WiiM Amp to Amp Ultra: Worth it?

[hdmkv]

Thanks.

Just ordered a pair of ELAC Debut 3.0 DB63 bookshelfs to see how they fare vs. the Emotiva T-zero plusses.

 

[Wiimer]

Yes. Is it better to pick an EQ type, then run Room Fit? Other way around? Or, doesn't matter?

First run RoomFit - a RoomFit profile is created and applied to all outputs except the Bluetooth outputs. Also you can then apply the EQ of your choice to each input and stack them on the RoomFit profile

 

[Spivdan]

Did the sound stage expand after the replacement? Because the WiiM amp scene is narrower than the cheap Chinese amplifiers that I had before it.

 

[hdmkv]

Can't say as I went from Wiim Amp to Amp Ultra, not another amp. Did have a Fosi amp sometime ago, which produced respectable sound quality, but don't recall if the sound stage was wider.

So, did try a 3rd pair of speakers, the ELAC Debut 3.0 DB63 bookshelves. Quite good, but not as good as my Emotiva T-zero plus towers. Latter has richer sound quality, not sure how to describe, more oomph & enveloping. The ELAC did have more detail, maybe crispness in them. Now wondering what upgrades to Emotiva T-zero's might be to pair with Amp Ultra.

 

[Danny Linguini]

Can't say as I went from Wiim Amp to Amp Ultra, not another amp. Did have a Fosi amp sometime ago, which produced respectable sound quality, but don't recall if the sound stage was wider.

So, did try a 3rd pair of speakers, the ELAC Debut 3.0 DB63 bookshelves. Quite good, but not as good as my Emotiva T-zero plus towers. Latter has richer sound quality, not sure how to describe, more oomph & enveloping. The ELAC did have more detail, maybe crispness in them. Now wondering what upgrades to Emotiva T-zero's might be to pair with Amp Ultra.

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On paper, your T-Zero’s look to be in about the same class as my Paradigm Monitor SE 6000F’s, and there was most definitely an improvement across the board going from an Amp Pro to Amp Ultra. Besides the extra little bump in power, there’s just better clarity and definition from highs to lows and everything in between. I couldn’t say a night-and-day difference, but I don’t exactly have ‘golden ears’ and it was a difference I could readily hear. I only had my Amp Pro for about 6 months when I took the plunge for the Amp Ultra and I don’t regret it for a second.

 

[hdmkv]

Ooh, your Paradigms are nicer... hmm . Are you happy w/them overall? Any negatives?

 

[Danny Linguini]

Ooh, your Paradigms are nicer... hmm . Are you happy w/them overall? Any negatives?

I am over the moon with them. I honestly don’t have a single complaint. They sound great soft or rattling plaster off the walls.

I got them just after I got the Amp Pro, when the little bookshelf speakers I had just were not cutting it at all, even with a sub. I’d never had a decent pair of floorstanders before, so I went a-hunting for something bigger and higher sensitivity. Caught a great holiday sale price at Crutchfield, and had a nice chat with an associate, She said she likes the Paradigms better than the Klipsch’s I was also considering with similar specs at around the same price, because the Paradigms aren’t as harsh in the highs but still very clear and well-defined, and damn if she didn’t nail that to a T.

After that, I took the plunge. Nearly threw my wife into shock when she first saw them (she got over it), but I was impressed right off the bat. I know there’s bigger and better stuff out there, but for the room I’m in and the listening I do, these are just the cat’s a$$. Then WiiM had to go and drop the Amp Pro, which I figured if I’m gonna jump in, I’m jumping all the way in. That really woke up the Paradigms - it just ended up being an ideal pairing. The Amp Pro wasn’t bad at all, unless I really needed to cave in my skull, which the Amp Ultra now can do. I know on paper there shouldn’t be that much of a volume difference between 60 and 100w; but I often had the Amp Pro at around 75%, which was moderately loud, while 50% on the Amp Ultra is plenty loud enough, especially with newer material. If I had to guess, it’s because the Amp Ultra puts out a fuller sound that doesn’t need to be as loud to sound loud, if that makes any sense.

I finally replaced my old JBL sub with a SVS SB1000 Pro just recently, and that was the final icing on the cake. The new sub and a new round of room correction somehow made the Paradigms sound even better.

Sorry for the gushing, but I’ve never been happier with my sound system.

 

[hdmkv]

Nice ! Speakers & amp pairings have so many variables... it's tough from online/YT reviews, many of which have sponsorship biases. So much comes down to personal preferences. Anyway, I trust end user opinions more if buying online w/o being able to audition, which is most of the time I think for most of us. Sounds like you got just the right pairings w/amp + speakers + sub.

 

[hdmkv]

Made a video on my Amp Ultra upgrade journey