Wiim amp low bass and low stage

[atgis]

Hello everyone,

Unfortunately my Onkyo TX-SR508 died a few weeks ago.

I now have the Wiim Amp at home on my DIY Iceboxes (8 ohms)

Unfortunately I'm a bit disappointed. Despite active EQ (hip hop profile with bass and treble boosted), the Wiim Amp plays too "thinly" for my taste at room volume.

The Onkyo was much better at that at 1/3 of the maximum volume. I didn't have to turn it up any louder. The TV was connected with a cinch and I controlled the volume with that.

I didn't miss a subwoofer before, but now I would like one. Onkyo had Audyssey sound optimization.

My question: Can I adjust more than the EQ or do I have to live with a thinner sound?

 

[Wiimer]

Hello everyone,

Unfortunately my Onkyo TX-SR508 died a few weeks ago.

I now have the Wiim Amp at home on my DIY Iceboxes (8 ohms)

Unfortunately I'm a bit disappointed. Despite active EQ (hip hop profile with bass and treble boosted), the Wiim Amp plays too "thinly" for my taste at room volume.

The Onkyo was much better at that at 1/3 of the maximum volume. I didn't have to turn it up any louder. The TV was connected with a cinch and I controlled the volume with that.

I didn't miss a subwoofer before, but now I would like one. Onkyo had Audyssey sound optimization.

My question: Can I adjust more than the EQ or do I have to live with a thinner sound?

Hi,

Did you have Dynamic EQ turned on in Onkyo?
If so, I believe that below 500hz was boosted according to volume.

It might be worth trying to adjust the PEQ on the WiiM using the frequency response of the front speakers here as a reference.

The problem with Audyssey Dynamic EQ

Overall I'm quite happy with what DEQ does to the frequency response (boosting bass and the high end); but I don't like what it does to the surround channel levels. I just made some measurements with different Dynamic EQ settings to confirm my impression that it boosts the surround channels too...

www.audiosciencereview.com

(You can see that it is boosted by up to 10dB, mainly at 80hz.)

However, I personally do not like this kind of boost.
I have a Sub set up on my WiiM amp and I have never felt the bass was thin.
(I also have Yamaha's AVR.)

 

[eByGum]

I have never felt the bass was thin

Without my sub I'd say bass is good enough and EQ definitely helps. With sub it is full, rich and adds a whole new dimension. Must be config. Guess the lyric..... "A happy face, a thumping bass for a loving race".

 

[atgis]

Thanks for your answers.

Unfortunately, I don't know much about sound technology. But here is the information about the speakers: https://www.gazza-diy-audio.de/speakers/icebox/

How should I understand the frequency response of the front speakers to be used as a reference?

I tried the automatic room correction. I think the sound is richer with the normal EQ. Unfortunately, I personally miss a few presets with the PEQ.

What I have just discovered is that the Wiim Amp sounds best with an optical connection. With the RCA from the TV, the sound is so flat.

 

[justy]

It looks like your Icebox speakers, when playing a frequency sweep at approx. 80db, have a 7 db to 1db dip between 20 Hz and 100 Hz. So they’ll definitely need an EQ boost in that region. Or maybe (edited to add) they’ll likely need one in your room, if your room doesn’t help them out in any way.

The difference between the RCA output from the TV and the WiiM amps optical in definitely shows that the WiiM’s internal DAC is better than the TV’s.

If your TV supports HDMI ARC, you can use an HDMI cable to connect the TV and the WiiM amp and get the ability to control the WiiM amp’s volume using the TV remote, and the sound benefits of using the internal DAC.

 

[Wiimer]

Thanks for your answers.

Unfortunately, I don't know much about sound technology. But here is the information about the speakers: https://www.gazza-diy-audio.de/speakers/icebox/

How should I understand the frequency response of the front speakers to be used as a reference?

I tried the automatic room correction. I think the sound is richer with the normal EQ. Unfortunately, I personally miss a few presets with the PEQ.

What I have just discovered is that the Wiim Amp sounds best with an optical connection. With the RCA from the TV, the sound is so flat.

This is an example of PEQ. Please try this easy way first.

1. In Audio Settings, set the volume limit to 80%~85%. In this example, set it to 80%. This is to prevent clipping when boosting.



2. Set PEQ like this.


Note that PEQ must be set for each input, as indicated in (1) in the photo; switch the audio input on the WiiM and then adjust PEQ individually.


"Freq" is frequency to adjust. Here it is 80hz. This value can be adjusted between 30hz~80hz, but I chose 80hz because of the frequency response of your speakers.

"Gain" is the volume. Here it is 8 dB, but it can be raised or lowered as needed.

"Q" is the range over which the volume will change. Here it is 0.56. The larger this value, the narrower the range of influence. Please leave it as it is for now.

If you did RC with WiiM, you could add this value to the PEQ after RC.

Please try this until another member has an even better suggestion.


Edit: Partially corrected.

 

[atgis]

Thanks . I have to tell you that CEC cannot work.

I cannot connect the Wiim Amp directly to the TV via HDMI. Here is my setup:
- the Nvidia Shield (Android Box for Live TV + Netflix) is connected to the HDMI on the Samsung TV
- Sound goes from the Samsung TV to the Wiim Amp once with a cinch cable and once with an optical cable. (so that the two can be compared)

 

[harkpabst]

Thanks . I have to tell you that CEC cannot work.

I cannot connect the Wiim Amp directly to the TV via HDMI.

Why can't you use HDMi? I don't see a reason given.

 

[atgis]

If I connect HDMI from the Samsung TV to the Wiim Amp. How can I also connect my streaming box (Nvidia Shield) to the TV? The picture and sound should be output via this. I don't know how the HDMI2 input can pass the sound to the HDMI1 input on the TV?! That's not possible. Also, the TV is from 2015. As far as I know, it doesn't support ARC.

 

[Brantome]

I don't know how the HDMI2 input can pass the sound to the HDMI1 input on the TV?! That's not possible.

As I understand it, that's what ARC does - it passes all audio back to the ARC port irrespective of its source

Also, the TV is from 2015. As far as I know, it doesn't support ARC.

What model is the TV? I think ARC has been around for a while

 

[DRC]

My 2013 22” Samsung TV supports ARC so I imagine any 2015 Samsung would support ARC.

 

[Wiimer]

If I connect HDMI from the Samsung TV to the Wiim Amp. How can I also connect my streaming box (Nvidia Shield) to the TV? The picture and sound should be output via this. I don't know how the HDMI2 input can pass the sound to the HDMI1 input on the TV?! That's not possible. Also, the TV is from 2015. As far as I know, it doesn't support ARC.

Can you tell us what model of Samsung TV you have?
ARC is supported with HDMI 1.4.

 

[Wiimer]

I was too late.

 

[atgis]

The Samsung TV is UE50J5150. I cant find any description on the back with ARC. One HDMI hast the Note STB (Set top Box)

 

[Achim1811]

This Samsung offers only 2 HDMI ports, none of this is ARC.

 

[Brantome]

Thanks. Worth asking though

 

[harkpabst]

The Samsung TV is UE50J5150. I cant find any description on the back with ARC. One HDMI hast the Note STB (Set top Box)

No ARC on a 2015 TV is really a disappointment. But yes, in this case you cannot use the WiiM Amp's HDMI input.
Bummer.

 

[Achim1811]

I guess the TV was already back in 2015 near the bottom line of Samsung's portfolio. Guess only..

 

[atgis]

What options do I have to control the volume with my TV remote control?

I can only connect the Wiim with a cinch (sounded a bit tinny and weak) or optical (sounded OK).

With optical I have to explicitly set "external speakers" on the Samsung TV menu.

When I switch that on and then adjust the volume with TV remote, a banner from Samsung appears and saying that external speakers are connected and I have to use them to adjust the volume.

Unfortunately no other universal remote control works because wiim doesn't do IR. Now the only thing I can think of is to buy an HDMI + optical splitter box for Nvidia Shield. Then HDMI to TV and optical to wiim. But that's rubbish.

 

[harkpabst]

I guess the TV was already back in 2015 near the bottom line of Samsung's portfolio. Guess only..

Yeah, but even my TV (from 2013 and carrying the "Telefunken" badge ) does support ARC, already. Not very well, but at least it does.

Sorry, @atgis, but I don't see any further option.

The Onkyo was much better at that at 1/3 of the maximum volume. I didn't have to turn it up any louder.

This is by no means a sign of quality, but just a matter of gain. There's nothing wrong with turning the volume but to 60 % or 70 % or more, as long as you get the desired volume. So, if it really is just a matter of volume then don't be afraid to turn it up.

No matter how you connect your TV to the WiiM Amp, you alwant be able.tp control the volume with the TVs remote unless the TV supports ARC.

Was that any different with the Onkyo?