Robert Givvens
17 de junio de 2025
Perfect for the “practical audiophiles” out there - it’s a GREAT piece of gear.
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.Ver másVer menos
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