In every circumstance, it's an open and organised listen, attentive to even the finest details and perhaps just slightly reticent when it comes to dynamic expression. But one of the most notable things about the WiiM Pro Plus is how agnostic it is when it comes to the music source it is dealing with. ![]() It goes without saying that you'll get the best results from a product like this by using the highest quality, most information-rich digital audio files possible. It's a really handy feature, as multi-room audio doesn't really get any more straightforward or convenient. This means you can connect an analogue source to your WiiM and then wirelessly stream it to other WiiM units (such as the slightly less well-specified WiiM Pro) you may have around your home. Even prospective purchasers with a decent DAC already in their set-up are advised to compare the Pro Plus with what they're currently using.Īnalogue-to-digital conversion circuitry courtesy of Burr Brown's PCM1861 chipset is provided. Just connect the WiiM's line-level output to one of your amplifier's line-level inputs, and you're good to go. For those 'group one' prospective customers I mentioned – the folks who want to bring some streaming smarts to their existing system – be assured that this DAC is entirely fit for purpose in any realistic scenario. It's able to handle digital audio files of every popular type (as well as quite a few unpopular alternatives) at a resolution of up to 32-bit, 768kHz and DSD512. On the inside, the majority of business is taken care of by a highly capable AKM 4493SEQ digital-to-analogue converter chip. It's a cut or two above those clicky-membrane credit card-sized handsets that often accompany products like this, but that's not the same as saying it's particularly pleasant to use. As well as all the obvious functions like volume control and input selection, the remote also has a 'mic' button for use with Amazon Alexa voice control. It's notoriously tricky to come up with a clean, usable and reliable control app without spending the equivalent of the gross domestic product of a small developing nation, so WiiM is to be congratulated for its effort here.Ĭontrol is also available from some capacitive touch-points on the fascia ('play/pause', 'volume up/down', 'setup', 'Bluetooth pairing' and 'assign preset', for which there are a dozen slots available) or the bundled remote control handset. Chromecast is built-in, Apple AirPlay 2 is available, and the (logical, stable) 'WiiM Home' control app that's free for iOS and Android includes Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, Qobuz, Deezer, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn – plus plenty more besides. ![]() Wireless connectivity is handled by Bluetooth 5.1 (with SBC and AAC codec compatibility) and Wi-Fi. WiiM kindly provides a pair of more prosaic and slimmer RCAs in the packaging. It's worth noting that the RCAs are quite close together and slightly recessed into the casework, which means it's a struggle to fit expensive analogue interconnects with their fancy big-barrelled plugs. Along with a USB-C socket for power, it features an Ethernet socket, a digital optical input and output, a digital coaxial output and stereo RCA line-level ins and outs. The rear panel gives a good indication of what a useful little device this is. Where functionality is concerned, however, it's a different story. Nor does the plastic from which it's almost entirely made feel anything special, and that's equally true of the remote control handset that accompanies it. Being fairly small and light (42x140x140mm, 400g), the Pro Plus has little in the way of kit rack presence. If you judge value in terms of how much stuff you get for your money, then it isn't particularly special. The WiiM Pro Plus is a generously specified music streamer designed to bring digital audio modernity to legacy audio systems or to form the basis of a serious multi-room streaming system. ![]() There aren't many products that are as useful to those dipping a toe into the world of music streaming as those building a complete whole-home wireless streaming system, but this caters for both types of buyers.
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