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.

 

[Fitzliputzli]

So many subjects, so many wishes! (King Alfons der Viertelvorzwölfte)

 

[canard]

I think the cheapest transparent DAC on the market is the SMSL at c.£80. The Mini is £90. Add them together, and you’d need a bigger case, then you’re heading towards Pro Plus territory.

I’m not disagreeing with you, but we could end up with a different WiiM for every day of the year, with just a tiny difference between each one.

And you know what would have to happen then? They’d have to change the company name to Topping.

a more accomplished mini mk2 on the audio side and thanks to the experience that they are slowly building, will be the flagship product, very general public....and above all finally to read to you ,mantra asr etc......

after the other ranges of "products" on more competitive markets, are perhaps even more to nourish "existences" see "virtual existences, "discussions" etc no?
bye
;-)

 

[sral]

Nonetheless, “smart audio not pure audio”, I wouldn’t say that ,either.

I think they mean that wiim is focusing on a combination of smart features and audio quality.
Not just a single aspect.

They don't have a purely analog amplifier, nor do they have a purely streamer focused device.
There's always a combination.

 

[castalla]

54 pages of pointless conjecture and a frenzy of nonsense based on 2-3 images - get a grip!

 

[canard]

54 pages of pointless conjecture and a frenzy of nonsense based on 2-3 images - get a grip!

yes...hihi

 

[Steve Woodhouse]

54 pages of pointless conjecture and a frenzy of nonsense based on 2-3 images - get a grip!

If you don’t want to join in or read them, no one is holding a gun to your head.

I find basketball boring, but I’m not going to turn up at a game and tell everyone else how wrong they are for enjoying themselves.

 

[cooky560]

The thing that worries me about this thread is that the "audiophile" curse seems to have flooded what is a life style product that happens to have a really good streamer in it.

Just plug the thing into your rack and enjoy music

 

[Steve Woodhouse]

Question for @WiiM Support @WiiM Team and anyone who gets one for beta. A bit techy, but there you go.

Could I use this in the following way?

Take full advantage of PEQ, room correction, bass management and sub out. BUT instead of DACing the high-passed signal and sending it to the stereo out RCAs, instead send it to my own DAC, which has balanced outs.

So the signal is EQd, and split into outputs for (i) standard analogue subwoofer out to the sub, and (ii) the mains/L&Rs, but then the Ultra’s DAC only converts the low frequency (subwoofer) part to analogue, sending that to the sub out, whilst the high passed L&R signals are kept in the digital domain, and sent out over optical or coax to an external DAC. If that DAC has balanced outs, the Ultra doesn’t need them.

Many thanks.

 

[Steve Woodhouse]

The thing that worries me about this thread is that the "audiophile" curse seems to have flooded what is a life style product that happens to have a really good streamer in it.

Just plug the thing into your rack and enjoy music

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with striving for great quality at a good price.

I doubt WiiM would want to produce a product and market it as “pretty cr*p, but easy to use”.

 

[Brantome]

54 pages of pointless conjecture and a frenzy of nonsense based on 2-3 images - get a grip!

The two images are very recent and, fair enough, were preceded by many pages of discussion before the thread was suspended. However, when the images became available WiiM re-opened the thread and said “As we approach our launch and, more crucially, our Beta test date, we are eager to gather more feedback from our forum members.”

It’s like herding cats trying to decide what’s therefore strictly relevant in the thread, but hopefully WiiM can extract some germane information from the many opinions expressed.

 

[wiimamp user]

I think they mean that wiim is focusing on a combination of smart features and audio quality.
Not just a single aspect.

They don't have a purely analog amplifier, nor do they have a purely streamer focused device.
There's always a combination.

Agreed..the hardware is great certainly if you see what price they are asking but dont forget the software part ...and the support.
Great products from Wiim.

 

[Fitzliputzli]

The two images are very recent and, fair enough, were preceded by many pages of discussion before the thread was suspended. However, when the images became available WiiM re-opened the thread and said “As we approach our launch and, more crucially, our Beta test date, we are eager to gather more feedback from our forum members.”

It’s like herding cats trying to decide what’s therefore strictly relevant in the thread, but hopefully WiiM can extract some germane information from the many opinions expressed.

Did you really mean germane? Not German? ;-))))

 

[delicatedonkey]

Hoping for HDMI Out as well for multichannel audio to an AVR, unless that will be its own separate product (minus a screen as not really needed)

I assume our hope is lost. I was really looking forward to a streamer with HDMI Out, Multichannel and Dolby Atmos compatibility.

 

[Giro413]

I wonder what the ideal active bookshelf speakers for the Ultra would be? I am considering switching my main setup (Denon df107 amp, Dali Lektor 2's) and have the Ultra be my only "amp", also feeding my turntable into it and using the sub out to connect my sub. I know that this will require active speakers, which in themselves are not hard to find. It is however a bit hard to find ones that are just speakers and do not have all the streaming capabilites built in already. It seems the only options are really high end speakers. I am looking for something along the lines of my Dali's just active.

 

[canard]

I wonder what the ideal active bookshelf speakers for the Ultra would be? I am considering switching my main setup (Denon df107 amp, Dali Lektor 2's) and have the Ultra be my only "amp", also feeding my turntable into it and using the sub out to connect my sub. I know that this will require active speakers, which in themselves are not hard to find. It is however a bit hard to find ones that are just speakers and do not have all the streaming capabilites built in already. It seems the only options are really high end speakers. I am looking for something along the lines of my Dali's just active.

Do you have well-placed electrical outlets to plug in your “active” devices? more cables.... ( en xlr -sym for audio) etc
(there are tons of small speakers of this type on the semi pro home studio market)
(this is precisely the point and disappointment that some people address here..the ultra is not too suited to this approach... but it not so general public too)

 

[Giro413]

Do you have well-placed electrical outlets to plug in your “active” devices? more cables.... ( en xlr -sym for audio) etc
(there are tons of small speakers of this type on the semi pro home studio market)
(this is precisely the point that some people address here..the ultra is not too suited to this approach)

Thank you for your reply. I guess I should flip through all 54 pages in this thread to learn those reasons then. Or maybe just stay with my Wiim Pro Plus and current setup. Getting a display and sub out is hardly worth the upgrade. The better dac will probably not be audible on my current system.

 

[Steve Woodhouse]

I’m hoping I get a positive response to post 1068.

My personal belief is that the vast majority of people wanting balanced outputs are pretty audiophile (or whatever term you’d like to use) and already have an external DAC with balanced outs.

If the Ultra can do what I’ve asked, the whole issue of balanced outs has been bypassed.

Even if you don’t have such a DAC, you can pick one up for around £120. Okay, it’d be nice not have the extra box, or the expected, I agree. But if this come in at the right price, and gives you absolutely everything you need apart from balanced outs, then that’s just a small step from everything you desire.

I’d say to WiiM, @WiiM Support @WiiM Team that as the main criticism of what’s been announced appears to be a lack of balanced outs, please make this option available. If it’s not already in your plan for the Ultra, please ask your team if it’s possible, because that small step would be an absolute game changer.

 

[Brantome]

I wonder if the Ultra will have a new remote to allow you to control the on screen display e.g. to bring up the preset list to scroll thru and select, or switch between different views etc? I’ve just seen a mock-up image showing the preset list.

 

[sral]

I wonder what the ideal active bookshelf speakers for the Ultra would be? I am considering switching my main setup (Denon df107 amp, Dali Lektor 2's) and have the Ultra be my only "amp", also feeding my turntable into it and using the sub out to connect my sub. I know that this will require active speakers, which in themselves are not hard to find. It is however a bit hard to find ones that are just speakers and do not have all the streaming capabilites built in already. It seems the only options are really high end speakers. I am looking for something along the lines of my Dali's just active.

I'd recommend something like Kanto's speakers.
Depending on your budget and size constraints.
Triangle also has a few nice ones now.
Edifier perhaps.

There's a myriad of studio monitors as well, though they're not really that good looking, perhaps the tannoy gold's?

 

[harkpabst]

It seems the only options are really high end speakers. I am looking for something along the lines of my Dali's just active.

The Lektor series was relatively low cost, "powered speakers" will always be noticeably more expensive. I am using the term "powered speakers", because those costing the least amount of money will usually not have an active crossover and separate amplifiers for each driver (which is my definition of an active speaker).

I agree that active mini studio monitors are your best bet and I don't see what's wrong with them (except for the trivial fact that you need a power outlet close by for any active device).

Here are a couple of examples (not my personal recommendation due to lack of experience, but they are well respected and popular) ranging from 90 to 193 EUR per piece:

Swissonic V7

Swissonic V7; aktiver Studiomonitor; 70 Watt Bi-Amplified (50 + 20 Watt); 2-Wege System mit Class D Verstärkern: 7“ Tieftöner und Air Motion Transformer; Frequenzbereich von 39 – 25000 Hz: Crossover Frequenz bei 2,6 kHz; LF Trim: -2dB, 0dB, +2dB; HF...

www.thomann.de

Swissonic V5

Swissonic V5; aktiver Studiomonitor; 70 Watt Bi-Amplified (50 + 20 Watt); 2-Wege System mit Class D Verstärkern: 5,25“ Tieftöner und Air Motion Transformer; Frequenzbereich von 45 – 25000 Hz: Crossover Frequenz bei 3 kHz; LF Trim: -2dB, 0dB, +2dB;...

www.thomann.de

ADAM Audio T5V

ADAM Audio T5V; Aktiver Nahfeldmonitor; 5" Tieftöner; 1.9" U-ART Bändchenhochtöner; 2x Class-D Verstärker: 50 Watt RMS Tieftöner, 20 Watt RMS Hochtöner; Frequenzbereich: 45 Hz - 25 kHz; Übergangsfrequenz: 3 kHz; max. SPL: 106 dB (1m / Paar);...

www.thomann.de

ADAM Audio T7V

ADAM Audio T7V; Aktiver Nahfeldmonitor; 7" Tieftöner; 1.9" U-ART Bändchenhochtöner; 2x Class-D Verstärker: 50 Watt RMS Tieftöner, 20 Watt RMS Hochtöner; Frequenzbereich: 39 Hz - 25 kHz; Übergangsfrequenz: 2.6 kHz; max. SPL: 110 dB (1m / Paar);...

www.thomann.de

They even feature regular unbalanced RCA inputs, a perfect match for the WiiM Ultra.