WiiM Mini AirPlay 2 + Amp Pro for Apple Music?

D

Danny Linguini

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Joined
Nov 30, 2024
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44
So here’s my situation. My main source of music is Apple Music. I’m currently streaming from my iPhone 15 to a WiiM Amp Pro via Bluetooth, and I’m actually very happy with it. But from what I’ve been seeing here, it may not be the best solution. I just started looking at the Mini AirPlay 2 for its AirPlay compatibility, and of course I have questions. Would I hear a noticeable improvement in sound adding a Mini to the mix and sending music to it via AirPlay? And if so, analog output to the Amp Pro, or optical using the Amp Pro’s DAC instead? To further complicate the discussion, I’m planning on upgrading to the Amp Ultra very soon, so there’s that to factor in as well.

I thought I had seen here awhile back from someone from WiiM that streaming via Bluetooth to the Amp Pro was as good as Airplay would have been if the Amp Pro supported it, but I’m seeing conflicting opinions on that, so I’m hoping for a bit more clarification from the more knowledgeable masses on if it’s worth parting with the additional 90 clams. TIA!
 
As has been reported many times, Apple Music on iOS only sends 256kbps AAC to Airplay 2 devices, which is similar to the SBC/AAC Bluetooth codec that Apple and WiiM devices use. So sonically, there’d be little or no difference between the two methods. Airplay 2 is arguably easier to use (and perhaps more stable) than Bluetooth, with the added benefit of being able to transmit to multiple airplay devices at the same time. Also, I’d guess audio transmission isn’t interrupted by system notifications or incoming calls that might intrude upon Bluetooth transmission.

If you are using a WiiM Mini as the airplay receiver, you could either connect it physically to the Amp Pro, or merely link them in the WiiM home app as a speaker group. Again, as the audio is only 256kbps AAC, no one means is better than another. At least with grouping, you have the option of using the Mini’s outputs to feed say another live speaker or amp while music plays on it and the amp pro.
 
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Mini analog out would absolutely be my last resort here.
Grouped, for reasons above, or optical.
 
That grouping and multi room stuff make my head spin. Luckily I’m only in one listening room driving one pair of passive speakers and an active sub, so it’s basically one source in, one target out. But it sure sounds like with my one source (Apple Music from an iPhone), I’m not going to do much better than what I have now.
 
Airplay (original) is lossless, Airplay 2 is lossy but is more stable. Either way, I find Airplay much more convenient to use with my Wiim Amp than Bluetooth - no drop-outs, no 'hijacking' of the music by iPhone alerts or internet pop-up ads.

You could buy an old Airport Express, and use a 3.5mm optical to Toslink cable to connect the Airport Express to your Wiim Amp Pro (or future Amp Ultra). This should be a cheap(ish) solution that preserves the digital signal chain.

It would seem confusing to have another Wiim device purely to serve as an Airplay target.
 
drrw119 said:
Airplay (original) is lossless, Airplay 2 is lossy but is more stable. Either way, I find Airplay much more convenient to use with my Wiim Amp than Bluetooth - no drop-outs, no 'hijacking' of the music by iPhone alerts or internet pop-up ads.

You could buy an old Airport Express, and use a 3.5mm optical to Toslink cable to connect the Airport Express to your Wiim Amp Pro (or future Amp Ultra). This should be a cheap(ish) solution that preserves the digital signal chain.

It would seem confusing to have another Wiim device purely to serve as an Airplay target.
Click to expand...
@Danny Linguini If you can't find an old Airport Express, the FiiO SR11 is also an AirPlay (1, not 2, so lossless AirPlay at Redbook/CD quality) endpoint. You can connect it to the Amp Pro's optical input.

-Ed
 
Danny Linguini said:
So here’s my situation. My main source of music is Apple Music. I’m currently streaming from my iPhone 15 to a WiiM Amp Pro via Bluetooth, and I’m actually very happy with it. But from what I’ve been seeing here, it may not be the best solution. I just started looking at the Mini AirPlay 2 for its AirPlay compatibility, and of course I have questions. Would I hear a noticeable improvement in sound adding a Mini to the mix and sending music to it via AirPlay? And if so, analog output to the Amp Pro, or optical using the Amp Pro’s DAC instead? To further complicate the discussion, I’m planning on upgrading to the Amp Ultra very soon, so there’s that to factor in as well.

I thought I had seen here awhile back from someone from WiiM that streaming via Bluetooth to the Amp Pro was as good as Airplay would have been if the Amp Pro supported it, but I’m seeing conflicting opinions on that, so I’m hoping for a bit more clarification from the more knowledgeable masses on if it’s worth parting with the additional 90 clams. TIA!
Click to expand...
I stream Apple Music to my Ultra via Airplay. Sounds fantastic. No it isn’t high res or even lossless audio. Will you be able to tell the difference? Nope. Airplay is virtually indistinguishable from lossless. I have a fairly decent audio system. Did blind testing with family members testing between Apple Music Airplay High res from Tidal and Qobuz. They couldn’t tell the deterrence. Enjoy the music man.
 
Bozzz said:
I stream Apple Music to my Ultra via Airplay. Sounds fantastic. No it isn’t high res or even lossless audio. Will you be able to tell the difference? Nope. Airplay is virtually indistinguishable from lossless. I have a fairly decent audio system. Did blind testing with family members testing between Apple Music Airplay High res from Tidal and Qobuz. They couldn’t tell the deterrence. Enjoy the music man.
Click to expand...
But how are you doing that? WiiM Ultra does not support AirPlay, so you must be using a different method.

-Ed
 
Bozzz said:
I stream Apple Music to my Ultra via Airplay. Sounds fantastic. No it isn’t high res or even lossless audio. Will you be able to tell the difference? Nope. Airplay is virtually indistinguishable from lossless. I have a fairly decent audio system. Did blind testing with family members testing between Apple Music Airplay High res from Tidal and Qobuz. They couldn’t tell the deterrence. Enjoy the music man.
Click to expand...
How do you do that? The Ultra does not have Airplay
 
EddNog said:
But how are you doing that? WiiM Ultra does not support AirPlay, so you must be using a different method.

-Ed
Click to expand...
I purchased a Belkin Soundform Connect from Amazon. Super small device. Use the optical out from it to optical in on the Ultra. Works perfect for adding Airplay. Listening to a Verdi opera now. Sonic heaven. Look into it.
 
Bozzz said:
I purchased a Belkin Soundform Connect from Amazon. Super small device. Use the optical out from it to optical in on the Ultra. Works perfect for adding Airplay. Listening to a Verdi opera now. Sonic heaven. Look into it.
Click to expand...
Yeah, that clarification was needed.

Similar price of FiiO SR11, but the SR11 is lossless whereas the Belkin is not. Pick your poison.

-Ed
 
Burnside said:
We’ve been here before, several times 😜🤣

Post in thread 'WiiM Ultra Firmware v5.2.711448 - Mar 22, 2025'
https://forum.wiimhome.com/threads/wiim-ultra-firmware-v5-2-711448-mar-22-2025.6791/post-117108
Click to expand...
Yes, but my point was that Bozzz did not state that he was using something else to act as the endpoint. He said, "I stream Apple Music to my Ultra via Airplay." If the wrong person reads this, they may think that it's one and done just buying an Ultra, when this is not correct. We need to make sure this is clear.

-Ed
 
EddNog said:
Yes, but my point was that Bozzz did not state that he was using something else to act as the endpoint. He said, "I stream Apple Music to my Ultra via Airplay." If the wrong person reads this, they may think that it's one and done just buying an Ultra, when this is not correct. We need to make sure this is clear.

-Ed
Click to expand...
I take your point entirely…
 
If you specifically want AirPlay 1 (for non-compressed audio), you could downgrade AirPort Express firmware to a pre-AirPlay 2 version.

Or another cheaper option than the Fiio would be a 2nd or 3rd generation Apple TV A1378 or A1469 (note: NOT the 2nd or 3rd gen 4K, I am referring to the older 2010-2013 models). These models support AirPlay 1 only, and have standard Toslink optical output ports (optical output was dropped in later models). This should be very cheap second-hand (USD 25-30).

See this Reddit thread:
https://www.reddit.com/r/WiimStreamer/comments/1i9610o/using_wiim_devices_as_apple_music_airplay_speakers

Measurements of A1469 as an optical audio streamer are at the link below. With SINAD around 100dB, it has sufficiently low noise/distortion for the full 16 bits of CD-quality audio dynamic range:
www.audiosciencereview.com

Apple TV 3'rd Generation - AirPlay measurements over TOSLINK

Hello all, I was about to get rid of my old Apple TV 3'rd generation, A1469 model, due to the fact that it has no HBO Max, just Prime Video and Netflix and not sure for how long, given that streaming platforms will probably get updated in few years again, while this Apple TV model is already...
www.audiosciencereview.com www.audiosciencereview.com
 
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