Wiim Ultra streaming vs. Onkyo NR 6100 built-in streaming

[GregW]

Recently I upgraded from an 17 or so year-old Onkyo TX-SR605 so I could pass along 4K (and 8K) video signals, Dolby Atmos and DTS:X to my tv and 5.1 speaker setup so I picked up a Onkyo TX-NR6100.

The receiver comes with a bevy of streaming sites built in including Google Cast/Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Airplay 2, BT, play from USB, DNLA/network, Roon, wifi, Amazon Music, Pandora, Tidal, Tunein, Deezer and maybe more.

So far i've just used my phone a few times to stream via BT to the receiver and also used the Wiim to stream on the same service (Spotify) to the Ultra connected to the AVR.

The Wiim Ultra is an awesome streaming box/preamp. I now however realize that outside of the screen showing what is playing, it possibly does not offer really anything more than my AVR does.... is the sound/DAC supposedly better with the Wiim leading to better sounding music? (subjective question i know).

If it really doesn't add any features I might sell the Wiim if I conclude it doesn't really sound better as it seems like 100% of what is does is already built into my AVR.

Any thoughts on this much appreciated. thanks!

 

[Mr Ee]

Welcome.

Possibly depends on what you stream and how much you like / dislike the Heos app.
You specifically mentioned Spotify, so no real difference there as for both you're presumably using the spotify app and spotify connect.

re the sound difference, yes, only you can decide.
From what you've written and how you've used it, it does seem that the ultra is a little redundant.

 

[WiiM Team]

Hi GregW,

Thank you for sharing your setup details!​

Your Onkyo TX-NR6100 paired with the WiiM Ultra is already a fantastic AV system. Regarding whether to keep or sell the WiiM Ultra, here are some key factors to consider:

Features & Experience​

• Streaming Capabilities: While your Onkyo AVR includes many built-in streaming services, WiiM Ultra offers higher-resolution audio support (such as TIDAL MQA and Qobuz 24-bit streaming) and provides a smoother multi-room audio management experience through the WiiM Home app.
• User Experience: The WiiM Ultra has a dedicated display for track information, eliminating the need to rely on your TV or AVR UI. Additionally, the WiiM Home app is often more intuitive and convenient for managing music playback.

Integration & Advanced Features​

• Multi-Room Audio: If you plan to expand your system with additional speakers or zones, WiiM Ultra provides better device synchronization and audio management across multiple rooms.
• Room Correction & EQ Adjustments: WiiM Ultra supports room correction, allowing your speakers to deliver optimal sound quality in your specific listening environment. You can also customize the EQ to fine-tune the sound signature to your liking.

Smart Presets​

• WiiM Ultra allows you to create personalized Smart Presets, enabling one-tap switching of your preferred setup, including input source, output device, playback settings, volume, EQ, and shuffle mode.
• For example, you can set a "TV Mode" where the volume and EQ are automatically adjusted for an optimal movie-watching experience, making it more convenient and efficient.

Overall, WiiM Ultra adds value through better audio quality, room tuning, flexible control, and advanced streaming capabilities. If these features enhance your experience, it’s still a great addition beyond what your AVR offers.

Best regards,
WiiM

 

[GregW]

thank you both for answering! I have been wanting to see how much better Tidal MQA or Quobuz 24 bit sound as i've never heard a high-res streaming track before.

I pretty much only use Spotify and Soundcloud for streaming so my AVR may be sufficient by itself unless I decide to pay for Tidal/Qobuz.

I appreciate the insight as to my setup and question and very helpful replies .

 

[harkpabst]

I have been wanting to see how much better Tidal MQA or Quobuz 24 bit sound ...

Tidal have mostly (but not completely) ditched MQA now and are moving towards FLAC for their Hi-Res content.

This is a good thing (even though @merifon can explain much better and in more detail than I could why MQA was misunderstood, in the first place).

 

[Mr Ee]

I pretty much only use Spotify and Soundcloud for streaming so my AVR may be sufficient by itself unless I decide to pay for Tidal/Qobuz.

Last time I tried soundcloud via wiim it sounded pretty bad, being a very low quality stream (128kbps).

As mentioned, for Spotify there ought to be no difference in stream quality or experience as you'd use the spotify app and spotify connect.
It looks like the onkyo app supports tidal (but not qobuz?) and it seems it may only support tidal via its own app whereas the wiim supports tidal connect and, soonish, Qobuz connect. Both can be accessed from within the wiim app too.

It is possible that you'd hear a difference between the wiim dac / analog out vs the avr's dac, although the avr may digitise the incoming analog signal and then "dac" it again anyway, unless there's some sort of of pure direct stereo mode.

As for spotify vs tidal vs qobuz... sometimes I think the latter two sound better and yet sometimes I still have a great night's listening with spotify.

And I don't know why I wrote Heos earlier, as Onyko isn't marantz or denon...
Seems onkyo uses dts play fi, and while I have no direct experience with that I don't recall reading great things about it!

 

[harkpabst]

And I don't know why I wrote Heos earlier, as Onyko isn't marantz or denon...
Seems onkyo uses dts play fi, and while I have no direct experience with that I don't recall reading great things about it!

Onkyo/Pioneer used to have different apps on their own over time, but there's a good reason why this little app (created by a private developer) has more than 50k downloads. I'm surprised it's not even more than that.

Enhanced Music Controller Lite - Apps on Google Play

Enhanced AVR controller: listen to music properly!

play.google.com

The TX-NR6100 is currently not in the list of tested an confirmed to work devices, so it might or might not work. Chromecast should be available as another option for Tidal. But no matter how we put it, the WiiM devices and the WiiM Home app are simply on a different level when it comes to flexibility and ease of use.

The app, by lucky chance, also supports HEOS devices.

 

[Jutriana]

I have the Onkyo TX-NR7100 for my HT and music in Atmos. I have a Wiim Pro connected to it. The best is having Dirac room correction, really makes a good difference. For streaming, Wiim is really in another level. Onkyo's app is not intuitive and very basic handling the different providers. Also the built in streaming doesn't handle gapless. My solution, for Atmos music I use an Apple TV 4K or a Nvidia Shield. For stereo, the Wiim Pro, mostly with Roon or with the Wiim app.

 

[d6jg]

Welcome.

Possibly depends on what you stream and how much you like / dislike the Heos app.
You specifically mentioned Spotify, so no real difference there as for both you're presumably using the spotify app and spotify connect.

re the sound difference, yes, only you can decide.
From what you've written and how you've used it, it does seem that the ultra is a little redundant.

Onkyo doesn't use the HEOS app - that's a Denon thing. However I do own an Onkyo AVR and my take is that a WiiM is a more proficient streamer than the Onkyo. Leaving aside SQ this is because switching between the various services using the Onkyo App is a pain in itself and navigating to find what you actually want to play is worse.

With regard to SQ then technically the DAC in an Ultra is likely to be better than that in the Onkyo but remember it is your ears that count.

For full disclosure. I am actually using a Raspberry Pi with Khadas USB Tone board into the Onkyo AVR in Pure Direct mode running an instance of Squeezelite but it could just as easily be any WiiM running Squeezelite. The navigation in Lyrion is streets ahead of the Onkyo app.

 

[GregW]

Last time I tried soundcloud via wiim it sounded pretty bad, being a very low quality stream (128kbps).

As mentioned, for Spotify there ought to be no difference in stream quality or experience as you'd use the spotify app and spotify connect.
It looks like the onkyo app supports tidal (but not qobuz?) and it seems it may only support tidal via its own app whereas the wiim supports tidal connect and, soonish, Qobuz connect. Both can be accessed from within the wiim app too.

It is possible that you'd hear a difference between the wiim dac / analog out vs the avr's dac, although the avr may digitise the incoming analog signal and then "dac" it again anyway, unless there's some sort of of pure direct stereo mode.

As for spotify vs tidal vs qobuz... sometimes I think the latter two sound better and yet sometimes I still have a great night's listening with spotify.

And I don't know why I wrote Heos earlier, as Onyko isn't marantz or denon...
Seems onkyo uses dts play fi, and while I have no direct experience with that I don't recall reading great things about it!

the main reason I listen to Soundcloud a lot is various types of dance music is my favorite music type (and I run a music news/blog site in that world edmlife.com) so a lot of dj mixes I listen to are not available on other streaming services. Sometimes I download the mixes from SC for offline listening... I agree the sound quality there is not nearly as good as the other services and I don't think there are any apps/other options to listen in higher quality... thought its free so can't complain too much I suppose.

 

[GregW]

Tidal have mostly (but not completely) ditched MQA now and are moving towards FLAC for their Hi-Res content.

This is a good thing (even though @merifon can explain much better and in more detail than I could why MQA was misunderstood, in the first place).

I don't really know about MQA and how it compares to FLAC quality - will read up on it. thanks for the info!