

Only downside is that I really want to use the internal phono stage instead of the one in the Ultra. So when playing vinyl I will have to use the knob.

Such a shame there are so few options of adding a remote control to a vintage reciever. None that I know you can get in Europe really.

With the tape out on the Marantz you could loop that into the Line in on the Wiim. When you want vinyl, select record on the Marantz and input to be phono. This puts the phono stage from the Marantz, without volume control, straight out into the Wiim.

Seperate the pre and power stages on the receiver by removing the jumpers on the rear.

Put the line out on the Wiim to the power in of the Marantz. Set the output level on the Wiim to be the lowest (0.2V isn’t it?). If that doesn’t work well, try the 0.5V one next.

The Wiim is now providing volume control and any room eq you like, the Marantz is doing the power amp duties and the Marantz phono stage is doing its job.

And you can use the radio as well.



In this way the Marantz volume knob is doing nothing, the Wiim controls the volume entirely. Any inputs on the Marantz are free for you to use. Hope that makes sense if not I can explain further - I’m sure you’ve got it though.

 

[Fralle]

This puts the phono stage from the Marantz, without volume control, straight out into the Wiim.

This sounds interesting to say the least. But does this mean the Phono stage from the Marantz will be digitized somehow?

 

[Burnside]

This sounds interesting to say the least. But does this mean the Phono stage from the Marantz will be digitized somehow?

Yes if you’re feeding it into the WiiM, but that might not necessarily be a bad thing.

 

[Eoin]

Give it a go and see if it works for you.

It makes volume convenient.

Otherwise if you prefer set the Wiim line out to be 0.2V and use the Wiim volume control just for it- put it into any input on the Marantz and as per your original plan use the Marantz volume knob for vinyl.

My vinyl is going through the Wiim now- seems to work very well.