This thing directly hits the "features at a wife won't kill me price point" target. Pair it with a decent amp and speakers and you can be set for around a grand or so.

@ThatGuyWithTheBeard

21 күн бұрын

PINNED - That was perfect!

@leecooper8589

20 күн бұрын

When she saw one of the teaser articles, before we knew the price, my Wife liked the design but most importantly she liked that it would "declutter" our living room. I'm fairly certain that she will consider the price to be well worth it for that feature alone.

You haven’t even heard the product and you are commenting on the sound? I don’t get it.

Why are you making a video about a product you haven’t even tested yet?

Wiim pro plus owner here and I looove it! I laugh when i think about people that waste money on sonos trash.

@ThatGuyWithTheBeard

21 күн бұрын

It really seems like people love the WiiM, I’ve never tried one but making me more excited to try this when it comes out.

@cgreenfield6655

21 күн бұрын

@@ThatGuyWithTheBeard You're gonna love it, Lenny!!

Come on guys! Its getting people into the hobby and its shaking up the industry!!!

It is simple. It is audiophile. It has digital out with no degradation. If you are audiophile you have a separate dac. If you are high end and care about measurents and care about what matters you avoid so called audiophile as plague. In reality it is a question of measurement vs the perception of quality.

Lenny, I love your enthusiasm. I have a Wiim Mini plugged into a Schiit DAC to a 1974 Marantz 2220b. I love the Wiim because the menu was easy for a 67 year old guy like me to set up. If I can do it, anybody can do it! LOL

@ThatGuyWithTheBeard

21 күн бұрын

Nice setup! Do you enjoy it?

@mikecampbell5856

21 күн бұрын

@@ThatGuyWithTheBeard Very much. I control it with an Echo Dot. I did a cosmetic restoration of my Marantz and it looks like a museum piece.

Until you’ve actually got one in front of you that you’ve properly reviewed this comparison is a bit of a nonsense and purely generating KZread content for the sake of it. It might be great, it might be terrible, at this stage nobody knows.

For me, streaming is not about sound quality, it's about convenience. Streaming is the "all you can eat buffet" of music. Part of this is that Apple Music is my service of choice, and all of the streamers are limited to air-play, unless you use an AppleTV, which is not easy to connect to a two channel system. I could pay more for Tidal, or Qobuz, but then I lose the integration with the Apple ecosystem. The Wiim Pro or Plus, at around $200 works for me. I can get 44.1Khz "CD Quality" if I use Apple Lossless audio, and that's fine. I am experimenting with an external SMSL DAC and that seems to be an improvement. But 99% of my listening from my two channel system comes from vinyl played off my SL-1200GR, and not from streaming. Most of my streaming by far is casual listening over Home pods or in the car.

@ThatGuyWithTheBeard

21 күн бұрын

Just realized this was also you Alan! I was gonna say I have my AirPods in right now 🤣. Thanks for all your comments and time spent getting involved with the group!

Is it me or is the audio coming out the left channel only? I have noticed on two different sources and with another video.

@kristophergurley585

21 күн бұрын

Same for me. Mono(left channel only)

@ThatGuyWithTheBeard

21 күн бұрын

Dang good catch not sure how it processed like that! Thanks for pointing it out!

Lenny, I would contend that the Cambridge MXN10/AXN10 are better units, pricewise, to compare the Ultra with. I did a couple of reviews on the MXN10 and it smoked the competition on sound quality and build quality. Sound is really all I care about. Another great video my friend.

@ThatGuyWithTheBeard

21 күн бұрын

Oh yeah the mxn is great! I prefer the screen on the cxn but you can’t got wrong with the mxn for half the price!

Great video …….. can I connect tru óptica to my smsl 300 ?

I bought a Wiim Amp on a (no pun intended) whim. Just to give you a sense of the gear I'm used to, I have a McIntosh MA352, Kinki ex m1+, Hegel H80, Parasound A21, Krell 400xi and a Forte 5 amp. I paired the Wiim with all sorts of "high end" speakers, a JBL4429, ProAc Tablette 10, Avalons, etc and frankly I came away very impressed with what this tiny amp is capable of. So much so, that I carted the speakers to another friend's house to test it with his Unison Research Max 1 speakers (which he had paired with a Michi X5 amp). It sounded ridiculously good with these high sensitivity speakers. I so wish we had gear of this quality at this price point when I was in school/college. The 5 band EQ is worth the price of admission alone. I've been recommending the Wiim amp to everyone, though to really get the best out of it, you need to EQ to suite your taste/room.

@ThatGuyWithTheBeard

21 күн бұрын

Great review! WiiM on a Whim 🤣🤣

@mehome-ty4yi

21 күн бұрын

Firmware update yesterday. 5 band EQ is now 10 band.

I have the Wiim pro for almost a year now. I definitely like it.

@ThatGuyWithTheBeard

21 күн бұрын

Nice! What’s the best thing about it?

Definitely gonna be a fun one

I've had several WiiM products and always found them a little lacking in the SQ dept. Their software on the other hand is awesome. Recently I built my own streamer from parts by Ian Canada and a Raspberry Pi, I'll absolutely never go back. The sound coming from the unit into a Denafrips DAC is the best I've heard. Of course, there is always "better" but, I have other expensive hobbies.

@ThatGuyWithTheBeard

21 күн бұрын

Oooh I didn’t even talk about the software! Please share, I’ve never used it.

@Alamo-cz5xc

21 күн бұрын

@@ThatGuyWithTheBeard it's very user friendly. Bass mgt, PEQ, it supports every streaming service you can think of plus internet radio. Overall just very polished. Their update/upgrade schedule is insane, they do listen to their customers.

If you have a decent DAC Wiim pro with digital out at $149 is the best deal. Add external LPS and sounds as good as Eversolo and Bluesound. Maybe Wiim ultra with USB out and all extra functions could make better sounds than it will be the winner.

I haven't heard the Wiim but I do own a couple of Chifi dacs One is the SMSL Su8 ...great for $399 aud and the Topping D90Es. Pretty expensive at now 1400 of our weak Australian dollars. I also have a PS audio Nuwave plus Stellar Gain Cell Dac. So I have a few to compare and they all do the job well. I use mostly Jbl and Altec studio monitors to compare things via good amps like Accuphase and Luxman. Sure there are better dacs out there but it's all relevant to the person's budget. I've hear Dac systems upto $130000 at hifi shows and a mate has a $40000 dac. Yeah is better for certain but I still enjoy my stuff. I also run good cd players like the Yamaha Cd s 2000. I play cds and sometimes files from my computer to a Rotel RC 1590 pre with a good AKM dac. It's just as much about the power supply and analog stage post the dac as you guys know. And the recording matters just as much probably more. Some cds and streams are simply compressed no matter your system etc. Too many options out there.

Be interesting to explore if you pair it with a higher end DAC, what the results would be. Would the signal be so degraded that there would be no improvement, or would it have no negative impact on passing the signal along and you would get great sound for the money.

@ThatGuyWithTheBeard

21 күн бұрын

A great idea for sure

I’m confused, do I need a streamer if I listen to music off my fire stick then use an optical cable from my tv to my amp? Would a streamer provide higher resolution?

@alanross99

21 күн бұрын

Your fire stick is a streamer for your TV with the HDMI output. Your setup requires you to have the TV on to listen to music. With a standalone streamer, it's typically the resolution of the stream and the quality of the DAC have the biggest effect on sound quality for streamers. Sounds like you are using the DAC in your AMP, so I am not sure if switching to one of the other streamers would make big difference in sound quality, but it would certainly be more convenient, and more direct. The resolution of the stream can also limited by how the stream is acquired. Does the Firestick/Streamer pull the stream directly from the internet (for Amazon music for example), or are you pulling the stream from your phone and streaming it again to the fire stick.

Hi Lenny. Started with a Wiim pro for my first streamer. Months later to a Node X. Wiim pro is in my secondary system, mostly vintage gear. Sure as one spends more you hope for better build quality. For the money Wiim is pretty darn good. Keep the videos coming.

There is an interesting dynamic going on in your channel. On the one hand, many of your followers (like me) have vintage HIFI that came from the time when brands like Pioneer, Kenwood, Sansui, Sony etc were NOT considered audiophile equipment. The vintage equipment we have is probably something we purchased 40+ years ago and cost well under $1,000. Fast forward to today, and vintage equipment now has price tags in the $5K-$10K range or more. Seeing a SX-1980 for $15K is pretty eye opening. But that's today's market and it fits the modern hi-end equipment (like the Accuphase, Luxman, etc), and I get it. Listening to the guys over at SkyLab Audio talk about the realities of running a vintage hifi shop gives me a new insight to why vintage audio is so expensive today. The current range of Chinese manufacturer "hifi" gear from companies like Wiim, SMSL, Fosi Audio, etc are all the rage because of the crazy VALUE they provide. I think that is attractive to the segment of your followers who purchased vintage hifi in the 1970's/1980's and kept it all this time. Same with the idea of using a cheap CD player with a nice DAC. It works, it's cheap and that's attractive to a group of your followers. That said, you also have customers who are buying high end expensive equipment today, and to them, the Wiim is a plastic toy. So I think this is going to be one of those topics where you can't please ALL of your followers. Poor Tom is stuck in the middle here - he is selling equipment at today's prices in today's market, and the Wiim is a "toy" in that market. At the same time, you have a bunch of viewers who love Randy over at the CheapAudioMan and think the Wiim is the best value in "hifi" today. Tom is doing his best to play middle of the road here - which is a good thing. I love both of your channels, and I really want to make it out to your shop one day.

@ThatGuyWithTheBeard

21 күн бұрын

Alan what a great synopsis! I read every word of it!

@phen277

20 күн бұрын

Use of a decent DAC is key to what you're saying. I only recently gave up using my 30-year old Technics A/V receiver because I was able to squeeze more use/life out of it due to using good DAC's with it (it had no digital inputs- purely analog).

Great content and explanation of the products. I'm sure the Wiim Pro or ultra would be just fine for me since I use my phone through my vintage pioneer. I only stream for convenience if I'm cleaning just to have background music. Obviously my critical listening is through my turntable and or reel to reel. I'm also a little hesitant to dive into the streaming market since technology changes so fast.

@ThatGuyWithTheBeard

21 күн бұрын

You make some great points! This would be perfect for a vintage receiver! Which one do you have?

@edwardcowburn2632

21 күн бұрын

@@ThatGuyWithTheBeard Pioneer SX 850 with Carver Poweramp and Klipsch Pro series speakers. The pioneer is so much more clean and musical then The Kenwood KR 9600 I previously had.

I preordered one a few days ago. I hope it comes out soon

@ThatGuyWithTheBeard

21 күн бұрын

I wanna get one too, gotta try it

Its unfortunate that this product is already being judges and put in the box of "fun-fi" even though you have yet to properly review and A/B the product against others in its price category. But if your goal was clicks and comments, then I guess mission accomplished?

@WeeWeeJumbo

17 күн бұрын

are you angry about something

@mocomike01

17 күн бұрын

@@WeeWeeJumbo nope. Why? Am I not allowed to express my opinion on a KZread video I watched. Seems to me like maybe, just maybe my opinion triggered a feeling in you 🤔

IMO, i personally think that a Wiim (all of them) streamer sounds best with a really good dac. That's what i personally would do iff i was still searching for a streamer. As i own a cxn V2, the difference in sound with the internal dac with my Accuphase dp57 was a huge difference in sound. Less harsh and way more precise.

Wiim rules for the price. Hi fi Rose is clearly not 10x better….not even 2x better.

Dude, you're 100% correct. You can't compare the sound quality from a Cambridge or Hi-Fi Rose with the Wiim, which is an inexpensive toy.

The DAC in the Wiim Pro Plus is as good as any external DAC under $300. My vintage receiver has never sounded better.

@WeeWeeJumbo

17 күн бұрын

how many ~$300 DACs have you heard

Sorry Lenny...I'm longwinded and I can't help it. First things first...I don't have experience with real hi-fi. I'm 40. I live in SE MN outside of Rochester and we don't have any audio shops around...we have a few record stores, but nothing much. I have to drive 100+ miles one way to get to any places that would have any of those other brands. Otherwise it's online. I have a Wiim Pro that I bought last year. I connected that to my most expensive 2-ch piece which is an Arcam SA20 that I got half off on sale last year. I figured $880 was decent for brand new. That stuff runs out to a pair of Emotiva T-Zero+. For as much of a budget setup as it is, I have to say, I REALLY like how it sounds. I can't really imagine better stuff out there even though I'm sure there is. I will be moving that Wiim Pro upstairs and will replace it with a Wiim Ultra. If I had a way to demo things at home (try before you buy) or something, I may consider more expensive pieces, but I just don't have that option. I grew up in the Twin Cities and as a teen I went with my mom to a stereo shop and auditioned speakers after talking to the sales people. They sold me B&W DM 602 S2's....still have them. I spent $600 plus tax on them...bought a Sony STR-DE935 AVR to go with them...later added cheap center and surrounds from Sony...eventually bought used matching B&W (601's and CC6)...for years that was my 5.1 setup (various subs over the years)....it was good enough. Fun fact...I spent over $1200 on that first setup in 1999/2000 and I spent $300 on my first car in 2001. Priorities, right? I hope that someday I can make it out your way and stop in the shop. I also hope to actually listen to some higher end things, but I'm cheap so it doesn't mean I'll spend the money on it. I can't complain at all about the current setup though. I just need to add a sub to get a little more bass out of the setup. Your Leak video has me very interested in the 150's and 250's. I would love to hear those...also want to hear some KLH Model 3 and 5. Through my home theater setup, the Accuphase and Mofi Sourcepoint sounded so good, but well out of my budget. I can't hear what they truly sound like, but I can distinguish when something is more open or clear or has more depth to it and that setup you mixed compared to the A-S3200 was absolutely beautiful. I would probably be happy with most anything you offer in those rooms though. I just found a pair of DCM CX-17's and a Pioneer SX-440 that I bought and am waiting to receive...hoping they're in good shape and work correctly.

@Mike.Macmyazka

21 күн бұрын

Oh and for a long time I didn't know that there were big differences between AVR's and stereo receivers/integrated amps (in terms of how different/good they can sound for specific uses). I just wasn't well versed in things. I imagine if I had bought some sort of stereo receiver or integrated amp for the B&W's, it would have been even better, but I was wanting to have home theater in my bedroom...coolest nerd in the neighborhood. I enjoyed music through my Sony and B&W mix still...just thinking back, I know it could have been better.

@ThatGuyWithTheBeard

21 күн бұрын

Mike, thanks for sharing your thoughts on the WiiM! Very good stuff! Love the context!

I'd stick with the mini or WIIM pro and a external DAC. I think the screens on streamers are basically useless. With my eyes there is not much point in having a 3.5" screen accross the room.

@ThatGuyWithTheBeard

21 күн бұрын

I get that, a really valid point

I use a Wimm Pro Plus with a J2 DAC. I still come in under the price of a Node. It's my dipping my toe into streaming moment. The Cambridge has caught my eye, and would probably be as high in streaming food chain, that I'm willing to go. Does the Cambridge folks keep up with software upgrades and fixes like the Wiim folks do? I seen a screen shot of the Cambridge software and to be honest, it kind of looks similar to the Wiims software. Great debate.

@ThatGuyWithTheBeard

21 күн бұрын

Great question on updates, they seem to keep up pretty regularly. Interesting on similarities of the software too! Thanks Jim

@ThatGuyWithTheBeard

21 күн бұрын

Nice DAC by the way, that’s what I have too!

@jkim4712

20 күн бұрын

I doubt Cambridge sounds any better than LPS WiiM pro with around $1K DAC. Also WiiM has 10 bands PEQ that can helps a lot for room problems

Any indication of release date ?

@kacperkaps8591

16 күн бұрын

3rd quarter of 2024 probably (in EU)

@bozzhughes6101

13 күн бұрын

crutchfield says july 5th

If neither of you guys critically compared the actual sound between this wiim against others, then you are guessing! Don't do that guys! That's worthless... I expected better!

@ThatGuyWithTheBeard

21 күн бұрын

It’s not out yet so can’t really talk about sound just theory’s

@jukingeo

21 күн бұрын

Yes, I have to agree. I would like to see some quantitive testing and proof to see how much better the more expensive units sound. Will the Rose unit sound Five times better than the Eversolo? Heck, I doubt it will even sound twice as good. Really, I want to know how much better are these overpriced 4 figure units. My guess, and it is just a guess, that for 90% of most Wi-Fi needs, the Wiim will probably be more than enough.

@scottbennett3119

21 күн бұрын

@@jukingeo possibly.

@niklasschmidt

18 күн бұрын

​@@jukingeo. There are. Of prior generations. The pro is fairing well.

I wouldn't consider the Eversolo "budget". At about $1200, that's pretty expensive to me. Yes, I know one will bring up that streamer / dacs can run into the $1000's, such as the Rose unit which goes for $5k+. To me, that is now trolling and it is ridiculous to believe that unit seriously outperforms something in the $1000 range or even less. When I seriously, I mean that for 5k, that Rose unit better sound FIVE TIMES better than the Eversolo, and I can probably say that it does not. The Law of Diminishing Returns comes into play big time in hi-fi audio and I find it worst with speakers and these little streamer boxes. Most of these high end companies think they are " all that" and that if they have slightly marginally better performance, that gives them the cue to charge an arm and a leg for it. I'm sorry, but I am not buying it, both metamorphically and literally. I have to tip my hat to Wiim for producing a quality product that introduces a good quality product for the price. Again, one might say, "Well, the Rose unit is a higher quality build and will last longer than the Wiim". Okay, my answer would be, "Show me a Rose unit that is still working that is 20 years old". Can you do that? Also, say in 5 years time it does break? Where do you go to have it fixed? In the case of the Wiim, if it breaks, and worst case I can't get it fixed, the loss is only $300 not $5k. I rest my case. Chose wisely and don't feed the trolls!

Nothing better for the price

@ThatGuyWithTheBeard

21 күн бұрын

Great!

I think the WiiM Ultra is going to disrupt the streaming world just like all the prior versions have. I do think they would be better staying in just the "streaming lane" with just providing a streamer only and then allowing you to use your own dac and amplifier instead of trying to provide everything but i understand they are trying to get it out into the most hands possible. My biggest question is how smooth everything is going to work with the touch screen that is going to be what makes or breaks it over its sound quality.

@ThatGuyWithTheBeard

19 күн бұрын

You know I’m gonna hook that right up to the J2

I think you’re wrong in saying the Wiim is not hifi. The remote is plastic but just fine. It works! My mini and pro are connected to my external dacs so the Wiims internal dacs are irrelevant. The dacs in turn are connected to my Rogue integrated and McIntosh preamps. In other words, the WiiM is just a digital transport. The music sounds fantastic. It is absolutely hifi. The WiiM is a disruptor. They are plastic. They cost almost nothing. I think you guys are gasping at straws.

@ThatGuyWithTheBeard

21 күн бұрын

Love it Steve! Thanks for sharing, great input!

I'm in Australia and could pre-order an Ultra for A$540. Eversolo DMP A6 is A$1,400 here. Given I already run a couple of WiiM Pros in a couple of systems in my house with great success (using external DACs) then the Ultra for a stereo used by the family, its ease of use functionality, likely to free up a mid priced DAC currently there to go someone else and also the coming room correction - it is a no brainer for me. Does the Eversolo do more, sure it does. Does it do three time more or three times better. Not for me. And the new Cambridge CXN 100 is lovely, but again it is so many more times the price I can't see the value. When one comes pre loved at 60% RRP though I'll probably grab one.

I have a node 2i, I have a old ipad, bought a cheap stand for it. I leave the ipad plugin, screen sent to on. Put the ipad stand ontop of the node 2i with the bluos app on. I still use my iphone to open the app, but I do have the bigger ipad screen to see what is playing. Also have mapped my yamaha remote to the node, and one button I'm back to the optical input screen. Simple cheap effective. I really am interested in seeing the album art and info, but not staring at my phone all the time. Nor am I going to get up from listening position to change my muisc.

@CarlVanDoren61

21 күн бұрын

Yes, Android user friendly w Node N130

Id be willing to bet in a blind test they can not tell the difference in Wiim mini and the hifirose going into the same DAC.

Most people don't give a shit about ultra high res dac's etc, they just want to listen to music and do other fun stuff.

Pure sound that will last a long time is called a turntable and a vinyl record.

The form factor is right for modern music lovers and most Wiim customers (IMO) aren't concerned about the kind of longevity you guys are concerned with. Some of your receivers are 50 years old - again, my assumption based on the faceplates - and we are talking about a product that I expect Wiim to supercede /. upgrade within 2 years. As always, just my two cents worth.

As a HiFi Rose 250A owner, I can confirm and validate Tom's remarks. 👍

@ThatGuyWithTheBeard

7 күн бұрын

Very nice! Thanks for sharing!

My $40 ROKU sounds amazing believe it or not threw the tv into the stereo

@ThatGuyWithTheBeard

21 күн бұрын

Love my Roku!

@jkim4712

20 күн бұрын

Digital out on WiiM pro sounded better than digital out on Roku ultra when I tested.

@user-fo9cr1yl8q

18 күн бұрын

Can you get any better for $40

BluOS is the best 👌 forget the rest 😊 Time stamp smoke roll from UR ears?

@ThatGuyWithTheBeard

21 күн бұрын

Nice! BluOS is nice!

I'm curios why know reviewer ever mentions an Apple TV box as a streamer? It was a definite upgrade for me that using blue tooth with my phone years ago. And I wonder how its sound compares to the streamers you mentioed?

@paulv22

19 күн бұрын

The big problem with the Apple TV is getting audio out of it and to an amp is a pain if you have no HDMI in your amp.

@ThatGuyWithTheBeard

19 күн бұрын

Never used an Apple TV myself

@EastSide_Motel

17 күн бұрын

Interesting point, to do that would you use the Apple TVs in built music apps like Spotify, tidal etc or use AirPlay and choose the Apple TV box as out put ?

Lets hear A/B with NodeX woth Power Supply upgrade China Fi??????

@ThatGuyWithTheBeard

19 күн бұрын

We called it Fun-Fi instead of Chi-Fi sounds better right?

@thetrumanshow4791

7 күн бұрын

@@ThatGuyWithTheBeard Respectfully, I disagree. Fun-Fi sounds like a great term to use for any "non high fidelity" product. However, deliberately choosing not to use the term "Chi-Fi", sounds like someone who is trying to tip-toe around someone's woke mental illness.

wiim is a established streamer brand ,more so then the other brands you named

@ThatGuyWithTheBeard

21 күн бұрын

Interesting thought, thanks for sharing!

@paulgood2218

21 күн бұрын

@@ThatGuyWithTheBeard granted some the others are more established names because they made there name with other equipment. But when it comes to being a established streamer brand. Even the casual listener mostly knows wiim for streaming .

people get ALL THE WAY IN THEIR FEELINGS over this stuff hahaha

I have tried a couple streamers and find them to be a bit fiddly(if thats a word).I have a vintage system and a modern system which in my opinion both sound good. That being said I listen mainly to vinyl or CD. For casual listening, I hook my laptop up to a decent Dac and listen to internet radio etc. I think that sounds Okay. So for now, I'm going to stay away from streamers.

@ThatGuyWithTheBeard

20 күн бұрын

Great input! I can start using the word Fiddly haha

I know I don't have to watch them but it is dissappointing to see so many so called self appointed reviewers who equate sound quality with price when there is no correlation whatsoever. Without measurements most of what they say is pure bunkum. Ignore them.

"It's fun-fi, not hi-fi".....what pretentious BS based on nothing but personal opinion. Who are you to make a statement like that? Useless! (and I don't even own a WiiM pro or ultra)

Also if i said it once I will say it again No Alexa NO AI running anywhere in my system or my house. Too much going on with Privacy issues - i see Cloudy Days ahead

@ThatGuyWithTheBeard

19 күн бұрын

You’re telling me

You guys are kinda going pretentious, i get it, you were knocked for not being discerning enough, now you are overcompensating going the other way. Its pretty obvious.

Not even on their website, you must be special.

Fun-fi not Hi-fi?? You are absolutely wrong. Wiim Pro Plus sound quality is better than any Bluesound Node before Node X. Do you consider BS Node streamer being a Hi-Fi I wonder?

Well, Rose is expensive so it’s good… Wimm is cheap.. Soh it’s shit…

GIANT KILLER? NO. DWARF KILLER? YES! WALLET-SPIKER DISNEYLAND...FIRST CLASSIFIED @ VALUE-FOR-MONEY CHAMPIONSHIP!

I run the OG Wiim Pro feeding my new Denafrips Ares 12-1 DAC and its AMAZING 🥲

Well, Rose is expensive so it’s good… Wimm is cheap.. Soh it’s shit…