Beta Test for WiiM Pro - PEQ, Squeezelite Client and Airplay Transmitter (Cast to Homepod, Sonos and other AirPlay speakers)

Hi,

We're looking for WiiM Pro owners who would like to beta-test our next firmware update which will include the following new features:

• PEQ
• Squeezelite Client
• Airplay Transmitter (Cast to HomePod, Sonos and other AirPlay/AirPlay 2 speakers)

If you're interested please fill out this form and we'll email you when your device has been whitelisted with the beta firmware.

Thanks!
WiiM Team

 

[d6jg]

If the target device supports airplay, then I’d say yes. Up until this beta, Wiim devices could only act as airplay receivers ( e.g, you could choose them as an Airplay speaker from your phone), but this beta means your Wiim device can act as an Airplay transmitter and send its audio to other devices which appear as airplay speakers/receivers.

Not sure that you are correct about this.
The AirPlay transmission may well be limited to what can be accessed directly from the WiiM app eg Spotify, Tidal, Amazon but probably not Alexa Cast

 

[Wiimer]

@Brantome, @d6jg, thanks

Even if the input sources are limited, I think this is a very powerful feature for some users. If you can wirelessly transmit music with higher quality than Bluetooth to distant speakers, you can place your Wiim anywhere you want. For example, in the immediate vicinity of the router.

However, if i can't use AlexaCast for input, it means i can't control Alexa's voice either. Probably not...I hope so...

I'm thrilled for the first fascinating update in a long time for me!

 

[Wiimer]

If i think about it calmly, Alexa Cast can connect to my AVR so I don't have to use AirPlay. But AirPlay via WiiM might have a little better sound quality (and even then, I wouldn't be able to hear the difference).
In any case, I want to try it as soon as possible.

 

[Brantome]

Not sure that you are correct about this.
The AirPlay transmission may well be limited to what can be accessed directly from the WiiM app eg Spotify, Tidal, Amazon but probably not Alexa Cast

My interpretation of Airplay Transmitter is that whatever the WiiM Pro receives from any source is then output to an Airplay target device or group much as you’d choose spdif or coax or line out or Bluetooth as output, so largely agnostic as to source.

 

[Brantome]

If i think about it calmly, Alexa Cast can connect to my AVR so I don't have to use AirPlay. But AirPlay via WiiM might have a little better sound quality (and even then, I wouldn't be able to hear the difference).
In any case, I want to try it as soon as possible.

Wouldn’t Airplay be constrained to 24/48 max so not as good as Alexacast?

 

[Smartplug]

This is very exciting firmware that many of us been waiting for.

 

[Wiimer]

Wouldn’t Airplay be constrained to 24/48 max so not as good as Alexacast?

If alexacast to WiiM, yes. But AlexaCast to Yamaha AVR is probably below HD. So Airplay from WiiM to AVR might be better than that.
... Is my perception correct?

 

[Brantome]

If alexacast to WiiM, yes. But AlexaCast to Yamaha AVR is probably below HD. So Airplay from WiiM to AVR might be better than that.
... Is my perception correct?

Yeah, fair point - the Yamaha MusicCast Alexa skill probably only supports lossy MP3 for AlexaCast from the Amazon Music app. I guess if you can’t connect your Wiim to your AVR via coax or optical, Airplay might be the next best option.

 

[Brantome]

This is very exciting firmware that many of us been waiting for.

Yeah, three fairly significant new features in one beta…

 

[Wiimer]

Thank you Brantome

Another question,
Are there any other third-party devices that can send AirPlay to this world? (Sonos?)

Did Linkplay get any special tickets from Apple? And does this update suggest that Wii M will support Apple Music in the future?

I've never used AirPlay and Apple music, so I'm curious.

 

[onlyoneme]

Thank you Brantome

Another question,
Are there any other third-party devices that can send AirPlay to this world? (Sonos?)

Did Linkplay get any special tickets from Apple? And does this update suggest that Wii M will support Apple Music in the future?

I've never used AirPlay and Apple music, so I'm curious.

And also - will it support lossless codec over AirPlay, at least for CD quality?

 

[d6jg]

And also - will it support lossless codec over AirPlay, at least for CD quality?

Doesn’t it have to in order to comply with Apple’s AirPlay requirements?

 

[Brantome]

Thank you Brantome

Another question,
Are there any other third-party devices that can send AirPlay to this world? (Sonos?)

Did Linkplay get any special tickets from Apple? And does this update suggest that Wii M will support Apple Music in the future?

I've never used AirPlay and Apple music, so I'm curious.

To be honest, I don’t know - maybe Linkplay reverse engineered the protocol as I understand various android apps have, for example in this link https://www.maketecheasier.com/stream-from-android-airplay/

I wouldn’t necessarily take this as a sign of progress with Apple

 

[onlyoneme]

Doesn’t it have to in order to comply with Apple’s AirPlay requirements?

I have no idea, but AAC is quite often used when streaming with AirPlay.

 

[Brantome]

Doesn’t it have to in order to comply with Apple’s AirPlay requirements?

Apple Music and Airplay2 struggle with lossless transmission so they don’t seem to comply with such a requirement…

 

[d6jg]

I have no idea, but AAC is quite often used when streaming with AirPlay.

Even Airplay1 supports 16/48. Airplay2 takes it to 24/48 I believe and supports multi room.
I can stream FLAC at 16/44.1 from my server to AirPlay1 receivers. If I send 24/96 etc it gets downsampled accordingly.

 

[d6jg]

You can use AirPlay with Sonos

 

[onlyoneme]

Even Airplay1 supports 16/48. Airplay2 takes it to 24/48 I believe and supports multi room.
I can stream FLAC at 16/44.1 from my server to AirPlay1 receivers. If I send 24/96 etc it gets downsampled accordingly.

But it's not about the resolution. It's about codec being used. If I remember correctly AirPlay 1 has a bigger chance that a lossless transmission will be chosen.

 

[Wiimer]

My perception is that AirPlay 1 is ALAC. AirPlay 2 is ACC AAC.

By the way, if the receiver (AVR) only supports AirPlay 1, the WiiM will only send AirPlay 1 (that is, lossless?). Will it be?

 

[Brantome]

See the “complete soup sandwich that is Apple Music lossless streaming over AirPlay versions 1 and 2” in this link https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/bits-and-bytes/apple-music-lossless-mess-part-2-airplay-r1026/