WiiM Pro + Sound Not Synched with Echo Devices

[ColinByTheSea]

My WiiM Pro + doesn’t sync with Amazon Echo devices. I have 2 Echo dots as a stereo pain in one room, an echo pop in another and an echo pop in the same room as the WiiM set to play on the WiiM.

Trying to play BBC 6 Music using BBC Sounds through a group which includes the stereo pair, Echo Pop in another room and the WiiM results in the Echo devices all being in sync but the WiiM on my hifi system being out of sync. Sometimes it doesn’t start at all and very occasionally it’s in sync.

I’ve played around with settings without success. Not tried any other streaming services as I use Tidal as my music source and, for some reason, Amazon still don’t support it in the UK.

Anyone had success achieving this?

 

[Burnside]

How is the WiiM connected to your WiFi system? Have you gone thru the troubleshooting in the Alexa app for issues with multi room sync playback:

 

[ColinByTheSea]

The WiiM is connected to old school analogue1990s Quad equipment through line out.

The only synching I can find on the Alexa app is for devices connected by Bluetooth.

 

[Bismarck]

How is the WiiM connected to your WiFi system? Have you gone thru the troubleshooting in the Alexa app for issues with multi room sync playback:

Where is such troubleshooting in the Alexa app?

 

[Burnside]

I’d try rebooting your router, your echos and your WiiM device to see if that helps. If not, send WiiM a ticket when it next happens.

Re Tidal availability on Alexa in the UK, that’s entirely down to Tidal, not Amazon.

 

[Burnside]

Where is such troubleshooting in the Alexa app?

Turns out it was only for sync issues when Bluetooth speakers were involved, so not applicable here as the WiiM is directly cabled to the stereo.

 

[Wiimer]

The WiiM is connected to old school analogue1990s Quad equipment through line out.

The only synching I can find on the Alexa app is for devices connected by Bluetooth.

Have you tried the WiiM Pro+ auto sync?

My AVR has a delay due to DSP. Because of this, if I put the WiiM connected to the AVR in the same group as the echo device, it will not sync. (Usually I can sync by putting the AVR in direct mode).

So I tested to see if the auto-sync feature of WiiM works with alexa group. The results are good and it appears to be syncing without any problems.

Here are the steps

1. play music in the Alexa group that includes Pro+
2. Stop playback and lower the volume on the Pro+ sufficiently.
3. In the device settings of the WiiM home app, perform an auto-sync of the Pro+.
4. Play music in the group, turn the Pro+ volume back, and press the mute button to confirm that the sync is complete.

At least, if the delay is caused by the downstream (amp) of the WiiM device, this should solve the problem. However, if upstream is not synchronized, it may not be possible to solve the problem.

Anyway, please give it a try.

 

[ColinByTheSea]

I’d try rebooting your router, your echos and your WiiM device to see if that helps. If not, send WiiM a ticket when it next happens.

Re Tidal availability on Alexa in the UK, that’s entirely down to Tidal, not Amazon.

I’m sure Tidal will sort it out eventually. They can’t ignore Eco devices forever.

 

[ColinByTheSea]

I’m sure Tidal will sort it out eventually. They can’t ignore Eco devices forever.

Have you tried the WiiM Pro+ auto sync?

My AVR has a delay due to DSP. Because of this, if I put the WiiM connected to the AVR in the same group as the echo device, it will not sync. (Usually I can sync by putting the AVR in direct mode).

So I tested to see if the auto-sync feature of WiiM works with alexa group. The results are good and it appears to be syncing without any problems.

Here are the steps

1. play music in the Alexa group that includes Pro+
2. Stop playback and lower the volume on the Pro+ sufficiently.
3. In the device settings of the WiiM home app, perform an auto-sync of the Pro+.
4. Play music in the group, turn the Pro+ volume back, and press the mute button to confirm that the sync is complete.

At least, if the delay is caused by the downstream (amp) of the WiiM device, this should solve the problem. However, if upstream is not synchronized, it may not be possible to solve the problem.

Anyway, please give it a try.

Tried this and every time the WiiM sets a 2ms delay which doesn’t solve the problem. Interestingly it Bly plays the synchronising noise on the WiiM not the Echo devices.

 

[ColinByTheSea]

A sort of solution has been found.

When a station from BBC Sounds is started from the WiiM remote control using voice and played on the group it starts in sync every time. When it’s started on the Alexa devices it either doesn’t start on the WiiM or plays out of sync.

So I have a way to get output from BBC sounds to the group. Think it’s one of those things we have to hope BBC, Amazon or WiiM fix with a software update in the future.

 

[Burnside]

I’m sure Tidal will sort it out eventually. They can’t ignore Eco devices forever.

I think you have a snowball’s chance of that happening tbh. Tidal support on Alexa was released in the USA in Nov 2018, and if you’re a long time user of echo devices, you’ll know that a lot of features never make it across the pond. On top of that, I’m not convinced it delivers anything better than its lossy catalogue, perhaps CD 16/44.1 quality as best.
If you want full Alexa support and hi res, there’s really only one option - Amazon Music Unlimited.

 

[Burnside]

A sort of solution has been found.

When a station from BBC Sounds is started from the WiiM remote control using voice and played on the group it starts in sync every time. When it’s started on the Alexa devices it either doesn’t start on the WiiM or plays out of sync.

So I have a way to get output from BBC sounds to the group. Think it’s one of those things we have to hope BBC, Amazon or WiiM fix with a software update in the future.

It would be beneficial if you reported this to WiiM by raising a ticket after having tried it first from your echo, and then from the WiiM remote. I doubt the BBC or even Amazon would budge when a third party device is mentioned…

 

[Burnside]

I’m sure Tidal will sort it out eventually. They can’t ignore Eco devices forever.

Why have you marked this as a solution?

 

[RyanWithWiim]

Why have you marked this as a solution?

I figured they meant to mark the lower response as a solution, so I changed that just now for them.

 

[ColinByTheSea]

I think you have a snowball’s chance of that happening tbh. Tidal support on Alexa was released in the USA in Nov 2018, and if you’re a long time user of echo devices, you’ll know that a lot of features never make it across the pond. On top of that, I’m not convinced it delivers anything better than its lossy catalogue, perhaps CD 16/44.1 quality as best.
If you want full Alexa support and hi res, there’s really only one option - Amazon Music Unlimited.

Hi res audio is, for me, essential on my HiFi system. Tidal high quality files sound awesome on my system. Like any source the quality depends a lot on the original master mix. However on the Amazon devices hi res is not needed as they’re not high quality devices and the difference in sound quality is negligible.

Tidal will work with Amazon eventually, because it would be very bad business to ignore the best selling smart speakers. The BBC took time to sort out their differences with Amazon but got there eventually. The reasons Tidal Connect doesn’t work on Echos outside the USA can’t be technical because it works in the USA. It’s commercial agreements or disagreements that need sorting.

 

[Burnside]

Tidal will work with Amazon eventually, because it would be very bad business to ignore the best selling smart speakers.

They’ve ignored it for six years and I don’t see that changing now. They clearly don’t see the non-USA Tidal/ Alexa market as important to their business, or as below have hit a technical barrier.

The BBC took time to sort out their differences with Amazon but got there eventually.

Different background issues (TuneIn etc) plus the implementation of BBC Sounds as a skill, not a music service (I.e. listed in the Alexa app under settings/music&podcast/services) is significant in Alexa terms.

The reasons Tidal Connect doesn’t work on Echos outside the USA can’t be technical because it works in the USA. It’s commercial agreements or disagreements that need sorting.

Again, not the case, nothing to do with disagreements. It is a technical difference as it’s fairly common knowledge that the USA Alexa service isn’t technically the same as non-USA Alexa services. For whatever reason, the non-USA regional Alexa services are different “forks” and don’t share the same underlying libraries across the board - you only need look at the different end user features available in the USA and elsewhere, or have experience of Alexa developer forums where this has been a bone of contention ever since Alexa came into being. So Tidal would need to port or customise what they did in the USA for non-USA regions and it’s clear to seasoned Alexa users that they are either unwilling to do that, or there are technical barriers in their way.

As a footnote, it’s not my understanding that Tidal “Connect” is supported with echos in the USA I.e they don’t appear as target connect speakers in Tidal, rather it’s that Tidal as a streaming service is supported within Alexa under voice control. Plus, as I said, I seriously doubt it’s even CD quality playback as Amazon appear to have reserved hi res Alexa support for Amazon Music and no other.

On a related aside, while Apple Music is supported on Alexa (but again not in lossless quality) both in the USA and elsewhere, it’s not supported via the Alexa MRM stack that WiiM use to deliver Alexa compatibility. So even if Tidal were to finally be supported on Alexa outside the USA, that doesn’t mean that it would be supported via Alexa on WiiM devices. There’s a similar non-sequitur in other areas - for example, while Alexa supports Spotify and Denon have an Alexa skill, you can’t use Alexa to play Spotify on Denon kit. The cynical amongst us might think these are deliberate moves on Amazon’s part

Sorry, but if you want hi res and voice control on WiiM devices, use Amazon Music Unlimited…