How a lot should we spend on an amplifier to show the WiiM Professional Plus into a whole Future-Fi resolution to which we simply add loudspeakers? Linkplay, builders of the WiiM {hardware} and software program platform, reply that query at the moment with the announcement of the WiiM AMP.
The brand new streaming amplifier takes the WiiM Professional Plus as its basis – a hi-res succesful DAC circuit* that decodes streams despatched wirelessly over Bluetooth, Google Chromecast, Apple AirPlay 2, Tidal Join, Spotify Join, (quickly) Roon Prepared or acquired through hard-wired sources like analogue RCAs and TOSLINK – and provides HDMI ARC and a 60wpc into 8 Ohms Class D loudspeaker amplifier. An Ethernet socket reveals up for many who favor wired information transmission and the Bluetooth connection works in each instructions: in (from smartphones) and out (to headphones).
Lest anybody doubt the market demand for HDMI ARC, listed below are 3230 (out of 8500) folks expressing their want to see it above all else in a pair of powered loudspeakers. That’s as polled on the Darko.Audio YouTube channel a month in the past.
The WiiM AMP is a powered speaker’s nearest neighbour the place a pair of passive loudspeakers play it dumb, pushed by an outboard amplifier that homes all of the connectivity. It’s Future-Fi for somebody who prefers to hedge their bets. Vinyl heads ought to join their phono stage to the WiiM AMP’s single-ended RCA inputs. These wanting USB might want to apply a USB-S/PDIF converter to the WiiM AMP’s TOSLINK enter. The USB Sort A socket discovered on the again of the WiiM AMP isn’t for PCs or Macs however USB storage units.
And what of the WiiM’s amplifier board? It’s constructed round a Texas Devices TI 3255 chip for 60wpc into 8 Ohms and 120wpc into 4 Ohms. These of a measurement persuasion ought to know that the distortion profile of that chip, in accordance with TI, seems to be like this:
We’re not achieved but.
The subwoofer output on the again of the WiiM AMP has seen Linkplay’s app builders add a bass administration pane to the WiiM House app. From there, we select the subwoofer’s crossover frequency however additionally acquire and part (the latter two options are but to be present in BluOS). And sure, Linkplay’s underlying DSP additionally high-pass filters the loudspeaker outputs to take the low bass burden away from a 2-way loudspeaker’s mid-bass driver. None of that is within the press launch although — I needed to ask WiiM about it straight.
Additionally not within the press launch is one other very intelligent piece of wizardry (if it comes off): the aforementioned bass administration pane will present up within the WiiM House app for WiiM Professional and Professional Plus customers. Join both streamer’s pre-amplifier outputs to a cable adapter after which to the subwoofer, sync its streaming zone with the WiiM AMP’s and presto: wi-fi subwoofer integration.
I’ve not examined this characteristic and doubtless gained’t have time to earlier than my WiiM AMP overview goes up in written format within the subsequent two days. After ten days of utilizing solely streaming apps, I’ve simply now paired the provided Bluetooth LE distant with the WiiM AMP and may report that its play/pause and quantity up/down instructions are extra responsive than any in-app play/pause button or quantity up/down.
Now let’s return to the place we got here in: how a lot should we spend so as to add an amplifier to the €249 WiiM Professional Plus? With the WiiM AMP stickered at €349** in Europe, the reply is a flat €100. For our further money, we additionally get HDMI ARC comfort and a subwoofer output with bass administration. Even on paper, that’s a reasonably, fairly whole lot.
Additional info: WiiM
* Linkplay instructed me through electronic mail two months in the past that the AMP “makes use of the identical AKM 4493SEQ DAC because the WiiM Professional Plus” however the press launch going out to US-based publications says it’s now an ESS Sabre ES9018 chip. 🤷🏻
** The WiiM AMP will promote Stateside for US$299 and within the UK for £299.
