WiiM Ultra

Updated on 5/25/2024

Check out this fuller thread about our official announcement of the WiiM Ultra - https://forum.wiimhome.com/threads/meet-wiim-ultra-the-digital-hub-for-your-music.3487/

Updated on 4/19/2024

Hi Team,

We're excited to give you a sneak peek at the WiiM Ultra, your future go-to digital hub for all things music! We're putting the final touches on this innovative product and are on track for a Q2 release. Stay tuned for more updates as we gear up for launch!




Original message by Brantome:
As mentioned in a user reply from the WiiM/Linkplay CEO on the WiiM Fan Page on Facebook, WiiM are developing a new device called the WiiM Ultra which will have a screen, aluminium case and USB audio output. It should be available Q2 2024, so a good five to six months away.

Guess @Smartplug is due a prize (e.g. I'll lay off gently ribbing them about their constant 'when' questions) as I think they first suggested that name a while ago

That's the entirety of the information I have, but WiiM do say they'll release more details in due course.

 

[Steve Woodhouse]

One thing we haven’t discussed yet, as far as I can see, is size. And shape, I suppose.

I hope it’s no wider than most desktop amps/DACs (c.22cm maximum), rather than full size hi-fi (44cm or so).

 

[cooky560]

I don’t mind hifi sized objects. They fit nicely with my vintage kit. But I do wonder why the full size is the size it is. Even in the 80s many components were mostly empty space (tape cd and especially tuners)

 

[Steve Woodhouse]

I don’t mind hifi sized objects. They fit nicely with my vintage kit. But I do wonder why the full size is the size it is. Even in the 80s many components were mostly empty space (tape cd and especially tuners)

I know what you mean.

Personally, I have a desktop set up, so full-width might actually be a deal-breaker, though there may be ways round that.

Logically, if someone like yourself has a full size rack, they can put smaller out in it, but anyone with a desktop rack can’t put larger stuff on it.

Though I appreciate how it looks is important.

 

[es6rd6z]

I don’t mind hifi sized objects. They fit nicely with my vintage kit. But I do wonder why the full size is the size it is. Even in the 80s many components were mostly empty space (tape cd and especially tuners)

I completely agree. I think most companies took the 'turntable size' as the ideal size to make it easier to stack different components, and then with every new invention, they kept using that size so you could continue stacking the new components on top of the old ones, or swap out one for the other without too much of a hassle.

The frustrating part is that every company seems to have measured a different turntable. Mixing different brands (or even the same brand from different time periods) gives you slightly varying widths and depths, which looks silly.

 

[Steve Woodhouse]

I completely agree. I think most companies took the 'turntable size' as the ideal size to make it easier to stack different components, and then with every new invention, they kept using that size so you could continue stacking the new components on top of the old ones, or swap out one for the other without too much of a hassle.

The frustrating part is that every company seems to have measured a different turntable. Mixing different brands (or even the same brand from different time periods) gives you slightly varying widths and depths, which looks silly.

Funny you should say that.

Have a look at this rack for desktop products, here showing matching Topping units.



Very nice, I like that. But I’m thinking of getting a Topping PA7 amp and already have a Topping EX5 DAC/Headphone Amp, which are maddeningly slightly different sizes and not really matching.

I’d put the amp on the bottom, EX5 on the middle shelf, and Ultra on the top.

 

[Smartplug]

Definitely agree, and it’s one reason I asked the question about bass management, what seems like an eternity ago.

If you use a sub, and the RCA sub out, will you be able to send the higher frequencies over digital, or will it have to be over RCAs, or balanced analogue outs (if there are balanced outs, please note the if, as I said last time).

For me, this isn’t a question of sound quality, but so I know how I’ll be setting my new system up.

Instead asking the general forum which nobody here can give you concrete answer, how about send message directly to wiim? I had question on room correction and got the answer so now I’m not asking repetitive question. When and doubt message is your friend to get definitive answer from wiim.

 

[canard]

I had question on room correction and got the answer so now I’m not asking repetitive question.

?

 

[Smartplug]

?

What I’m saying especially you who want 10 band peq send message to wiim via app or here on the forum and you will get your answer instead asking all these poor souls. You know better than that morillon.

 

[Smartplug]

Funny you should say that.

Have a look at this rack for desktop products, here showing matching Topping units.

View attachment 5055

Very nice, I like that. But I’m thinking of getting a Topping PA7 amp and already have a Topping EX5 DAC/Headphone Amp, which are maddeningly slightly different sizes and not really matching.

I’d put the amp on the bottom, EX5 on the middle shelf, and Ultra on the top.

I like that shelves!!!

 

[Brantome]

Funny you should say that.

Have a look at this rack for desktop products, here showing matching Topping units.

View attachment 5055

Very nice, I like that. But I’m thinking of getting a Topping PA7 amp and already have a Topping EX5 DAC/Headphone Amp, which are maddeningly slightly different sizes and not really matching.

I’d put the amp on the bottom, EX5 on the middle shelf, and Ultra on the top.

I always think these look great until you add the usual spaghetti of wires...

 

[Steve Woodhouse]

I always think these look great until you add the usual spaghetti of wires...

I’ve been looking into this, as I feel the same. You can get 10cm, 20cm, 30cm leads, which leave little to nothing trailing.

I’ve also been put on to these for cable management.

https://amzn.eu/d/aoL4eXx

https://amzn.eu/d/4IKsifO

Re-building my desktop set up is proving to be a long process, but at least it’s giving me time to research.

I’ll post pics as I go along, and when I’m done.

 

[canard]

What I’m saying especially you who want 10 band peq send message to wiim via app or here on the forum and you will get your answer instead asking all these poor souls. You know better than that morillon.

are you kidding? For 10 months I was entitled to promises "for this week, for in 15 days" via this channel concerning Deezer which for once was a service officially announced as supported...ended up arriving...but hey the services commercial...it has its limits...
concerning the peq just seems surprising to me not to have enriched the function for months and at the same time announce a future heavy correction function to be implemented..
in my opinion just seems a little incoherent..that's all..
but I bought a "plus" without counting on this function, so not a problem for me (deezer was something completely different having bought wiim because it announced support)... I don't come from those worlds at all and discover this marketing "through promises"

WiiM Amp

There some folks like to tinker their system and having such options like what mini dsp will allow to tailor to your liking. Many of us like many option to choose from and if you don’t like that idea then that’s on you. But Minidsp costs more than the Amp. And, if the amp has a high pass...

forum.wiimhome.com

carefully read the very elegant and important response from Brantome
said very differently...but also a nice warning...
;-)

 

[BrooklynNick]

This topic is no longer interesting or useful. See you all when the Ultra is ready.

 

[Steve Woodhouse]

Not news as such, but a sign the anticipation is growing, and beyond WiiMWorld.

 

[joentell]

I'm interested in the DSP capabilities of this. How many bands of PEQ will it have per channel?

 

[Brantome]

I'm interested in the DSP capabilities of this. How many bands of PEQ will it have per channel?

As it’s likely to be an evolution of the existing range rather than revolution, most likely 4 - at least to start with.

 

[Brantome]

As it’s likely to be an evolution of the existing range rather than revolution, most likely 4 - at least to start with.

Also, please see comment #195 which is the latest statement from WiiM at the end of December about the features the Ultra will have. The rest of this very long thread contains wishes, hopes and dreams, as well as many as yet unanswered questions. Indeed so much has been postulated that its release might even be an anti-climax for some.

As said before, WiiM tend to keep the detailed info about a product under covers till very near its release, and even then we don’t always get the nitty gritty - I had the Pro Plus to try out before its public release and they wouldn’t even tell me what DAC it used in case it clouded my judgement.

We can but wait and see what it will do - and when that might be, we know no better than hopefully sometime in Q2 ‘24.

 

[Steve Woodhouse]

As time goes on “Q2 2024” it feels more and more like a very large window. Which, of course, it’s always been.

On the one hand, it could be 1st April (less than 50 days away, folks!), with a press release sometime in March.

On the other, it could be as late as the end of June, which seems an age away. Because it is.

 

[Steve Woodhouse]

Also, please see comment #195 which is the latest statement from WiiM at the end of December about the features the Ultra will have. The rest of this very long thread contains wishes, hopes and dreams, as well as many as yet unanswered questions. Indeed so much has been postulated that its release might even be an anti-climax for some.

As said before, WiiM tend to keep the detailed info about a product under covers till very near its release, and even then we don’t always get the nitty gritty - I had the Pro Plus to try out before its public release and they wouldn’t even tell me what DAC it used in case it clouded my judgement.

We can but wait and see what it will do - and when that might be, we know no better than hopefully sometime in Q2 ‘24.

Could indeed be an anti climax. Or worse!

An anti climax would be “Yeah, that’s what we expected.” Which I personally wouldn’t mind, because that’s basically a Pro Plus with a few extra ins and outs, and a screen.

But it could be a disappointment if it were a Mini or Pro with a screen, with a poor DAC, and if you use an off-board DAC you lose the sub out.

And even if it’s what we expect, it could have a silly price tag.

I completely agree with what you’ve said about not getting the nitty gritty, even when it’s formerly announced. What many are hoping is that this will have bags of processing power and be able to handle room correction, more bands of PEQ etc., with ease. We may well not see that sort of detail when it’s fully announced. Indeed, its capabilities and limits may not even be fully apparent after it’s launched. Who’d have guessed just after launch that the Mini would be able to do even 4 bands of PEQ, and any room correction.

 

[Brantome]

My gut and my previous comment suggest nearer the end of June going by experience and my comment here. More than happy to be proved wrong, but don’t know if I can take another four months and 32 pages of speculation and comments