Allow 12V trigger to be controlled by standby mode status instead of playback

[bobster26]

I started using a WiiM Pro Plus four days ago. I'm hoping it can replace an old preamp.

According to the article linked below, the 12v trigger raises the voltage music starts playing, and reduces the voltage 2.5 minutes after music stops playing.

How to use 12V trigger on WiiM Pro?

WiiM Pro has a 12V trigger output with a current rating of 220 mA that can be connected to an amplifier with a 12V trigger input. This brings an amplifier out of standby mode when the music starts playing, reducing the time it takes to become act...

faq.wiimhome.com

Please add the option of instead having the voltage raised only when the WiiM awakens from standby mode and lowered when it enters standby mode (whether by pressing the button on the remote or using the Standby timer in the app), making this independent of playback mode.

This is how my preamp works - when you turn it on, it turns on the power amp. When you turn it off, it turns off the power amp. This makes much more sense.

With the current implementation, the first few seconds of music is cut off due to the time it takes the amplifier to turn on. Even if a delay is added to playback to compensate, I still strongly prefer that the trigger function be tied to Standby mode instead of playback. Perhaps there could be a choice of trigger modes.

EDIT: Also, please add to the WiiM Home app a button for entering/exiting standby mode, analogous to the one on the remote that comes with the WiiM Pro Plus.

EDIT 2: The WiiM Pro Plus does turn the amp off when it enters Standby mode via a press of the "Standby" button on the remote, so this part of the functionality is OK. But this makes it all the more confusing that pressing the button to wake it from Standby mode doesn't turn the amp on.

I submitted a ticket about this and am posting here to cover my bases. It is a feature request forum, after all.

Thanks!

 

[WiiM Support]

I confirm. Now it works as I wrote and not as Wiim support wrote. The device always triggers the trigger after five minutes, even though I restarted the device and tested it for 10 and 20 minutes in standby mode.

Please read my reply above - Current Behavior, not Proposed Enhancement.

"Let me clarify how the standby timeout and trigger functionality currently works, and also share a potential improvement we're considering.

Current Behavior:
When you set a standby timeout (let's say 10 minutes, for example), the device currently defaults to turning the trigger low after 5 minutes. This happens because the system is designed to select the shorter duration between the standby timeout and a default 5-minute period. You can observe this behavior by setting the standby timeout to less than 5 minutes or by manually entering standby mode using your remote. In these scenarios, the trigger will respond more directly to your actions.

Proposed Enhancement:
We're contemplating a more intuitive approach where the system would always honor your specified standby timeout setting, provided it's not set to 'Never'. For situations where the timeout is set to 'Never', we could introduce a default timeout period after which the trigger would turn low. This would ensure a more predictable and user-aligned behavior, aligning the trigger response more closely with your standby settings.

 

[Burns]

Great question! Let me clarify how the standby timeout and trigger functionality currently works, and also share a potential improvement we're considering.

I read all your replies that you wrote in the meantime. I promised to confirm once again that even after a reboot this is not the behavior we expect. You simply extended the time from 2 minutes to 5. We are waiting for further, more rational improvements

 

[bobster26]

You simply extended the time from 2 minutes to 5.

Exactly.

We're contemplating a more intuitive approach where the system would always honor your specified standby timeout setting, provided it's not set to 'Never'. For situations where the timeout is set to 'Never', we could introduce a default timeout period after which the trigger would turn low. This would ensure a more predictable and user-aligned behavior, aligning the trigger response more closely with your standby settings.

What needs to be contemplated? Users have made it clear that this is what they want (in this and other threads), and you admit right here that it's more intuitive, predictable and "user-aligned."

 

[Wischmopf]

Great question! Let me clarify how the standby timeout and trigger functionality currently works, and also share a potential improvement we're considering.

Current Behavior:
When you set a standby timeout (let's say 10 minutes, for example), the device currently defaults to turning the trigger low after 5 minutes. This happens because the system is designed to select the shorter duration between the standby timeout and a default 5-minute period. You can observe this behavior by setting the standby timeout to less than 5 minutes or by manually entering standby mode using your remote. In these scenarios, the trigger will respond more directly to your actions.

Proposed Enhancement:
We're contemplating a more intuitive approach where the system would always honor your specified standby timeout setting, provided it's not set to 'Never'. For situations where the timeout is set to 'Never', we could introduce a default timeout period after which the trigger would turn low. This would ensure a more predictable and user-aligned behavior, aligning the trigger response more closely with your standby settings.

I hope this clears things up! We're always looking to improve based on user feedback, so if you have any suggestions or further questions, please don't hesitate to share. Your input is invaluable in helping us enhance your experience.

That‘s exactly what I would it expect to do! Thank you for sharing.

 

[amix]

For situations where the timeout is set to 'Never', we could introduce a default timeout period after which the trigger would turn low.

Will it still be possible to only have the trigger executed manually, i.e. no shut off after timeout? I only use the trigger for manual on/off. This is why I have set timeout to "Never".

 

[rjw]

+1 to this. I actually assumed this is how it already was and set standby to 20min thinking it would make a difference. It should either be standby or its own setting

 

[rjw]

I have been running with the trigger now for a day. It works. I had to make a custom cable but I'm handy with wire strippers.

The only gotcha is Alexa. I have Alexa using the Wiim as the standard speakers for the voice assistant. That's a use case where the trigger is likely - a question out of the blue for Alexa

Well what happens is the trigger works but my amp takes a second or two to power up and by then I have missed the first part of whatever Alexa was saying and I have to ask again.

The same thing happened with music/podcast but in that case it's an extended listening period so it's less important. With voice assistant it's common that the trigger was low

Is there any way to buffer audio for a very short time after the trigger fires to allow the amp to turn on? It could be configurable but it seems like it'll be between 1 and 5 seconds

 

[Wiimer]

I have been running with the trigger now for a day. It works. I had to make a custom cable but I'm handy with wire strippers.

The only gotcha is Alexa. I have Alexa using the Wiim as the standard speakers for the voice assistant. That's a use case where the trigger is likely - a question out of the blue for Alexa

Well what happens is the trigger works but my amp takes a second or two to power up and by then I have missed the first part of whatever Alexa was saying and I have to ask again.

The same thing happened with music/podcast but in that case it's an extended listening period so it's less important. With voice assistant it's common that the trigger was low

Is there any way to buffer audio for a very short time after the trigger fires to allow the amp to turn on? It could be configurable but it seems like it'll be between 1 and 5 seconds

Is the AUX of the Echo device connected to the Line-in of the WiiM? Or are you talking about Alexa on the WiiM remote?

 

[rjw]

Is the AUX of the Echo device connected to the Line-in of the WiiM? Or are you talking about Alexa on the WiiM remote?

Alexa using the Wiim as preferred speaker, wirelessly. The wiim group plays into multiple rooms and the Alexa in those rooms use it.

 

[Wiimer]

Alexa using the Wiim as preferred speaker, wirelessly. The wiim group plays into multiple rooms and the Alexa in those rooms use it.

In that case, Alexa's responses and announcements will be played from your Echo device. WiiM will not start at that time. Only when you tell Alexa to play music will the WiiM start and play music. If this doesn't happen, I think there's a problem with the settings somewhere.

However, in my experience, Alexa and triggers don't go well together. It may be better to stop using triggers and use IR smart remote devices.

 

[rjw]

In that case, Alexa's responses and announcements will be played from your Echo device. WiiM will not start at that time. Only when you tell Alexa to play music will the WiiM start and play music. If this doesn't happen, I think there's a problem with the settings somewhere.

However, in my experience, Alexa and triggers don't go well together. It may be better to stop using triggers and use IR smart remote devices.

The Alexa integration is working, it plays through the Wiim/Alexa integration. The Wiim appears as a speaker and is set up to be the preferred speaker.

Without the trigger setup it works perfectly.

With the trigger setup it works - but only after a couple of seconds. The wiim is sending the audio to the amp on line out immediately after the trigger, and the amp isn't yet able to receive since it's still powering up.

Once the amp powers up you hear it, so you catch the second half of the answer. If you ask it to repeat you hear the whole answer no problem because the amp stays on for a few minutes.

But if you ask a question 5 min later it happens again because now the amp is powered down


ETA for clarity I'm not talking about an Alexa trigger. I'm talking about the 12v out on the WIIM that signals the amp to turn on

 

[Wiimer]

The Alexa integration is working, it plays through the Wiim/Alexa integration. The Wiim appears as a speaker and is set up to be the preferred speaker.

Without the trigger setup it works perfectly.

With the trigger setup it works - but only after a couple of seconds. The wiim is sending the audio to the amp on line out immediately after the trigger, and the amp isn't yet able to receive since it's still powering up.

Once the amp powers up you hear it, so you catch the second half of the answer. If you ask it to repeat you hear the whole answer no problem because the amp stays on for a few minutes.

But if you ask a question 5 min later it happens again because now the amp is powered down


ETA for clarity I'm not talking about an Alexa trigger. I'm talking about the 12v out on the WIIM that signals the amp to turn on

Normally, if you ask a question that is not related to music, the speaker of the Echo device will play the reply. There is no sound coming out of the amplifier connected to the WiiM. For example, if your Echo asks, "What's the weather like today?" and the Echo speaker replies.
Through Alexa, the WiiM only plays music.

And yes, I'm also talking about 12V triggers.

 

[rjw]

Mine answers the weather question through the Wiim. Works great without the 12v trigger.

 

[bobster26]

But if you ask a question 5 min later it happens again because now the amp is powered down

Yes, that's the current design - they recently increased the trigger off delay from 2.5 minutes to 5 minutes when there's no audio present.

I made this feature request so that this won't happen - unless you've set the standby time to 2.5 minutes or 5 minutes.

If you want a buffer for delaying the audio when the trigger turns on the amp, it would probably be more helpful if you posted that as a separate feature request in a separate thread.

For troubleshooting and discussion of other features, please also use a separate thread. The will both reduce the off-topic posts on this thread and make it easier for others who are trying to address the same issues as you. Thanks!

 

[rjw]

Go to the Alexa app

Make sure wiim be and echo are on the same wifi network. Add them both to the same "area", eg "Kitchen"

Navigate to the echo device and click the gear icon to configure and click Speaker, select let Alexa choose.

Now go to the Area, eg, "Kitchen", scroll down to speakers click change. Set Wiim as the only option

Now ALL sounds from Alexa will play over the room speakers via the wiim.

With the 12v trigger if your amp isn't instant-on and you ask "Alexa, is it going to rain today?" you may miss the important part of the answer.

 

[Wiimer]

Navigate to the echo device and click the gear icon to configure and click Speaker, select let Alexa choose.

Do you have a reason to do that? If you don't set it, the announcement will be played by the Echo speaker, so there will be no interruption due to the trigger.

 

[rjw]

Do you have a reason to do that? If you don't set it, the announcement will be played by the Echo speaker, so there will be no interruption due to the trigger.

The echo devices are tiny little echo dots that can't easily be heard from a distance and sound awful. The in room speakers are great and it's easy to hear

 

[Brantome]

Use a short Alexa routine, say “Alexa, wake up” which has an Alexa Says action of “ok” which you might miss as your amp starts, followed by 5 second wait action and finally an Alexa Says action to say “speakers ready” then issue your request to play music or ask a question.

 

[rjw]

Anyway the trigger logic needs a refresh

1. Make the timeout no less than standby

2. Buffer sound a few seconds after the high trigger

 

[Fix12vtrigger]

I joined this forum today so I could illustrate my issues. I have a nice external dac with multiple inputs. I use the WiiM remote to turn on my mono amps. I run my tv optical out straight to my external dac because I use my tv volume as a center channel. When running through the WiiM directly I would get a delay in the audio so I have to run straight to my external DAC. I run my android DAP through the WiiM and my record player through the WiiM. Long story short when I turn on the WiiM to watch tv. It turns my amps off in two minutes. Because the WiiM isn’t detecting audio because it’s going straight to the external dac. Can you please fix this?! I changed standby to never and was hoping that would fix the problem but it doesn’t. I bought this device mainly for the remote 12v trigger and to use as a preamp of sorts. It’s a great product and this change would be of great benefit to many.