WiiM Amp blows NAD M10v2

[layer9]

I will invest the money I got for my M10v2 in the WiiM Amp Pro, then Amp Pro Plus and finally Amp Ultra

 

[merifon]

It was actually fixed with a firmware update yesterday afternoon, about the same time you posted.

Yes, they warned me. This time fix was fast but since I have such amp (Dec 2023) two upgrade were released and both added a new big trouble, without solving what expected and therefore needing further fix. 100% of bad releases...

 

[layer9]

Guys,

I‘m thinking of testing the WiiM Pro Plus as pre amplifier with an Purifi 1ET400A ST Stereo Amplifier from Appolon as it has more power to drive my new Elac FS 409.2 that are rated with 200W at 4 ohms. This would be cheaper than the NAD M10v2 and without its flaws.

May I ask your opinion:

a) Is it correct that the WiiM Pro Plus can be used as PreAmp or must I wait for the Ultra (as this one seems to have a volume knob)?

b) Do you think the better power amplifier will be audible compared to the TP3255 from the WiiM Amp? The Hypex nCore 252 from the NAD was actually not better in my ears…

The testing is more for the fun part but opinions are welcome nevertheless

Michael

 

[slartibartfast]

Guys,

I‘m thinking of testing the WiiM Pro Plus as pre amplifier with an Purifi 1ET400A ST Stereo Amplifier from Appolon as it has more power to drive my new Elac FS 409.2 that are rated with 200W at 4 ohms. This would be cheaper than the NAD M10v2 and without its flaws.

May I ask your opinion:

a) Is it correct that the WiiM Pro Plus can be used as PreAmp or must I wait for the Ultra (as this one seems to have a volume knob)?

b) Do you think the better power amplifier will be audible compared to the TP3255 from the WiiM Amp? The Hypex nCore 252 from the NAD was actually not better in my ears…

The testing is more for the fun part but opinions are welcome nevertheless

Michael

Have you tried them with the WiiM amp? They should be sensitive enough and the minimum recommended amplifier power is 40W. The WiiM is well above that into 4 Ohm speakers.

 

[layer9]

Yes, I am running them with the WiiM Amp since a few weeks and am very satisfied - 85dbA volume are no problem (measured on my Apple Watch).

However, reading all the stuff about Purify being the best Class D amplifiers in the world etc. makes me curious if there will indeed be audible improvement over the TP3255.

But since the NAD was not better (without Dirac) I am starting to believe this all is marketing

 

[MCG555]

As I mentioned before, Loudspeaker and Amplifier form a unity. Hypex nCore 252 has a good reputation but it seams not compatible with your taste/loudspeaker characteristics…
Yes, you could use WiiM Pro+ as a „pre“ as long as you can control the volume by it by something like Spotify or by an App as ipeng and so test what you like…

 

[layer9]

It is not that the NC252 from the NAD did not match my taste but it sounded not different to the WiiM in my ears so I found it too expensive compared to the WiiM.

But part of the hobby is you never stop searching for improvements I guess

 

[MCG555]

It is not that the NC252 from the NAD did not match my taste but it sounded not different to the WiiM in my ears so I found it too expensive compared to the WiiM.

But part of the hobby is you never stop searching for improvements I guess

Absolutly!
Have you tried classical Amps like A, A/B, Tube?
When I bought my Atoll Amp I tried several others; especially in respect to soundstage there are huge differences… as long as your loudspeakers have enough space (depending on them up to 1m if possible) from the walls…

 

[layer9]

Besides the WiiM Amp and NAD M10v2 I tried an Elac DS-A101-G BASH Amp but found it worse since it neither supports EQ like the WiiM nor Dirac like the NAD. And without EQ no Amp will ever satisfy me

I think it’s also a psychological issue here. My Elac speakers are much more expensive than the WiiM Amp and a part in me just cannot believe that the WiiM Amp sounds as good as much more expensive Amps. I always have a feeling that a more expensive one also must sound better - despite the FACT that the NAD already failed for me in that it was NOT sounding better even though much more expensive.

Plus the Appolon looks highendy

 

[slartibartfast]

I think it’s also a psychological issue here. My Elac speakers are much more expensive than the WiiM Amp and a part in me just cannot believe that the WiiM Amp sounds as good as much more expensive Amps.

That's how the HiFi industry wants you to think

 

[layer9]

I‘m afraid you might be right But the Apollon has Purify!!1!

 

[Brantome]

I‘m afraid you might be right But the Apollon has Purify!!1!

Both James and Bobby?

 

[layer9]

Yes, the Apollon will be my puppet

 

[MaRsS72]

Hi,

I recently bought both the WiiM Amp and NAD M10v2 for testing both:

View attachment 6419

Long story short: I‘ll go with the WiiM Amp and will sell the NAD.

Although the NAD has Dirac Live I am able to achieve the same soundstage using WiiMs EQ which is also much easier to use. Measuring the room with the NADs microphone did not make much difference so I had to manually edit the EQ for my room anyway.

What really is annoying is that the NAD constantly drops out of the network. A few hours after going to standby the NAD just disappears from my network and I have to unplug power in order to restore access.

I am driving a pair of Elac Vela BS 404.2 with the amplifiers and both perform very well - and there is actually no difference between the NAD (Hypex nCore) and the WiiM with its Texas Instruments power amplifiers as long as no EQ is used. Volume gain is good on both with my speakers (87db).

I only use AirPlay 2 for steaming music from my iPhone so I can’t say much about the BlueOS app from the NAD. However it looks polished and fast, so this might be the only area in which the NAD can compete with the WiiM.

Bottom line is that from my point of view the WiiM just blows a product that is almost 10 times the price of the WiiM Amp. I will sell the NAD and keep the WiiM!

Cheers
Michael

Oh that's surprising. I have had a totally different experience. The sound quality of the Wiim Amp didn't come close to my NAD C700. It sounded flat, lacked power, wasn't very detailed, and the soundstage wasn't great either. I then tried a Wiim Mini with a Fosi Audio ZA3 amp, which was better but still not as smooth and detailed as the NAD C700. So I thought, what if I add an external DAC? Due to budget constraints and good reviews, I added an SMSL SU-1 DAC. That worked wonders for me in my setup. Now it sounds much better/nicer and really comes close to the NAD C700. The NAD still sounds a little bit smoother.

I think I'm going for 2x Fosi Audio ZA3 or 2x Fosi Audio V3 mono amplifiers in mono mode. Now I want to pair them with the Wiim Ultra. Maybe also with the SMSL SU-1 DAC if I'm not satisfied with the sound from the earlier mentioned combination.

 

[layer9]

I now have ordered a Purifi 1ET400A ST from Apollon and a WiiM Pro Plus to use a pre amplifier. I’m very curious as to whether I will actually hear a difference But since Purifi is state of the art in regard to amplifiers I guess this is the ultimate test - WiiM Amp against Purifi

 

[layer9]

I now have tried Room Correction from the WiiM Amp. The out of the box EQ settings are so much better than the measurement that I did with the M10v2 and Dirac. It actually sounds much better now

Looking forward to next week - then I will test my WiiM Pro Plus with the Purifi Amp. I have a feeling that might be the final combination for my speakers…until the WiiM Ultra arrives