WiiM Ultra and ifi Zen Can/DAC V3

[3iofr0g]

Hey all,

Looking to create a nice bedside setup.

Used to connect my phone to a Cayin Ru7 and To Aroma A100Tb.

While the sound is very good, I want a more comfortable setup.

Thinking of getting the Ultra and connect it to IFI ZEN DAC/CAN V3 combo.

Do you think it would sound good ? Do I really need the DAC too or can just use the Zen Can V3 connected via RCA?


Thanks.

 

[Mr Ee]

Welcome.

What do you mean by 'a more comfortable setup'?

The Can V3 implies primarily a headphone setup, but you don't mention what headphones!
Do you need the dac? No. You could go Ultra rca out to Can rca in.
You could go one step further and ask if you need the Can as the ultra has a headphone output.
In my opinion, while the ultra hp out is much better than I expected for an all in one, a dedicated hp amp is definitely worth it if you do a lot of hp listening.

Will the ifi dac make (enough of) a difference to be worthwhile? Maybe - unfortunately you'd need to try for yourself.
That dac has a hp output too I believe, so yet another question is whether you need the Can as well.
Again, what headphones...

Will it sound good - very hard to say! The ifis are well reviewed, but will you like them with your headphones?
If possible, I'd thoroughly recommend seeing if there's a store near you where you can demo some hp dacs/amps with your 'phones.
I'd expect the store will have something to play some streaming music - when I was shopping for hp dacs/amps, in my opinion the digital source made far less, if any, of a difference to the sound compared to the dacs/amps themselves.

And just for more food for thought - I'm currently running an ultra into a fiio k11 r2r and really enjoying it. Smaller and cheaper than even one of the ifis.

Good luck, but even if you just take the plunge and get one or both of the ifis I doubt you'll be disappointed.

 

[3iofr0g]

Thank you for the long reply.

A comfortable setup is one that I do not need my phone constantly connected via wire when in bed, and yes it is a headphone/iem setup.

I already have the Zen DAC and other DAC/amps combo but it is easy to get the Zen Can for a small setup.

I keep reading that the DAC in the ultra is only ok, I guess I'll have to buy the Zen Can and listen to it with the Ultra before getting the Ultra

 

[3iofr0g]

Another question,
I like to use my phone (Android) in bed when listening to music and just browsing YouTube/web.

What is the best way to connect the phone so I can have YouTube video audio to the Ultra when needed and listen to music too ?

 

[usatencu]

Welcome.

What do you mean by 'a more comfortable setup'?

The Can V3 implies primarily a headphone setup, but you don't mention what headphones!
Do you need the dac? No. You could go Ultra rca out to Can rca in.
You could go one step further and ask if you need the Can as the ultra has a headphone output.
In my opinion, while the ultra hp out is much better than I expected for an all in one, a dedicated hp amp is definitely worth it if you do a lot of hp listening.

Will the ifi dac make (enough of) a difference to be worthwhile? Maybe - unfortunately you'd need to try for yourself.
That dac has a hp output too I believe, so yet another question is whether you need the Can as well.
Again, what headphones...

Will it sound good - very hard to say! The ifis are well reviewed, but will you like them with your headphones?
If possible, I'd thoroughly recommend seeing if there's a store near you where you can demo some hp dacs/amps with your 'phones.
I'd expect the store will have something to play some streaming music - when I was shopping for hp dacs/amps, in my opinion the digital source made far less, if any, of a difference to the sound compared to the dacs/amps themselves.

And just for more food for thought - I'm currently running an ultra into a fiio k11 r2r and really enjoying it. Smaller and cheaper than even one of the ifis.

Good luck, but even if you just take the plunge and get one or both of the ifis I doubt you'll be disappointed.

Hi! It's k11 r2r It's sounds better than internal ultra s dac?

 

[Mr Ee]

Hi! It's k11 r2r It's sounds better than internal ultra s dac?

Hi.

I've posted my opinions on this a few times, so just a brief(ish!) summary here.
As ever, your music tastes, your equipment etc. might not lead you to the same conclusion!

I actually really like the ultra's analog output, but yes, I do also think that an external dac can improve the sound (given no other changes).
'Improved Sound', for me, very much means the overall enjoyment; how much, or little, I skip tracks, how long I sit listening, how much my toes tap.

There are some tracks where I think the k11 r2r sounds sublime; better than using my Hegel's dac which is in turn, imo, better than the ultra's dac.
I'm thinking here of some Dire Straits I had on the other night, where there was just a 'rightness' to the sound that I hadn't noticed to that extent before. Maybe I was just in a more attentive/ receptive mode, who knows? Whatever it was, it sounded good.
(This was using the k11 r2r as a dac into my hegel / paradigms.)

And yet there are some tracks where I feel the r2r doesn't quite have the same bite / attack as via the Hegel, such as some heavy metal or electronic stuff I was playing.

Is the k11 r2r better than the ultra? Well, given the choice (which I do have!) I always use the ultra's digital out to one dac or another, and always for headphone listening. For me, the relatively low cost of the k11 r2r was worth the blind purchase.

Strangely though, I didn't like the normal k11 as a dac into my hegel / paradigms. Reminded me of a pro's analog output, which the old-timers here will know I don't like at all! Even stranger as I like the normal k11 as a headphone dac/amp; much better than the ultra and better than the topping dx3 pro.
Go figure...

 

[Valentino]

I keep reading that the DAC in the ultra is only ok, I guess I'll have to buy the Zen Can and listen to it with the Ultra before getting the Ultra

Good choice because the Ultra DAC is excellent. The «only ok» idea comes from the audiophool crowd.