On this post I am expressing my subjective experience with the new WiiM Amp Ultra. I am also comparing it to an Amp Pro.
Device Packing & Installation
The device is packed similarly to other large WiiM devices (WiiM Ultra, WiiM Amp, WiiM Amp Pro):
The Amp Ultra comes complete with an assortment of cables (power, Toslink, RCA, HDMI), remote control, and four color-coded speaker banana plug adapters. The remote control has a very nice aluminum case and a built-in rechargeable battery; it includes a USB-C to USB-A pigtail charging cable (white cable on the pic below) to be connected (when charging is needed) to a standard 5V USB-A charger (not included). While charging, an LED on the top right corner of the remote case flashes green; the LED turns solid green once charged.
The Amp Ultra is replacing a Amp Pro, so the installation is straightforward, only involving the power wall connection and the speakers’ connections.
Device Setup
I recommend connecting the Amp Ultra to the wall power first and delay connecting the speaker cables (more on this later). With the WiiM Home App (WHA) running, the device turns on and the app displays a device setup procedure. This procedure is similar to all other WiiM devices and straightforward. In my installation I am using a WiFi network connection. Once set up, the device found a new firmware update and that was readily installed.
The setup finished with my choices (yours may vary) and pairing of the remote control.
I noticed that the Amp Ultra came with its volume set at 50 (scale of 0-100), thus it is a good idea to zero the volume (using the volume knob, or remote, or app) before connecting the speaker cables. My speaker cables have banana plugs so I just connected them directly to the amp speaker connectors. If one has bare wire cables, the included banana plug adapters are handy.
I am using the Amp Ultra as a streamer amp and I am not using any other of its input sources. One can find other reviews where Line In and other inputs are used. These are all similar to the experience/performance offered by other WiiM devices.
User Experience
I am using a pair of Neumi BS5 speakers. These very inexpensive speakers are well reviewed and are surprisingly good. 6 Ohm impedance, and 86dB sensitivity.
I am familiar with the sound/presentation of the Neumi speakers when powered by the Amp Pro. I always considered that setup ok for background music, but otherwise sounded rather flat (and yes, I played with EQ and RC). It was Ok, because the venue is a garage, but one where I spend a fair amount of time, working on other hobbies
.
With the setup completed I selected a familar Internet radio feed - one used for background music - and immediately the sound field presentation was rather different. Far more dynamic, much better instrument separation and detail. Someone else came into the area and commented how good it sounded and that it sounded better than before. It was not subtle.
Next, I selected Qobuz and played a few lossless tracks. And again there was no contest. The Amp Ultra is at another level. Some have posted that the Amp Ultra's sound quality is the same they experience with the WiiM Ultra/Vibelink combo. And they had posted in the past that the Vibelink amp was tiers above the Amp Pro.
The Amp Ultra has very good dynamics and as the volume pot rises the sound quality is preserved and I have not heard any clipping or sound compression up to very high SPL settings. In addition, the amp sounds very good at low volume too, maintaining detail and separation to a remarkable degree.
Why does the Amp Ultra sound better when it has a mere 2.2dB headroom power advantage (100W vs 60W into 8 Ohm) over the Amp Pro and we all know that ‘all amps with a good SINAD sound the same’
? IMHO because that’s not the case. Different designs sound different. The Amp Pro claims a Post-Filter Feedback (PFFB) technology (Class D filter feedback control loop). Is it that, or some other design feature? It doesn’t matter. What matters is that it sounds very good!
This is the first WiiM amp with a screen. It is identical to the WiiM Ultra's screen and it performs as designed. For my particular situation the screen is convenient and functional. The usual WiiM device grouping, GoogleCast, AlexaCast, EQ and RC, all work fine.
Another great WiiM product!
Further items:
- Top surface temperature: 110F at 80F ambient.
- CPU temp 57C.
- Connected iOS device via Bluetooth - great playback performance.
Device Packing & Installation
The device is packed similarly to other large WiiM devices (WiiM Ultra, WiiM Amp, WiiM Amp Pro):
The Amp Ultra comes complete with an assortment of cables (power, Toslink, RCA, HDMI), remote control, and four color-coded speaker banana plug adapters. The remote control has a very nice aluminum case and a built-in rechargeable battery; it includes a USB-C to USB-A pigtail charging cable (white cable on the pic below) to be connected (when charging is needed) to a standard 5V USB-A charger (not included). While charging, an LED on the top right corner of the remote case flashes green; the LED turns solid green once charged.
The Amp Ultra is replacing a Amp Pro, so the installation is straightforward, only involving the power wall connection and the speakers’ connections.
Device Setup
I recommend connecting the Amp Ultra to the wall power first and delay connecting the speaker cables (more on this later). With the WiiM Home App (WHA) running, the device turns on and the app displays a device setup procedure. This procedure is similar to all other WiiM devices and straightforward. In my installation I am using a WiFi network connection. Once set up, the device found a new firmware update and that was readily installed.
The setup finished with my choices (yours may vary) and pairing of the remote control.
I noticed that the Amp Ultra came with its volume set at 50 (scale of 0-100), thus it is a good idea to zero the volume (using the volume knob, or remote, or app) before connecting the speaker cables. My speaker cables have banana plugs so I just connected them directly to the amp speaker connectors. If one has bare wire cables, the included banana plug adapters are handy.
I am using the Amp Ultra as a streamer amp and I am not using any other of its input sources. One can find other reviews where Line In and other inputs are used. These are all similar to the experience/performance offered by other WiiM devices.
User Experience
I am using a pair of Neumi BS5 speakers. These very inexpensive speakers are well reviewed and are surprisingly good. 6 Ohm impedance, and 86dB sensitivity.
I am familiar with the sound/presentation of the Neumi speakers when powered by the Amp Pro. I always considered that setup ok for background music, but otherwise sounded rather flat (and yes, I played with EQ and RC). It was Ok, because the venue is a garage, but one where I spend a fair amount of time, working on other hobbies
.With the setup completed I selected a familar Internet radio feed - one used for background music - and immediately the sound field presentation was rather different. Far more dynamic, much better instrument separation and detail. Someone else came into the area and commented how good it sounded and that it sounded better than before. It was not subtle.
Next, I selected Qobuz and played a few lossless tracks. And again there was no contest. The Amp Ultra is at another level. Some have posted that the Amp Ultra's sound quality is the same they experience with the WiiM Ultra/Vibelink combo. And they had posted in the past that the Vibelink amp was tiers above the Amp Pro.
The Amp Ultra has very good dynamics and as the volume pot rises the sound quality is preserved and I have not heard any clipping or sound compression up to very high SPL settings. In addition, the amp sounds very good at low volume too, maintaining detail and separation to a remarkable degree.
Why does the Amp Ultra sound better when it has a mere 2.2dB headroom power advantage (100W vs 60W into 8 Ohm) over the Amp Pro and we all know that ‘all amps with a good SINAD sound the same’
? IMHO because that’s not the case. Different designs sound different. The Amp Pro claims a Post-Filter Feedback (PFFB) technology (Class D filter feedback control loop). Is it that, or some other design feature? It doesn’t matter. What matters is that it sounds very good!This is the first WiiM amp with a screen. It is identical to the WiiM Ultra's screen and it performs as designed. For my particular situation the screen is convenient and functional. The usual WiiM device grouping, GoogleCast, AlexaCast, EQ and RC, all work fine.
Another great WiiM product!
Further items:
- Top surface temperature: 110F at 80F ambient.
- CPU temp 57C.
- Connected iOS device via Bluetooth - great playback performance.
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