PS. I see that Innuos have brought a new unit, below the Zen Mini, which seems similar in functionality to the WiiM Pro - ? Called the Innuos Pulse at c. GP£900.
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I had a Wiim Mini for a few weeks while my ND5XS had a trip to Salisbury.
I didn’t use the onboard DAC, but used digital out to my Qutest as I do with the ND5XS. Sound quality was acceptable but not in the same league as Naim. I also found the app response very sluggish.
Review of WiiM Pro, from YouTube -
A nd5xs2 is what people really want and it’s worth the money. All these small quick cheap devices are just patches and landfill in a year.
Consider the environment and buy less but better like Naims product offerings.
Amen
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Fully agree that a NAIM DAC/streamer of any sort will sound better.
However while the latest Streamers provide support for Qobuz, Tidal, Roon, Chromecast and Airplay anyone who has an older product like a NDS, NDX or a NAC272 - still able to produce a great sound, but functionally limited, products like the WiiM Pro is a cheap stopgap to provie additional functions.
Yes there are more expensive options - which I am sure will provide better sound quality. However even these more expensve alternatives are missing Amazon HD support.
In my case I am happy with my NDX2+555DR streamer combination - but I wanted my 2nd NDX system, and Superuniti to also access Qubuz - not for critical listening, and the WiiM Pro give a very cost effective solution
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For some people, that’s the key - and would allow an older streaming product to ‘updated’.
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I think that you can stream Qobuz to gen1 streamers via the multiroom feature since you have a ndx2 already.
When spending that sort of money I’d expect to get a screen, and I suspect I’m not the only one.
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Does it sound better than the MConnectHD app on an iPad which is almost free?
Yeah, I think those complaining about sound quality are missing the point to a degree - use the WiiM Pro as a transport feeding a bit perfect stream over digital into a competent DAC or amp of choice, that’s where the sound quality will come from. I think many, if not most people purchase a WiiM device for access to services that their current kit doesn’t or won’t support in the near future. If your current kit doesn’t support say Amazon Music HD, Airplay 2, ChromeCast or isn’t Roon Ready for example, then you can add all that and more for a low price and still enjoy the “sound quality” your current kit provides (within the limits of the services mentioned).
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You are mirroring my thought quite well. I was looking at a WiiM as a get-me-going-with-streaming option, as Naim options are either too expensive or use the older Naim platform.
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I got my WiiM so I could stream bit perfect Amazon Music HD up to 24/192 either from the WiiM app or casting from the Amazon Music app - no other streamer on the market can do the latter at any price, and not many support the former service at all. I’d also say that many if not most WiiM users use its digital output(s) to an external DAC so the ‘sound quality’ of the WiiM’s own DAC is rather moot - it’s not being used.
Also, and I hate to have to say it, if it were in a metal box and cost ten times more, perhaps some would like it more even though its performance wouldn’t change…
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As of last week, firmware was released to make the WiiM Pro Roon Ready following its recent certification by Roon. Plus it’ll be reduced by 20% in price in the upcoming Amazon Prime Day sales…
Yeah, I have and it doesn’t compare when using its internal DAC, but if you read my other posts, I and many users use the WiiM Pro bit perfect over digital into a better DAC/Amp so the WiiM’s “sound quality” doesn’t come into it.
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As has been said by other people, feeding the ‘bit perfect’ output from the WiiP into a NAIM DAC of any type offers the ability to stream Amazon HD and YouTube Music - and now it can act as a roon endpoint. I also changed the 5V wall plug power supply to an iFi version and it seemed to improve the sound somewhat.
From my point of view it was a cheap functional upgrade to my NDX. Is the sound quality as good as Tdal native on the the NDX - no - but it’s not far off.
Is Qobuz hires via the WiiM better than Tidal native - yes it is (I dont have MConnect so I cant compaire vs that solution)
I did check if it was possible to stream Qobus to the NDX via the NDX2 - but thats not possible
How does Amazon HD and YouTube Music sound - excelent - does MConnect offer this capability - from what I have read - the annwer is no.
Based on this the WiiM is a great, cheap ‘band aid’
With Tidal now moving to HiRes Flack, will no dobt resolve some of the gaps in older Naim streamer (assumig that an NDX wil lbe able to decode Tidal HiRes flac) - but there is still not a good solution for Amazon HD even with the new Naim Streamer or come that most other streamers out there. I aware that Audiolab and Bluesound state that they offer Amazon HD streaming, but as I understand the implementaton on both these platforms is not as seamless as it is implemented on the WiiM.
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The implementations on most platforms rely on Amazon’s older API as explained by Naim themselves in the “Amazon HD Streaming Issues” thread in this forum, and while they do support Amazon Music up to 24/192, they aren’t as feature rich as the Amazon Music app itself.
WiiM are the /only/ third party (at any price point) which uses the preferred MRM API stack (again as explained in that thread) which allows bit perfect casting from the Amazon Music app. Bluesound steadfastly refuse to use that alternative API, and I guess Naim, like other vendors, are still struggling to engage with Amazon on the use of the MRM API.
I use one for airplay when using a iPad watching YouTube and listening with headphones. I power it via an uptone audio JS-2 linear power supply into a luxman d-10x. Impressed is an understatement. Now with it being a roon endpoint, It gives my Innuos a good run for the money.
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I did compare the Wiim Pro with a legacy Naim streamer. My setup is Wiim into SuperUniti by Toslink, I do not use the Wiim’s DAC. My result (in my room, my ears, my (Harbeth) speakers) is pretty straightforward. Streams from a local storage (in my case a UnitiServe) and from Tidal are definitively better using the SuperUniti’s streaming chip. It is crtainly not heaven and hell, but the soundstage is wider, dynamic range seems to be better. Heights are brighter. For example hi-hats sound more like hi-hats if you know what I mean… and all this with a >10years old streaming/amp technology.
Means for local music and Tidal I would not use the Wiim. BUT: it offers hi-res internet radio, and comparing these to the ones the SU can digest (all MP3 with max 320kb) is equally easy. So the little over €100 spend is justified.
What I’d also suggest Naim to do is have a look at the Tidal integration in the Wiim-app: so much better than in the Naim-app.
I also compared my setup to a Supernait/ND5XS2 combo, and this is indeed a much better package. But it would mean early retirement for my SU, plus an investment I need to convince the Mrs of.
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