Give it to the software guys and that turntable will have an external ADC, external pickup, external motor and external PSU. Connected to an external DAC with external PSU (and PSU upgrade possible).
That is progress 🙂
That is progress 🙂
The only right place for a RIAA ADC is inside the turntable , using very short cables from the cartridge. Thats technically the best .
Wiim Ultra uses a ne5532 at phono stage, not the best solution.
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Some more observations of living with the Ultra.
Lip sync.
I use the ultra for TV as much as music. I have varying degrees of lip sync issues. The source for TV is either a Sky Q box or direct from the TV if just using the BBC iPlayer. Both TV and Ultra have features to tweak the lip sync delay but I never seem to nail it. And then one minute it's alright, the next it has 'slipped'.
BBC radio stations
I was very pleasantly surprised to learn that the ultra has access to the BBC streams. It appeared to me that the Beeb had stopped all third party equipment from being able to stream the web based feeds. Unless one of those hooky back door things. I don't know how long it will last?! I have found sometime my radio presets from the remote dont always work though. It will bring up the station but without any output.
HDMI ARC (?) strangeness
Assuming it's to do with this. I've never used HDMI into a dac before and this is how I'm setup at the moment. If I were to pause whatever it is I'm watching, and then resume, I have an audio 'mute' that last the length of time of the pause.....so if paused for 1 minute to get a drink, press play again , video resumes but with 1 minutes silence. Strange but true!
SQ.
I am quite accepting of the SQ of the Ultra. I find I'm needing to rebuild my dac less and less. Sounds pretty good to me. But I imagine when I do get my DIY dac back in there, it will probably dive a decent uptick in performance. But I'm not desperate for it, hence spending more time on amps and speaker builds!
Lip sync.
I use the ultra for TV as much as music. I have varying degrees of lip sync issues. The source for TV is either a Sky Q box or direct from the TV if just using the BBC iPlayer. Both TV and Ultra have features to tweak the lip sync delay but I never seem to nail it. And then one minute it's alright, the next it has 'slipped'.
BBC radio stations
I was very pleasantly surprised to learn that the ultra has access to the BBC streams. It appeared to me that the Beeb had stopped all third party equipment from being able to stream the web based feeds. Unless one of those hooky back door things. I don't know how long it will last?! I have found sometime my radio presets from the remote dont always work though. It will bring up the station but without any output.
HDMI ARC (?) strangeness
Assuming it's to do with this. I've never used HDMI into a dac before and this is how I'm setup at the moment. If I were to pause whatever it is I'm watching, and then resume, I have an audio 'mute' that last the length of time of the pause.....so if paused for 1 minute to get a drink, press play again , video resumes but with 1 minutes silence. Strange but true!
SQ.
I am quite accepting of the SQ of the Ultra. I find I'm needing to rebuild my dac less and less. Sounds pretty good to me. But I imagine when I do get my DIY dac back in there, it will probably dive a decent uptick in performance. But I'm not desperate for it, hence spending more time on amps and speaker builds!
WiiM would be an alternative to Sonos not a compliment. It’s cheaper than Sonos and IMHO less glitchy network wise. Their app also works very nicely although pretty simple. I have 3 WiiM Pros along with some Arylic streamers with multi channel amp plus my reference system. Roon runs it all for me and others in family just use airplay. I had Sonos a few years ago and was always not working and I wanted my own speaker and amp options.
@jean-paul it seems we did not need to open it. This guy has all the answers.
People, I'd just like to share my latest findings on how to improve the sound of the WiiM Ultra!
I started out by trying to add some extra shielding to my digital cables. Based on the great experience I had with that, I thought what the heck, why not shield my streamer too?
So I did it, and the improvements where just overwhelming; Blacker backgrounds, huge soundstage, timbre, clarity - any buzzword you've ever heard in the context of hifi, just add it to the list!
But wait for it, now is where it gets really interesting! I found my daughters Magnetic Clay and added a bit on top of my newly shielded case. That's when I noticed that depending on how I placed the magnetic clay, the sound started changing. I had to do this by trial and error, but once I found that perfect, intricate pattern, it all locked in, and WOW!!
It was like a wet blanket was lifted off my system, I've never had an experience this close to revelation before. The already inaudible jitter levels of the Ultra's DAC went down by 2000%!!
I have no idea how this works and I have no measurements to back it up, but who cares about that scientific mumbo jumbo anyway, right? The only thing that matters is how it sounds TO YOUR OWN EARS (and CheapAudioMan's ears, obviously).
Happy listening, folks!
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16DAvaUGnW/
Anyone know where I can get magnet clay 😎
Attachments
In general, is Germany an RF rich environment? I realize the Euro cities are very densely populated. Like when reviewers in NYC or Eastern US Cities also go at length talking about RF interference.
But in the Western US, including the Coast, RF is not an issue. So, perhaps if RF filters degrade the sound, we should have an option for RF Free Devices...
Think of your smart phone, DECT phones, Bluetooth devices, wireless stuff, LED lighting, SMPS in devices, solar inverters, CPUs in devices etc.
Today (also in the US) you are literally drowned in RF. In your own home by your own stuff.
Today (also in the US) you are literally drowned in RF. In your own home by your own stuff.
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Ohew... looong thread....
Quick questions
(1) Can I hook this up to a LAN? I assume yes.
(2) Can I mount a file system over the LAN.... ( in my case, an NAS ).
(3) Can I play music with foobar that is on the NAS or a locally mounted USB drive?
(4) What kind of USB DACs will it support.
(5) Does it need USB OTG or just plain USB to the DAC
(6) I see no support for an externally mounted touchscreen or connection to an external display/keyboard/mouse. Am I right?
(7) Remote access. Can I use a PC, Android. Chromebook to drive it? Will it need an downloaded app or just a plain HTML web interface browser?
(8) Does it have its own Tidal / foobar music applications that will run to an external DAC?
(9) Can I download and run the Tidal application from the Web?
(10) Can I download music playing applications from the Web.
(11) I assume it is bit perfect -when volume/balance/eq are disabled. Correct? Yes? No?
Simple user stuff...
Quick questions
(1) Can I hook this up to a LAN? I assume yes.
(2) Can I mount a file system over the LAN.... ( in my case, an NAS ).
(3) Can I play music with foobar that is on the NAS or a locally mounted USB drive?
(4) What kind of USB DACs will it support.
(5) Does it need USB OTG or just plain USB to the DAC
(6) I see no support for an externally mounted touchscreen or connection to an external display/keyboard/mouse. Am I right?
(7) Remote access. Can I use a PC, Android. Chromebook to drive it? Will it need an downloaded app or just a plain HTML web interface browser?
(8) Does it have its own Tidal / foobar music applications that will run to an external DAC?
(9) Can I download and run the Tidal application from the Web?
(10) Can I download music playing applications from the Web.
(11) I assume it is bit perfect -when volume/balance/eq are disabled. Correct? Yes? No?
Simple user stuff...
Yes, but it is the density of RF. I'm in suburbia. Single Family Home. My nearest neighbor is 50 feet away. And the next one is 100 feet away... after that maybe four within 250 feet...
So yes, there is radiation, but it's not so intense.
Heck, we complain that our cell phone reception sucks.
It is not your neighbours but it is your own stuff. Reverse the thinking pattern that the enemy is coming from the outside. Distance is a good remedy for that.
I think it's time to get to the station in a hurry and get off this nutty train. Oh, I meant thread. Maybe if RFK Jr was using the same setup, it would sound even more marvelous! Come on folks, I hope this guy is kidding. 🙄
Mmmm, hard to tell if the guy is pulling our legs. Not hard to replicate I guess.
Respected brands often shield various compartmends within a CD player, Streamer ect. Good practice especially for clocks, switching PSUs, and long data cables, even traces.
I got myself a RF detector just out of curiosity.
Sheets of lead might work better than aluminum foil. They are easy to cut and bend to the desired shape.
It's not by chance that they are used for protection in X-RAY applications.
Who knows.
Respected brands often shield various compartmends within a CD player, Streamer ect. Good practice especially for clocks, switching PSUs, and long data cables, even traces.
I got myself a RF detector just out of curiosity.
Sheets of lead might work better than aluminum foil. They are easy to cut and bend to the desired shape.
It's not by chance that they are used for protection in X-RAY applications.
Who knows.
You don't think he is joking with 2000% jitter improvement, blacker backgrounds, wet blanket lifted (the usual audio cliches) and a **** pictured? 🙂
Lead is indeed good to shield against Röntgen radiation but that is something else than way weaker RF (also in frequency). That explain also the usual thickness of lead shielding in Röntgen rooms. Too bad it is very heavy, weak, difficult to machine, pretty poisonous and makes for bad esthetical appearance. Usually more adequate metals are used for RF. In Germany there are many companies selling stuff to shield homes/buildings against RF. They usually call it "Elektrosmog" or "HF Abschirmung" as a percentage of civilians suffer from electrosensitivity. Customers often complain after the job that cell phone reception is bad 😀
Of course the best remedy is by not allowing RF near audio. Do the smart phone test to discover why.
Lead is indeed good to shield against Röntgen radiation but that is something else than way weaker RF (also in frequency). That explain also the usual thickness of lead shielding in Röntgen rooms. Too bad it is very heavy, weak, difficult to machine, pretty poisonous and makes for bad esthetical appearance. Usually more adequate metals are used for RF. In Germany there are many companies selling stuff to shield homes/buildings against RF. They usually call it "Elektrosmog" or "HF Abschirmung" as a percentage of civilians suffer from electrosensitivity. Customers often complain after the job that cell phone reception is bad 😀
Of course the best remedy is by not allowing RF near audio. Do the smart phone test to discover why.
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I still have have my questions.... have any of you any ideas on how to use this thing?
I did read the user's manual, and it calls for Tidal "casting" to it... but... I'm still wondering..
If I use an Android to cast to the WiiM Ultra and then have that hooked up to a DAC over USB.... WiiM volume/balance/tone disabled... will it be bit perfect?
Or can I remotely control the WiiM over Wifi/network via an HTML or Remote Terminal like interface?
I did read the user's manual, and it calls for Tidal "casting" to it... but... I'm still wondering..
If I use an Android to cast to the WiiM Ultra and then have that hooked up to a DAC over USB.... WiiM volume/balance/tone disabled... will it be bit perfect?
Or can I remotely control the WiiM over Wifi/network via an HTML or Remote Terminal like interface?