Tiny Audiophile Gear Destroys Gear twice the Price!!!

[@jeffberwick]

So glad you like the TPA3255. I was on the design team that created that device. We all love music and audio quality was better than required from the spec It was a blast working in that chip because all of the tech from 10 years of research came together in one device.

[@BrianHall-Oklahoma]

There is no need for an external dac with the Wiim Ultra. I just redid my main living room system. Now just have a Wiim Ultra, a CD transport, and a turntable with a pair of Fosi V3 monos driving Klipsch Heresy IV speakers. The Wiim Ultra sub out goes to an active subwoofer. The CD transport has an optical cable going into the Ultra. The turntable is connected to a Waxwing phono dsp amp with the rca from that going into the audio in on the Wiim Ultra. The Wiim Ultra is my source selector, streamer, dac, EQ, and preamp. Nothing else is needed and it sounds awesome. The V3 monos are more than capable of driving the Klipsch speakers to ear splitting levels. I seldom go above 30% volume.

[@42degrees86]

Good set up. Have you thought about upgrading to a non load dependent class d power amp like hypex or purifi. I reckon I'll head down that path at some point and move on from my class a/b amp.

[@brysonfitzgerald5238]

​@@42degrees86excuse my ignorance, but how are "non-load dependent" class D amplifiers different and/or better than other class D amps?

[@thelowprofile9767]

What sub are you using?

[@jimfarrell4635]

​@@42degrees86 The V3 mono has post filter feedback technology which eliminates load dependency. They are getting closer to the big boys all the time.

[@jimfarrell4635]

​@@brysonfitzgerald5238Load dependency isn't an issue with the Fosi V3. However the amplification is done on a chip from Texas Instruments. The Purifi amps use a much more sophisticated (and expensive) module made of discrete components. They are supposed to be better. I can't comment as I haven't heard them, but for a pair of Purifi monoblocks you are probably looking at a minimum of $2000.

[@keithmoriyama5421]

The great thing about Randy... he has that just got up look, where's my coffee, down home presentation. A guy like that doesn't lie.

[@gebo1103]

I own the big Brother of the TEAC PD-301DAB-X CD player, the TEAC PD-505T, and it's outstanding! I think, TEAC doesn't receive the recognition it deserves.

[@narendrakudva6212]

@@gebo1103 100 % right

[@Oldcrow77]

I’ll pay1,000 for teac they have been around forever, have a teac DAT Recorder and their proline Tascam pro DAT recorder. Both 30 years old and still chugging along. Life is to short to own sub par gear Buy once, cry once

[@gaycha6589]

DAC tech has moved so very much in last 30 years…

[@keithmoriyama5421]

I own 3 systems in the $25K to $50K range. Some of my greatest enjoyment comes from my "cheap" collection. I have a Kanto Y6 with sub combo that folds up into two small boxes... the wife and I enjoy it immensely when we rent a cabin for a week of kayaking.

[@josephparysek]

It's good to see you getting back to cheap audio. I've been watching you since you started and it seems like you've been getting more and more expensive as time has gone on. Stay cheap my friend.

[@poonlionglai4699]

@@josephparysek so... Are you saying how "low" can you go? 😅

[@jukingeo]

@@poonlionglai4699 I am a firm believer of keeping it under $1000 per item. Perhaps bending that a bit to about $1500 if tower speakers are involved as you don't need a subwoofer. A decent system shouldn't coast more than $5k. Those are my max guidelines. BUT if you can put a decent system together for cheaper. All the better!

[@poonlionglai4699]

@@jukingeo fair statement. There are alot of very interesting items at the budget you had stated

[@jukingeo]

@@poonlionglai4699 Thank you for agreeing. You really don't need to spend 4 and 5 figures (or more) for an item if you know where to look. Randy is usually a good source because he did much of the research work for me! But finding gems, such as the Wiim Ultra? Yeah, that is great to have something that looks good, sounds good and is packed with features and yet comes in at a price level just about everyone can afford.

[@erictheblue7256]

I own a WIIM Ultra and my advice is to try it on its own as a streamer/digital preamp with your amp of choice first. You may find the combination more than good enough as a audiophile grade solution. Having said this, the Ultra controls volume digitally so try to get a power amp(s) with gain control. Set the gain on your power amp relatively low, forcing you to set the gain high on the Ultra (try to ensure its volume is never less than 50% of max). By doing so you avoid the potential of "bit chop": Digital volume control can drop bits of information from your digital source if its volume is too low. So long as you avoid bit chop, digital volume control can outperform most analog controls-even expensive ones.

[@trekkis]

Wiim volume control is Lossless.but internal dac is poor.

[@markparker7778]

You are always such a pristine breath of fresh AIR. You can so tell you truly have your heart into your content and unselfishly dedicate yourself to not only educating us but saving our money too. Thank you Sir. ❤

[@boomerscs9193]

The Fosi amp is NOT the V3, it's the V3 mono! The V3 is an older stereo amp.

[@boomerscs9193]

Instead of a CD player, get a dvd or blu ray player with adigital output. There are lots at Thrift stores for ~$10.

[@danielbrown2715]

@boomerscs9193 trouble with dvd player is start up times can be very slow and often they have no display which means ideally you need to plug into some sort of display to see what your doing and they can be noisy especially cheap ones, better in my opinion to buy 2nd hand cd player from late 90's maybe technics? Sound with built in dac will be quite decent but can be upgraded start up times are quick and they normally have a decent display £50 buys a decent one on eBay.

[@jimfarrell4635]

In my view a dedicated cd only transport and laser assembly will give better results. DVD and Blu ray drives are technically different and rely on error correction. So I agree that a second hand cd only player is the way to go. Having said that, you will get decent results with a DVD and a good dac.

[@desinho9]

@@danielbrown2715 Indeed, I luckily bumped into a Yamaha CDX-596 in the nearby thrift store for 25 euro. About the only decent thing I've come across there in the past two years as well 😅. But there's another one a bit further away that get's a lot more audio stuff, hoping to bump into a Yamaha cassette deck next (or the matching 596 minidisc player)

[@michaelglaskin-clay1351]

This is the best channel for straight up info/recommendations on reasonable audio equipment. Thank you.

[@middleearthltd]

Something better in every way in my opinion, is the Marantz M1 Streaming Integrated Amplifier The M1 is meticulously designed and built in Marantz's storied Shirakawa facility in Japan A tiny footprint 8-9/16"W x 3-3/8"H x 9-15/16"D and a deep input/output array including eARC No DAC as the digital amplifier does the DA Iike the Technics’ Digital Amplifier- great technology Marantz Musical Digital Filtering (MMDF) for crystal-clear sound Plenty of power and an incredible value and Japanese build quality I prefer HEOS for my streaming but to each their own and it does Apple AirPlay 2 In Keeping with the small form factor a SHANLING EC Mini CD Player So $1K for the M1 and $359 for the CD player

[@jimfarrell4635]

I have the ec mini and it's a nice little player though I find it mechanically noisy. HEOS is my least favourite streaming platform though.

[@phil9593]

The form factor of the M1 and it's capabilities seem impressive. Do you need to use your phone to control the it? I like leaving my phone in another room to avoid notifications or distracted surfing while listening to an album.

[@middleearthltd]

@@phil9593 I use a tablet but yes it uses an app device for streaming but you can use a smart TV I have a Dennon DNP-2000NE streamer with HEOS and use a tablet and NVIDIA Shield TV Pro I really like the M1 technology and for $1k you are getting a crazy amount of value

[@AEvanseightyone]

Outlaw Audio rr2160 with a DAC and you’re are in a whole new level.

[@aniketnraut]

How did you manage the heat from the V3? after 1 hour of usage i couldn't even hold it in my hand. I had placed them on a cooling fan and yet so hot!

[@bstarkey54]

Have the WIIM Ultra. Love it.

[@eddents]

But wait there's more!! That gear will fit perfectly for when I'm "In the doghouse", though I'll wait to mention buying a new tiny system until I'm out of the doghouse.

[@jemsmay2167]

Great system, thanks for the tour. Would be really interesting to see how this compares to a good integrated HT receiver with comparable cost to the total for your system. Let’s say the WiiM, the J2 and the pair of Fosi amps vs a Denon AVR X2700 (or similar from Marantz). The denon is going for around $650 now and would include 7.1 Atmos, an integrated remote and digital video processing etc. and would cost less than the J2 plus fosi x 2 plus WiiM ultra. Do a side by side!

[@owade433]

A great track to judge your system. It's wide, deep, detailed and 3-D. Turn up the volume and enjoy. Track: Bubbles Album: Wandering Artist: Yosi Horikawa

[@m4nc1n1]

You will like this. I have the WiiM Amp and the WiiM Ultra. The Ultra runs into the WiiM Amp, which powers PSB Alpha 5s and a Monoprice THX 10". It sounds great.

[@marcusmcmurray77]

Wiim Ultra + Amp seems redundant. Why not sell the Wiim Amp and get a better power amp?

[@plinkyplanky9651]

Hi thanks for the video....interesting stuff. I have a retro system using Quad 33/303 amplifiers. I just like their sound. I live very close to the Quad service centre in Huntingdon UK, so. it was inevitable in many ways that i would go for their gear. Would you believe that in my little village when growing up there were no shops at all except a small audio specialist selling Quad, mitchel etc.... all the old English gear that is now considered retro. My question is this. I like my Quad gear and use the pre through one input only so i can use the volume and tone controls. I want to be able to stream music through it, have a remote volume control in the loop and somehow connect my macbook and iphone if needed. The iphone can be connected directly via a cable but it would work better for me to have the macbook connected without cables. What would i need to add this functionality, would the wiim ultra add it all? I'm not at all up on all this modern gear , to be honest i'm a little confused at what i need. Thanks for any advise.

[@itsallgood78735]

Wiim Pro -> miniDSP Flex (all digital version) -> Geshelli J2s -> amp. I also connect the phono pre to the Wiim Pro. Volume control is on the miniDSP.

[@trekkis]

Wiim has dsp / peq built in.

[@itsallgood78735]

@@trekkis The miniDSP has two digital out outputs, I am using 1 for the subs dac and one for high pass dac. Also, miniDSP has more control over crossover. The PEQ on the Wiim is very convenient for quick adjustments to a song.

[@trekkis]

@@itsallgood78735 so dsp is form of lfe in this case, interesting. Wiim ultra has lfe with cross and bass management, one of most important functionality of ultra for me.

[@Welcome-t1u]

I bought a pair of fosi mono amps after watching all the postive reviews on youtube and what shocked me was how bright they are so i returned them. My speakers are wharfedale Evo 4.2 and i have castle seven2 do definitely not bright. Anyway just my two cents.

[@reserva120]

Castles .. loved mine - they must old - or are those the new recently introduced ones .. but that a far higher cost speaker ??

[@jimfarrell4635]

I had a full set of Castle Inversion in my AV system back in the day. Lovely speakers.

[@brysonfitzgerald5238]

All of these products seem impressive. My only question is, after 20+ years of digital audio, how do the Wiim and Teac components NOT utilize USB for both input and output? This would simplify connections, eliminate almost all interference, and will provide increased bandwith to run 384kHz or DSD format music. Really, from an aesthetic and simplicity standpoint, I don't understand this ommission? Edit: I know the Geshelli J2S has an optional USB; I own one with the AKM4499 chip and I upgraded from Sparkos 3602 op-amps to Sparkos 2590 op-amps and it is absolutely stunning. I use the USB input and upsample most music to 384kHz or DSD.

[@jimfarrell4635]

I think it is because USB done properly is expensive to implement and because with the rise of dedicated streamers fewer people are using computers as transports. Also Dsd is very niche these days. I agree however. After I2S it's my preferred interface.

[@trekkis]

Usb is needed in some cases for asynchronous connection, not for any simplification or to eliminate interferences. Only optical connection has galvanic isolation, usb still can create ground loop or other problems. So if source clock is OK or if ddc is used optical is better. Also, quality of usb connection is better in low mode than high mode - high bandwidth and kHz are often directly worse in case of usb due to intensive usb processing. And in case of Sigmas dac with their internal oversampling, they are simply vodoo. Dsd included. Dsd to be useful, can never be converted to pcm during mastering. If it is, and always is (dsd is almost not editable), reconversion back to dsd is pure fiction. - all added value is lost on this stage. High kHz source is slightly usefull only in dacs with real Nos mode, but in practice up to 96khz. All above is fiction. Upsampling brings nothing, even digital filters artefacts (intention of Upsampling was to help with filters, but analogue ones) stays the same. Especially in case of any Akm. Sigmas always are oversampling internally every signal and always convert it to dsd. But such oversampling, filtering and interpolation is destructive for micro details and produces lot of digital artefacts. Basically, lot of pure vodoo. Best quality is oryginal file even cd level in Nos mode. 44khz in this case is Incomparably better than fake generated kHz. And optical is enough as long as source clock is good quality or DDC or form of buffer is used. Usb is needed basically in low quality equipment with low quality source clock. In hi Level equipment i2s + form of clock buffer is used.

[@brysonfitzgerald5238]

@trekkis i agree with a lot of what you said. I want to point out, however, that while upsampling or converting to DSD may involve voodoo, it very much affects the sonic signature. I have thousands of hours using HQPlayer and it's many filter/upsampling combinations. Some have little to no effect. But most do. And, it's mostly the soundstage depth, width, and instrument separation that is affected. I suppose people with setups that have bad soundstage to begin with may not hear the changes. Oh, and one other point..... while USB isn't perfect, in my experience, it introduces far less interference than unbalanced connections.

[@trekkis]

@@brysonfitzgerald5238 Affects for sure, this is right word. But in case of sigma, doesn't matter, it's academic. Sigma Always perform destructive oversampling by itself on output. Technically (sonicly and from oscilloscope wave point of view) much better is not affected and not filtered Nos (non oversampling like r2r) sound. For me there is no any come back to Sigma and any os modes (have changed rme and eversolo for ares). There is much better, much quicker impulse response - so micro details. And No digital filters artefacts. And much more natural and pleasant sound. Even from cd quality. No any hi res can compare with that. Usb in most cases should be set to class1 (up to 96khz), but still, technically only optical galvanic isolation can not introduce "interferences". Yes, in usb signal itself is balanced, but there is ground loop, and electronic may be affected this way, resulting noise. The same in case of class 2.

[@matthiaslochmann5910]

@cheapaudiomen I’m really interested in these small amps. I have two Epos ES 14 speakers and currently drive them with a Denon PMA-720AE. Has the technology advanced so much that, for example, I could achieve better results with two Fosi mono blocks?

[@richardmancini959]

Hi. And I have the Teac 301 in silver. Lovely piece of awesomeness.

[@omgM2]

There have been some reports of the Fosi Audio v3 failing.

[@bobsabin]

TEAC CD player is excellent. I have one on my desk. Sounds great.

[@lesteryoung3816]

Love your system set up .sounds complicated though would need someone to put it together .Also love the music played on this too great stuff boss

[@sportsmonster66]

my apartment is too small for me to go back to CDs but that teac player is really making me want to. great vid as always Randy

[@anthonycyr9657]

Have a pair of v3 monos, already blew one up, was never cranked driving some older restored cerwin vegas, they ran hot till one finally bbqed itself after only a month, dont really recommend if you plan on it lasting a few years, i have a 10 year old yamaha amp thats been abused, and still sounds great and runs reliable.

[@jacobmountain-q2q]

One of the best mini systems i have heard is the Cambridge Audio RX30 aka 'Cambridge One'. The mono block config internal amp is awesome and through line input, using mine in the studio with BK Double Gemini subs, actually i am well impressed (or easier pleased, lol). It's built-in DAC and other inputs are good. The cd player was the best i heard Hendrix's Voodoo Chile, so yeh.., indeed a reference point. Would like to know what mini will beat the RX30. They have a couple of reliability issues but i have relatively easily fixed several that i had sourced at huge discount.

[@Mayhemaniacs]

Can you recommend a stereo repair company - or service for a mini system?

[@Mayhemaniacs]

I have a Harmon Kardon mini won't power on.

[@johntucker2318]

What are your thoughts regarding the soon to be available Fiio GM13 as just a CD transport? Small enough? The reviews say Analog, SPDIF, and USB output.

[@nicolai2429]

I have a SMSL DA9 sittng around and was wondering if that integrated amp would work with the Ultra?

[@charleskatz2606]

Huh???????Hey Randy how the hell do you attenuate the volume with the Geshelli?I mean it does not have a remote and I did not think a amp for volume attenuation.What am I missing here?Me thinks the Fosi matching DAC with HDMI would be best for second rig.Then something like the Shanling CR-60 (rips too) for $279.If I got a half size top loader for my main rig I would go for their ET3 transport at $700

[@IRON_PANDA]

I'd pick out the new Node with Dirac over the Wiim Ultra any day of the week. Also, FiiO (preorder) and Shanling make CD transports/players for under 200 & 300 usd respectively.

[@Oiljeep]

my setup close to this. Sony cd player 90's era opt out, Pc' Usb into Smsl D6s Dac with XLR in V3 mono's Into the Tangos a Jeff Bagby studio monitor 2 way. I also did Dac RCAs in a Fosi P3 preamp, RCA to Mono's I can used AUX to12 in power Sub with either RCA or XLR and Sub works if the P3 is on, So I have little Warm sounding RCA on the Mono's switch or Pure digital signal Dac to XLR. Just need to Hook up the New VU3 Pro switcher Than I can have a tube/analog signal to all of it, And VINYL Records.

[@danielbrown2715]

Instead of the teac cd I've gone for the Project cd box E, just £200 and has amazing build and sound for peanuts price, dac built-in is decent however you can upgrade if you wish, in my case to a sabaj D5 for even better performance, project have an entire range of mini components for cd, streaming and amplification at various prices which I'd love to see reviewed on this channel.

[@kellygrant4964]

Topping E70 Velvet DAC is fantastic in my system. Using it just for my CDs. Passing analogue into my Onkyo receiver then out to my Medowlark Kestrels. Looking at getting a Emotiva BasX A2 instead of Onkyo for power. Any thoughts on the Topping/Emotiva pairing for CDs?

[@uruguayo6395]

Does the Wiim Ultra have digital coax input for cd players with coax out?

[@mvegas269]

Hi, is this system powerful enough to run my Definitive Technology BP9040 2 (fronts) Def Tech Demand D 15 tower speakers? I'm new to this'd trying to put together a nice system. Not sure which sets of these should be for 2 channel listening or if I should use them all in multi channel stereo mode when listening ?

[@824tonimarie]

I love it🥰so cute and awesome this system! So you can be at $2100 with the teac amp vs the fosi amps.👍thank you Randy great video🤩

[@RanTausi]

I love the standard size. 😊

[@zigzagluck]

I love small components, I think due to never having had a large space, but also I just tend to find the more compact designs more appealing. I've gotten rid of most of my full size components for a couple of AVRs, couple of 1990s Onkyo amps (which I'm actually looking to sell), and a fairly recently acquired Cambridge AXA35, which while full width, is very compact in height. I've always had an affinity to TEAC, but they've always been more than what I was willing to spend, though I'm seeing some I'm the used market within my comfort range. But then, Rotel just came out with their A8, and I've wanted to compare them to my Cambridge for a while.

[@JTB--]

I've got 2 Geshelli Stacks and I can vouch that they are probably the best bang for the Buck Audio gear you can buy

[@WireHedd]

Yeah, and all that "motion of the ocean" stuff too. Great video again Randy, Thanks.

[@skaerber1767]

What about those Technics all in one streaming cd player receivers? The SA-C600 I think. Has a CD player, streaming, and multiple other inputs for around $1000. It is not upgradeable, but is a one box solution. Not many reviews unfortunately.

[@christopherbuck7679]

I’m being dim I think, are you using the wiim ultra as it has a better DAC and power supply than the wiim pro? The reason being as a wiim pro user i can understand adding 2 Fosi units to power speakers as being a nice small footprint, but not using the wiim ultra’s DAC and bypassing the inbuilt amps unless the fosi units are better than the ultra’s amps? Is the wiim pro and fosi not as good a set up?

[@DarenLee]

I am using Wiim pro and v3 stereo with Sony SS-CS5 it’s just ok. Not bad. Loud volume sounds better. Same feelings as you I was wondering is WiiM amp ultra worth it compare to what I having. I had a smsl su-1 but I remove red it from my WiiM pro because I lost the width quality. And doesn’t have body and just high and sparkles .

[@lotuslandmusic7770]

The Wiim ultra doesn’t have amps. It’s just a streamer. You’re confusing it for the “Wiim amp “

[@fredjoel8113]

Hopefully manufacturers such as TEAC will eventually offer a CD transport, possibly with USB input to handle various formats as you mentioned. I'm interested in trying out the Wiim Ultra even after my bad experience with their Mini. It's poor wireless sensitivity made it inoperable a mere 35 feet from my wireless router. I'm hoping that the Ultra won't have this problem.

[@dereklessak3455]

Hey Randy hope all is well. Shanling cr60 was just released or will be by end of this month. A cd transport / ripper with a drawer style cd mechanism.

[@jordandudeohs6297]

Hi, sorry if this is a dumb question, I'm looking at getting my first setup and I'm looking at the Wharfedale Lintons, but I am having trouble figuring what I need to power the speakers, I was originally looking at the WiiM Ultra and the running 2 of the Fosi v3 monos, but Im not sure if that would work or how one would wire up 2 monoblocks for stereo speakers. So would you be able to run a turn table into the WiiM Ultra, then run the Ultra into 2 Fosi v3 monos, then into the Lintons? If so, how would one wire up the amps from the ultra to the Lintons? Thanks for the help if anyone can point me in the right direction

[@randomsuper]

does anyone have a link for the cable that goes from the wiim to the po100 pro?

[@jeronronnunkoffunk4691]

Love this overview, I have been sold a while on the fosi monos always been a fan of mono amps any way and pre amp devices with bass management and Hi/Lo pass x overs

[@avalanche9142]

Would really appreciate your advice: I have a Fiio BTA30 DAC/AMP (bought for my PC) but noticed that when I connect my TV optical output to it and then from it to my A/V receiver, the sound quality improves noticeably compared to when my TV is directly connected to the A/V Receiver. My question is whether it is worth to spend on getting a good DAC/AMP to use between my TV and A/V receiver (which is an old Yamaha RX-477), or if I upgrade my A/V receiver to a much newer and better model, I would get the same quality and would not need any DAC/AMP in the middle? In other words, does a newer and better A/V receiver naturally provide better DAC/AMP that using an external one would be totally unnecessary?

[@BadgerJeff]

Great video. Check out the Shanling CR60 cd player. About half the price of the Teac. No reviews yet though.

[@trekkis]

This model is hard to review. Cheaper than some other models, and more compact , but not as cheap and no more compact as any dvd player with spdif for 20$. As this is transport, quality is dac dependent, in theory only jitter should be better / lower than in case of $20 player. Is this audible, not sure yet, i have it to short, i need to make more comparisons. To be potentially audible very resolving system is needed. For sure display is terrible and much worse than in $20 player. So small that nothing is visible. Kind of a joke. Expected more here. Remote is also bad, there is no numeric keyboard, long press Keys are used, half of keys do not work, ir range is bad. There is lack of any bt app support. There is no memory function. Mechanicly, I do not see any difference between $20 player (loudness of drive is even worse!). But overall bulit (chassis) is great. Also sound quality itself without comparison with others - is very good. Outputs are better than in case of $20 cd - there is coax, optic and usb audio, so need for any DDC. Powering by usb is also very practical. But I think it is worth max half of the current price, no more. Simply difference between $20 transport is to low, or even in some aspect (display, remote) shanling is worse.

[@kevinmpaddock]

No WiiM has a Coax input, only output. Also, Pro Plus is cheaper and better sounding if using as a DAC and preamp. Just my 2 cents from owning all of them. Love your vids, Randy!

[@RtH4rbr3cht]

Definitely! The wiim pro as a component output to outboard dac to separate amp is the better sound and cheaper, and upgrade power supply too if you feel that is necessary.

[@rickgrimes4845]

I also prefer the AKM chip but no HDMI arc is a dealbreaker thus I must go with the Ultra

[@larrybody1]

No coaxial input on the WiiM Ultra. I had to get a coax to optical converter to hook up my CD player.

[@trekkis]

No lfe and arc. Without bass management there is no any chance for equal level of sound quality possible to achieve.

[@liamporter1137]

I've gotten SMSL AO300 and they're pretty good. So small, light, cost effective and play very loud too. Awesome.

[@yamaha6460]

I might have missed it in the comments somewhere, but, you didn’t talk about rolling the opamps in the Fosi Monos

[@PaulFauteux-i7t]

I have a NuPrime CDT9 transport with linear power supply. It’s small form factor player. Sounds wonderful to me.

[@StuHarrisOz]

Curious whether you’ll do a review of the Advance Paris X-i50 ? I’m at the beginning of my journey (back) to a new system. How would this stack up against what you’ve compared here?

[@poonlionglai4699]

Shanling CR60, that can also backup your CD to digital files

[@BobbyBass-x6i]

Thanks for the video. Appreciate when you talk about relativity affordable equipment. Wiim makes great stuff. I have the Pro Plus as the streamer and DAC in one system and it’s excellent at its price point. For a reasonably priced DAC, and just a DAC, I went with the Holo Audio Cyan 2 for about $1300 US delivered. The best I’ve heard. Highly recommend if you want an incredibly revealing DAC and just a DAC with no extras. Rock on!

[@rluke3]

I wonder what Randy thinks of the WIIM Ultra?

[@donpettit7107]

He has mentioned it before…

[@marku606]

😆

[@BrianBallars]

Hey bro....love your videos and your charisma...

[@lespaul667]

You may want to add that if you use the external Dac, you’ll be using a digital volume control, and lose your high and low pass filter 2.1 subwoofer functionality of the Wiim Ultra.

[@jimfarrell4635]

An option I have used is the Denon DVD-2900 player from the early 2000s. This was a flagship player at the time and does DVD, cd and sacd, but is optimised for cd rather than as an afterthought. Built like a tank it is beautiful and has good internal DACs but makes a great transport. It's massive, though. However, in the UK at least, there are plenty on eBay around the £100 mark. Edit: I know I have said elsewhere that you are better with a second hand cd player than a DVD, and generally that's true but if you can pick up a high end universal player cheap it's worth it.

[@upstatemichael3850]

Another option, the Bluesound Powernode is all-in-one.

[@timschutte3961]

Would never buy Fosi Audio and very good for the price but give me the Teac any day

[@baronvonlichtenstein]

How does the JBL compare to Adam Audio T5V or those Sony SS something or other you like?

[@6643bear]

Hi Randy another great interesting video. Regards mark

[@Graphixman]

Look for the Denon CEOL system. On sale $450-$490. CD, Radio, internet radio, XM satellite radio, etc. sounds really good. Small footprint.

[@davidbono9359]

The SMSL PL200 CD player is also a small form-factor component, but a bit more expensive than the TEAC (about $670). I haven't heard one, but saw it reviewed on other hifi channels.

[@MrMustang990]

I bought everything in this video except the J2 DAC. Is it really worth adding it?

[@Whatisthis94]

Any advice on the McIntosh mb25? Overpriced ?

[@yellow_noise3]

better deal for CD, if you already have a DAC is Shanling ET3 CD transport. Native usb output!!! also SPDIF (AES and coax and toslink), and I2S over HDMI. Has built in streamer and wifi and bluetooth. cost only 100$ more than Teac. comparing Shanling to Teac is like ferrari vs chevy spark....

[@jimfarrell4635]

Yes. The Shanling is a very innovative transport. If I didn't have a Jay's Audio I would get one.

[@jeffmillar78]

Will the fosi v3 mono drive my cerwin vega D9's and a cerwin vega E605C center I am thinking of getting 3 of these mono blocks to drive the front stage in my home theater. Would it work or should I invest in higher end gear

[@jockedunkardax6007]

Nice video! By the way, maybe the new Shanling CR60 could be a nice alternative to the TEAC CD player for anyone who already has a DAC. I don’t know anything about it except what’s listed on Shanling’s web site. But it has the same form factor.

[@cherihorvath2047]

Rather than the Teac, I use a Sony UBP-X800M2 at $297 as it will play CDs, SACDs, and all my BluRay concert videos. I found a very inexpensive converter on EBay that extracts the audio from the HDMI audio output of the Sony and will output either DSD through I2S or very high PCM resolution from optical or coaxial. I run a pure glass Wireworld optical from the converter to the optical in of the WiiM ultra and with SACDs the Ultra processes it at 24 bit/176khz and all my BluRay concerts at 24 bit/96khz. Heaven!

[@xaviborrell9078]

I agree, the wiim ultra dac is good enough. Please tell me what cd transport do you use and cable to the optical? coaxial? Wim ultra input. Thank you

[@trekkis]

Wiim dac is poor. And there is only optical in, so you need to use native optical connection or DDC converter from coax to optical.

[@williammitchell3271]

I'd put the Emotiva A2 mini into the system. It replaces the two mono blocks and preamp assuming you can get by with one analog in. Matches up well with Geshelli and Wiim. Has great sound and 50W/ch. for less money. My two cents.

[@mvegas269]

HI, love the content here. Any advice on what components to use if I wanna switch my setup from Marantz AVR to separates , I would like to use my system for Home Audio and Video (TV, Netflix Etc.). I'm on a budget fro sure , thank you gonna like and subscribe!!

[@BobGeogeo]

Never treat a Randy video as a drinking game for "WiiM" with anything stronger than shots of club soda.

[@RUMBLEGO1]

On my standard V3 with the volume knob, if i turn it up all the way there is a noticeable hiss. I have to back it down to about 2 or 3 o'clock for that to go away. With no volume knob on these is there any noticeable hiss since it is running at full tilt boogie all the time?

[@BrianHall-Oklahoma]

No hiss at all.

[@givemethejob3293]

No hiss on my V3 either

[@stephenhall3515]

The TEAC CD player here is not very good value and one has to remember that the TEAC brand is no longer related to the old firm in Tokyo. There are other Chinese outboard (but cased) ones which use refined versions of the Phillips-Sony-Toshiba mechanism at a far lower price. Some have ports which are surprising and will play FLAC etc and MP4 sound only. These might not be available in the USA. The complicated wire connection the presenter does not actually demonstrate is unnecessary and he generally seems to overrate the Geshelli DACs. Having tested 2 of the 4 models I prefer the no fuss SMSL or my quite elderly Topping slim and small one. One is paying for the looks of the Geshelli rather than functional totality. If saving space but having great sound is the object of the exercise the Fosi x2 could be omitted and powered speakers used. The WIIM is, however, well worth having whether one streams or not because it is a solid and noise-free control unit/preamp equivalent of great versatility. Paying in the courtesy of a clean current power supply allows it to do its job.

[@markdi2]

Is there anything like the wiim ultra that has balanced outputs ?

[@trekkis]

EverSolo, but this has no any meaning. Eversolo in overall is much worse, and both of them have poor dac. To have balanced out, you should connect wiim simply with better dac with xlr output.

[@dougg1075]

That Teac is very cool.

[@bengleason508]

Thanks Randy.

[@ThomasGrabosky]

The cheap stuff does not hold up. Every week there is another giant killer. I think it’s better to buy a quality product that you will enjoy for years.

[@trekkis]

False statement. There are no any killers every week, once for year maybe. And can be used many years,

[@gerlachsieders4578]

Vincent Audio has some compact components too, may be worth checking out... atb

[@TEDdotcom]

6:33 that refection…what is going on in the background?😏

[@christalbert722]

Holy Cow- $550 for the CD/Tuner seems crazy. Cute, yeah, but....!

[@christophergaus3996]

Great video man! I'm curious, does AM/FM go out the optical and digital coax too from the CD player? Something about that seems off? 😂

[@StrangeBrewReviews]

The teac is a really nice smooth cd player and worth it....parasound Z series would be cool to pair with it.

[@EightSixx]

the cambridgeaudio mxn10 here to compete with the wwim.

[@givemethejob3293]

No ARC input?

[@PhillioDoede]

The only way that Teac could be more old school is if it ran on steam and played those paper rolls you'd see in those disturbingly weird automatic piano players in old westerns.

[@larsginer8378]

I think I'm a bit confused about the setup's coupling scheme. Feeding the Fosi monoblocs from the Wiim Ultra is straightforward, and the obvious statement about the need of a preamp for volume control. The Wiim is the hub that receives the streams and, among much else, HDMI or optical from the TV. But if the external DAC, which lacks a volume control, is fed digitally from the Wiim and then the monoblocs from the DAC, does the Wiim's volume control work with the digital out, or is the signal returned to the Wiim again?

[@trekkis]

Volume control is working with external dac without quality loss.

[@larsginer8378]

@@trekkis Great info, TAL!

[@jukingeo]

Nice compact system that comes in at a good price level too. Definitely considering this for my computer system. For the amps, I just bought a ZA3 and like how that sounds. Down the road I can always get another one for a dual mono setup. Most likely I am going to get the Wiim Ultra to use as a pre-amp and the Geshelli J2S with the 4499 chipset. I was going to write off the CD player as too expensive and out of place at that price point, but Amazon has the same one for $334. Sure beats paying $549 for the same thing. With me though, I don't need the FM radio and I don't like the loading system on that CD player. I prefer a drawer. I probably am going to stick with my commercial Pioneer DVD player and put that into the Wiim Ultra.

[@brysonfitzgerald5238]

@jukingeo just wanted to tell you that you will not regret the Geshelli J2S.... I went with the USB module and AKM4499 chip and the Sparkos 3602 op-amp (only on the the unbalanced output because I do not use the balanced outputs). The sound was fantastic, but i wanted to tinker some more, so.... I ordered a Burson V7 Vivid op-amp, Burson V7 Classic op-amp, and finally a Sparkos 2590 op-amp. I found audio nirvana with the 2590 op-amp and I highly recommend skipping all the others and going straight to the Sparkos 2590. Or, if you like to tinker, or prefer a smoother, less dynamic sound, and don't mind a smaller soundstage, the Burson's might be up your alley. But because of the modularity, you really can't go wrong!

[@jukingeo]

@@brysonfitzgerald5238 What is the difference between the 3602 and the 2590? It seems the former is more popular. Also, have you ever compared the J2 with 4499 chipset to a Denafrips Aries (Enyo)? The main reason I ask is that I had found out that if you want to return the J2, there is a restocking fee and I don't want to eat that. If the Denafrips is better, then I would go that route. I know that Randy says it is better, but I do want to hear from others that made a similar comparison.

[@jimlyall8624]

Sorry randy another question what about cd ripping as opposed to a cd player

[@SaffuillaKarman]

Fiio is coming out with the DM13 portable CD player and Shanling with the CR60. Small firm factor so maybe either of those for a small system.

[@cunawarit]

Tiny footprints are good! The ideal sound system would be effectively invisible, it's all about the sound not the kit.