WiiM Ultra Hi-Res Music Streamer with Touchscreen & ESS DAC, Silver

A review of an audio device should come with some context of the writer, what they listen to, and what their other gear is: My uses are for multiple kinds of music from classic rock, to some classical, to some electronic dance, and even some outlaw country. My system includes a clean Onkyo amplifier, older JBL 10” 3-way speakers, and I am bypassing the WiiM DAC by passing the SPDIF data into a Denafrips Ares 2 DAC. That said, my review is probably not audiophile-grade, but audiophile-ish. My perception of sound quality in this review is compared to that of a Marantz CD6007 CD player and my perception of sound quality. The most important thing about the WiiM Ultra for me was the ability to bypass the built-in DAC so I could maximize sound quality to my ears by passing through my own DAC. Great news: It does that, beautifully. And it’s amazing. By using my own DAC, I can only barely tell the difference between a CD and even Spotify. That could set a clear line in the sand about my hearing, but I’m baffled at how close to CD quality the WiiM with my Denafrips DAC can get. It’s gets so close, it’s no longer distracting how different the sound is between streaming and CD. Now, I acknowledge that the DAC is a specialized piece of gear, but it has allowed me to homogenize the tonality of sound between CD and streaming. The WiiM connects via SPDIF, allowing for connection to any DAC you like, which was the use case that led me to finally buy a dedicated streamer. The versatility to do this pushes this into the zone where it’s an interesting to those interested in maximizing and curating a tailor-fit sound quality. The WiiM Ultra hits the mark here. It’s also beautifully easy to use. I can operate my streams from my phone, carry it around the house. Love that. It’s great. It may also be valuable to know that the screen is super fun, because I can finally just walk by and see what’s playing - and so can anyone else in the house. So nice to not have this all hidden only in one person’s phone. The design of the device is also super beautiful. Sits next to my Marantz CD player and fits right in. That’s phenomenal at this price point. So, here’s the thing - I’m probably a “practical audiophile” - I love music, I’m a little picky about sound quality, but I don’t have tens of thousands of dollars worth of gear, but I do have a sizeable investment in equipment to get as good of sound as I can. I’ve been skeptical about streaming because of sound quality (and the need for perpetual subscriptions). And the WiiM Ultra is the first dedicated streaming device I’ve ever chosen to give a chance — because of the ability to use my own DAC. It hits all the right marks given my use case: Super easy to use, beautiful design, the ability to attach my own DAC, and there aren’t any gimmicks … it’s great. Even on Spotify, with my DAC, it’s so close to CD quality, I’m no longer distracted by the fact that the stream sound quality has such different sound signature than CD. In my use case, this is a perfect solution, and it’s clear that I’m WiiM’s perfect customer. I’m sold, and I would recommend this to anyone who wants great flexibility to expand in the future, but have something beautifully functional in the meantime that likely needs no upgrades at all to still be phenomenal. Five stars on providing an affordable device that finally hits in the zone of the venerable CD for music lovers.

I love the WiiM. I strive to be helpful. This review explains my use case (yours may be very different, but somewhere out there someone is looking for this set up), then ease of use, and, finally, quality of output. The disclaimer is I do not claim to be an audiophile; I'm just a guy who likes to have music on. Here is the preface. I needed a system for a little place we have so we can look in on my elderly father, and we might eventually move him into this condo. At home, I am running a Sonos Amp with Magenpan speakers and a Hsu subwoofer. But 2500 miles away, we have kept things simple. Here is what I am trying to do. I failed initially. I thought I would use Sonos Roam units, but I could not, unless I settled for mono. We have internet at home of course. We have a 100% legitimate means to access wifi at the condo as well: the subscription we bought includes a national network of hotspots. Since we are only at the unit intermittently, it would have be inordinately expensive to sign up for another ISP. The catch, then, with Sonos or anything running over a wifi network is you cannot rely on a shared network to make it work, even if your source is on the same network. The Sonos has bluetooth connectivity, but it won't pair units, so it cannot generate stereo sound. In addition, however, I have old, first generational Harman Kardon Soundsticks. They use old school USB cables. I like their sound. They were just gathering dust. Enter WiiM. It allowed me to stream music to the Soundsticks. That is a great strength of this design. It has every input and every output I can think of. The legacy ports extend the lifespan of devices. I had to fiddle a bit to get it working. I did not become frustrated. Within ten minutes of unboxing, we were up and running. My wife is the primary user. She puts on what she wants to hear on her iPhone. It might be possible to do something more directly from the WiiM control panel, but I am satisfied. As to the sound, I like the vintage equipment. It is good not too loud. Anything sounds good if the volume is turned up. But it has as much clarity and detail as I can discern, quiet — the space is not big, and we strive to be decent neighbors. I read about the codec. This is lossy. It suffices. I doubt anyone who is looking for the best in sound reproduction is streaming to begin with. I would opine, without expertise, the home setup is superior enough you would notice in a side by side blind test. But for the weekends we are listening to the WiiM, we have no complaints. You trade convenience for quality. Finally, I’d say from the look and feel of the machine, it is a quality piece of kit. I expect to get several years of service.

This Streamer is awesome . I started with a fosi bt30d pro added a fosi mono amp and douk q11 dac . I have 3 way magnat signature series bookshelv and a center channel a 12 inch sub and a 8 inch sub all from Magnat signature series .I added the wiim and wow it opened up the sound stage and just gives that yummy authoritative drive takes quite the treble hiss and has every connection possible . It is a master peice . I dont use phono so not sure how that sounds but everything else is prestine . I ordered the smsl not thinking I would need it but it did make a big difference even though I was happy with just the wiim .You too will be happy with just the Wiim buy if you want that extra boost and clarity grab a smsl po pro 100 its 70 dollars and easy to add in between the wiim and dac . Remember to switch to usb out on the wiim if your using the smsl reclocker. It sounds like I have a Cadillac with a system parked in my living room . This system bangs .I plan on getting a better 3 channel amp but I really dont need to right now . The fosis are amazing aswell. I Love this wiim . It ties everything together and now I can use my wireless headphones I can blutooth out to a klipsh the three I can change volume and everything from my phone app . So you can be outside and change everything eq modes inputs turn subs off and on add 15 do to the sub you name it you got it at your fingertips . Im very happy with my purchase ☺️ you dont need to spend $1000 on a streamer this is all you need at $330.00 .my put together system sounds just as good as a 10,000 system and the wiim is built 💪 great and looks exspensive and has all the bells and whistles .If your not tech savvy it will take some time to learn your wiim functions . Once you get it dialed in though your gonna be happy . I was very happy 😊

I bought this because I had the inevitable audiophile itch to upgrade. My original setup was a Wiim Pro into a RME-ADI2 fs DAC. I ordered the Eversolo DMP-A6, the DMP-A6 Master Edition G2, and this Wiim Ultra just because I had heard so much hype and wanted to prove to myself that you get what you pay for. I ran all of these units through my Emotiva A300 amplifier and into my B&W CM9 as well as my B&W 704 s2 speakers. First off, the Wiim is a step down in build quality from Eversolos. It’s not bad, it’s just not audiophile-grade. The screen is not as nice either. It works, but it does not wow anyone. The Eversolos are fantastic in this metric. They look and feel like the real deal. This is not unexpected considering that the Eversolos are 3-5x the price. However, the Wiim app clearly edges out the Eversolo app. It’s just easier to use and you can stream from the Amazon Music app directly to the Wiim but you can’t with the Eversolos. The sound comparison, however, was mind-boggling. The Wiim was nose-to-nose with the regular DMP-A6. They have the same DAC chip so this seems logical, but how? HOW??!! It’s 1/3 the price! Good for you Wiim! Way to stand up to the playground bully. Then I ran the Ultra against the RME and Eversolo Master Edition. These aren’t just bullies compared to the Wiim, these are David versus Goliath. First off, the RME and Master Edition were virtually indistinguishable in sound quality. I did a blind A/B test for hours and they were weirdly identical. Considering that they both are in the $1500 range, I guess that’s reasonable. The Ultra at only $329 has no business in their ranks, right? RIGHT..? Think again. The Ultra actually sounded more dynamic and had a wider soundstage when compared to the RME and the Master Edition. There was definitely more “texture”/detail in the higher-end DACs and they had slightly more richness in the midrange. The Ultra is a teeny bit more relaxed but you can really only notice this with an A/B switch and you really have to concentrate. I also noticed the Ultra was a little less accurate in placing instruments in a 3 dimensional soundstage. When I say a little I mean like maybe 5-10% difference. The Ulltra is a bit more snappy and has a bit more punch in the bass. Again, we are talking a 5-10% difference here. The Ultra also has a very slight bump in the treble, ever so slightly accentuating cymbals and “s” sounds, but not in a way that introduces any offensive sibilance. It’s just a few percent more “airy”. Overall, the Ultra held its own, but how? HOW!!?? At 1/5 the price this is just stupid. I really wanted to keep the Eversolo ME Gen 2. The premium build and fancy screen just looks like it belongs with my system. This was supposed to be my impulsive yet objectively-justifiable audio equipment upgrade. It checks all the boxes. It has a sumptuous design with audiophile-approved bling. It has a screen to die for. The sound is exquisite. It has gold badges for Christ’s sake. GOLD BADGES! We are a match made in heaven. The Master Edition is my forever good looks girl with a parent-approved pedigree and we were going to live happily ever after. Then walked in this trashy, low-budget riffraff Wiim swaying her hips, twirling her curls, and grabbing my dirty mind like Susanna Hoffs’ legendary eye roll (I still get tingly today when I think about it) . I was ruined. I could no longer justify the investment in the Master Edition when I could have almost as much fun, maybe even more, with this cheap, trashy yet wildly irresistible vixen known as the Wiim Ultra. Yea, she's not the kind of girl I can bring home to mama and all my friends will officially disapprove of my transgression (but in private they will all want to know what immoral and forbidden fun I am having with this dirty little pig girl). Ostensibly hidden in their righteous contempt for my unacceptable break from convention will be endless envy. The ridiculous value proposition of the Ultra challenged my sense of financial responsibility (which was already quite rarified given that I engage in this ridiculous hobby). Simply put, the Ultra is 90% as good as the RME and the Eversolo Master Edition sound wise and function wise at 20% of the price. This damn little streamer robbed me of any reasonable argument for upgrading. In fact, I’m now selling my Wiim Pro and my RME DAC and returning the Eversolos. I have technically downgraded. Thanks Wiim. It’s like I cheated on my perfect boogie trust fund wife with a diner waitress, got divorced, and I’m now living in disgrace in a tiny apartment with this little hottie who doesn’t even know a single Coltrane song. Yet, somehow, it’s okay because I’m teaching her and she’s a quick learner who brings her own reckless but stunningly engaging approach to everything I love in life. So yes, I may have “downgraded”, but it feels like I’m still winning. Most of the time you get what you pay for. The Wiim Ultra is one of those rare products that breaks that paradigm and, in the process, turns everything we thought we knew on its head.

This thing is remarkable for the price, but is a little more complicated to set up than advertised, mainly because of the size of the feature set. You may think I'm crazy, but I replace a Marantz based 5.1 setup with this and the WiiM Vibelink Amp. My hearing has deteriorated to the point that 5.1 doesn't do much for me. This setup works great, particularly since it has such a rich DSP set - 10 band or Parametric EQ assignable per input, and quite decent Room Correction to compensate for my ears. Lots of inputs, including a decent MM/MC phono input, and a pretty amazing control app. I am running a turntable, CD, DVD and Apple TV (via the TV into the HDMI in), and headphones through it. This unit with a small power amp and decent speakers, would be a great setup for someone new to HiFi, or just in a small to medium room.

This is a well engineered product of great quality. A very versatile preamp with a sharp and bright up-front touch screen. The WiiM app works seamlessly with the unit from my iPad. Clean, clear quality sound. It is a "bargain" price for all that you get with this product.

Fantastic. The WiiM Ultra is simply fantastic. Providing you with a preamp that has every input and output you could need, this little box makes steamed music sound better than I’ve ever heard it sound. Bluetooth? It has it, but pshaw - once you’re streaming from Qobuz or Tidal (or even Spotify Lossless), you’ll wonder how you ever put up with the sound quality. I love that it has Qobuz Connect support, and the equivalent for many other streaming services. Listening to “She’s A Rainbow” at 192k/24 bit, the shimmering sound is staggering. The interface works well and is easy to use, but it also provides tons of options if you want to get into the weeds. For the price, you really can’t compare. Other streaming options are out there, but are either lacking features or far more expensive. And this doesn’t even note the networking / linking options you get with the WiiM. Excellent audiophile streaming upgrade that’s affordable. If you stream, you should WiiM. And they should also pay me for that tagline!

I was in the market for a streaming device due to a persistent bug streaming Spotify directly from my Google Pixel phone to my powered speakers, where some songs would cut out for the first second or two. I was also interested in using Spotify's new lossless streaming capability. After researching several options, I settled on this box. It meets my needs perfectly. The sound is fantastic. Not only is the bug gone, but there is a clear improvement in the sound quality over streaming from my phone. I am running the optical out to my power speakers so I'm not using the internal DAC on the Wiim, but the DAC in my speakers is more than capable and ultimately it sounds great. I did discover that it's basically mandatory to download their app and pair the remote if you want access to the full range of customization, which mattered for me as I need to turn the display off at night and there's no option for this on the device itself. I use the remote to do it and it works just fine. Since I'm running this into powered speakers I have the Wiim volume turned up to max volume and manage the volume on the speakers, with no issues. The box looks sharp next to my turntable and clearly shows excellent craftsmanship. The app works well though I haven't had to use it much after initial setup, as now I can just choose the Wiim as an output from inside Spotify using Connect. Spotify is the only streaming service I use, so I haven't tested it out with any other, but I would expect excellent integration with the major ones. I also don't use Alexa, so I won't be doing anything with that feature. It's left unconfigured. I'm very happy with the end result! Considering everything you get here, and comparing the price against other high-end streamers out there, this is an excellent value.

This is our 3rd WiiM device, now joining a Mini and a Pro. The WiiM devices in general box well above their weight, offering a combination of connectivity, audio quality, stability, and functionality which far exceeds anything to be expected from the price point. The Ultra has built upon all that was on offer from the mid-range models and offers an extraordinary range of input and output formats, as well as the ability to stream, in the highest resolutions available from the more sound quality focussed streaming services such as Tidal and Qobuz, amongst many others. Currently, you could almost argue that we're under-utilising it as we've connected it to an external DAC via USB for the highest possible sound quality, but experimenting with the onboard DAC yielded great results which again belie the very low price. From the time of plugging it in, to listening to the streaming services of choice was only a few minutes thanks to the excellent application and intuitive interface. Whether using the app on phone or tablet, or indeed the onboard touchscreen, the unit is extremely responsive and offers nearly immediate action to any input. Personally, I don't use the touchscreen, preferring to operate the unit completely from the app, however the included remote control is quite handy, well lain out, and again, very intuitive to use. The only sidenote worthy of mention is that though the onboard WiFi connectivity is very quick and reliable, for best results at the highest resolutions I do suggest feeding the unit via ethernet for the utmost response and performance. It's very difficult to find fault in the WiiM Ultra at even 2-3X the price and I'd suggest sonically, that it'd be at home in nearly any hifi system.

I purchased the WIIM Ultra in November 2024 for my home setup, paired with my Fosi Mono V3 Class D amps and Paradigm 15B speakers as a desk system, streaming music from my computer and the Tidal music service. Initially, I wasn’t sure if I really needed this device, but after just one week of use, I was completely convinced – the sound quality is phenomenal! Sound Quality & Ease of Use: From the moment I powered it up, the WIIM Ultra delivered crystal-clear, detailed sound that took my listening experience to the next level. It’s incredibly easy to set up and integrates seamlessly into my system. The connectivity options are excellent, offering everything I need for high-quality streaming and more. Whether I’m using Tidal, Spotify Connect, or streaming directly from my computer, it just works—and the sound is well-balanced and dynamic across all platforms. Comparison to Other Integrated Amplifiers: What really impressed me was how the WIIM Ultra stacks up against other integrated amplifiers I’ve used. In my living room, I have a high-quality integrated amplifier setup that’s much more expensive, and I was curious to see how the WIIM Ultra would compare. To my surprise, the performance of the WIIM Ultra is shockingly close to that much pricier amp. The sound quality is just as clear and rich, and the overall performance is nearly identical. For the price, the WIIM Ultra punches well above its weight and offers nearly the same level of clarity and detail as amps that cost thousands of dollars. It’s an incredible value for the money! Customer Support & Value: The customer support has also been fantastic. The team is incredibly prompt, helpful, and customer-focused, making the entire experience even better. It’s reassuring to know that you’re dealing with a company that truly puts the customer first. USB Out Connectivity & Future-Proofing: I particularly love the USB out feature. It gives me the option to use external DACs at higher resolutions if I ever decide to upgrade my system, making the WIIM Ultra a great future-proof investment. Streaming & Firmware Updates: The Tidal and Spotify Connect options make streaming super easy and convenient, while the regular firmware updates with new features and stability improvements show that the product will only get better over time. As someone who values long-term reliability, this is a huge plus. Airplay Connectivity: The only thing to be aware of is the lack of Airplay support for now. For my specific setup at my desk, this isn’t an issue, but I’d love to see it added in future iterations. However, it doesn’t detract from the overall fantastic experience I’ve had with the WIIM Ultra. Final Thoughts: Overall, I’m extremely satisfied with the WIIM Ultra. The sound quality, build, connectivity, and customer support are all exceptional. If you’re on the fence about it, I can say with confidence that it compares very favorably to much more expensive integrated amplifiers I have in my living room. If you’ve read the glowing reviews elsewhere, I can confirm that my experience mirrors theirs. This is a top-tier product that provides fantastic performance without breaking the bank. I’m already planning to buy another one for future needs, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a high-quality audio experience!

As reviews by many people ….. amazing streaming, high quality preamp and usb output to dragonfly cobalt gives excellent results. Phono stage is also good

Have been looking for music streamer for quite a while and finally decided to give Wiim Ultra a try and boyyyyyyy this small box is freakin awesome! Paired with Klipsch The Fives and Earthquake Minime P63 subwoofer, I have never thought my speakers could sounded this good 👍

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