WiiM Pro just arrived

[Brantome]

Just received my test WiiM Pro - setup couldn’t have been easier on my iPad , and moments later I was using Chromecast from Deezer and BubbleUPNP on my android phone direct to the Pro, at 24/192 in the latter case.

I’m currently using it connected over Ethernet, with the coaxial output going in to my Linn MDSM/4 and Linn M109 speakers. The mini I have is currently connected into the Linn’s optical input. I may also use the Pro’s SPDIF input for my TV’s optical out as my amp just has the one optical SPDIF input - that way I can switch the Pro between the TV and streaming music.

 

[WiiM Team]

@Brantome If you can do a little review of it and post it in the forum that'd be great. I think users would like a personal walk through if there's some unique use cases of audio setup that may be intriguing for them. What's your thoughts of WiiM Pro so far?

 

[Brantome]

@Brantome If you can do a little review of it and post it in the forum that'd be great. I think users would like a personal walk through if there's some unique use cases of audio setup that may be intriguing for them. What's your thoughts of WiiM Pro so far?

Sure, will do over the next few days.

So far, its setup and use is very much like the Mini - very easy and intuitive. Set everything up on the iPad WiiM app then flipped across to my Android phone to try Chromecast with Deezer, Apple Music and BubbleUPNP for some local hi res files on my NAS. Apart from a few cosmetic items and a couple of minor issues I’ve already submitted tickets for, it’s been great so far

 

[telecastermds`]

Does Apple music work with Chromecast?

 

[Brantome]

Does Apple music work with Chromecast?

It casts from my android phone, but I suspect it’s just AAC just like Airplay. I’ve only had a very cursory play with it but will try it out more thoroughly over the next few days.

 

[canard]

Just received my test WiiM Pro - setup couldn’t have been easier on my iPad , and moments later I was using Chromecast from Deezer and BubbleUPNP on my android phone direct to the Pro, at 24/192 in the latter case.

I’m currently using it connected over Ethernet, with the coaxial output going in to my Linn MDSM/4 and Linn M109 speakers. The mini I have is currently connected into the Linn’s optical input. I may also use the Pro’s SPDIF input for my TV’s optical out as my amp just has the one optical SPDIF input - that way I can switch the Pro between the TV and streaming music.

do you have a deezer "hifi 44/16" account?
if so, switch to hifi quality via the deezer app and chromecast?
not lost "hifi" like with the chromecast audio?

thank you

 

[Brantome]

do you have a deezer "hifi 44/16" account?
if so, switch to hifi quality via the deezer app and chromecast?
not lost "hifi" like with the chromecast audio?

thank you

No, just a free Deezer account at the moment but I may see if there's a free trial I could avail myself of

 

[Infokeeper]

Just received my test WiiM Pro - setup couldn’t have been easier on my iPad , and moments later I was using Chromecast from Deezer and BubbleUPNP on my android phone direct to the Pro, at 24/192 in the latter case.

I’m currently using it connected over Ethernet, with the coaxial output going in to my Linn MDSM/4 and Linn M109 speakers. The mini I have is currently connected into the Linn’s optical input. I may also use the Pro’s SPDIF input for my TV’s optical out as my amp just has the one optical SPDIF input - that way I can switch the Pro between the TV and streaming music.

Thank you for confirming the ability to connect TV via optics via VIIM to active speakers.
The only thing I now think about is that my Philips TV on Android is a good streamer in itself, of course it does not support DSD or MQA. I really don't know the limits of reproducible streams....
Chromecast is also a key technology for me that was missing in the Mini. It's great that it works in Pro, it's a function for which I will give preference to the Pro version and through optics.

 

[Klipscher]

Sure, will do over the next few days.

So far, its setup and use is very much like the Mini - very easy and intuitive. Set everything up on the iPad WiiM app then flipped across to my Android phone to try Chromecast with Deezer, Apple Music and BubbleUPNP for some local hi res files on my NAS. Apart from a few cosmetic items and a couple of minor issues I’ve already submitted tickets for, it’s been great so far

Any noticeable sound difference btw the mini and pro? How well is the wireless range of the pro? Did you try the coax connection and is it better sound than the optical connection?

 

[Brantome]

Any noticeable sound difference btw the mini and pro? How well is the wireless range of the pro? Did you try the coax connection and is it better sound than the optical connection?

No sound difference that I can hear - they have identical DACs so I wasn’t expecting any. I haven’t tested the wireless range as I’m using wired as my amp and router are very close to each other. I am using coax on the Pro and it sounds as good as the optical on the Mini - I’m getting a bit perfect stream on both in as much as I can tell I.e. the resolution on my amp matches the source file resolution.

 

[canard]

you were able to dig what is ultimately the particularity of the pro compared to the mini ..... the chromecast ...?
thank you...

(the ethernet I can hardly imagine that there was a problem ;-))

 

[SPL db]

Where did you find one? Every time I check Amazon, it says "currently unavailable".

 

[Balthazar B]

Where did you find one? Every time I check Amazon, it says "currently unavailable".

Beta unit.

 

[crogs]

Thank you for confirming the ability to connect TV via optics via VIIM to active speakers.
The only thing I now think about is that my Philips TV on Android is a good streamer in itself, of course it does not support DSD or MQA. I really don't know the limits of reproducible streams....
Chromecast is also a key technology for me that was missing in the Mini. It's great that it works in Pro, it's a function for which I will give preference to the Pro version and through optics.

You could also just pick up a chromecast audio on ebay for less and use optical out if that's your only real need. I'm debating this myself. Also Google will have their new Google TV developer device coming out that has hdmi, ethernet and optical out. So you could skip the built in Philips Google TV and just use one device for video and audio without requiring tv for just audio.

 

[Smartplug]

selling point of pro is chromecast support otherwise mini is fine. I hope the future product will have usb as most Dac have usb as well as balanced out even they omit rca input and optical input.

 

[Woofy98102]

Any noticeable sound difference btw the mini and pro? How well is the wireless range of the pro? Did you try the coax connection and is it better sound than the optical connection?

Coax outputs always sound better as optical outs tend to be jitter prone. That said, if your system isn't highly resolving, you may not hear the difference which is perfectly fine, too. Highly resolving systems like mine tend to make what seems like tiny things far more apparent. For fussy old gear heads like myself there are reclockers available to decrapify and reclock most digital audio streams but they're pricey. The best deal is the Denafrips Hermes DDC but it's nearly $1500 dollars which is far more money than most sane people would ever consider spending, especially since you would still need a DAC, preamp, power amp, cables and speakers.

 

[cc_rider]

^^^ ROFL

 

[onlyoneme]

Coax outputs always sound better as optical outs tend to be jitter prone. That said, if your system isn't highly resolving, you may not hear the difference which is perfectly fine, too. Highly resolving systems like mine tend to make what seems like tiny things far more apparent. For fussy old gear heads like myself there are reclockers available to decrapify and reclock most digital audio streams but they're pricey. The best deal is the Denafrips Hermes DDC but it's nearly $1500 dollars which is far more money than most sane people would ever consider spending, especially since you would still need a DAC, preamp, power amp, cables and speakers.

Short optical cables have the same amount of jitter as coaxial ones. Most of modern DACs will handle such level of jitter perfectly.