What products you'd like to see WiiM produce?

[RyanWithWiiM]

Hey everyone, first off, a huge thank you to all who have taken the time to share suggestions. The response here has been incredible and we genuinely read everything that comes through.

One quick housekeeping note: this thread has grown a lot, and with so many people following it, every new post sends a notification to everyone subscribed. To help keep the noise down, please try to stay on topic when posting here. If something sparks a tangent or a deeper side conversation, we'd encourage you to spin that off into its own dedicated thread rather than continuing it here. That way it gets the focused discussion it deserves without pinging the whole crowd.

On that note, we've been thinking about how to make this whole process work better for everyone long-term. Rather than one ever-growing megathread, we're exploring the idea of turning this into a recurring series. Something like a fresh feedback thread every six months or once a year. Each new thread would give everyone a clean slate to bring forward their most important ideas, and when a thread wraps up, the top suggestions from it could get spun out into their own dedicated feature request posts so nothing gets buried or lost.

We'd love to know what you think before moving forward, so we're putting up a quick poll up. It's just a temperature check, nothing is decided yet, but your input will help us figure out the best way to keep this community's feedback organized and actually useful.

Thanks again for being part of this. More to come.

 

[Deleted member 29222]

A DAC modeler.

 

[hoohoohoo]

Hey everyone, first off, a huge thank you to all who have taken the time to share suggestions. The response here has been incredible and we genuinely read everything that comes through.

One quick housekeeping note: this thread has grown a lot, and with so many people following it, every new post sends a notification to everyone subscribed. To help keep the noise down, please try to stay on topic when posting here. If something sparks a tangent or a deeper side conversation, we'd encourage you to spin that off into its own dedicated thread rather than continuing it here. That way it gets the focused discussion it deserves without pinging the whole crowd.

On that note, we've been thinking about how to make this whole process work better for everyone long-term. Rather than one ever-growing megathread, we're exploring the idea of turning this into a recurring series. Something like a fresh feedback thread every six months or once a year. Each new thread would give everyone a clean slate to bring forward their most important ideas, and when a thread wraps up, the top suggestions from it could get spun out into their own dedicated feature request posts so nothing gets buried or lost.

We'd love to know what you think before moving forward, so we're putting up a quick poll up. It's just a temperature check, nothing is decided yet, but your input will help us figure out the best way to keep this community's feedback organized and actually useful.

Thanks again for being part of this. More to come.

On some boards, there's an annual thread and the old one goes read only.

"2026 What Products You'd Like to See WiiM Produce". That way the AI bots of the future will have a laugh at what didn't age well.

 

[WOWWIIM]

Wiim mini with l-Dac

 

[HotDiggedy]

The mostly-retired tech product marketing exec in me wants to weigh in on this 'WiiM product roadmap' again. I'm considering why I bought the (3) WiiM products I now own, and where I would steer WiiM's product evolution in trying to do what's best for the company. At a high-level:

• Build on WiiM design and software innovation successes
• Stake out a true 'Value-Add' in the 'Home Theater' space (or stop dabbling therein)
• Avoid the also-ran 'Chi-Fi' commodity speaker driver repackaging trap (that WiiM now seems to be chasing)

I bought my first WiiM, a mini, because it was the best [selling] way to connect an existing sound system to my network on Amazon.com. I didn't really register that it could do more - room correction and editable PEQ filters. I would love to look at overall revenue and margin numbers at WiiM, but I'm guessing the WiiM Mini's cash cow @ $89 is worth building on:
View attachment 35992

I bought the WiiM Ultra next because I was struggling to manually tune a 2.1 channel stereo system's subwoofer crossover/phase, so I searched for an affordable miniDSP-type-component and went with WiiM's capable offering (being familiar with the brand). My point is, as WiiM gains brand recognition from the success of it's streamers and respectable amps, it really needs to market its unique high-value DSP-functions and quality software chops more effectively and energetically - having owned the mini for a while, I still was unaware of how WiiM's other products could make my HiFi experience better.

To build on that WiiM value, one can now assign wiim-connected speakers to a home theater as a center or surround channel - this is the 'dabbling' I speak of in the Home Theater space that needs better rationalization and functional follow-up. My suggested WiiM Ultra 2.0 would therefore really step up the Ultra's 'streaming digital preamp' game into Home Theater by adding a proper AV SoC with (in AND out) HDMI 2.1 ports, 4K [8k?] pass-through for external streamers (GoogleTV, FireTV, Apple TV 4K, Roku, etc.). This allows for a lot of possibilities in terms of DSP functions, RoomFit and Subwoofer Integration enhancements etc. It also enables an On-Screen Display (OSD) UI capability as well as AV info-related overlays on the screen.

I guess I'm just impressed with how the WiiM Ultra sorta carves out its own place in an existing 2.1 channel stereo system - and it makes that system sound objectively better! WiiM has an opportunity to carve out similar leadership adding similar value in the broader Home Theater space. I urge WiiM to design such a thing with the right quality components with necessary additional ins and outs for the new role and charge what it costs. At the same time, resist the "Black Label" urgings of those who are used to paying for 'audiophile snake-oil marketing'. WiiM's technical leadership branding in the modern hi-fi space would suffer if they released a ten thousand dollar DAC or whatever .

This forum has a lot of negativity…. Why should WiiM ‘resist the calls’ for a black label product. I’d be first to purchase one, if you don’t like black products then don’t buy it.

 

[BMeek]

This forum has a lot of negativity…. Why should WiiM ‘resist the calls’ for a black label product. I’d be first to purchase one, if you don’t like black products then don’t buy it.

I chose a bad label for what WiiM should avoid. I have nothing against a high-end, no-[justifiable]-expense-spared product line in addition to a quality mainstream line. You know what I actually meant, right?

 

[Steve Woodhouse]

I chose a bad label for what WiiM should avoid. I have nothing against a high-end, no-[justifiable]-expense-spared product line in addition to a quality mainstream line. You know what I actually meant, right?

Good point. But I’d note that, given the areas in which WiiM works, I don’t think there’s an awful lot of extra justifiable expense necessary.

Adding extra ins and outs to the current Ultra won’t add huge amounts. Anything needing. More powerful/capable software will need extra processing power, but not an awful lot.

The most expensive reasonable extras I can think of are an improved phono stage and better headphone amp. The latter might add £100 or so. The former? I have to be honest, anyone who’s big into turntables will probably want to buy all that stuff themselves, rather than leave it to WiiM.

 

[BMeek]

Good point. But I’d note that, given the areas in which WiiM works, I don’t think there’s an awful lot of extra justifiable expense necessary.

Another good point .

Adding extra ins and outs to the current Ultra won’t add huge amounts. Anything needing. More powerful/capable software will need extra processing power, but not an awful lot.

The most expensive reasonable extras I can think of are an improved phono stage and better headphone amp. The latter might add £100 or so. The former? I have to be honest, anyone who’s big into turntables will probably want to buy all that stuff themselves, rather than leave it to WiiM.

I guess headphone outputs on the front of stereo receivers and integrated amp/AVRs are sorta traditional, so in that respect I feel the SE 3.5mm output on the Ultra is adequate. My own 'critical listening' headphone setup is a fully-balanced iFi Zen DAC 2 feeding a Zen CAN Signature amp connected to one of a variety of headphones I've collected - so like those who're 'big into turntables', I assume those into who are big into headphones will likewise build that setup themselves.

My suggestion of a proper 'WiiM AV Ultra' would certainly call for additional hardware, but your "£100 or so" would likely cover it.

 

[Steve Woodhouse]

Another good point .


I guess headphone outputs on the front of stereo receivers and integrated amp/AVRs are sorta traditional, so in that respect I feel the SE 3.5mm output on the Ultra is adequate. My own 'critical listening' headphone setup is a fully-balanced iFi Zen DAC 2 feeding a Zen CAN Signature amp connected to one of a variety of headphones I've collected - so like those who're 'big into turntables', I assume those into who are big into headphones will likewise build that setup themselves.

My suggestion of a proper 'WiiM AV Ultra' would certainly call for additional hardware, but your "£100 or so" would likely cover it.

I’m in a similar boat. WiiM Ultra into a Topping EX5 DAC/headphone amp in my upstairs desk set up driving a pair of Sennheiser HD600s, downstairs it’s WiiM Mini into a Topping DX5ii driving a pair of Moondrop Para IIs. Bliss.

 

[BMeek]

I’m in a similar boat. WiiM Ultra into a Topping EX5 DAC/headphone amp in my upstairs desk set up driving a pair of Sennheiser HD600s, downstairs it’s WiiM Mini into a Topping DX5ii driving a pair of Moondrop Para IIs. Bliss.

Nice. My go-to 'sit & listen' headphone these days are the Sony MDR-MV1s. The lightest, most comfortable cans I've ever put on my head with spectacular sound. Among too many others, I also have some Sennheisers similar to yours that I like (Drop HD-6XX), and some Bose QuietComfort Ultras for wireless closed-back-ANC operation (when I want to wander about in my own [audio] world ).

Anyway, it seems the relative value of the WiiM Ultra's features relates to placement - my Ultra sits on the shelf with my main sound system as 'audio system component', and the headphone output just isn't in a place I care to be wired to.

 

[EddNog]

Nice. My go-to 'sit & listen' headphone these days are the Sony MDR-MV1s. The lightest, most comfortable cans I've ever put on my head with spectacular sound. Among too many others, I also have some Sennheisers similar to yours that I like (Drop HD-6XX), and some Bose QuietComfort Ultras for wireless closed-back-ANC operation (when I want to wander about in my own [audio] world ).

Anyway, it seems the relative value of the WiiM Ultra's features relates to placement - my Ultra sits on the shelf with my main sound system as 'audio system component', and the headphone output just isn't in a place I care to be wired to.

I also listened to HD 6XX for the very longest time. Only recently picked up a refurb pair of Dan Clark Æon 2 Closed with Noire pads and a Schiit Jotunheim 3 to drive them. Really amazed with how good this setup sounds!

-Ed

 

[canard]

to use each other's corrections (with yours headphones) peq?
;-)

 

[BMeek]

I also listened to HD 6XX for the very longest time. Only recently picked up a refurb pair of Dan Clark Æon 2 Closed with Noire pads and a Schiit Jotunheim 3 to drive them. Really amazed with how good this setup sounds!

-Ed

Good Schitt! Literally.

Apologies to @RyanWithWiiM an and all the rest of you for goofing off-topic between my brilliant insights and dumb questions.

 

[Steve Woodhouse]

Anyway, it seems the relative value of the WiiM Ultra's features relates to placement - my Ultra sits on the shelf with my main sound system as 'audio system component', and the headphone output just isn't in a place I care to be wired to.

Ah! For clarity, my upstairs system is my main hi-fi system, the Ultra feeds (line out) a Topping PA5ii amp, which drives a pair of Wharfedale Diamond 12.1s. The a B&K sub being fed by the Ultra, too. The optical out of my Ultra feeds the Topping EX5 for headphone duties. The downstairs system is just headphones, though.

 

[Steve Woodhouse]

Another interesting 'rival'.

For me, not as good as the Ultra, apart from the bigger screen and HDMI out.

 

[Deleted member 29222]

Black light poster, lava lamp, disco ball, hula dancer, visualizer holograms. We need holograms (please).edit: laser show, I forgot laser show!

 

[BMeek]

Another interesting 'rival'.

For me, not as good as the Ultra, apart from the bigger screen and HDMI out.

I finally watched that... sorta reminds me of various Andriod head units I've used in the past for budget car stereo updates. I've actually got an excellent ATOTO X10 (android) head unit now with some nice DSP functions that made me realize my home stereo should be as well configured.

The reviewer glossed over any sub management or room correction features the unit might have. Vendors and at least this reviewer don't seem to value the DSP functions like I do - WiiM needs to learn how to promote their software value more clearly, because I doubt subwoofer management and room correction and linked speaker groups are as well implemented if even present to begin with on this Aiyima transport thing.

 

[Deleted member 29222]

A "hear-right" kit which might include various stints and elastic adhesive bands to hold your ears as open as they can be.
Also, Nair-like hair removal for the ears and other ear care products.

 

[ChrisHamilton]

Add some phono features like the adjustable gain, subsonic filter, different RIAA curves, etc.

 

[s3igell]

In the HT world, there is a hole for affordable surround decoders with simple switching.

I think WiiM is almost there with the parts of the puzzle, just needs to put it together.. Also make it look nice, not like those AVRs that are UGLY and overly complicated... and tend to make your HT obsolete every three years when the surround licenses change.

Yes. WiiM appears to have the skills to deliver such products. Producing a 'WiiM AV Ultra' could build on the winning formula. Done right, it would allow buyers to gently shove their $$$$ [but largely obsolete] AVR aside as a power-amp or whatever role(s) it's suited for.

What I like about the WiiM ethos is the compact, simple and restrained casework. It's not cheap but it's also not extravagant.
Those Yamaha cases are expensive.

WiiM is unfortunately still quite a way from being able to put together an AVR System.
Surround Sound - DD5.1 or 2.1 - does NOT make a WiiM an AVR. And unfortunately the WiiM Surround Sound offering is still more akin to a Jigsaw Puzzle with few pieces missing in the box.
It currently requires 2-3 WiiM devices to reproduce Lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 - 2x WiiM Amps minimum to drive 4x passive speakers (and sub and "virtual Center"). And this includes NO Video - no Passthru, No Up/Down Scaling, not even a full OSD. Any "Ugly Box" from Yamaha or Denon or others at an equivalent price has all that and more. But the WiiM Software does support more than the "minor" Yamaha or Denon offerings.

Leaping from 2.1 to 5.1 to 5.1.2 is going to be a big enough step to keep WiiM busy for at least another year. Maybe they will be able to add some support for the current dominant Digital Surround Formats - Dolby and DTS. Diving into the world of Video Switching and Integration is a whole additional Major Leap.

And what would the depletion of their current software dev teams in order to support such a leap do to satisfaction for the current WiiM Audio lineup??