WiiM Ultra with Rotel A11 MKII - sub connection

[Vanquish_08]

Hi guys,

I am in the midst of setting up a simple 2.1 system at home after moving my Wiim Amp setup to the office. I have a
Rotel A11 MKII amplifier that I picked up for a steal from a good friend and I'm looking to use the WiiM Ultra as my
streamer. The only issue is that the Rotel does not have a pre-out or sub-out and I'd still like to hook up a small sub
to go with my Dali Oberon 3s.

As the Ultra will be my only source, I am thinking of hooking the sub to the Ultra's sub-out and use the WiiM's bass
management and connect the Ultra to the Rotel via RCA. Just wanted to hear your thoughts if this is the best way to
approach this or if there is another way?

Cheers,
VaN

 

[Mr Ee]

 

[Mr Ee]

The Rotel has digital inputs too, so you could always try them as well as the wiim analog to see if you have a preference.
If using analog, try different line out voltage settings in the wiim app.

 

[Vanquish_08]

The Rotel has digital inputs too, so you could always try them as well as the wiim analog to see if you have a preference.
If using analog, try different line out voltage settings in the wiim app.

Thank you, Ee. I've put an order out for the Ultra from a local retailer here. I'll be sure to try both options out once
it's here.

 

[harkpabst]

Just wanted to hear your thoughts if this is the best way to
approach this or if there is another way?

There's just one thing to remember: You must adjust the volume on the WiiM Ultra when the subwoofer is connected, not on the A11MkII. This is the only way to ensure that the volume of the subwoofer and your Oberon 3s remain in sync. In other words, if you simply reduced the volume on the A11, the sub would play at the same level as before, so it would be too loud.

This is true, no matter if you end up using an analogue connection (using the Ultra's DAC) or a digital connection (using the A11's DAC).

You have some freedom regarding the absolute level setting. On one hand you should avoid a very low volume setting on the A11, because this is the area where potentiometers typically have the highest channel imbalance and potentially highest distortion. On the other hands it's also recommended to keep the digital volume control around 50% (or higher) for your typical listening situation. Many people prefer to set the volume on the amp so that with the Ultra set to 100% they just reach the loudest volume they would ever want, so even if the fixed output volume option on the Ultra gets enabled on error, they won't blow their speakers (and eardrums).

Once you have set up the subwoofer (including the level adjustment in the WiiM Home app) you must make sure to keep the A11's volume at the same setting all the time, or set it precisely to the same setting every time you listen to music.

 

[Temruk_V]

Hi guys,

I am in the midst of setting up a simple 2.1 system at home after moving my Wiim Amp setup to the office. I have a
Rotel A11 MKII amplifier that I picked up for a steal from a good friend and I'm looking to use the WiiM Ultra as my
streamer. The only issue is that the Rotel does not have a pre-out or sub-out and I'd still like to hook up a small sub
to go with my Dali Oberon 3s.

As the Ultra will be my only source, I am thinking of hooking the sub to the Ultra's sub-out and use the WiiM's bass
management and connect the Ultra to the Rotel via RCA. Just wanted to hear your thoughts if this is the best way to
approach this or if there is another way?

Cheers,
VaN

This is the best option for . This is how it works for me, everything is fine and I like it.

 

[Vanquish_08]

There's just one thing to remember: You must adjust the volume on the WiiM Ultra when the subwoofer is connected, not on the A11MkII. This is the only way to ensure that the volume of the subwoofer and your Oberon 3s remain in sync. In other words, if you simply reduced the volume on the A11, the sub would play at the same level as before, so it would be too loud.

This is true, no matter if you end up using an analogue connection (using the Ultra's DAC) or a digital connection (using the A11's DAC).

You have some freedom regarding the absolute level setting. On one hand you should avoid a very low volume setting on the A11, because this is the area where potentiometers typically have the highest channel imbalance and potentially highest distortion. On the other hands it's also recommended to keep the digital volume control around 50% (or higher) for your typical listening situation. Many people prefer to set the volume on the amp so that with the Ultra set to 100% they just reach the loudest volume they would ever want, so even if the fixed output volume option on the Ultra gets enabled on error, they won't blow their speakers (and eardrums).

Once you have set up the subwoofer (including the level adjustment in the WiiM Home app) you must make sure to keep the A11's volume at the same setting all the time, or set it precisely to the same setting every time you listen to music.

Thank you so much for that insight. I was a little concerned about volume output balancing between the 2 devices since
the Rotel won't function as a pure power amp and this is really helpful. I'm just waiting for the Ultra to arrive and I'll get
down to work. Cheers!