The WiiM Amp will unlock your music!

[@KITG_]

Love your reviews and I'm really loving your new format and style. Much more easygoing, fun and colourful. Really nice to get an insight into you life as well. Beautiful kid!

[@PassionforSound]

Thank you. I'm so glad you like the new approach!

[@pcm9969]

I've always liked your channel, but I like the current direction you're going in. Keep up the good work.

[@PassionforSound]

Thanks for letting me know! I'm so glad you feel that way. 🙂♥️

[@arthurwatts1680]

Didn't you quit YT a few days ago ??

[@plconard3713]

Did you actually listen to the video?

[@juanp756]

Most likely the sound differences where not the cables but the room setup

[@PassionforSound]

No. The differences were consistent in both rooms with the WBC cables.

[@aeon7748]

@@PassionforSound I believe you, props for not backing down, there must be some huge distribution of people who can't tell the difference, just like anything else, but I can, I have the WBC 2534 and love it.

[@No_Limits_411]

Ruf ruf ruf, I have been a electric engineer for 75 years and I have to say, once you mentioned the cables, you lost all of my and of my familys and their friends respect. You have lost all the credibility talking of this chinese heresy that is no way comparable to the gramophones from 1956, which is all I ever listen, and love, as does my wife and everbody else with a bit of a common sense. All of us now will stop following you, effective from the very second and also going back in time, retrospectively for two months. We will also delete our browsing history and burn our computers. We just want you to know that. We would wish you well but are suspecting that you have been paid by all the chinese manufacturers, 100$ a year, and also three plates of sushi. Anyway, we are disappointed. Thanks! #just_trolling 😂😂😂

[@PassionforSound]

😂 you had me at the beginning there! Well played!

[@CJDilag]

The longer I've been in this hobby, the more I lean towards having fun with music again and less of critical listening

[@PassionforSound]

♥️

[@StrangerInParadise58]

The Wiim Amp is great! I use it in a bedroom setup with a pair of Klipsch RP-600M II bookshelf speakers, along with a small Cambridge Audio Minx X-201 Subwoofer. Simply put ... outstanding!!!

[@PassionforSound]

Nice setup!

[@carminedesanto6746]

Good morning from Toronto 😎☕️ I run the OG Wiim Pro feeding my Denafrips DAC …and yes , music is truly the soundtrack of our lives…and my setup is damn nice!

[@TheVeganVicar]

Especially with that Effect Audio cable you won!

[@carminedesanto6746]

@@TheVeganVicar Thanks Padre’

[@PassionforSound]

Happy listening, playing, laughing, etc. Carmine!

[@beeemerg6504]

Is it a big difference between running the wiim pro with and without the dac?

[@carminedesanto6746]

@@beeemerg6504 Depends on the quality of your streaming service and the DAC you’re working with. The DAC that’s in the OG Wiim Pro is meh at best …but you’ve got choices as to how to output . Let’s face it ,the DAC does all the heavy lifting in most of our systems.

[@Big-J-8579]

Spot on for what the WiiM Amp is. It is an entry-level product to get you into the game.

[@inikkor520]

or the next phase

[@fredbloggs1472]

Appreciate your work, Mr Fennen. Looks like it has a lesser DAC chip to the WiiM pros. Hope it is more reliable than the WiiM pro I was using. It had issues with MConnect/VLC per Android transport.(spitting, dropping sound, skipping in tracks) Some of the trouble must be from the apps. It may have been corrected with a june 16 update, but I now use another brand to catch the streams. The WiiM app is great though, so I moved the pro to another system.

[@PassionforSound]

I would have loved to compare the WiiM Pro directly with the WiiM Amp to see which DAC sounded better via the WiiM Amp output, but they've all been loaners so weren't here at the same time to compare.

[@Alamo-cz5xc]

Great review! Glad to see you branching out into other products.

[@PassionforSound]

Always looking to try new things! Glad you liked the vid!!

[@coardtech]

Budget stuff so good nowadays expensive audiophile products are more fashion and belief than facts and objective sound quality. WiiM sure is a market disruptor.

[@No_Limits_411]

This is kind of good and bad at the same time 🙄

[@PassionforSound]

The higher level products are still clearly superior in sound quality, but it all depends on what you need and how you're going to use it.

[@aRc11-11]

WiiM's kick you right in the winkles. Good stuff.

[@PassionforSound]

😂

[@AlexanderG-mi7ip]

This video was most definitely helpful in my case...

[@PassionforSound]

I'm pleased to hear that!

[@goodsound4756]

Please refrain from those clickbaity Titles

[@crate718]

ha ha you took out the beast chord Dave lol that is amazing

[@Music.Movies.67]

You didn't mention that the Wiimp Amp has a Subwoofer Output as well. For a 2.1 Setup

[@PassionforSound]

That's true, I don't say anything about it, but I think I showed it in the onscreen visuals from the app. There are quite a few features I decided not to specifically discuss because they're all listed or visible on the web and I wanted to keep the video more concise.

[@Hush99]

Thanks for the video on this super affordable product! Also, wouldn't mind seeing more 2-channel speaker content.

[@PassionforSound]

I've got a bunch more coming! Speakers, Class-D amps, etc. 🙂

[@nick_yt23]

Not very keen to download a Chinese app in my devices unless I want to send my data to CCP😢.

[@PassionforSound]

Fair enough. I'm not sure how much your music tastes will tell them, but you're not alone in that sentiment.

[@TomasGarza-b5d]

The Wiim isnt cheap and I cannot connect an external hard drive with my flac files to it. I dont have interest in streaming. There should be a device that reads your files from a hard drive (not usb memory stick) and plays it in high res. Even tha apple tv is useless.

[@PassionforSound]

That requires some specific interface hardware and software which can get quite messy if not done well. The lowest level devices I can think of which should do it are the Raspberry Pi based streamers or something like an SMSL SD-9, EverSolo DMP-A6 or Shanling EH3

[@masterazlan6999]

Nice,..Peace!

[@MilGrip76]

This is why this channel is not taken that seriously many times. If cables are making that big of a change electrically, there is a serious problem. I've never seen a documentary on recording studios, where cables are even mentioned, at those levels of [system] resolution, every cable on earth should dramatically change the sound no? As others have pointed out, there are glaring problems likely effecting the sound, that are not related to "wires". My 2c.

[@michaelshaffer4005]

I’m just picking a nit, but as a representative of those 30-40 years older than you, there’s a difference between the terms “cheap” and “less expensive”. For us, the term cheap was attached to a lot of post WW2 manufacturing coming out of Asia, and connoted “without value”… #jussayin

[@Kouros-t6d]

80% of vintage amplifiers destroy this ugly little box

[@PassionforSound]

They're also huge and require extra boxes and wires for streaming...

[@MilGrip76]

Potatoes and mice.

[@Gadgetdad007]

Vintage is all you can afford you cheap skate. 😂

[@garymalone547]

Plot twist with the cables bottlenecking the chain lol. Great value proposition if you're not a purist.

[@lukelee1992]

Wiim products are just perfect at its price zone, as a owner of a Wiim pro streamer, it really serves me well. However, I do hope that they could have a new version with a usb output.

[@StephenMcGregor1986]

How do these compare to the products from Sonos, Bluesound and Yamaha?

[@PassionforSound]

I'm yet to try any of those - sorry. I have some Sonos One speakers, but they're not really comparable

[@StephenMcGregor1986]

@@PassionforSound these have been my conclusions - If budget is a concern or the setup is less demanding, go for the WiiM Amp. Sonos Amp: Ideal for those invested in the Sonos ecosystem and looking for easy-to-use multi-room audio solutions. If you need versatility, adaptability, and prefer Yamaha's MusicCast system, the Yamaha WXA-50 is your best bet. Bluesound Powernode: Offers the best sound quality and powerful output but comes with a steeper learning curve and higher price point.

[@PassionforSound]

@StephenMcGregor1986 thanks for sharing your thoughts on these!

[@shaunyweaver1144]

Yes, i use wbc mogami, the difference is crazy .. Everything improves, ive use ofc 10awg, qed, chord, silver plated, and the mogami beats them all ..

[@PassionforSound]

I haven't tried the Mogami version, but the WBC Canare are sub par compared to the higher quality cables I've tried.

[@michaelrossmaessler200]

I hate the H word (H_____y). Music is part of life and that's what real audiophiles treat it like. The equipment is a means to an end (in an ideal world the musicians would just come to you and play). Simple, affordable, and easy to use equipment that serves the music is a really good thing. 🙂

[@PassionforSound]

I can't think of which word you mean, but your point is very valid! 😁

[@audie-cashstack-uk4881]

Just get a atmos soundboard and surround s

[@redrich2000]

You should get a pair of Sonos Fives to compare with things like this. I have a pair for the same reasons you like this, easy for the family to use with Alexa etc. I suspect this set up would give the same functionality with much better sound.

[@PassionforSound]

I've got Sonos Ones in a couple of locations in the house for the same reason, but the DMP-A6 and BeoLab 3s takes care of "serious" casual listening 😁

[@2madamimadam290]

Thrilled to hear you are reviewing some amps and speakers. I know this is not your bag ordinarily but I only use IEM's on airplanes. ~$18. Haven't ever delved into real headphones.

[@PassionforSound]

I'm looking forward to it too! I'll still be limited to compact speakers, but I've got a bunch of Class-D amps coming up as well as the Monitor Audio Bronze 50s.

[@orthosympa6993]

My only problem with the WIIM amp is the advertised power. It is rated at 60W but this is far from the truth. a 25/30W class A or AB amp will play much louder without clipping despite having less available power. Despite that, it is a great product for small rooms/offices if you're on a budget, but it is not a giant killer by any means.

[@PassionforSound]

That's a question of gain, not power. I don't know the specific output specs of the WiiM, but you can't judge power by volume as a higher gain amp and/or a higher voltage input source will create louder sound, even if the max power output is lower.

[@Cactuspractice12]

I considered this, but then opted for the kef lsx ii's, just seemed more elegant and cheaper

[@PassionforSound]

Definitely a nice choice based on my brief auditions!

[@murmerjangle3016]

Outstanding video, mate!

[@PassionforSound]

I'm so glad you liked it!

[@parrattdiddle]

Man ! You are exceptionally good at what you do. Thankyou ❤

[@PassionforSound]

Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed the review.

[@RamisDad]

For a sec was wondering if this was the review for the Wiim amp pro

[@PassionforSound]

Sadly, that was released after this review was already planned and scheduled with the retailer lending me the gear. Hopefully, I can try the Amp Pro soon

[@spamcan9208]

"Music is just a soundtrack to life." The whole point of me getting into hifi was to have a better listening experience. Unfortunately it felt like I was watching reviews more than I was listening to music. The Wiim application is great, although I have a few nitpicks. It's also updated frequently with new features and bug fixes. Was most of your listening done at lower levels or in the near field? I ask because that affects power requirements. Another channel said the Wiim amp struggled to power a setup in a larger room. It may have even overheated but I don't remember.

[@PassionforSound]

It worked just fine in my 7m X 4m living room at comfortably loud levels for a short period with the Monitor Audio Bronze 50s so I didn't come across any problems, but it will depend on the speaker too.

[@spamcan9208]

@@PassionforSoundyeah, plenty of variables which is why it's good to have many reviewers test gear out. I think this reviewer had a very large room and the wiim was powering a few sets of towers.

[@clan_biblioteke]

Denafrips Ares II VS TOPPING D90III???What to buy, I have ESS (Topping e50) and AKM (SMSL SU-9 ultra), I don't have R2R DAC yet... And is Eversolo A6 as good a streamer as most of the reviews say? do reviews even more often? Good luck

[@PassionforSound]

I would recommend a Schiit Bifrost 2 over either of those DACs if you want something like R2R. And yes, DMP-A6 is excellent

[@Nuevo_El_Nagual]

Your new style reviews are much more interesting 👍

[@PassionforSound]

I'm glad you like them!

[@yttean98]

thought you not reviewing anymore?

[@LorenzoFrausto]

You didn't watch the video, clearly.

[@geevee1045]

I enjoy your reviews very much, but I'm surprised you wouldn't standardize the speaker and cables when comparing amps to eliminate variables.

[@PassionforSound]

That was impossible in the living room setup. As explained in the video, the BeoLab 3s are active speakers so they don't use speaker cables. In my office tests and comparisons, everything was standardised across the board (interconnects, speaker cables, etc.)

[@geevee1045]

@@PassionforSound OK, I've re-listened to your video again, and can appreciate that I was a bit confused with so many amps and rooms involved. 2nd time around I can focus on extracting the Wiim amp from all the other gear, and the sound quality comparisons. Sorry 'bout my initial confusion with so many variables. Just wanted to say, I appreciate the efforts you've gone to, in breaking down the various section's contributions of the Wiim amp. Thx.

[@PassionforSound]

@geevee1045 no problems and I do agree - it got quite convoluted there 🙂

[@jimfarrell4635]

Small and not entirely unattractive. Basically what my wife saw in me.

[@batdroid2705]

What did you see in her

[@jimfarrell4635]

​@@batdroid2705Have you got three or four hours?

[@roa5359]

Wiim amp plus Wiim ultra streamer?

[@PassionforSound]

I'm going to try the Ultra soon...

[@m4nc1n1]

Not until it comes in black

[@michaelrossmaessler200]

Turn the lights out. Seriously, I like black too.

[@RennieAsh]

Everyone going out and buying these things on a Wiim

[@PassionforSound]

Pure gold! 😂

[@RennieAsh]

@@PassionforSound I saw that it's on sale on a hifi website and was also wondering if I should get one someday lol

[@HiFiMods]

You lost me.. ;) Sorry I couldn't follow your chains, I think maybe a diagram for each would've helped. And I've watched this video twice now ;) In any case, I have both WiiM AMP and SMSL AO200MKII, and love them both. What I found out through my testing is that if you use an RCA input on the WiiM AMP and use it as an AMP - you are NOT an audiophile. I'm sorry, but WiiM has an AD then DA conversion happening on the RCA input stage so users could stream their RCA input to other WiiM devices, like it always has been on all their other streamers with RCA inputs in the past. I'm saying this because the audio difference was quite impactful when using a high quality DAC with Sparkos Pro Opamp upgrade just to hear WiiM kill all that goodness in its AD and DA stage when used as an AMP. I'm very surprised it was not evident to you. Also my testing involved using the same speakers and same high quality speaker cables, I'm not sure why there was a need to introduce that as a differentiation factor in the DAC/Streamer/AMP comparisons. Just my observation.. I do love your work and where your channel is heading, thank you!! If you get a chance, please try out the Sparkos Pro Opamp one day and report your findings/comparisons in a YT video, I'd love to hear your opinion. ;) Also in my experience, the $1 opamp IC chips that manufacturers use in their DACs/AMPs leaves a lot of room for improvement. That's why my AO200MKII has two Sparkos SS3602s in it that performs like a champ now. WiiM AMP is getting them soon too! Will post videos on that ;)

[@PassionforSound]

That's a good point about the ADC/DAC process on the RCA inputs. I'd forgotten about that! Either way, the subjective impressions remain the same. I mentioned the speaker cables to point out that every part of the chain makes a difference. And finally, I have the Sparkos Pro op-amp here, but am waiting on a fix to a particular device so I can do the testing properly before I do the review.

[@HiFiMods]

@@PassionforSound Sounds good and thank you! I’m very curious to know how it compares to the new Burson V7 Vivids. I think I’ll still have to buy them anyway, love using opamps to make changes to the sound depending on equipment in the chain! 🙌

[@PassionforSound]

I can provide a spoiler if you'd like...

[@HiFiMods]

@@PassionforSound Up to you, I have patience 😉. I’m trying out to fix a crossover in a speaker for the first time and I’m fascinated how it’s working out. Mind blown! 🙃 Literally just plugged it in 🥳 I love audio!!!! 🙌

[@PassionforSound]

♥️ I'll keep the spoiler up my sleeve for now if you're engaged with other tweaks 🙂

[@seanb3303]

I think Class D technology is a sonic compromise. If it wasn’t, we would see Class D headphone amps in stand alone products.

[@PassionforSound]

I'm still on the fence. I'm yet to hear a truly top quality Class-D amp, but I know some of the big players are going that way so maybe it's possible for them to match Class A/AB designs. With headphones, I don't know that Class-D makes a lot of sense because you rarely need enough power to have any problems with Class A/AB. I.e. they don't need to be super big or run super hot to drive headphones.

[@CraciunAlexandruGh]

Your system is a bit weird. The speakers you have are both entry level and their positioning is also very limiting. They are way behind the amp and dac you own. I would wager that going to some better speakers like the Kef R3 or Lintons with stands will bring out more differencea.

[@PassionforSound]

That's not my regular system as discussed in the video.

[@Sporting1210]

I dunno about the the little snippets. There are - as far as i can tell - two types of usage on youtube: A. uses pre-made clips from sources specialized on making pre-made clips, so you get these catalog-actors/models doing basic acting-school "show us confusion/happynes/ &c" clips. B. uses movie, music videos and TV-show clips/gifs with the aim of adding a personal touch , since most creator use clips from sources they like/liked. Randy is doing that if i remember correctly. In this category you also see a lot of more or less famous internet memes and gifs. Obviously A is rather generic and boring and you see that a lot on pseudo-health channels and some more-on-the-shilling-side tech-channels, while B. might take a bit more work, since either the channel owner or the editor have to know A LOT of movies and shows, but it is WAY more entertaining and can build a more solid connection to the viewers. I dont want to sound like a nay sayer, but your clips need work (IMO) The editing is rather clumsy/choppy and the clips itself are mostly redundant and serve no real purpose...aaand they are the generic A-type. Also i dont really understand why you use specially these clips in the first place. Your presentation and editing - minus the clips- were alrdy on a pretty decent level and you yourself offer a quite unique "hosting platform" (^^) so if you want to add a bit of spice to freshen up your game - this is not the way (again IMO). This is like a politician trying to connect to the younger voters ...bit cringy nowaddaimean? That said-i dont like streamers - and avoid online/cloud usage wherever i can. Companies are greedy and WILL fuck you over with the data, pricing and software at some point as Sonos just demonstrated.

[@jimfarrell4635]

I agree to an extent. I find these little snippets distracting and annoying regardless of source. I also see them as dumbing down the channel as if reinforcement is needed to help me understand entirely simple statements. Annoying and unnecessary.

[@PassionforSound]

The snippets are all about maintaining engagement. It's all based on the data from KZbin and what's been proven to help maintain people's interest. Just like in education where you try to provide multiple modalities (written, spoken, graphics, etc.), this is intended to cater to many different people.

[@Sporting1210]

@@PassionforSound while the spreadsheet can offer usefull information - it's not allways the best to just follow what it says. A nd even if you do, you still need some...uhm..panache. The way your snippets are implemented give a rather unmotivated impression. Just like i would expect something to look like, if the sole motivater behind it was "youtube data shows, that...". my advice : If you really want to keep the snippets try to make them more personal/less generic (and yes, that is a lot more work) and get the editing worked out! like it is, it just comes across lazy, generic and dilettantish. and i swear, that i am not a troll (if you remember^^)

[@PassionforSound]

I'm still adapting my new approach so it makes sense that my skills with the edits will improve, but it has to happen on the fly. This isn't my day job so the time spent is rationed. Beyond that, all I can tell you is that the stats and the majority of feedback is supporting the approach. I apologise if it's not to your tastes, but I need to follow what's best for the channel and the content I am enjoying creating while improving along the way.

[@Sporting1210]

@@PassionforSound Oh i am not really having a problem with snippets, just THOSE particular snippets and how you implement them. Also, "i have a problem " is probably a tad to harsh of statement. The way you do it atm i perceive them as, half-baked, a disruption in the flow of the vid due to the choppy editing and redundant on top. It kinda feels like you asked an AI "how can i get more engagment on my channel?" and that was one of the answers, you feel me? Rather unpersonal and not really...uh.."you" :/ But you are right, improvement will most likely come on the fly. Just keep in mind, that a lot of...uhm..fans will often just tell you, that you are doing great no matter what. And while the concept of these snippets is absoluetly ok and can be something to have fun with, you...ehm...have quite a bit of space for improvement. So maybe keep an eye out for people, who alrdy are doing it and are a bit more spot on with the selection and a lot tighter with the editing. Whether the engagment on your vids is the right - or enough - motivation to do something well is something i doubt, but I wont unsuscribe because of that ofc and in the end you do you and dont let anybody stop you. I will let it go with that, since i think i said my piece alrdy a bit too loud . peeze o/

[@corrrect]

11 minutes commercial? Your content is getting watered down.

[@PassionforSound]

Yep. I'm really selling it when I discuss the fact that a stack of separates will still sound better...

[@RennieAsh]

Humans are watered down

[@PassionforSound]

😂