Wiim Amp real winner?

ghulamr said:
It really started off with the need to drive my wired outdoor speaker and have the ability to stream music while enjoying the summer evenings. Needed something simple with a small form factor and decent sound - Wiim Amp came in highly recommended so I went ahead with the purchase, knowing full well it's not going to break my bank.

Turned out I ended up hooking up the amp to my home office listening area. Currently the set up in the home office is a pair of Harbeth P3esr driven by Croft Integrated amp and Rel T5i sub. Using a Node2i streamer and Metrum Onyx NOS DAC. Replacing the Croft with the Wiim amp was close in sound given the added advantage of bypassing the Node2i and expanding more streaming capabilities including the ability for the amplifier to go in standby mode. With my office being outside (glass office) the temperature variances can be extreme between night and day. Having a tube amp like Croft run 24x7 is probably not the best idea. The little Wiim amp goes in standby mode as configured per choice.

It would be unfair/incorrect to say the Wiim Amp is an audiophile equipment, though I think it can come close with the correct PEQ settings and room correction. This is where my struggle comes in: I am trying real hard to make the Wiim Amp work for me and replace the Croft Integrated Amp. There are a few issues that I seem to not overcome and can definitely use some expert help.

1. When I connect my Rel T5i sub using the High Level Speakon cable to the amp the subwoofer hums loudly. I have taken the black ground wire and taped it up and let it float as per Rel's recommendation for connecting to a class D amp. Not sure how I can overcome this issue.

2. I need to bring out more details and tone seperation in the music. I think adjusting the PEQ settings can help. What's the opitimum way to go about this?

3. Can I bypass the Wiim Amp DAC to connect my Meter Onyx.

Thanks,
Click to expand...
Does the WiiM Amp have a loudness function? And will the WiiM Amp Pro have one?
 
At least in Pro and Pro Plus the "loudness" eq setting isn't too bad. If there is no hardware solution I would say worth a try and at least better than nothing 😉
 
so in short WiiM Amp is not capable of bypassing its DAC. Woes of heavy digital amps with heavy DSP. Technically it would be great if it could connect to an external DAC via USB and use the analog feed from the DAC to the WiiM Amp RCA input bypassing DSP. That would be an audiophile set up.
 
I'm not sure what would make that an audiophile solution but this is an all-in-one solution for a market leading price.

I don't believe that the DAC in the WiiM amp is a particular weakness.

You can purchase a WiiM Pro, external DAC, and separate amp for a similar price or up to however deep your pockets are if this is what you want.
 
Five minutes ago I watched JDs new video comparing the Marantz M1, WiiM Amp, Powernode and a Lyngdorf. Beside smart things and also of course some flowerish marketing nonsense one line remains:
"You don't get what you don't pay for." At a certain point easy rules of economics take over. Sad but true 😉
 
Or in short you get what you pay for. I agree with that. Though I went fully in for the all in one package deal, the WiiM amp does not come close to my Croft/Harbeth sound. Though I played a lot with pEQ using House Curve and making sure I leverage the LF and HF for the subs and mains respectively- at the end of the day it’s a digital output with its own footprint and signature. It’ll never come close to an analog sound system.

I may wait for additional features in the next few version if they add the ability to use your own DAC or use a Hypex chipset instead of TI. The company given their aggressive rollout of firmware and hardware is on the right track.
 
ghulamr said:
Or in short you get what you pay for. I agree with that. Though I went fully in for the all in one package deal, the WiiM amp does not come close to my Croft/Harbeth sound. Though I played a lot with pEQ using House Curve and making sure I leverage the LF and HF for the subs and mains respectively- at the end of the day it’s a digital output with its own footprint and signature. It’ll never come close to an analog sound system.

I may wait for additional features in the next few version if they add the ability to use your own DAC or use a Hypex chipset instead of TI. The company given their aggressive rollout of firmware and hardware is on the right track.
Click to expand...
Do you think that the DAC in the Amp is the weaker piece on the chain? If this is the case, the new Amp Pro with a better DAC and PFBB may solve most of the issues without of the need of additional external DAC and bypass possibilities.

I think that my Wiim Amp does not sound as good as my Hypex + Pro Plus. However, I still think that the Amp is unbeatable at the price. The set of features (support for streaming platforms, PEQ, sub integration options, room correction...) plus a decent amp stage in an all in one package are certainly hard to beat.

One may try to get better quality for similar price by going separates but size, looks and integration are also important for some of us. Many people are getting the Pro with a good measuring cheap DAC and, let say, Fosi V3 monos. It may sound better with much more power if it's needed but you will have 4 boxes, cables and two gigantic power bricks around (you will be missing the sub output and the HDMI). I have to say that I hate external power bricks but it's just me...
 
Emiyanez said:
Do you think that the DAC in the Amp is the weaker piece on the chain? If this is the case, the new Amp Pro with a better DAC and PFBB may solve most of the issues without of the need of additional external DAC and bypass possibilities.

I think that my Wiim Amp does not sound as good as my Hypex + Pro Plus. However, I still think that the Amp is unbeatable at the price. The set of features (support for streaming platforms, PEQ, sub integration options, room correction...) plus a decent amp stage in an all in one package are certainly hard to beat.

One may try to get better quality for similar price by going separates but size, looks and integration are also important for some of us. Many people are getting the Pro with a good measuring cheap DAC and, let say, Fosi V3 monos. It may sound better with much more power if it's needed but you will have 4 boxes, cables and two gigantic power bricks around (you will be missing the sub output and the HDMI). I have to say that I hate external power bricks but it's just me...
Click to expand...
The DAC in the Amp is the same as the DAC in the Mission 778x I believe.
 
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