Yesterday I saw pics of the soon to be released WiiM Mini Pro streamer in a popular music forums hardware section. It’s got ethernet in, RCA SPDIF out and more horsepower in a square box for about $150. Looks pretty good. I just might give one a go and see if it beats my AppleTV.
If it supported Roon this time I would get one
I don’t think it will support Roon.
It has a Quadcore CPU instead of dual core and 512MB DRAM/flash instead of 128MB DRAM/flash compared to the Mini. The application software will be same except for the support of Chromecast audio and additional interfaces. It’ll share the same code base and WiiM Home app as the Mini. And come with a remote that will work with the original Mini.
While it may not support Roon on release, it was included in a published list of features in parentheses, so it looks on the cards.
Also can wait to try this one out with my new Cambridge axr100 . Will enjoyA-B ing it with my Atom, but gonna feel kind of silly if I like it better!
Hello there!
What does additional “support of Chromecast Audio” mean?
I just got my WiiM mini as a replacement for my Chromecast Audio. I mostly use it for streaming Spotify over Spotify connect as well as sometimes over Bluetooth to watch the news. What extra functionality would the Pro bring, I dont get it. Like watching Netflix on a Tablet and streaming the audio in sync to the Pro?
Plus, did they mention anything about the Bluetooth functionality? If they decide to go with AptX, I would definetly get the Pro over the “normal” one!
It means it’s also shows up a Chromecast device to play to. Chromecast is for audio as well as video and unlike AirPlay supports hires.
I will get this for sure, I use the mini and the toslink output into my 272 to add Airplay 2 and Tidal Connect functionality and it works and sounds great.
nope. (well i didnt when I tried it years ago)
I use roon now, through a variety of devices. For me, dacs make a difference, the bits reaching the dac, not to my ears.
Agree, the Wiim is a cheap device, and in the tests and measurements that have been done on it in great detail that are available on the internet, the analog output of the device is mediocre. The digital out is bit perfect so the results are very good using the 272’s dac… If you are just using it to send bits to a DAC you can get great results, if the bit stream is the same, I don’t think there is any difference. I have compared tidal with the internal streamer on the 272 and the Wiim and I can not hear a quality degradation between one or the other.
Pro version likely has a better quality analog out and internal DAC, more memory and features. When you are using the TOSLINK you are not using the cheap internal DAC or compromised analog out… It’s just a stream of bits… if you are presenting the same bit-perfect stream of data to a DAC there is not going to be any difference in sound quality regardless of how fancy a case something maybe in… I would doubt overall the PRO is going to be remarkable from the analog out either as the DAC would have to be pretty cheap to hit that price point.
I will qualify that for my main system I have a modified pc with specialist usb card with its own linear power supply etc etc. however I have taken the time to slam a raspberry pi into the same dac into the same hifi, and when all is said and done I am not confident there is a difference.
The fancy power supply etc remains, because I am at heart an audiophile. I know though that at gun point even I would not tell the difference.
If you hear a difference for the streaming bits or heaven forbid for the ‘rip’ then well done or condolences what ever is most relevant.
I have listened to that… Think Antipodes Audio is selling a lot of hocus pocus with the re-clocking mumbo-jumbo. I can’t hear the difference, would try again but think the results are likely the same for any kind of synchronous source like toslink or S/PDIF…
Show us some concrete evidence then please that this all makes a difference rather than make your of the cuff remarks. I listend to the podcast to and was unconvinced by his argument as is the norm in this high end game. They all talk the tech about the ways they are trying to exorcise the demons without any real tangible evidence the demons where there to start with or there deivce it fixed a thing if they where. You just have to trust your ears. That leads back to the anser btaney made, which according to you isnt good enough so why should the other side of that coin be any better.
not everyone has the budget for a naim streamer. I have a zen mini that has proved great into a dac v1. I could buy an older naim streamer secondhand but the technology would be older. The wiim I’m sure isn’t as good but it’s a tiny amount of money by comparison. Apart from a more limited budget I’m also loathe to spend thousands on equipment that goes out of date in a few years. The new wiim/bluesound/sonos connect may not be as good as a naim product but still provide enjoyment!
Because naim amplification is great and I got an original uniti at a good price! Why you so uppity? Presumably we all have to fall in line behind you?
Into a DAC into a HIFI I cannot reliably tell the difference between various streamers. I just don’t sweat it as a result. I do hear the difference between other components, of those components, not switches of course, that would be stupid.
You listen with your ears, that is the only evidence… I agree, my knowledge of packet networks, how dsp’s work made me very skeptical of his arguments. That coupled with the fact it to me is inaudible tells me all I need to know to make a decision.
Please excuse me if this is a silly question… but is it possible to have a wired connection to a hard drive or usb stick with this and be able to select tracks using the app?
Can you buy a toslink adaptor then? 272 only has coax/phono/optical in for digital inputs? Which input do you use? Thanks