WiiM Pro Plus AirPlay 2 Receiver, Chromecast Audio
WiiM Pro Plus AirPlay 2 Receiver, Chromecast Audio, Multiroom Streamer with Premium AKM DAC, Voice Remote, Works with Alexa/Siri/Google, Stream Hi-Res Audio from Spotify, Amazon Music, Tidal and More
From the brand
WiiM Voice Remote
Upgrade your Listening Experience
After the debacle of the last Sonos update and looking for a replacement I discovered Wiim. Excellent streamer, sounds brilliant, awesome support and has been rock solid. Bought a second Pro already and will get another soon.
Now had 10 band parametric equalizer!
For my usecase (listening through a headphone amp) this is really, really useful.
Enables me to fine tune my headphones to match the much desired “Harman Curve”, thanks to Oratory1990 over on reddit.
Great streame
Work well as a streamer, doesn’t like the BT Home hub much sometimes takes a long time for the App to see the WiiM. I have it feeding my Cyrus 82QXR and Tidal produces high res audio and great Flac playback
Believe the professional reviews. It’s superb.
This is a fabulous streamer for the price. It would suit all but the most critical hifi enthusiast. Just read and believe the magazine and YouTube videos. Note also that the manufacturer regularly updates the unit firmware and the app software.
Works extremely well with Spotify
I had reservations about this unit until I got it installed as my previous streamer (Allo Boss 2) was often dropping out and needed rebooting which was very annoying. But this unit is much better all round. No issues or complaints whatsoever.
Excellent device
Very impressed!! Have tested it streaming Hi Res music from Tidal and also hi res FLAC from my Synology NAS drive – works well with both sources over WiFi6. I have also tested streaming FLAC from my Pixel 5 phone over Bluetooth and that works well too. I am very pleased with this purchase and would recommend to anyone wishing to add streaming capability to an existing audio system – Happy Custome
Brilliant device
Amazing value. Sound quality much better using the device as a digital source, with my NAIM DAC. The analogue output not so good. The internal DAC not anywhere near as good as Naim (although much less costly) but via digital the sound was very similar to a Naim digital source. Hard to justify spending 1000s on a digital streaming source without comparing the Wiim to more expensive rivals.
Incredible value
Really good streamer. I’m using with an external DAC but making use of the built in equaliser and Housecurve App to get the ideal sound curve for my room. Works brilliantly and sounds amazing.
Fantastic piece of ki
I am so pleased that I bought this streamer. The sound quality is far better than I was expecting. Really easy to set up and use. Great value for money, if you are looking for a streamer then this is a no brainier.
Brillia
Super annoyed with this WiiM pro. The sound via my SA20 and KEF Q350s is so good it sounds better than my turntable so I’m probably going to have to get a new one! Unbelievable how good even Spotify sounds via this thing, exceeded my expectations and glad I didn’t go for the Sonos port, despite having other Sonos stuff.
A great product to upgrade your old hi-fi system to play music from laptops and i-phones.
This is a great product that has rejuvenated my old Arcam Solo CD player. The sound reproduction from the system after connecting with the WiiM Pro Plus has improved. There has been clear improvement of sound at base frequencies when you play lossless i-tunes music files . I can now play music remotely from my laptop, i-phone and i-pad. I have the WiiM system for less than a month, I have still not found the remote control to be very useful.
Easy setup, quality sound
The setup is very easy but there are no real instructions. However the app guides you through a very straightforward setup process. I would suggest downloading the app first then connecting the WiiM to your HiFi. Once you plug it in the app will recognise it, ask for your WiFi password, connect, download any updates and that’s about it. You can then add your music services. So far I’ve only used Amazon Music, Classic FM and TuneIn. I activated the link to Alexa and commands are accepted through the supplied voice remote. Sound quality is as good as my CD player but a lot more convenient. I’ve only had it a day and feel there is a lot to explore still.
Brilliant piece of ki
I couldnt be more pleased with this wiim streamer. The sound quality is fantastic. It is well worth the extra money for the pro plus and the remote is fantastic for streaming alexa through your amp.
First rate suppo
I have the Wiim Pro connected via coax to my DAC. The app is first rate and supports everything I need, sounds great too. Had a slight issue with the remote I bought separately that Wiim support were very helpful with. If they made a learning remote for power and volume on my amp, that would be the only improvement I can think of .
What a fantastic bit of kit...
I’ve just hooked up the WiiM Pro Plus to my hi-fi system (Linn LK1/LK140 & ATC SCM11) and I’m streaming from Amazon Prime music in HD. The sound quality is certainly better than my Karik CD player and gives my LP12 a run for it’s money! At this price point, the WiiM Pro Plus is an absolute steel and I’d be surprised if it’s bettered by streamers costing many times more. I should also add that it was a breeze to setup. An unreserved recommendation.
Sounds amazing.
I was a bit dubious when reading the reviews of the WiiM pro plus. How could something costing just over two hundred pounds sound as good as the other budget streamers costing twice as much or even more.
The device itself isn’t very impressive to look at . The casing is made of quite flimsy plastic. The inputs and outputs on the back cover almost all you could need . I took about ten minutes setting it up with my Rega amp.
The app is easily downloaded and I soon connected to Spotify. The sound is amazing. Maybe a little on the light side ie not a lot of bass. Otherwise the WiiM is a bargain.
Convenient streamer and more
Looked at other alternative streamers for more money but other than differences in the onboard DAC, I researched the useability of the app as a priority to inform my purchase. Setup was a breeze and the Wiim app was easy to use and connect to Tidal. The Wiim is currently hooked up to a Tangent pre-amp which then connects to a pair of studio monitors and sub via xlr. The sound quality of streaming through the Wiim is excellent and very revealing. I have not suffered any dropouts at all using it this way. Going forward, I have a cd transport that i will connect via Toslink to the Wiim and take advantage of its AKM DAC. Then its just a case of opening the Wiim app and selecting the input source and away we go. Or set the Wiim to auto detect, either will work fine. I haven’t tried the eq settings in the app as my monitors and sub have various room acoustic settings and this is all done using dsp and room mics. In this case the eq is left flat via Wiim. However, it is good to know it is there should i decide to go back to power amp and passive speakers in future. There are regular updates for the app which is reassuring. If you are looking at (significantly) more expensive streamers that offer the same/similar functionality and connectivity, do give the Wiim a go. I don’t think you will be dissapointed in its useability and SQ.
Very happy with pro version. Excellent detail in the sound and very musical. Closed my Spotify account and signed up with Tidal to take advantage of the higher bit rate music files.
Had an issue of slight hissing sound when listening to ballads. But solved this by placing the unit away from the amp ( I put it on top of the amp due to it’s small footprint, that was a mistake) now its all good.
I had a cambridge audio evo all in one with streamer. Honestly, the sound from the wiim is better played through my old solid state amp than the 1800 evo.
The wiim app is a bit clunky if you select music via it, I find the Tidal app more engaging as a platform to browse new music and playlists. I’m sure future software updates will improve the wiim app so don’t let that put you off.
Really rather good!
Dipping my toe into the steaming world for the first time with the Wiim Pro Plus, so how was it? Unpacked the box and plugged it in to power and the amp having downloaded the app earlier. Cue flashing lights, tap in wi-fi details and away we go, add logins for Quobuz and Tidal, play music, it’s that simple. Made a couple of changed to settings on the router too add my entire network music library as well.
Sound is remarkably good, so much so that I have ditched the stand alone DAC, it is a plastic box but the money seems to have been spent on the electronics which is no bad thing.
There was one other reason for adding the Wiim to my system – my wife…..
I admit I’m something of a hi hif nut and to play a CD or whatever there was a combination of devices to switch on and buttons to press – to complicated. She is however a whizz with a mobile phone and within moments had mastered the app interface and was playing stuff like a DJ.
In short, good sound, pretty simple to set up and makes my wife happy, winner on all counts.
Capable and Great Sounding Streamer at a Good Price
I looked into a few options before purchasing this streamer, and as I valued function over form, went for the WIIM. The streamer is a 14x14x4cm, black composite square, and fits easily almost anywhere. Connectivity for its’ intended usage is very good and I’ve used it with both the optical SPDIF and RCA outputs. The output level on the RCA’s is adjustable via the WIIM application, meaning that you can, as I’ve done, actually use the unit plugged directly into a power amplifier if so desired, using the onboard output adjustment as a crude volume control. There’s a sole, multi-colour LED on the unit for status which I wasn’t originally thrilled with, however after months of usage, I now fully understand why it has been done this way. The single LED is effective for overall status, and all other info is provided via the phone app. The unit supports 24bit/192Khz with the built-in DAC and has a great sound overall. I used the onboard DAC for a few months before a change to a Classe’ preamp at which point I started using the SPIDF optical output directly. Both options provided great sound. The unit supports Spotify, Tidal and several other music services. Tidal was the most important to me as they tend to offer the highest fidelity of any of the services and have a huge catalogue of music on offer. The unit can be controlled, for example, by either its’ own application which is fully functional and very capable, or by the use of native Tidal applications on other devices by means of Tidal Connect – this is how I connect from my laptop or PC whilst working. If the unit will be placed in an area of poor Wifi reception, and you’re going to be streaming in very high resolution, you will find it advantageous to use a cabled internet connection directly to your router for best performance – this is true of any streamer and experience shows this WIIM to have far better WiFi performance than most.
The aesthetics of the WIIM are bound to be polarising. If on the one hand you appreciate a compact, capable unit that can be set almost anywhere, provides a full range of features, and offers great connectivity then it should work for you. If, however, you’re looking for a unit in a chassis that might blend aesthetically with other high-end HiFi (ie: some streamers come in full-size chassis and have elaborate displays) then you’ll probably want to look elsewhere. I’ll suggest though that this unit, and the new Wiim Pro Plus offer incredible performance at the price point and are sonically /functionally superior to many units costing 2/3 times as much.
Brings life back into legacy audio equipme
I’m an ex-video editor/musician, with some high-end legacy audio equipment (studio monitors and a mixer), and have for a longtime been looking for a way to integrate them into my Apple Home set-up. I have a small house, with HomePods and AppleTV in the lounge, HomePods in the kitchen and upstairs bedrooms, all controlled through iPhones and iPads. In the middle of this, in the snug, I have a Mac Mini set-up with some old pro studio monitors and a high end 32inch Benq screen, and a sometimes connected AppleTV box. Not wanting to use a mixer in the snug, but wanting to connect Mac, iPads and AppleTV to my studio monitors has meant using the sound out of the Benq headphone port. A very low quality signal, which if connected to sound through the Apple Home network results in very obvious latency.
After coming across lots of YouTube reviews of the WiiM’s products, mostly all glowing (but aren’t they all), and under the influence of a few bottles of wine I bought the WiiM Pro Plus. In the clear light of day I had every expectation of returning it. I almost didn’t bother connecting it, not wanting to reconfigure the wiring set-up in the snug, only to have to put it back when the WiiM turned out to be trash. But I was so wrong. This little box has brought so much joy back into my life.
I finally have studio monitors that are seamlessly connected to my Apple Home network, and sound as they did through my mixer. In addition, the quality can be finessed through the WiiM Home app. Right now, while I’m writing this review on my iPad, I am listening to the speakers through the Mac Mini, but controlling it all through the iPad. When used through the AppleTV box, the remote volume controls have returned to the Apple remote. The WiiM Home app does not connect to Apple Music streaming service, but it does connect to my local Apple Music library, of which there is nearly a terabyte. This device is so good that in time I will replace my HomePods with more studio monitors and WiiMs.
So far I have only used the wireless connection through Airplay, but I’m looking forward to using the hardwire connection for a turntable and/or my Yamaha stage piano.
This thing is literally quite phenomenal for its price. I was expecting to be surprised coming from a much older dac (10 years) but I was honestly blown away with the quality from this little guy. Just to be clear I purchased the Pro+ with its updated dac in comparison to the normal pro. The sound coming out of this is full bodied and alive. The vocals are great, the bass hits strong and highs are clean. I like the fact that you can adjust the eq to your preference and you also get a parametric eq.
The app is good, simple and straightforward, only downside is no native apple music support like it does for spotify and amazon music, but saying that it integrates well with alexa and google home and ofcourse supports airplay2.
I configured mine using ethernet and the network stability has been spot on for the few hours of listening so far.
The only thing it lacks in my opinion is a slot for a usb drive or memory card to side load some music directly onto, but at least I can access my plex library on the network
Excellent fully featured streame
Got this to replace a Chromecast Audio after watching several reviews which raved about it. They were not wrong! Set up was trivial. The app is great and easy to navigate. All the main streaming services are supported. I use it with an external DAC, hence didn’t get the Pro Plus, and the sound quality is faultless. The equalisers (graphic and parametric) are really useful to customise the sound profile to personal preference. That feature alone makes this unit worth the price.
First of all, I just want to mention how fantastic Wiim Support is, they sorted an issue for me in a fast, professional and knowledgeable way very quickly – and were very patient until I discovered the issue (which turns out was due to my own DAC’s setting).
I’ve owned Denon Heos, Bluesound Node 2i and the Chromecast Audio, but I have to say the WiiM is my favourite for one very important reason.
Not only does it sound great and include Chromecast (which very few streamers do), but it also has a 10-band graphic equaliser and a parametric equaliser that works across ALL outputs including Optical and Coaxial. (none of my other streamers did this).
Why is this so monumentally awesome you may ask? Well as any audiophile worth their salt will know – room acoustics has the greatest bearing on sound quality other than the components itself. The Wiim allows you to sculpt the EQ to suit your room acoustics. This means that amp that is a little bright or speakers that are a tad dull or whatever can now be optimised with adjusting the EQ- and not just adjusting it, but saving your desired EQ as a preset- for instance, I have one for TV where voices are accentuated, one for a “vintage bass” feel, I even have an EQ that copies the legendary BBC LS3/5A curve if I want my speakers to sound like that! If you have to invest in the cost of room treatment and room correction equipment like Mini DSP or Dirac Live, the costs will run you into the thousands! Here you have it for 200 bucks. Mind blown – totally!
So at present, I have 2 different flavours of DACs connected and can use my phone to switch between TV, Hifi and any sound source including my own music server – you name it, it’s there! I also love all the internet radio stations that are available via Vtuner etc. and the ability to have a favourites screen to easily access anything you want, even if it’s just your favourite album!
Is there anything I would change? Yes, I do have a couple of feature requests that I feel would make the product even better-
1. Using sliders for sound adjustment and EQ adjustment is not accurate enough on a small phone screen- the adjustments are too great using fingers – it needs to have greater range and less sensitivity, and smaller steps in adjustment. Maybe this can be alleviated by using a tablet with a bigger screen, but worth a mention.
2. It looks like the WiiM is supposed to stay switched on -when you turn it off you lose pairing with the remote(which is a great remote by the way compared to the “credit card” types.) This is slightly annoying because the remote’s volume uses smaller steps, but I use the app most of the time in any case.
So yes, Hifi product of the decade for me. I can’t think of anything better in the last 10 years even close to this price.
Job well done WiiM- I’m a very happy customer!!
If you don't have a DAC, get the Pro Plus!
This is a brilliant streamer at a low cost. Setup is simple, the remote control works well (I only use the buttons, I’ve not tried Alexa) and it works really reliably. Sound quality from the Pro is pretty much exactly the same as the Mini – good(ish), but not amazing. However, I connected mine via its coaxial digital output to my Schiit Modi+ DAC and it now sounds really good!
I would say that if you already have a DAC and you enjoy the sound it produces, the Wiim Pro is a great choice and saves you a bit of cash. However, if you don’t have a DAC, I would definitely recommend the Pro Plus instead. It has an upgraded internal DAC , which sounds much better than the Wiim Pro and saves you the cost of an external DAC too. Wiim seem to be firing out regular updates to their firmware, which are uploaded to the Pro via the Wiim Home app. All three Wiim streamers (Mini, Pro and Pro Plus) are fantastic value for money and I’d recommend any of them at their price points.
Impressive streamer and dac
Compact, simple design with a brilliant app, very easy to set up. The DAC is impressive, better than the DAC in my audiolab 6000a. Only issue is the presets doesn’t seem to work with BBC radio stations. Perfect for general listening, I would imagine you’ll need to spend a fair bit more to better this unit.
Initial review as arrived and set up yesterday.
I am 58 and a long time cd and vinyl buyer and always been quite dismissive of streaming, had spotify for car use and that’s it. Recently signed up to qobuz and decided it’s time to embrace the modern world.
After unboxing I had this set up in under 10 minutes including connecting to my WiFi network and installing some firmware updates . I’ve connected it straight to my marantz amp via optical and wow , I cannot believe how good it sounds , just like cd quality or better.
I paid 149 for this but I am spending that much or more per month on records and cds but this is that good that going forward I am just going to buy physical music from my absolute favourite bands , so that 149 will have paid for itself in a month.
To sum up this is a real game changer for me, I’m looking at my racks of records and cds wondering if most of them will ever get played again. This Initial 149 is going to save me a fortune and my music listening is going to benefit as streaming is opening my eyes to a whole new world of music.
Mine is wired into the internet with an optical link into a Sony STRDN1080 receiver, so I’m not using the on-device DAT, but I have tried it and it sounds fine. The setup process is very easy and, so far after several months use, it’s working flawlessly. Unlike my Sony receiver which often could not be found by my phone music apps, this device connects easily and it has NEVER dropped out. I have played Spotify connect, Tidal connect, Bandcamp (Chromecast), hi def flac files off my phone through Musicolet, and even Audible… It plays EVERYTHING flawlessly, gaplessly and in excellent quality. You can save favourite radio stations, playlists and the like on the also excellent phone app. Just buy one! Sooner or later the manufacturer will figure out that they’re selling it too cheap, so get one now!
This has rekindled my faith in the world of audio streaming. I have a fairly expensive network integrated amplifier which was driving me mad – losing wifi connection, bluetooth forgetting pairing, clunky remote app…. far too much hassle when all I wanted to do was just play some music or listen to internet radio. That is now in a cupboard and I’m using the analogue output from this device fed in to a vintage Pioneer receiver for amplification. It just works, with no fuss, every time! My most typical use is streaming with Chromecast from Apple Music on my Android phone, but it also works fine via Bluetooth – and via Airplay from iTunes on my PC. The ability to preset Internet Radio stations is very good, and again, they just seem to work each time with no struggle. The sound quality is excellent – I particularly appreciated the ability to set (in the app) the analogue output voltage from 500mV, 800mV, 1V or 2V – the lower setting of 500mV definitely has the best result on my vintage 70s gear. The WiiM phone app is also good – and I certainly couldn’t say that about the app that came with my previous, allegedly high-end product. I’m really pleased with this purchase.
So for a long time I have been looking for something to replace an old phone I was using as a streamer into an amplifier in my shed that provided ok sound, enough for me to not turn it off while I am working but I still found myself getting out cd’s and records to enjoy music not just listen to something.
I kept saying if I bought a DAC it could sound so much better so I did, I bought a couple of different SMSL dac’s at a similar 200 price tag and they really didn’t make that much difference to my small listening shed. I figured that the issue must be in the phone and so looked to replace the phone with a wiim mini and that actually sounded exactly the same so I gave up, returned them all to Amazon and carried on with my phone.
That was till I saw this announced, a streamer with a built in DAC that could not only be streamed to but also streamed from!
So my setup includes a cd player, record player, amplifier and now the wiim pro plus. I have everything routed through the wiim into the amplifier, this allows me to control everything using the wiim remote.
The advantage of this is the Wiim remote is powered by Bluetooth allowing me to place my whole system out of reach of IR remotes which is a current pain.
Not only that it automatically switches the input if I start playing a cd or record which is such a simple thing but such a nice touch.
Lastly, when I am playing those cd’s, I am a couple of clicks away from playing them to any airplay 2 receivers, yes, this means this could replace a sonos port, I regularly chuck on a record and airplay it to the three Sonos one’s in the house and its solid.
I know I have left sound quality to last, but I think its biggest compliment is that I didn’t notice a difference when playing records, CD’s sound a little cleaner and streaming is much much cleaner.
I did notice a difference when I used the EQ to add a bit of bass.
This was added across the inputs and compensates for my system’s tendency to be accurate rather than enjoyable.
I listen to a variety of music but I just can not get enough of Hip Hop and D&B on this now.
Not tested: Multi-room setup as I only have the one device
Not tested: All music streaming services.
Not tested: How well it works locally when the Internet is down.
Not tested: Optical or Coaxial digital out
Not tested: Line in
This device looks cheap, because it is. It is however very impressive what this device can do.
I came across the device after I searched to find anything that would support streaming ad-hoc audio into it via Bluetooth, AirPlay and Chromecast Audio and this was what I found. So before testing the streaming music services I tried out all of these features.
They all worked, and by having them all integrated into one device and with the unit treating the last person to connect *and* start to play content as the source. There is no need to switch inputs as would be the case for separate devices for each protocol.
Bluetooth:
As a mini computer, one cool feature about the Bluetooth implementation is that it will rename the advertised name of the device with the name you give it. Most dedicated Bluetooth receivers don’t allow this and instead users must set aliases in each device. Interestingly enough the device can also output over Bluetooth too (though the input must not be bluetooth in this case). So even if all you owned output wise was a Bluetooth speaker say with no line-in or away from this unit you can convert it to an Airplay, Chromecast and streaming device by hiding this box away somewhere.
Only the SBC and AAC codecs are supported but streaming from and Android Phone and an iPad worked well.
When playing Bluetooth content, where supported the WiiM Home app will show the track title plus and bitrate albeit with the DLNA logo instead of a bluetooth or codec logo. Track skip, pause/play buttons work from the app, the unit and the remote.
Airplay: This worked fine from an iPad Pro and Macbook Pro. When playing from Apple Music, the skip track features worked. The display was incorrect for the first track just showing that Air Play was in use, but when the second track started playing then the track name and album art appeared. Changing album caused the text detail to change but the album art shown in WiiM home Mac Os App got stuck permanently. The same happened in the Android app but restarting fixed it. The iOS app correctly updated album art. The Android app may update the top widget but not the lower one. So the apps are pretty buggy in correctly showing what’s playing.
Chromecast Audio: I tested this both from an Android phone, within streaming apps where the WiiM Pro would pull the content from the Internet but also where with the ‘Cast screen to device’ option which works fine for audio only. I also tried the in app casting option from Youtube running in Chrome on a Mac and this worked too.
Having these 3 options available at a party, local pub or performance venue (say for a backing track) would make it easy for a person with a phone to cast their music without having to download any particular app or have the correct cable which I think is a came changer.
The auto source switching also works on the line-in input, so legacy things like CD players or hipster record players (via a photo pre-amp) would work well with this device being the permanent input to a power amp, as simply playing a new source will switch to it, without people having to be technically minded about source selection. The input source is shown hidden away at the bottom of the ‘Browse’ screen in the app. It would be nice if the main LED would change colour for different input sources as although with the remote there is a source select button, there is no way to see which source is selected on the unit itself.
DNLA (UPnP) Render Device From Bubble UPnP:
This worked correctly with the art display, track skip etc all working too. I doubt many people even know this is a thing but it is a tech for streaming content over a LAN.
Local content direct from WiiM Home App:
I could play local media from the app directly (This is DNLA under the hood)
Streaming Services:
Spotify worked well. Tn this case the integration is done between the WiiM Home app and the Spotify app and uses ‘Spotify Connect’ as the protocol. This worked at first via an Android phone but could get into a state where both the Spotify app and the WiiM Home app thought the content was playing via the WiiM Home showing the track name etc, but the sound was coming out of the phone speaker. It was possible to switch to Chromecast Audio (called Google Cast in Spotify) within the Spotify app to hear the sound.
Rebooting the device fixed that, and the reboot can be done in the WiiM Home App.
Exiting the Spotify app then worked as expected and the WiiM Pro app kept showing which track was playing and allowed to skip etc.
If choosing to use Chromecast Audio instead of Spotify Connect, then all the functions worked too with the WiiM pro advancing through the playlist etc.
Youtube Music is not supported other than via Chromecast Audio (or Bluetooth), and unlike Spotify there is no launcher shortcut from the WiiM Home app. The WiiM home app does correctly show the name and album art. This of course includes all instances of the app on all platforms.
SoundCloud supported getting an OAuth token for the device to talk to sound cloud directly. This meant that the WiiM Home app could search content without having to use the Soundcloud app. The app offered search just within Soundcloud which was nice and the global (cross streaming services) search worked too.
Amazon music worked, with search etc working.
So streaming service direct integration is one place where this unit lacks. It can’t do what a Sonos can do and aggregate searches across all streaming services because not all are fully integrated. I bet however that most people don’t want that. They don’t want to use a custom app and would rather use the native app of each streaming service.
Local music collection on NAS:
Here is where the unit is missing the features of Sonos. You can browse content on a NAS which supports DNLA but that is it. It can’t index it or anything else. It does not support SMB.
Summary:
This device is a modern take on a home music streaming system and the feature set implemented is that which most new users will want. Having at least 5 ways to stream content from a native phone app (Airplay, Chromecast Audio, Bluetooth, Spotify Connect, DLNA) if you have a phone in your hand and want to play music out to a HiFi on any legacy powered speaker connected to this this it will work.
Streaming service *deep* integration is somewhat secondary and therefore so is streaming service aggregation. This won’t be a problem for most people as they will use the streaming service app directly as that is what they are used to when buying a device like this for the first time. They won’t want to learn a new app. Only people with systems like a Sonos will know what this is, so if it doesn’t sound important to you, then don’t worry about it.
Streaming from a NAS is missing in action.
It looks like the Pro might add some of the missing features and that will help distinguish it from the Mini.
I don’t own a mini. At present the main advantages of the Pro appear to be:
* Chromecast Audio
* Wired Ethernet
* Optical line in (may be good from a CD/DVD player or TV set top box – I doubt AC3 pass through is a thing)
* Some other features listed on the WiiM website
So in buying a pro, you are sort of paying for the development of features that don’t yet exist as although the hardware is much better, it may not be fully utilised yet. Sometimes buying the better hardware is also worth it as the device may last longer before being considered to puny for the next big popular service.
I am happy as I wanted the Chromecast Audio support.
Generally a fine, easy to use, well featured product.
Had one glitchy moment when there was a cut to the power supply but other than that stable, reliable and ultimately a robust, warm and engaging sound quality.
Particularly useful features…
Built in Chromecast
Built in graphic equaliser
Ability to fix output or use as a preamp
Key streaming services built in
All in all a very handy piece of kit. Only withhold one star for lack of a USB output which might have helped it to move up on a notch or two in terms of SQ.
Edit 1: Two months on and I’ve now tried the analogue output. I usually just use the digital output into a higher quality DAC. Thoughts below.
Edit 2: The bug that messes up track order with NAS files had been fixed and the overall slickness of the app has taken a small step forward again.
Edit 3: QNap NAS has yet again bricked things requiring Minimserver app installed on my NAS for the WiiM (both pro and mini) to access my music.
Everything worked great out of the box, but be warned.
Anyway, review proper…
Why buy?
Simple, guided setup via Linkplay’s Android/IOS app that integrates all the main streaming services, internet radio and DNLA for files stored on a NAS or in other shared folders.
Multiple WiiM devices (Pro, Pro plus and Mini) can be used individually or linked for simultaneous multi room playback.
There’s a built in Burr Brown DAC and bit perfect optical and coaxial S/PDIF digital output for using external DACs.
Optical input is there for hooking up your TV and an analogue A/D input means you can even hook up your vinyl to Bluetooth speakers or multi room playback.
There are frequent firmware and app updates, with a development roadmap and a forum for help/bug reports and future feature requests.
After many updates the app is now pretty slick, easy to navigate.
Linkplay claim they have a commitment to user privacy and only collect bug reports if you so choose.
I find it disgusting that certain big HiFi brands not only charge an arm and a leg for the equipment, but invade your privacy by data mining with their apps.
Set-up and use:
The Pro was hooked up to an ethernet cable and was good to go within 5 minutes, consisting of firmware updates, choosing between analogue and digital output, naming the device (which is a nice touch if you want to add more WiiM units in different rooms) and then a short short audio test, select playback quality, finishing with an auto calibration test.
I’ve bought 2 Mini’s before, which are WiFi only and required a bit more fiddling with WiFi passwords and location settings (and a reboot for a temperamental router).
Both have had consistent, solid WiFi connection and I’ll assume the Pro is no different.
Once the unit was setup, it found my NAS straight away and had no problems with accessing the music files, or at least it did until QNap broke things!
Once an album and track is selected playback is near instant and automatically plays the next track in the folder gaplessly.
There was a bug that messes up track order but has since been fixed, but you might have to alter the settings in the app manually to sort by number.
Oddly enough this only affected the WiiM Pro as it was never a problem with either of the Minis that I previously purchased.
I don’t use streaming services (Bandcamp covers my musical taste and allows me to buy and own my music), but most have now been integrated into Linkplay’s app – Roon is on the dev roadmap too.
The USB port is purely for powering the device and doesn’t support data transfer.
Deleting/forgetting/password protecting devices would be a nice addition to the app, just so that no one else with access to your home network can accidentally trigger or mess with another device but there’s no word on that at the moment.
Sound quality:
Listening to the analogue output of the internal DAC there’s a definite colouration in the mids and bass and not a great deal of detail and sparkle – a touch one note if you will – but keep in mind I am used to the sound of a much better performing DAC.
Really it’s not at all bad for the money (especially when you consider it’s also an excellent streamer for a price that murders the competition) and won’t disappoint if you’re using it as a one box source in a budget system but it might be better partnered with bright speakers if you aren’t intending to use the WiiM as a one box solution.
According to measurements posted on ASR (Audio Science Review), it’s not the worst measuring product, but any budget DAC from Topping, SMSL or Schiit will be considerably better.
But that’s actually why you should buy a WiiM: they have BIT PERFECT digital output, which for those who don’t know means that the digital output matches the incoming data with no added noise/distortion.
In short, if a Pro or Mini is used to feed a great performing DAC via the S/PDIF output and you can probably build a better streamer/DAC combo for less money than almost any one box solution for the money.
Be warned about the dsp EQ: obviously the digital output will no longer be bit perfect (because you’re altering the signal) but also boosting frequencies results in audible distortion, which is backed up by ASR member bench testing and that signal degradation will affect both analogue and digital outputs.
So yeah, don’t touch them sliders kids(!).
WiiM Pro Vs WiiM Mini:
Both offer a verified bit perfect digital output, and since they share the same DAC chipset and implementation, there should be zero difference in sound quality.
You’re paying more money for a more powerful quad core processor, extra RAM, and a couple of extra connectivity (hardware and device) options.
Oh and you get a free phone charger with the pro!
Actually it’s a power supply (something not included with the Mini), but yeah, it really is a 5v 2.5a phone charger.
Personally I’d buy a better PSU with better ripple and EMI suppression – nothing silly, a 5v 2.5/3a medical grade switching PSU from a reputable electronics supplier purely because cheap power supplies can shorten the life of your components.
Interestingly, the ASR member tested the Pro with both the supplied phone char… Sorry, power supply, and a battery and found no difference in the measurements, so don’t waste any money on an expensive “HiFi” linear PSU.
Unfortunately I didn’t find the more powerful processor and more RAM offered any performance advantage over the Mini.
Really it’s down to a question of wanting a digital input, coaxial S/PDIF out and wired LAN or if you can live with just WiFi and single optical S/PDIF of the Mini.
Conclusion:
The WiiM pro is a superb performer when used as a streaming transport due to it’s solid app, stable network connection and a true bit perfect 24/192 output, meaning it won’t be holding back the performance of even the very best DACs
I’d personally like to have had a USB in/out for local storage, to use the WiiM as a laptop/desktop DAC or as an output to USB DAC.
I’m assuming this was due to wanting to keep the power and heat low as well as cost.
The big problem is that the processing upgrade over the WiiM Mini doesn’t really seem to offer anything in the way of performance, so unless you must have digital input, coaxial output and a wired LAN, then save the money and buy a Mini.