@northpaw: Hi no not necessary. I have a streamer of higher class which is not superseded (yet) by ChiFi streamers.
@aditya: yes I tried various RPI devices and most can not compete overall and if they can they are way more expensive than a ready built device. My idea of an audio playback device is to have my own music to playback and only rely on connectivity for remote control.
So swimming against the smart phone stream and the apparent need to connect all devices to eachother and the web that is (for me!): a small unobtrusive low power consumption noiseless device that has ethernet (wireless is OK when it can be disabled), highest possible audio quality, very good app to operate it, 1 USB but preferably 2 USB ports. A built in DAC is OK but not a requirement. Tidal, Deezer, Spotify, Qobuz etc. can all go the same way as Starbucks and any other "formula" driven toko. I am not customer. An extra welcome feature would be an internal PSU as I detest adapters. I want too much 🙂
So Bluesound, Auralic, Elac, Primare, Lumin, Cocktail, Volumio, Ifi Zen devices come close to that requirements but none of them has the best cards in all areas. Seeing the revolution in the DAC arena with ChiFi taking over the market the idea is that the streamer market will be dominated as well by ChiFi devices. I don't care at all about brands, reputation or country of production as stuff is not supposed to last longer than 5 years anyway. The device should be well designed, have no built in planned obsolescence (both software and hardware) for at least 5 years and simply perform without needing much attention. Needless to say software support should be AOK as well. Of all the software I have experienced till now Roon sticks out.
@aditya: yes I tried various RPI devices and most can not compete overall and if they can they are way more expensive than a ready built device. My idea of an audio playback device is to have my own music to playback and only rely on connectivity for remote control.
So swimming against the smart phone stream and the apparent need to connect all devices to eachother and the web that is (for me!): a small unobtrusive low power consumption noiseless device that has ethernet (wireless is OK when it can be disabled), highest possible audio quality, very good app to operate it, 1 USB but preferably 2 USB ports. A built in DAC is OK but not a requirement. Tidal, Deezer, Spotify, Qobuz etc. can all go the same way as Starbucks and any other "formula" driven toko. I am not customer. An extra welcome feature would be an internal PSU as I detest adapters. I want too much 🙂
So Bluesound, Auralic, Elac, Primare, Lumin, Cocktail, Volumio, Ifi Zen devices come close to that requirements but none of them has the best cards in all areas. Seeing the revolution in the DAC arena with ChiFi taking over the market the idea is that the streamer market will be dominated as well by ChiFi devices. I don't care at all about brands, reputation or country of production as stuff is not supposed to last longer than 5 years anyway. The device should be well designed, have no built in planned obsolescence (both software and hardware) for at least 5 years and simply perform without needing much attention. Needless to say software support should be AOK as well. Of all the software I have experienced till now Roon sticks out.
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You have defined "local file playback" very narrowly, as you seem to only accept USB playback as "local". But for most of us streamers, "local" is a privately owned music collection, either on a PC drive or a phone. The Wiim streamer does a great job of supporting local sources other than USB drives. I've got a high-quality collection on my PC that I can play anywhere in the house with the Linkplay modules. Some PC-based music players such as Media Monkey and Playcast recognize the Linkplay modules and can push audio to them across the network. Or, you can use the Wiim Home app and "pull" audio from the PC media device. Or, you can copy your music collection to a smart phone SD card and stream directly from there using HiFi Cast. That is how I usually play music, using a local store that I carry in my pocket. As northpaw pointed out, Hi-Fi Cast is very good, and you can upgrade to the ad-free pro version for the cost of a Starbucks latte. It looks like the Android version of Media Monkey could be an alternative to Hi-Fi Cast, although I haven't tried it yet.
These new devices support high bitrate audio over 5Ghz networks, which is a huge upgrade over the previous generation of Linkplay-based streamers. I haven't used Roon and don't appreciate the fuss yet, but supposedly it will be available in Q2 for the Wiim Pro (see the Roadmap link in a previous post). There are a lot of nice enhancements in the new software and a long list of proposed improvements. I don't understand your negativity toward these products, but to each their own...
Yes I describe it narrowly as I know exactly what I want and what I don’t want as pointed out (in my thread). Wireless, Bluetooth and SMPS for example are things I don’t want as I like clean power supplies, clean audio signals, best possible performance.
Clean versus pollution is not negative, it is positive. Just like excluding average products from better products is positive. Making optimal choices with well defined requirements is positive. The WiiM Pro may be optimal for you and that is positive but it seems not to be for me as it lacks the standard and often used USB port and no easy way to add one. That made it to be filtered out because of my minimal standard no more no less.
So… there is no real negativity towards products but preference for other products. If one finds convenience or better said perceived/forced convenience to be more important than most optimal sound quality that is fine but not for me. The smart phone and computers are nice tools but I cherish the moments I can do without them. Playing back music is eh … the main goal of my audio playback equipment and not to be busy with booting stuff, protocols, apps, battery charging and ways to make things happen somehow.
Roon is closest to optimal human interaction with machines IMHO. Critical before I got to know it, now I use it every day. Pity they also went to infusion/subscription model.
Clean versus pollution is not negative, it is positive. Just like excluding average products from better products is positive. Making optimal choices with well defined requirements is positive. The WiiM Pro may be optimal for you and that is positive but it seems not to be for me as it lacks the standard and often used USB port and no easy way to add one. That made it to be filtered out because of my minimal standard no more no less.
So… there is no real negativity towards products but preference for other products. If one finds convenience or better said perceived/forced convenience to be more important than most optimal sound quality that is fine but not for me. The smart phone and computers are nice tools but I cherish the moments I can do without them. Playing back music is eh … the main goal of my audio playback equipment and not to be busy with booting stuff, protocols, apps, battery charging and ways to make things happen somehow.
Roon is closest to optimal human interaction with machines IMHO. Critical before I got to know it, now I use it every day. Pity they also went to infusion/subscription model.
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Hi,
I bought WiiM Pro and basically satisfied with but I want to pickup I2S signals to feed DAC if possible.
So is there someone having such a info?
I bought WiiM Pro and basically satisfied with but I want to pickup I2S signals to feed DAC if possible.
So is there someone having such a info?
Hi,
I think already nobody care about this topic, but today I got I2s signal from Wiim pro plus successfully (not pro, sorry).
I found out good points about pick up I2S signals.
But I have one critical problem right now.
I can listen until 96khz music but not 192khz …
I think already nobody care about this topic, but today I got I2s signal from Wiim pro plus successfully (not pro, sorry).
I found out good points about pick up I2S signals.
But I have one critical problem right now.
I can listen until 96khz music but not 192khz …
Wiim Pro Plus seems to have AK4493SEQ and plays till 32 bit 768 kHz in original form without troubles.
I’ve been looking at the WiiM (Ultra) Pro (Plus). There are some reviews and measurements of some of the models on ASR. I would still like to attach a hard drive with my digital music via USB to something like this. I like thf idea of the Ethernet option as well since I can hook it up to a connection port in my listening room.
Eversolo DMP-A6 may be a better choice. Or you have deep pockets and like full size stuff its brother (with AKM DACs!) DMP-A8.
The internal M2 SSD is a wonderful solution compared to external USB stuff with wires. Content can be filled/replenished by network.
The internal M2 SSD is a wonderful solution compared to external USB stuff with wires. Content can be filled/replenished by network.
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Just seeking solder point of I2s output with tester.
You can see 4 point at red circle point, and buffer IC right hand side.
I forget to take any pictures about detail but you can understand detail with tester and dac chip (AK4493seq) document.
You can see 4 point at red circle point, and buffer IC right hand side.
I forget to take any pictures about detail but you can understand detail with tester and dac chip (AK4493seq) document.
Super interesting! Did you take the connections directly from the ribbon cable or elsewhere like the buffer you mentioned?
Also do you maintain the rest of the ribbon connections?
Have a great day!
Jules
No, I don’t take the signals from ribbon cable. There are some “test points” on the pcb (sorry, pic is unclear but I think you can check other person’s photos), so I use these points. It’s not difficult to solder.
And I don’t test all functions yet but believe most function except analog output is still working.
Oh, I completely forgot to mention one important thing.
I posted that I had a problem with 192khz data playback but now I solved.
actually I need to double mclk freq with ICS570B.
I don’t know all dac environments need this care, but it is needed for my environment, es9039pro based dac.
I posted that I had a problem with 192khz data playback but now I solved.
actually I need to double mclk freq with ICS570B.
I don’t know all dac environments need this care, but it is needed for my environment, es9039pro based dac.
That’s for the not @narinari2106 if you could share a clear picture of your current application on the dac board that would be brilliant?
J
I’m so sorry but I can not take the actual pcb board photo for 2 reasons;
- I don’t want to reopen my WiiM for reducing damage risk
- I already glued the part for reducing damage, so I can’t show the detail
Hi narinari2106. I found a somewhat clear photo of the testpoints you tapped into. I see 4 test points tp17, tp18, tp19 and tp20 that you referred to in a previous photo. Do you recall what signals are associated with which test points? Did you utilize all 4 or just 3 of the testpoints? My external DAC has an HDMI input for the i2s signals and expect 3 differential pairs. Did you have to convert single ended signals to differential? Thanks...
Hello everyone, an interesting topic. I was thinking to improve the SQ (I use digital coaxial output 99% of the time) from the wiim pro and had a look of the clocks used in it. I took some pictures of the 3 clocks being used.
I believe the 37.4M is for the wifi module, 25M is for the ethernet and 24M is the clock for the microprocessor.
They seems passive oscillators to me. In Rpi people claim replacing the passive XO to better quality active XO for USB, Ethernet and processor does improve the SQ, especially when connects to USB DAC.
I mainly use Ethernet connection and coaxial output, therefore I am thinking to replace the 24M and 25M XO. worth a try? any thought?
I believe the 37.4M is for the wifi module, 25M is for the ethernet and 24M is the clock for the microprocessor.
They seems passive oscillators to me. In Rpi people claim replacing the passive XO to better quality active XO for USB, Ethernet and processor does improve the SQ, especially when connects to USB DAC.
I mainly use Ethernet connection and coaxial output, therefore I am thinking to replace the 24M and 25M XO. worth a try? any thought?
