WiiM Ultra to KEF LS50 Wireless (version1 )

[tabata]

Why not? The OP has been open and honest and put their experience in context. I wear hearing aids too - should I also not relate my listening experiences, or should only those with golden ears post?

It’s not about gatekeeping, it’s about common sense.

If I’m legally blind, should I be posting online calling into question the picture quality of different HDMI cables? Should I be claiming methods of bypassing a TV rendering engine for a picture upgrade only to find out my workaround actually goes through that renderer anyways? Then upon learning of my faulty logic, should I still insist on there being a picture upgrade, rather than reflect on the limits of my perception and retract the whole thing? C’mon.

OP thought they were bypassing the DAC! Then they found out they’re still using the DAC and instead of reversing course came up with “doesn’t matter I still hear it” which is just textbook confirmation bias and if the whole episode doesn’t convince someone of audio objectivism I don’t know what will.

 

[harkpabst]

... just sending it a digital signal, and instead having the WiiM Ultra DAC make the first conversion, then have KEF’s ADC turn it back into digital, then have the same DAC that sucks do the conversion again.

I totally agree that signal integrity cannot be improved going through DAC 1 > ADC > DAC 2 compared to straight into DAC 2. It's simply impossible.

You have your preference and in the grand scheme of things that’s harmless and fine and your prerogative, but you also have self professed “major hearing loss” and hearing aids and tinnitus ...

However, OP made it very clear that he's talking about his personal preference an neither of us is in a position to question this. He also clearly stated more practical reasons for going with this setup. Nothing wrong with that and no need to nitpick on somebody's hearing imperfections. We don't know if and how that influences his perception of music.

Even if the comparison has been flawed in some way, in the end it's still a preference.

Yes, personally I wouldn't follow this route (unless reliability issues dictate this) and rather look for improvements through EQ and speaker placement. But as long as the OP doesn't state that his results are the one olans only truth, I'm fine with his personal findings.

 

[Wiimer]

It’s not about gatekeeping, it’s about common sense.

If I’m legally blind, should I be posting online calling into question the picture quality of different HDMI cables? Should I be claiming methods of bypassing a TV rendering engine for a picture upgrade only to find out my workaround actually goes through that renderer anyways? Then upon learning of my faulty logic, should I still insist on there being a picture upgrade, rather than reflect on the limits of my perception and retract the whole thing? C’mon.

OP thought they were bypassing the DAC! Then they found out they’re still using the DAC and instead of reversing course came up with “doesn’t matter I still hear it” which is just textbook confirmation bias and if the whole episode doesn’t convince someone of audio objectivism I don’t know what will.

He is not completely can't hear.
And he admits that "MY LYING EARS".
So what is your complaint?

 

[Pragmatist]

 

[calugg23]

I find it a little hard to believe that KEF’s DAC is so bad that there is a tangible difference between just sending it a digital signal, and instead having the WiiM Ultra DAC make the first conversion, then have KEF’s ADC turn it back into digital, then have the same DAC that sucks do the conversion again.

You have your preference and in the grand scheme of things that’s harmless and fine and your prerogative, but you also have self professed “major hearing loss” and hearing aids and tinnitus and maybe you shouldn’t be putting out extremely shaky notions onto the internet that call into questioning the engineering of proven products.

Ah...so disabled people should just shut up about our own experiences. GOT IT. BTW:The USB out also still skips, so that was the deal breaker for me. And I mentioned THAT as well, something that you ignored.

 

[tabata]

Ah...so disabled people should just shut up about our own experiences. GOT IT. BTW:The USB out also still skips, so that was the deal breaker for me. And I mentioned THAT as well, something that you ignored.

Don’t make me laugh. This isn’t discrimination against a disability. Take your assertion to its logical conclusion. Is it discrimination to say a fully deaf person shouldn’t wax poetic about one modern, high-performance DAC versus another? Or again, should a half or fully blind person take to the home theater forums to talk HDMI image quality and everyone should rub their chins and say “he’s got a point” for fear of being discriminatory?

Use some common sense. Your brain is making up differences that don’t exist and you couldn’t pass an unsighted, level-matched test between your roundabout method and direct coax or optical input to save your life.

Rather than discrimination, I celebrate you for having the exact same biases as 20 year olds who have perfect hearing but believe audiophile nonsense.

What even is the point of appreciating companies like WiiM and KEF and their talented engineers if we have to give credence to such illogical “impressions” by the hard of hearing which call into question their basic ability to design a circuit?

 

[calugg23]

Clearly, you did not READ what I wrote--the USB out to USB in on the KEFs eventually starts skipping. This is happening with multiple firmware updates. THAT was the deal breaker.

 

[tabata]

Clearly, you did not READ what I wrote--the USB out to USB in on the KEFs eventually starts skipping. This is happening with multiple firmware updates. THAT was the deal breaker.

You were saying? How do you expect to be taken seriously?

The big surprise??? The sound is better using the WiiM Dac (out RCA to KEFS), instead of using the USB out to USB in on the KEFs. Go figure.

I would prefer to bypass the KEF's internal DAC. I think by using the optical input (from the Wiim to KEFs), I give up WiiM's DAC. I could be mistaken, because I'm happily playing with it all. But I did notice an improvement by ditching the USB out to USB in.

And this is precisely what I am finding. The most "palatable" connection between my WiiM Ultra and the KEF LS50 wireless (version 1), for me is....the RCA outs to RCA ins. The optical connection was a total bust. I actually had to turn it UP using both the Optical and the USB outs by comparison. Hmmmmm.

It's a month later, and I *STILL* prefer using the RCA interconnects. I've played around with the optical out/in (Ultra to KEF LS50 Wireless), and that was like someone had put a sock on the sound. And the same hold true for the USB out to in (sadly).

 

[calugg23]

You missed something: From March 31, 2025

• Mar 31, 2025

• 
  
• Add bookmark
• #7

Alas, my lying ears. From: https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/kef-ls50-wireless. "However, the LS50W incorporates internal DSP, so analogue input signals go through an entire A-D/D-A process, and a signal chain incorporating that extra conversion round trip doesn’t seem ideal. Using the LS50 as a USB output device in the DAW also worked perfectly, and to my ears, sounded better than the analogue inputs, however as soon as the DAW job in hand leaves ‘the box’ and requires inputs or outputs, or even a pair of headphones or a second pair of monitors, it’s no good if the monitors have exclusive use of the DAW interface." That said the WiiM's USB out *IS* glitchy, and forces me to reboot every few days. So, I'll stick with the RCA outs/ins, for how.

 

[tabata]

The mental gymnastics… wow. You posted four separate times about audio quality and never retracted any of it. USB is glitchy? Fine, but you still cast aspersions on the optical connection. I can’t even believe I have to explain this. It’s a classic “I feel like I’m taking crazy pills” feeling. Insanity.

Some people are beyond saving and I’m afraid you’re one of them. I’m done here.