WiiM Ultra

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.

 

[WiiMer SJ]

Coming soon: WiiM Ultra vs. Shanling SM1.3 | Darko.Audio

Two new touchscreen streaming DACs being launched at Munich High-End 2024.

darko.audio

 

[Brantome]

Coming soon: WiiM Ultra vs. Shanling SM1.3 | Darko.Audio

Two new touchscreen streaming DACs being launched at Munich High-End 2024.

darko.audio

Interesting - if the Shanling is running a modded version of Android, then that opens the door to Apple Music support like Eversolo does. It'll be interesting to how their companion app handles that - I understand the Eversolo's ik like a VNC remote 'desktop' which can be clumsy. Price (and preference for Apple Music) may be the deal breaker here

 

[Bill Mac]

An interesting new product from Volumio with 8” touchscreen, AI search, balanced outputs, headphone jack, with a flat profile.

Motivo

The ultimate audiophile streamer, transport and headphone amp. With a 8 inch touchscreen and I2S over HDMI Connection.

shop.volumio.com

I wouldn't consider it the "ultimate" streamer. What good is the display when it's laid flat? Last thing I'd want to do is to have to pickup a device like this with cables attached to see the display.

 

[VladaJ]

I wouldn't consider it the "ultimate" streamer. What good is the display when it's laid flat? Last thing I'd want to do is to have to pickup a device like this with cables attached to see the display.

Reminds me of some older B&O Beolab pieces, from late 70's

 

[sral]

I wouldn't consider it the "ultimate" streamer. What good is the display when it's laid flat? Last thing I'd want to do is to have to pickup a device like this with cables attached to see the display.

Ultimate, as always, depends on the user.
What's ultimate for you might not be what's ultimate for me.
That's one of the reasons we see so many different opinions on what the wiim should be, as people think it should be the ultimate streamer for them, based on it's name.

 

[castalla]

Check out this discussion

World gone mad! - Squeezebox : Community : Forums

Volumio have just released their new Motivo streamer (touchscreen) for euro 1800! Relax - the price does include the yearly sub. ðð Design-wise, it looks like the launch control panel at the Pentagon for Defcon 2. Ps: if you've totally lost it, you can also add in a Roon sub. and use your...

forums.slimdevices.com

 

[WiiM Support]

My apologies if this has already been covered but...

Will the phono stage be implemented in the digital domain or analogue? If digital then it might have the potential to be very good and the possibility of tweaks to allow it to provide other RIAA curves and gain settings etc, like the Parks Puffin/Waxwing stages?

The signal enters as either MM or MC analog, which is then amplified and converted into the digital domain. Additionally, adjustments such as RIAA curves and gain settings can be made.

 

[bherren]

The signal enters as either MM or MC analog, which is then amplified and converted into the digital domain. Additionally, adjustments such as RIAA curves and gain settings can be made.

So you will support MC ? This is interesting! You have control on the capacitance? Some cartridges need fiddling with it as far as I know

 

[Fender]

So you will support MC ? This is interesting! You have control on the capacitance? Some cartridges need fiddling with it as far as I know

I am very, very curious about that ;-)

 

[cooky560]

The signal enters as either MM or MC analog, which is then amplified and converted into the digital domain. Additionally, adjustments such as RIAA curves and gain settings can be made.

This makes the idea of having a 2 component system (ultra and amp) very exciting

 

[willbewill]

The signal enters as either MM or MC analog, which is then amplified and converted into the digital domain. Additionally, adjustments such as RIAA curves and gain settings can be made.

Now I'm very interested, opens up lots of possibilities, this was a feature that was on my list.

 

[Fender]

This statement from WiiM looks at least a bit adventurous. It is possible to build a still cheap phono pre amp which offers MM and exactly ONE setting for MCs. Take the Pro-Ject V90 LPS what is 200 € for example. It is extremely coincidence if this setting fits the needs of your cartridge. You will hear "something". But do you want to get "something" from a most likely costly moving coil. Adjusting MCs by software only? We'll see. Extremely curious about that. This would be really revolutionary. As today for me it sounds like..ok, I do not want to be impertinent.

 

[canard]

the gain and riaa is one thing (the 65-70db in mc remains not trivial against 40db mm type)....
.but the huge difference in input impedance between mm (typ 47k) and mc (typ 100ohm or more etc), see the capacitance adjustment in mm which impacts the treble response...another...

 

[willbewill]

the gain and riaa is one thing (the 65-70db in mc remains not trivial against 40db mm type)....
.but the huge difference in input impedance between mm (typ 47k) and mc (typ 100ohm or more etc), see the capacitance adjustment in mm which impacts the treble response...another...

Agreed, but there is a different approach (which Parks Audio have taken with their Puffin and Waxwing phono stages) by tailoring the sound using DSP, EQ etc. I do not have one but I have friends, whose opinion I respect, that do and they are very pleased with them.

This post on ASR says it much better than I could:

"I don't think it is quite fair to label correction of response variations is the DSP section as not being objective.
A cartridge is a simple electro-mechanical machine. Not much different in complexity than a single loudspeaker driver. There is a mix of mass, spring, dampling, and the electrical equivalents in the form of capacitance, inductance and resistance. They lump together into a single whole with what ends up being a given response. So long as we are not hitting the limits of performance (such as exceeding the limitations of the stylus tracking) it is possible to consider an equivalent electrical system (much as is done in Theile Small loudspeaker analysis). The system includes the parameters of the load. The response of the cartridge may be altered by varying the parameters of the load. The range and effect of these alterations is characterised by well understood circuit theory. Within the possibilities afforded by varying the resistance and capacitance of the load the response of the cartridge can be tweaked. This can indeed be objective in so much as compensating a complicated response with only two variables with limited range can provide. There is always some judgement as to the best compromise in choosing the load. It is very unlikely there is a magic setting that yields a perfectly flat response.
Deciding to provide compensation for any frequency response variations in the DSP stage is no less objective. You can, if you wish, limit yourself to varying the equalisation parameters in a manner that exactly mimics the effects of changing resistance and capacitance. Within reasonable limits you should be able to perfectly emulate the effect of load changes. Matematically it is identical. But why stop there? You have the ability to compensate for irregularities in response that are not possible to address with just the load. This is no less objective, and arguable more objective, in that you no longer have to make the same compromise choices.
It just so happens that the same DSP section that you can use to effect such compensation is also used to implement other frequency response modifications. Minimally RIAA, but room EQ, rumble filtering, and even aesthetic tweaks. Just because adding aesthetic choices is possible, does not instantly mean that the objective changes possible with the same system cease to be objective."

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/parks-audio-puffin-review-phono-stage.19795/page-7

 

[canard]

rest assured I also know this approach( besides very fun-games) and the heavy work of park ;-)
let's already see this famous peq 10 l/r to come.... (and there is already a lot to do with rc mode....)
(and for the mm-mc phono via dsp in this """ultra """ you will tell us, we can discuss the phono subject in a dedicated thread if you want... ;-) )

 

[harkpabst]

You have control on the capacitance? Some cartridges need fiddling with it as far as I know

Input capacitance usually isn't an issue with MC cartridges at all (yes, some high-end MC stages do offer adjustable values). It is really a problem with some MMs, but that's the usual kind of trouble with all MM phono stages that don't offer adjustable input capacitance. So, really nothing new and very common.

In most cases the simple solution is to make the input capacitance as small as feasible from an EMC point of view (like 47 pF). Very few pickups will have a problem with a too low capacitance (and if so, it's easy to add a little), but too high a value may lead to a sharp peak in the transfer function, often anywhere between 9 and 13 kHz.

... but the huge difference in input impedance between mm (typ 47k) and mc (typ 100ohm or more etc) ...

Exactly, different loading resistance for MM (always 47 kOhms, although adjustments can be made to counteract the effects of too high input capacitance) and MC (could be pretty much anything between 40 Ohms and 1 kOhm.

I'm not against digital RIAA correction. I'm also not totally against digital correction of non-ideal electrical parameter matching. But only, if the defect stems from overdamping. If the electromechanical resonant curcuit is underdamped to begin with, performance in the time domain will suffer.

 

[castalla]

Possible alternative to the Ultra:

Coming soon: WiiM Ultra vs. Shanling SM1.3 | Darko.Audio

Two new touchscreen streaming DACs being launched at Munich High-End 2024.

darko.audio

 

[Fender]

Anyway, most likely and predictable it will not become an issue for the analog turntable enthusiasts. For me (as always) it would be not understandable and I really do not believe that people who spends much in this sector of a hobby will mismatch their stuff with an all-in-one. It seems to be more a theoretical discussion. But even a middle class phono pre like mine should show something like that

 

[harkpabst]

Anyway, most likely and predictable it will not become an issue for the analog turntable enthusiasts. For me (as always) it would be not understandable and I really do not believe that people who spends much in this sector of a hobby will mismatch their stuff with an all-in-one. It seems to be more a theoretical discussion. But even a middle class phono pre like mine should show something like that

View attachment 6919

I feel that the MM only phono stage of my 2000€ all-in-one is well appropriate.

Adjustable input capacitance and resistance are absolutely not the norm. Regrettably, I would say, but some high-end manufacturers actively argue against it!

Well, at least one does:

FAQ - Classic Audio Limited by Michael Fidler

michaelfidler.com

 

[cooky560]

Adjustable input capacitance and resistance are absolutely not the norm. Regrettably, I would say, but some high-end manufacturers actively argue against it!

You say that, I have both adjustments on my 80s integrateds!