Can’t wait to see how Sonos in particular reacts; several YTers have been rumour mongering for months now that 2024 is likely to see some major upgraded / new models.
I love my Wiim amp. The folks at Wiim are very responsive to suggestions. And, are constantly working to improve things. I can’t wait for what they come up with next!
I have loved seeing fully featured release notes and updates for both the unit and the app. So rarely have I seen a product continue to improve post purchase at the speed and consistency as the WiiM amp. Also fully agree the convenience factor of all the different streaming protocols has been revolutionary 🥰
I got mine last week. Had an issue second day, support answered in 6 hours and rolled me to a previous version which fixed the issue. If they keep at it, this will be a success for sure!
I recommended the wiim amp to a friend just starting out looking at a $1000 system. We paired it with the Klipsch RM 50's. Very pleased with the results.
From the very happy owner of a WiiM amp. It’s been my daily driver system for about two months now. Only listen to the big rig when I have company over. My setup is the WiiM paired with refurbished 40 year old Baby Advents, and a subwoofer from my discarded/retired Bose Lifestyle 28. All connects to an android TV. I removed the Bose amp and tossed it, installed a 60watt plate amplifier. I really liked the WiiM with the Baby Advents, I freaking love this rig with the subwoofer added. It kicks like a Clydesdale. I stream Tidal, Spotify and RUclips high resolution audio. The benefit of the subwoofer is clean crisp bass which I limited the lows to 40 mhz. I could go lower.🎉❤. The Advents didn’t go below 60mhz.
I have the WiiM amp in my study. I'm completely satisfied with it. It's so easy to stream various apps from my iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Starting a stream also starts the WiiM and when the album is over, the WiiM shuts off--I don't have to get up to turn the WiiM on or off.
I think this opens up the doors for a lot of people at this price point, get this and some nice second hand speakers and you are in business for not a lot of money. I can’t see that anyone would be disappointed with what this unit has to offer. It punches well above its weight!
The Wiim amp has beaten my initial expectations. I love it. The folks at Wiim are great too. I look forward to the next iteration of the Wiim Amp. I bet it will be fantastic.
I have had a pair of Bowers & Wilkins bookshelf speakers for the past 20 years (always connected to cheap/low quality amplifier). I just connected them to my new WiiM AMP and I am totally blown away. I am streaming Apple music to the WiiM AMP and the sound quality is way beyond my expectations. I was considering upgrading my speakers, but so far the results with the WiiM AMP are so outstanding I don't think I need to.
For my living room where my wife couldn't stand a large system, I went with a Bluesound Powernode, I got it for $499 on a deal from BH Photo. I also borrowed a Wiim Amp from a friends garage system and A/Bed it. The Bluesound was a noticeable upgrade, but for 700 extra dollars retail, and 200 extra on sale it should be. They drove my KEF R3 Meta bookshelfs like a boss, the Wiim felt a little muddier bass, and the soundstage wasnt as good. Worth the extra money to me, but I'm not very price sensitive though I do love a good deal. What I really want is to stick a NAD M33 in that room, but the wife won't cosign that 😂.
When your review came out I had just got an SMSL A300. I was to return and get WiiM AMP in January. All I can say is WOW. For the price Wiim knocked it out of the park. Even have my record player connected and it totally rocks. I love how small it is and how well everything works. Software is excellent. Now I know I'm dreaming but WiimM please make a 5.1 or 7.2 AV Receiver/ AMP.
I propose a comparison between the Wiim Amp, which costs 369 euros, and the combination of the SMSL AO300 and Wiim Mini, totaling 367 euros (260€ for the SMSL AO300 and 107€ for the Wiim Mini).
I have a WiiM Pro + and it is the best money I have spent since 1996 on audio gear. I wish the WiiM Amp had been out at the time I purchased my WiiM Pro+ even though I was not looking for an amp at the time. At the price point is a no brainer. That said I am so totally happy with it. I have used it with gear from 1979 to about 1996 and it is a welcome addition to my hifi needs! I thought the WiiM Pro + was a steal when I got it.
I got the WIIM AMP combined with the Triangle BOREA BR03, which has a sensitivity of 90db. It sounds awfully good for the money and in my living room that is fairly small, there's really no need for a subwoofer (also the building is built in the 70s, so a subwoofer would probably have me evicted anyways). I needed both the streaming capabilites and the HDMI ARC in, so it was kind of a no-brainer for a budget HiFi system. Cheers Mr. Darko, thanks for another cool video!
Paired the WIIM Amp with Elac Solano bookshelfs as a desk setup. This setup absolutely rocks! Some reviewers (not John)seem to insist this amp needs to perform in a large room at over 90 decibels to live up to the hype which is just bollocks but they want to be contrarian for views.
It’s amazing we live in a time where you can get an incredibly good hi-fi set up for under $1000. But as a guy that buys used equipment I can tell you my $2500 set up with an old rotel amplifier some LRS plus speakers and a smoking dac with a lot of settings I’m happy. As an older audio file it’s amazing what technology has done. I really enjoy your reviews. You have a rational and entertaining way of explaining this.
I am considering the WiiM Amp but I already have the WiiM Pro Plus, so also considering a Fosi ZA3 Amp about $149 US depending. It has a little more power than the WiiM amp and seems by all reports well made, and yes this gets us over $300 total but still cheap for a streamer, a decent dac in the pro plus and a comparable amp to the WiiM Amp. I may go that route thoug i do like the 1 box solution of the WiiM amp.
And this video judges it purely on running it as a single system. The networking ability of the WIIM is amazing, just add a WIIM Pro, pro plus or WIIM Amp to any room and the whole building is streaming the same source from room to room seamlessly. Nobody does streaming like WIIM for the $$$.
Originally bought to go with my TV, the WiiM Amp unexpectedly has become my favourite squeezebox. LMS on a raspberry + iPeng a great combo with the WiiM amp.
My alternative to the WIIM amp plus speakers would be the WIIM Pro coaxed to the Vanatoo T1E Plus active speakers, having 2 x 100W amps to the "woofers" plus 2 x 20W to the tweeters and includes a sub-out terminal. The cost of that combo is USD800 presently.
It’s a great little package which would have been unthinkable 5 years ago. This is the kind of devices we need to bring new and younger audience to HIFI
My biggest problem with the wiim amp, is that it seems like everyone is valuing its streaming power over the actual quality of amplification being had. I think all of the wiim streamers are excellent value and very good all around products, but the amplifier section leaves much to be desired. A denon 670/660 for not very much more money, gives more power, room correction, and similar, although not the same streaming options. I feel like darko was way overvaluing streaming and connectivity options when reviewing an amplifier that would struggle to drive even moderately power hungry speakers to decent levels with any sort of dynamic music. For a desktop system and near field listening, I think the wiim amp is perfect, but for any other application, for a little more money, there are so many better options that still offer things like airplay, chromecast and Spotify/tidal connect. These range from entry level Cambridge audio integrated amplifiers with separate streamers, to a lot of entry level denon recievers.
There are a lot of (good) options available for amps built around the same chipset and at around $100, maybe less even. Fosi Audio V3, Aiyima a07 max are some of the most well regarded. If tweeked i'm sure they can sound even better. Smsl and sister companys also have some good options. If you wait for some sale season (there are several) you can get these even cheaper or other options may arise. Lets see what the upcoming wiim ultra brings to the table!
The outtakes are great - impressed you don’t potty mouth swear when that happens, when I screw up I sound like an old angry bloke down the pub who’s had a particularly bad day!
Amazing timing! I was just watching your review of the Wiim amp last night and almost pulled the trigger but was left with a few questions. You just answered all of them! But now you have me wondering what the new potential contender is. You tease! 😂
The WiiM AMP is based on TPA3255 amp chip. The same chip is in Fosi V3 @$89.99. But in V3 you can replace stock 32V psu with 48V and have much more power than WiiM AMP.
48V is close to the TPA3255's max DC voltage & long term reliability may suffer. Wiim knew this amp would be popular so the're being conservative. At 48V the power supply will also be much more expensive.
I tried a WiiM Pro + Fosi ZA3 vs WiiM Amp. Nearly equivalent price between the two setups. Decided that the ZA3 is overkill in the power section, and has WEIRD on/off 12v trigger behaviors. Also considered the OSD Audio XMP100, but the WiiM Amp setup is just so clean and tidy.
I really like the idea of the WIIM AMP. I already have a WIIM Mini for two years and I became kind of a Loxjie Fan in the last years, rocking their small D10 and A10, Dac and AMP with my WIIM. I just upgraded to their new A40 AMP and D40 DAC: The A40 AMP is 240€ in germany, has HDMI ARC, COAX and Optical in, as well as Phono and RCA inputs and a SUB out. Sadly no SUB Management. The Loxjie plus the WIIM Mini is 30€ more than the WIIM AMP. Maybe that would be a contender!
Ola! I'm intrigued by the Wiim Amp Pro + and am attracted to the streaming comprehensiveness too. It just seems like a fun audio device, fun being something that is missing in more serious streamers, dacs and amplifiers.
Spot on. HDMI + Sub out + Diverse streaming + compact, attractive packaging + price point = there is no competition. I'm running mine with some Elac Debut bookshelf speakers and an Elac sub. Great for streaming Tidal audio as well as Video with Apple TV and video panel. Really good budget combo for my secondary video/music setup in a smaller room. Perhaps the Wiim will energize the market, and maybe even some legacy AV amp manufacturers to re-think their offerings and offer a 2+1 system with less crap nobody uses any more plus better streaming in a smaller package at a great price.
The Wiim Pro Plus and the Fosi Audio ZA3 w/ 48v power supply is $348 combined. Also you can upgrade the OpAmps on the Fosi. But there is no HDMI, as on the Wiim Amp. But you can add a better DAC in future on the Pro or Pro Plus which you can't on the Wiim Amp. Really hard decision.
Olá! Damn I wished you would do more of these revisited Videos. Just a really great format especially in the landscape of all those initial reviewers that have to get their videos out of the door asap after or even before the official release! Also: I'm currently using the Wiim with a pair of Pro-Ject Speaker Box 5 (not the S2) - they're using the same Drivers and are A LOT cheaper than the S2s, take out the drivers, give them a rough scrubbing and throw some matte paint of your choice on there and you might get away with a 500 bucks pairing that looks and sounds wonderful! (excluding cables that is) thanks again for that great video!
I am currently using the Arylic BP50 - which is an HDMI ARC preamp that cost around $100. It also has a subwoofer output with built-in crossover. I have it paired with a pair of Swan OS10 powered speakers, but one could also use a power amp along with a set of passive speakers. It also has an optical output volume control, so one could also add their own DAC into the system for a further upgrade. I am not sure if this is a better sounding set up than the Wiim amp, I have not heard the Wiim, but it sounds pretty good to me and I like the flexibility of adding my own DAC and amplifier.
Bought a WIIM Amp month ago to replace an ancient Denon AVR2808 and REALLY happy with it. Funfact; PLEX integration is also coming soon to the WIIM streaming suite 🤩
I got a wiim amp just because its so cheap did not really have a use for it, but ultimately its replaced a pair of M2 meridians, A gustard dac and Node. Connected to pair of naim nSats and a rel sub.
Let me try this again. Thanks for the follow up, and thanks for not breaking the bank with this recommendation. Thanks to your entertaining and very thoughful reviews I own the Denafrips terminator dac, and more recently the Monitor Audio 100 7G in Heritage Green. They both sound very, very good, and I have zero regrets. Perspective is what's needed especially after all the slings, and arrows from the so called "experts."
Hey @darkoaudio and everyone else, I just purchased a pair of Dali Oberon 7 (6 ohms, 88.5db) for 750 EUR and a Marantz Cinema 70s (2 x 50w in 8 ohms, 70w in 6 ohms) for 800 EUR. I am mostly using this setup paired via hdmi with a TV for watching movies and concerts in 4K and for listening to music via Spotify Connect. I must admit that I don't have any plans to add any more speakers or a subwoofer in the future, so a stereo amplifier with HDMI connectivity made more sense for me. Extra channels or HDMI ports are rather useless for me in the future. This Wiim makes me wonder if it wouldn't be a better choice for my setup, all things considered, including the price difference (Wiim is retailing at around 350 EUR here). The question I have is this: how does the sound compare with the Cinema 70s? I am more interested in powering up the loudspeakers accordingly, to have a good DAC and to get an overall good audio experience. My day to day concern is that eventually I will have to add a power amplifier. Any other recommendations are welcome.
Olá John. Been using a Wiim amp for a couple of months now in my home office. It's easy in use, works flawless and sounds great considering its price. And it looks good 😊
Olá, love my Wiim amp. ❤ Powers my Elac DBR62's just fine for my listening needs, with a Q Acoustics 3060s sub in a mid size room with speaker placement constraints. I get full WAF and a EQ to make it sound good! All for £1100!! Music to my ears. Also paired seamlessly into an Audio Pro home Wi-Fi setup for the full Sonos experience at a fraction of the cost. Thanks for your content, it helped.
Are you saying you can get a Sonos-enabled amp without the Sonos AMP? I’m currently sticking with the Sonos mainly because I want the multi room with other Sonos speakers and don’t want to invest in a Sonos Port for that
I have the Fosi V3 and it doesn't exactly have a sub out. It has an output labeled preout, but that's just a bypass of the input (it even works with the amp turned off), which doesn't go through the volume knob. It also doesn't have any crossover to split the frequencies going to the sub and the speakers. The newer Fosi ZA3 does have an output for a sub that is controlled by the volume knob, but AFAIK it also doesn't have any crossover filter. I still think the V3 is a great little amp for the money (mine was a bit over 100€ because I got it with the 48V PSU).
You gotta come back for the "Hello everybody"😅 I am a wiim pro + smsl su1 = pro+ user. John. When making the estimation of what component in the amp you should consider that the streaming part doesn't cost as the retail price 😉. Still quite a piece of gear for regular passionate, the Wiim amp 💪🏻.
One aspect that I don't read any comment about is its looks. To me, it has a lot to do with the success of the product. Looks awesome, way better than the competition.
Ola! Based on several of your wonderful videos, got a WiiM Amp and set it up with KEF LS50Metas and KC62 Sub. Works quite well - I'm up at 70-90% volume. Also have a Sonos Amp hooked up to KEF R3 Metas and a KC62 Sub. Thrilled with both and definitely appreciate the cost of the WiiM Amp!
The Wiim Amp needs audio line level outputs so we can use the subwoofer output from the Wiim and then use a seperate larger stereo amplifier like you mention. Or the Wiim and Wiim Pro need Subwoofer output .
Comparison to the AVR is pretty fair but the only AVR I would compare the Wiim Amp to are the Marantz Cinema 70s. Because half the reason I went with the wiim amp is that it needs to look good in my living room. Current market price of the Marantz is 660€ compared to 350€ of the Wiim. I think Marantz would have been worth it if I was considering getting a center channel as well. I just don’t need a center right now. When I decide to buy a center channel speaker, I will simply sell the wiim amp and get a Marantz Cinema 70s.
A compelling argument for WiiM, where features and price are the two main points of comparison. If you de-emphasize price a bit and weigh in sonic quality a bit more, I'm not sure the conclusion is so secure. But, I don't know. Just a thought. Ola.
OLA! John and thanks for the follow up review. For me the WIIM AMP is already a must have in a budget system. The only problem I have is choosing the right speakers that will match well with the WIIM AMP. The Project speakers you mentioned is not available in my country 😅
I just matched some PSB Alpha P5's with the WiiM. Great sound, good price and 89db sensitivity. If you're in the EU then Heco Aurora 300s are great speakers. Amazing bass output at 32hz and 90db sensitivity
I'm going to be trying the amp with a pair of Triangle tituz ez's, they are a bit more sensitive, so I think they might work well. Seen some mention the kef ls50's working as well.
Ola! Your analysis is correct, but forgive me. After watching the original video I did buy the WiiM Pro Plus and a $65 second hand receiver. Yeah no HDMI - ARC, but very happy with the results/budget. Love the App and equalizers. Now I want a pair of Focal Chora 826's to go with it.
Crazy value for the money. I’d buy the same package for 5 times more if it had Hypex level amplification. So something like NAD does in recent masters series but without the screen and lower price.
You forgot to mention Amazon Prime Music in your quick summary here. Also: just a lifestyle note: I just say, "hey Google" or "Hey siri" or "Alexa" into my remote and I play my Audible books, turn the kitchen lights off, or play kung fu panda 3 on my roku... just sayin'... 🎉
Fosi Audio ZA3 w/ 48V PSU is a BETTER (same chip, but more grunt) amp for $136, BUT, you lose the HDMI ARC and sub DSP, which I am sure will be a deal-breaker for some folks.
If hdmi isn't important, wiim mini/pro with an optional smsl su1 and fosi ZA3 would put it in the same ballpark with more juice in the system. If you want to add a sub, you'll need to use the sub out on the ZA3 and manage the cut off in the sub though. Either way, wiim has really made great music very accessible for everyone.
On the squeezelite with an AVR comment, I set up LMS based your advice John, and it has an excellent DLNA plugin by Phillipe that turned my two AVR's into squeezelite clients. LMS is phenomenal, btw. Thank you so much for recommending that as I was ignoring it thinking it was an old forgotten project And if I may ask for advice, would introducing a WiiM (mini or Pro??) make sense for me if I want to improve my streaming experience over LMS? And would getting an external Topping DAC make more sense for me if I wanted to improve upon the Marantz AVR's internal DAC (I think Marantz use an ESS chip internally - which gives me great sound fwiw)?
For a 1k EUR cap: nubert nuPro SP-200 active speakers (offering HDMI eARC, Dolby and DTS) for 845 EUR add a WiiM mini for streaming, hitched to the speakers via TOSLINK, 95 EUR.
I guess somehow I have missed the fact it has a high pass filter. Almost nothing in the budget area has that and it’s a huge selling point for me. I might actually pick one of these up to replace my WiiM Pro and Loxjie A30 combo for my home gym.
It depends what you mean by a 'high pass filter'. I think it has no high pass, but a low pass filter voor the passive speakers. It's connected to the crossover frequency setting. Frequencies below the crossover setting will not be sent to the connected passive speakers but only to the active sub.
Replaced a NUVO One which failed. Pushing four patio speakers, beautiful. The technical data isn’t really important to me, I just need to hear the speakers. Good unit, good video.
I doubt anything has the feature set of the Wiim Amp for anything close to the price - at least not yet. If asked about low cost amplifiers I would suggest considering Temple Audio Bantam Gold £125, Amptastic Mini-1 amp £129, Trends Audio TA-10 $179 but these are stereo RCA input and stereo speaker outputs and nothing else, not even input selection. Having HDMI and digital input and sub-woofer out is not standard until paying much more. . The B&O Beocreate 4 Channel Amplifier (£195) to a Raspberry Pi computer with a screw driver, hacksaw, DIY mounting kit and external power supply (££) and an old (or even new I guess) pair of passive stereo speakers turns them into a modern streaming active speaker system but no HDMI input (but you could watch RUclips or iPlayer from the RPi - no TV needed) or sub out. The system is intended to be headless (no monitor needed) with an app. I have wireless speakers with a choice of Bluetooth, Airplay 2, Chromecast and WiSA. Whilst Bluetooth is the easiest to set up Chromecast is far better, from the same source 16 bit/44kHz, than Bluetooth or Airplay 2. Airplay 2 is compresses but lossless so should be the same quality. The speakers with WiSA perform better than they do when using Chromecast.
Greetings from near Berlin. I got the Wiim amp with the LS 50 Meta and I'm very happy with it. The HPF was the main reason. I just can't find anything comparable that can do that even at twice the price. I notice its low power though. At my max listening levels there's very little headroom. But that just means I'm looking forward to the Wiim amp pro or whatever will come next. Space was also a consideration! And a physical volume knob.
I am used to buy directly from factory manufacturers in China. I think I found an Egolden WA-8 60watt amp, dac, streamer for 140 euro. Next week I get it and I test it, let you know the tesults
Wiim really found a hole in the market that they've filled with their lineup. I haven't had the chance to try the amp, but based on my experience using the mini with a vintage Harmon Kardon receiver I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.
This seems like an exciting product to me. I incidentally just purchased the Pro Plus to use as a streamer/DAC. I may not be a seasoned audiophile, but it sounds pretty damn good to me. I’d be interested to hear this amp.
What excites me about the WiiM amp is how the competition will respond.
^^this !
Even If it’s not exactly for me, a rising tide lifts all vessels ..
We all know Sonos will respond with a lawsuit
Can’t wait to see how Sonos in particular reacts; several YTers have been rumour mongering for months now that 2024 is likely to see some major upgraded / new models.
Ola!
Be good if it doesn't have musicast brick WXC function
I love my Wiim amp. The folks at Wiim are very responsive to suggestions. And, are constantly working to improve things. I can’t wait for what they come up with next!
I have loved seeing fully featured release notes and updates for both the unit and the app. So rarely have I seen a product continue to improve post purchase at the speed and consistency as the WiiM amp. Also fully agree the convenience factor of all the different streaming protocols has been revolutionary 🥰
I got mine last week. Had an issue second day, support answered in 6 hours and rolled me to a previous version which fixed the issue. If they keep at it, this will be a success for sure!
I recommended the wiim amp to a friend just starting out looking at a $1000 system. We paired it with the Klipsch RM 50's. Very pleased with the results.
From the very happy owner of a WiiM amp. It’s been my daily driver system for about two months now. Only listen to the big rig when I have company over. My setup is the WiiM paired with refurbished 40 year old Baby Advents, and a subwoofer from my discarded/retired Bose Lifestyle 28. All connects to an android TV. I removed the Bose amp and tossed it, installed a 60watt plate amplifier. I really liked the WiiM with the Baby Advents, I freaking love this rig with the subwoofer added. It kicks like a Clydesdale. I stream Tidal, Spotify and RUclips high resolution audio. The benefit of the subwoofer is clean crisp bass which I limited the lows to 40 mhz. I could go lower.🎉❤. The Advents didn’t go below 60mhz.
I have the WiiM amp in my study. I'm completely satisfied with it. It's so easy to stream various apps from my iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Starting a stream also starts the WiiM and when the album is over, the WiiM shuts off--I don't have to get up to turn the WiiM on or off.
Today we gave this Wiim amp some serious listening. It is absolutely amazing. But shines with easy to drive speakers.
This thing really is a fantastic product. Good “go back”. I’ve had many ask the same questions. I’ll point them to this video.
I think this opens up the doors for a lot of people at this price point, get this and some nice second hand speakers and you are in business for not a lot of money.
I can’t see that anyone would be disappointed with what this unit has to offer. It punches well above its weight!
The Wiim amp has beaten my initial expectations. I love it. The folks at Wiim are great too. I look forward to the next iteration of the Wiim Amp. I bet it will be fantastic.
It's almost as if you'd buy it on a Wiim.
I have had a pair of Bowers & Wilkins bookshelf speakers for the past 20 years (always connected to cheap/low quality amplifier). I just connected them to my new WiiM AMP and I am totally blown away. I am streaming Apple music to the WiiM AMP and the sound quality is way beyond my expectations. I was considering upgrading my speakers, but so far the results with the WiiM AMP are so outstanding I don't think I need to.
Exactly the same for me 👍🏻👍🏻
For my living room where my wife couldn't stand a large system, I went with a Bluesound Powernode, I got it for $499 on a deal from BH Photo. I also borrowed a Wiim Amp from a friends garage system and A/Bed it. The Bluesound was a noticeable upgrade, but for 700 extra dollars retail, and 200 extra on sale it should be. They drove my KEF R3 Meta bookshelfs like a boss, the Wiim felt a little muddier bass, and the soundstage wasnt as good. Worth the extra money to me, but I'm not very price sensitive though I do love a good deal.
What I really want is to stick a NAD M33 in that room, but the wife won't cosign that 😂.
When your review came out I had just got an SMSL A300. I was to return and get WiiM AMP in January. All I can say is WOW. For the price Wiim knocked it out of the park. Even have my record player connected and it totally rocks. I love how small it is and how well everything works. Software is excellent. Now I know I'm dreaming but WiimM please make a 5.1 or 7.2 AV Receiver/ AMP.
With my Wii Pro+ I running a Fosi V3 amp. It's in a small room. I also am using a Hsu sub woofer in this setup.
How does that dac compare to the smsl su1?
At that price it's an absolute banger with the feature set it has, I think it has set a standard & price point for other manufacturers to beat.
Got my WiiM Amp a week ago and I absolutely love it in my secondary setup!
I propose a comparison between the Wiim Amp, which costs 369 euros, and the combination of the SMSL AO300 and Wiim Mini, totaling 367 euros (260€ for the SMSL AO300 and 107€ for the Wiim Mini).
Does the SMSL AO300 have a High Pass Filter? If yes which frequency?
I have a WiiM Pro + and it is the best money I have spent since 1996 on audio gear. I wish the WiiM Amp had been out at the time I purchased my WiiM Pro+ even though I was not looking for an amp at the time. At the price point is a no brainer. That said I am so totally happy with it. I have used it with gear from 1979 to about 1996 and it is a welcome addition to my hifi needs! I thought the WiiM Pro + was a steal when I got it.
I got the WIIM AMP combined with the Triangle BOREA BR03, which has a sensitivity of 90db. It sounds awfully good for the money and in my living room that is fairly small, there's really no need for a subwoofer (also the building is built in the 70s, so a subwoofer would probably have me evicted anyways). I needed both the streaming capabilites and the HDMI ARC in, so it was kind of a no-brainer for a budget HiFi system. Cheers Mr. Darko, thanks for another cool video!
Paired the WIIM Amp with Elac Solano bookshelfs as a desk setup. This setup absolutely rocks! Some reviewers (not John)seem to insist this amp needs to perform in a large room at over 90 decibels to live up to the hype which is just bollocks but they want to be contrarian for views.
It’s amazing we live in a time where you can get an incredibly good hi-fi set up for under $1000. But as a guy that buys used equipment I can tell you my $2500 set up with an old rotel amplifier some LRS plus speakers and a smoking dac with a lot of settings I’m happy. As an older audio file it’s amazing what technology has done. I really enjoy your reviews. You have a rational and entertaining way of explaining this.
What old Rotel have you got?
@@franknelissen8041 980bx
I am considering the WiiM Amp but I already have the WiiM Pro Plus, so also considering a Fosi ZA3 Amp about $149 US depending. It has a little more power than the WiiM amp and seems by all reports well made, and yes this gets us over $300 total but still cheap for a streamer, a decent dac in the pro plus and a comparable amp to the WiiM Amp. I may go that route thoug i do like the 1 box solution of the WiiM amp.
The fosi audio BT20A amp is a cracking buy 2 channel , rca line in, and can be used as pre amp , no hdmi
And this video judges it purely on running it as a single system. The networking ability of the WIIM is amazing, just add a WIIM Pro, pro plus or WIIM Amp to any room and the whole building is streaming the same source from room to room seamlessly. Nobody does streaming like WIIM for the $$$.
The Fosi Audio BT20A Pro amp sounds great and has more power for $90 Amazon. That is an amp option. Cheers!
Originally bought to go with my TV, the WiiM Amp unexpectedly has become my favourite squeezebox. LMS on a raspberry + iPeng a great combo with the WiiM amp.
My alternative to the WIIM amp plus speakers would be the WIIM Pro coaxed to the Vanatoo T1E Plus active speakers, having 2 x 100W amps to the "woofers" plus 2 x 20W to the tweeters and includes a sub-out terminal. The cost of that combo is USD800 presently.
It’s a great little package which would have been unthinkable 5 years ago. This is the kind of devices we need to bring new and younger audience to HIFI
My biggest problem with the wiim amp, is that it seems like everyone is valuing its streaming power over the actual quality of amplification being had.
I think all of the wiim streamers are excellent value and very good all around products, but the amplifier section leaves much to be desired. A denon 670/660 for not very much more money, gives more power, room correction, and similar, although not the same streaming options.
I feel like darko was way overvaluing streaming and connectivity options when reviewing an amplifier that would struggle to drive even moderately power hungry speakers to decent levels with any sort of dynamic music.
For a desktop system and near field listening, I think the wiim amp is perfect, but for any other application, for a little more money, there are so many better options that still offer things like airplay, chromecast and Spotify/tidal connect.
These range from entry level Cambridge audio integrated amplifiers with separate streamers, to a lot of entry level denon recievers.
There are a lot of (good) options available for amps built around the same chipset and at around $100, maybe less even. Fosi Audio V3, Aiyima a07 max are some of the most well regarded. If tweeked i'm sure they can sound even better. Smsl and sister companys also have some good options. If you wait for some sale season (there are several) you can get these even cheaper or other options may arise. Lets see what the upcoming wiim ultra brings to the table!
The outtakes are great - impressed you don’t potty mouth swear when that happens, when I screw up I sound like an old angry bloke down the pub who’s had a particularly bad day!
Appreciate the bloopers and the entertainment!
The B50 is EXACTLY what I was looking for! Glad I stumbled upon this video just now
Ola! Thanks for the package recco at the end. I love that part of it (this combination works well together, etc.)
Amazing timing! I was just watching your review of the Wiim amp last night and almost pulled the trigger but was left with a few questions. You just answered all of them! But now you have me wondering what the new potential contender is. You tease! 😂
The RSL ia255.1 amplifier comes to mind. It can be had for $110. Another great video John.
The WiiM AMP is based on TPA3255 amp chip. The same chip is in Fosi V3 @$89.99. But in V3 you can replace stock 32V psu with 48V and have much more power than WiiM AMP.
48V is close to the TPA3255's max DC voltage & long term reliability may suffer. Wiim knew this amp would be popular so the're being conservative. At 48V the power supply will also be much more expensive.
Agreed. The V3 with the bigger Psu is great.
I tried a WiiM Pro + Fosi ZA3 vs WiiM Amp. Nearly equivalent price between the two setups. Decided that the ZA3 is overkill in the power section, and has WEIRD on/off 12v trigger behaviors. Also considered the OSD Audio XMP100, but the WiiM Amp setup is just so clean and tidy.
Can you explain more re. the 12v trigger behavior?
I really like the idea of the WIIM AMP. I already have a WIIM Mini for two years and I became kind of a Loxjie Fan in the last years, rocking their small D10 and A10, Dac and AMP with my WIIM. I just upgraded to their new A40 AMP and D40 DAC: The A40 AMP is 240€ in germany, has HDMI ARC, COAX and Optical in, as well as Phono and RCA inputs and a SUB out. Sadly no SUB Management. The Loxjie plus the WIIM Mini is 30€ more than the WIIM AMP. Maybe that would be a contender!
Thanks for the second look and informational talk. Ola!
thank you for mentioning Chromecast. its so overlooked and highly used.
The rsl ia255.1 amplifier comes to mind for $110. Another great video John.
Ola! I'm intrigued by the Wiim Amp Pro + and am attracted to the streaming comprehensiveness too. It just seems like a fun audio device, fun being something that is missing in more serious streamers, dacs and amplifiers.
So hard to beat the value provided by any WiiM products... Sometimes, good enough is good enough.... Well done John.
Spot on. HDMI + Sub out + Diverse streaming + compact, attractive packaging + price point = there is no competition.
I'm running mine with some Elac Debut bookshelf speakers and an Elac sub. Great for streaming Tidal audio as well as Video with Apple TV and video panel. Really good budget combo for my secondary video/music setup in a smaller room.
Perhaps the Wiim will energize the market, and maybe even some legacy AV amp manufacturers to re-think their offerings and offer a 2+1 system with less crap nobody uses any more plus better streaming in a smaller package at a great price.
The Wiim Pro Plus and the Fosi Audio ZA3 w/ 48v power supply is $348 combined. Also you can upgrade the OpAmps on the Fosi. But there is no HDMI, as on the Wiim Amp. But you can add a better DAC in future on the Pro or Pro Plus which you can't on the Wiim Amp. Really hard decision.
The Wiim Amp has a new firmware update, and is officially roon certified ready.
Olá! Damn I wished you would do more of these revisited Videos. Just a really great format especially in the landscape of all those initial reviewers that have to get their videos out of the door asap after or even before the official release! Also: I'm currently using the Wiim with a pair of Pro-Ject Speaker Box 5 (not the S2) - they're using the same Drivers and are A LOT cheaper than the S2s, take out the drivers, give them a rough scrubbing and throw some matte paint of your choice on there and you might get away with a 500 bucks pairing that looks and sounds wonderful! (excluding cables that is)
thanks again for that great video!
I am currently using the Arylic BP50 - which is an HDMI ARC preamp that cost around $100. It also has a subwoofer output with built-in crossover. I have it paired with a pair of Swan OS10 powered speakers, but one could also use a power amp along with a set of passive speakers. It also has an optical output volume control, so one could also add their own DAC into the system for a further upgrade. I am not sure if this is a better sounding set up than the Wiim amp, I have not heard the Wiim, but it sounds pretty good to me and I like the flexibility of adding my own DAC and amplifier.
Cant wait for the contender in the €1000 combo bracket!
I've just bought an ESCAPE M1 AIR Hi Res streaming dac and it outputs to my Chord Chordette set up. Works like a dream.
Bought a WIIM Amp month ago to replace an ancient Denon AVR2808 and REALLY happy with it. Funfact; PLEX integration is also coming soon to the WIIM streaming suite 🤩
support sub?
I got a wiim amp just because its so cheap did not really have a use for it, but ultimately its replaced a pair of M2 meridians, A gustard dac and Node. Connected to pair of naim nSats and a rel sub.
Let me try this again. Thanks for the follow up, and thanks for not breaking the bank with this recommendation. Thanks to your entertaining and very thoughful reviews I own the Denafrips terminator dac, and more recently the Monitor Audio 100 7G in Heritage Green. They both sound very, very good, and I have zero regrets. Perspective is what's needed especially after all the slings, and arrows from the so called "experts."
Ola! Thanks for the updated review, John.
Hey @darkoaudio and everyone else,
I just purchased a pair of Dali Oberon 7 (6 ohms, 88.5db) for 750 EUR and a Marantz Cinema 70s (2 x 50w in 8 ohms, 70w in 6 ohms) for 800 EUR.
I am mostly using this setup paired via hdmi with a TV for watching movies and concerts in 4K and for listening to music via Spotify Connect.
I must admit that I don't have any plans to add any more speakers or a subwoofer in the future, so a stereo amplifier with HDMI connectivity made more sense for me. Extra channels or HDMI ports are rather useless for me in the future.
This Wiim makes me wonder if it wouldn't be a better choice for my setup, all things considered, including the price difference (Wiim is retailing at around 350 EUR here). The question I have is this: how does the sound compare with the Cinema 70s?
I am more interested in powering up the loudspeakers accordingly, to have a good DAC and to get an overall good audio experience.
My day to day concern is that eventually I will have to add a power amplifier.
Any other recommendations are welcome.
Olá John. Been using a Wiim amp for a couple of months now in my home office. It's easy in use, works flawless and sounds great considering its price. And it looks good 😊
Olá, love my Wiim amp. ❤ Powers my Elac DBR62's just fine for my listening needs, with a Q Acoustics 3060s sub in a mid size room with speaker placement constraints. I get full WAF and a EQ to make it sound good! All for £1100!! Music to my ears. Also paired seamlessly into an Audio Pro home Wi-Fi setup for the full Sonos experience at a fraction of the cost. Thanks for your content, it helped.
Are you saying you can get a Sonos-enabled amp without the Sonos AMP? I’m currently sticking with the Sonos mainly because I want the multi room with other Sonos speakers and don’t want to invest in a Sonos Port for that
Ola! excellent point of view John. Thanks for the great content.
Ola!
Fosi Audio V3 amp is $90 on Amazon, sounds nice to my ears… no remote, no arc, but does have a sub out.
I have the Fosi V3 and it doesn't exactly have a sub out. It has an output labeled preout, but that's just a bypass of the input (it even works with the amp turned off), which doesn't go through the volume knob. It also doesn't have any crossover to split the frequencies going to the sub and the speakers.
The newer Fosi ZA3 does have an output for a sub that is controlled by the volume knob, but AFAIK it also doesn't have any crossover filter.
I still think the V3 is a great little amp for the money (mine was a bit over 100€ because I got it with the 48V PSU).
The Fosi Za3 does have a crossover filter, but it's fixed at 300hz.@@bgravato
You gotta come back for the "Hello everybody"😅
I am a wiim pro + smsl su1 = pro+ user.
John. When making the estimation of what component in the amp you should consider that the streaming part doesn't cost as the retail price 😉. Still quite a piece of gear for regular passionate, the Wiim amp 💪🏻.
One aspect that I don't read any comment about is its looks. To me, it has a lot to do with the success of the product. Looks awesome, way better than the competition.
Ola! Based on several of your wonderful videos, got a WiiM Amp and set it up with KEF LS50Metas and KC62 Sub. Works quite well - I'm up at 70-90% volume. Also have a Sonos Amp hooked up to KEF R3 Metas and a KC62 Sub. Thrilled with both and definitely appreciate the cost of the WiiM Amp!
The Wiim Amp needs audio line level outputs so we can use the subwoofer output from the Wiim and then use a seperate larger stereo amplifier like you mention. Or the Wiim and Wiim Pro need Subwoofer output .
Ola!
Great distilling of the various value propositions.
John I really enjoyed this revisit of the Wiim amp. I have a Wiim Pro.
Wiim pro
SMSL Su-1
Fosi Audio BT 20A Pro I got for $80 USD.
Ola! Nice job as ever, enjoyed the bloopers too!
It is one sale today for $253 because the WiiM Amp Pro is coming out ($379). WiiM Amp Pro will also not have Airplay, just like the Ultra.
About amplifier, what about the Aiyima A07 MAX? Sells for around 100$, with the biggest power supply.
Comparison to the AVR is pretty fair but the only AVR I would compare the Wiim Amp to are the Marantz Cinema 70s. Because half the reason I went with the wiim amp is that it needs to look good in my living room. Current market price of the Marantz is 660€ compared to 350€ of the Wiim.
I think Marantz would have been worth it if I was considering getting a center channel as well. I just don’t need a center right now. When I decide to buy a center channel speaker, I will simply sell the wiim amp and get a Marantz Cinema 70s.
A compelling argument for WiiM, where features and price are the two main points of comparison. If you de-emphasize price a bit and weigh in sonic quality a bit more, I'm not sure the conclusion is so secure. But, I don't know. Just a thought. Ola.
Good point.
Re the outakes at the end...thanks for being human, John.
OLA! John and thanks for the follow up review. For me the WIIM AMP is already a must have in a budget system. The only problem I have is choosing the right speakers that will match well with the WIIM AMP. The Project speakers you mentioned is not available in my country 😅
I just matched some PSB Alpha P5's with the WiiM. Great sound, good price and 89db sensitivity. If you're in the EU then Heco Aurora 300s are great speakers. Amazing bass output at 32hz and 90db sensitivity
I'm going to be trying the amp with a pair of Triangle tituz ez's, they are a bit more sensitive, so I think they might work well.
Seen some mention the kef ls50's working as well.
How about Dali Oberon 3 🤔👍
Ola! Your analysis is correct, but forgive me. After watching the original video I did buy the WiiM Pro Plus and a $65 second hand receiver. Yeah no HDMI - ARC, but very happy with the results/budget. Love the App and equalizers. Now I want a pair of Focal Chora 826's to go with it.
Crazy value for the money. I’d buy the same package for 5 times more if it had Hypex level amplification. So something like NAD does in recent masters series but without the screen and lower price.
You forgot to mention Amazon Prime Music in your quick summary here. Also: just a lifestyle note: I just say, "hey Google" or "Hey siri" or "Alexa" into my remote and I play my Audible books, turn the kitchen lights off, or play kung fu panda 3 on my roku... just sayin'... 🎉
Hey there, just curious if there's a video demonstrating these capabilities from the remote. If yes, can you please point me to it?
Fosi Audio ZA3 w/ 48V PSU is a BETTER (same chip, but more grunt) amp for $136, BUT, you lose the HDMI ARC and sub DSP, which I am sure will be a deal-breaker for some folks.
I’ve just setup the Denon CEOL with a pair of KEF LS50 Meta’s. The denon surely is a good alternative.
It sounds spectacular
Loved this!!! More budget system equipment reviews!!!!
Olá John - first time I found your channel - its brilliant! Learning lots!
Ola! Nice revisit John!
If hdmi isn't important, wiim mini/pro with an optional smsl su1 and fosi ZA3 would put it in the same ballpark with more juice in the system.
If you want to add a sub, you'll need to use the sub out on the ZA3 and manage the cut off in the sub though.
Either way, wiim has really made great music very accessible for everyone.
Have I missed something or is there no streaming component in your suggestion?
Hola, excelente, productos calidad precio. Es bueno saber que en esta época el buen sonido se ha "democratizado ".
On the squeezelite with an AVR comment, I set up LMS based your advice John, and it has an excellent DLNA plugin by Phillipe that turned my two AVR's into squeezelite clients. LMS is phenomenal, btw. Thank you so much for recommending that as I was ignoring it thinking it was an old forgotten project
And if I may ask for advice, would introducing a WiiM (mini or Pro??) make sense for me if I want to improve my streaming experience over LMS? And would getting an external Topping DAC make more sense for me if I wanted to improve upon the Marantz AVR's internal DAC (I think Marantz use an ESS chip internally - which gives me great sound fwiw)?
If you have more content for bloopers include them please haha, makes my day.😂
For a 1k EUR cap:
nubert nuPro SP-200 active speakers (offering HDMI eARC, Dolby and DTS) for 845 EUR
add a WiiM mini for streaming, hitched to the speakers via TOSLINK, 95 EUR.
Interesting versatility from the Wiim amp
I guess somehow I have missed the fact it has a high pass filter. Almost nothing in the budget area has that and it’s a huge selling point for me. I might actually pick one of these up to replace my WiiM Pro and Loxjie A30 combo for my home gym.
It depends what you mean by a 'high pass filter'. I think it has no high pass, but a low pass filter voor the passive speakers. It's connected to the crossover frequency setting. Frequencies below the crossover setting will not be sent to the connected passive speakers but only to the active sub.
I thought the Loxjie A30 had a high pass filter.
Replaced a NUVO One which failed. Pushing four patio speakers, beautiful. The technical data isn’t really important to me, I just need to hear the speakers. Good unit, good video.
How can you drive 4 speakers with the Wiim Amp?
I doubt anything has the feature set of the Wiim Amp for anything close to the price - at least not yet.
If asked about low cost amplifiers I would suggest considering Temple Audio Bantam Gold £125, Amptastic Mini-1 amp £129, Trends Audio TA-10 $179 but these are stereo RCA input and stereo speaker outputs and nothing else, not even input selection. Having HDMI and digital input and sub-woofer out is not standard until paying much more. .
The B&O Beocreate 4 Channel Amplifier (£195) to a Raspberry Pi computer with a screw driver, hacksaw, DIY mounting kit and external power supply (££) and an old (or even new I guess) pair of passive stereo speakers turns them into a modern streaming active speaker system but no HDMI input (but you could watch RUclips or iPlayer from the RPi - no TV needed) or sub out. The system is intended to be headless (no monitor needed) with an app.
I have wireless speakers with a choice of Bluetooth, Airplay 2, Chromecast and WiSA. Whilst Bluetooth is the easiest to set up Chromecast is far better, from the same source 16 bit/44kHz, than Bluetooth or Airplay 2. Airplay 2 is compresses but lossless so should be the same quality. The speakers with WiSA perform better than they do when using Chromecast.
What about the KEF LSX II LT which is 999€ in Germany?
Greetings from near Berlin.
I got the Wiim amp with the LS 50 Meta and I'm very happy with it. The HPF was the main reason. I just can't find anything comparable that can do that even at twice the price.
I notice its low power though. At my max listening levels there's very little headroom. But that just means I'm looking forward to the Wiim amp pro or whatever will come next.
Space was also a consideration! And a physical volume knob.
I am used to buy directly from factory manufacturers in China. I think I found an Egolden WA-8 60watt amp, dac, streamer for 140 euro. Next week I get it and I test it, let you know the tesults
Olá, de Lisboa! Looking forward to your future €1000 system video.
Wiim really found a hole in the market that they've filled with their lineup. I haven't had the chance to try the amp, but based on my experience using the mini with a vintage Harmon Kardon receiver I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.
I agree that on the new side, it is unbeatable. But if we look at SH models, I would always choose even a 10 year old AB integrated amp for 200$.
Have it paired with a silver 100 7g. Love it
Ola! fabulous video! terrific commentary.
This seems like an exciting product to me. I incidentally just purchased the Pro Plus to use as a streamer/DAC. I may not be a seasoned audiophile, but it sounds pretty damn good to me. I’d be interested to hear this amp.