Linked Wiims Resample to 48/16

[dtc]

I have a Pro and a Mini and want to link them to provide music in two different rooms. When I link them, the sampling rate changes to 48/16, even when the input sample rate is 44/16 or even 96/24.176/24 or 192/24. This happens using Qobuz, pulling from a DLNA server (JRiver) and pushing from JRiver to the Pro as a DLNA renderer. I can play high res files without them being resampled to both the Pro and the Mini without them linked. Interestingly, when linked , Amazon Music seems to ignore high res and instead plays everything as 44/16, even 192/24 tracks, without resampling to 48/16. I am not sure why Amazon is different than Qobuz in this regard.

Is there any way to maintain the original sample rate when linking two units? Would using 2 Pros help? Or does resampling to 48/16 always happen when systems are linked. except for Amazon which uses 44/16? The resampling may just be part of the syncing process, but it does limit hi res playback.

Or am I missing something?

Thanks for any insight.

 

[Wiimer]

I have a Pro and a Mini and want to link them to provide music in two different rooms. When I link them, the sampling rate changes to 48/16, even when the input sample rate is 44/16 or even 96/24.176/24 or 192/24. This happens using Qobuz, pulling from a DLNA server (JRiver) and pushing from JRiver to the Pro as a DLNA renderer. I can play high res files without them being resampled to both the Pro and the Mini without them linked. Interestingly, when linked , Amazon Music seems to ignore high res and instead plays everything as 44/16, even 192/24 tracks, without resampling to 48/16. I am not sure why Amazon is different than Qobuz in this regard.

Is there any way to maintain the original sample rate when linking two units? Would using 2 Pros help? Or does resampling to 48/16 always happen when systems linked. except for Amazon which uses 44/16? The resampling may just be part of the syncing process, but it does limit hi res playback.

Or am I missing something?

Thanks for any insight.

Yes, Linkplay Multi-Room Music does not support Hi-Res. It's on the roadmap, but we don't know when it will happen.

Also, WiiM does not resample, but downloads and plays playable 16/44.1 (or 48) music files from streaming.

 

[Brantome]

Yes, Linkplay Multi-Room Music does not support Hi-Res. It's on the roadmap, but we don't know when it will happen.

Also, WiiM does not resample, but downloads and plays playable 16/44.1 (or 48) music files from streaming.

It’s not clear from the post whether in the case of Amazon Music Linkplay or Alexa Multiroom Music (MRM) groups are being used. The Mini doesn’t support lossless Amazon Music in MRM groups (indeed there’s a setting under amazon music in the WiiM app to toggle it off for MRM), and from tests I’ve done, Alexa MRM (WiiM or not) only supports 24/48 at best.

 

[dtc]

Yes, Linkplay Multi-Room Music does not support Hi-Res. It's on the roadmap, but we don't know when it will happen.

Also, WiiM does not resample, but downloads and plays playable 16/44.1 (or 48) music files from streami

Thanks. That confirms what I have found. It seems to work with 44/16 or 48/16 but not above that.

That it downloads the right stream makes sense for Amazon, but for Qobuz a 44/16 track gets changed to 48/16, so I think it may be resampling that. I wonder if Amazon is a special case? Or maybe Qobuz is a special case. I have not tried other streaming services.

In the case of DLNA I think it may be resampling, since I don't think JRiver will do that automatically. Interestingly, in that case both 176 and 192 get played as 48.

Anyway, I will have to wait for linked hi res. Any idea where it is on the roadmap?

 

[dtc]

It’s not clear from the post whether in the case of Amazon Music Linkplay or Alexa Multiroom Music (MRM) groups are being used. The Mini doesn’t support lossless Amazon Music in MRM groups (indeed there’s a setting under amazon music in the WiiM app to toggle it off for MRM), and from tests I’ve done, Alexa MRM (WiiM or not) only supports 24/48 at best.

None of this is being done with Alexa. The links are done by linking the devices in the Wiim app. I can play hi res to the mini when it is not linked.

I am not an Alexa expert, so is there something I should check there?

 

[Wiimer]

Anyway, I will have to wait for linked hi res. Any idea where it is on the roadmap?

Roadmaps - 10 Feb 24 updates

I had asked WiiM a couple of weeks ago if any progress had been made in publishing revised roadmaps. Well, looks like they quietly updated them on 10 Feb 24 as below. Please note: The dates and features listed below may change or be removed at any time without prior notice. Consequently...

forum.wiimhome.com

 

[Wiimer]

It’s not clear from the post whether in the case of Amazon Music Linkplay or Alexa Multiroom Music (MRM) groups are being used. The Mini doesn’t support lossless Amazon Music in MRM groups (indeed there’s a setting under amazon music in the WiiM app to toggle it off for MRM), and from tests I’ve done, Alexa MRM (WiiM or not) only supports 24/48 at best.

Yes, it was. (We may have told the same story before).
The drawers in my head sometimes stop opening.

 

[Brantome]

None of this is being done with Alexa. The links are done by linking the devices in the Wiim app. I can play hi res to the mini when it is not linked.

I am not an Alexa expert, so is there something I should check there?

Ok, no problem. It could well be that the WiiM Mini recognises it’s in a group that’s playing Amazon Music and so drops to lossy SD. While the Mini can indeed play Amazon Music up to 24/192 (that’s why I bought mine in the first instance), it doesn’t have the RAM/power to support that in a multi room group. Even if you used two WiiM Pros, I think the best you’d get would be 24/48 as that’s an Alexa/Amazon limitation, not a WiiM limit.

 

[dtc]

Ok, no problem. It could well be that the WiiM Mini recognises it’s in a group that’s playing Amazon Music and so drops to lossy SD. While the Mini can indeed play Amazon Music up to 24/192 (that’s why I bought mine in the first instance), it doesn’t have the RAM/power to support that in a multi room group. Even if you used two WiiM Pros, I think the best you’d get would be 24/48 as that’s an Alexa/Amazon limitation, not a WiiM limit.

How does that apply to Qobuz and my DLNA sources?

 

[Brantome]

Linkplay/WiiM groups are capped for all sources at that level - as mentioned, hi res multi room is on the roadmap for non-Mini WiiMs but isn’t available yet.

I believe you might be able to achieve hi res multi room for non-Mini WiiMs using LMS and the Squeezelite clients in the Pro/Plus/Amp.

 

[dtc]

Linkplay/WiiM groups are capped for all sources at that level - as mentioned, hi res multi room is on the roadmap for non-Mini WiiMs but isn’t available yet.

I believe you might be able to achieve hi res multi room for non-Mini WiiMs using LMS and the Squeezelite clients in the Pro/Plus/Amp.

If LMS and Sqeezelite can do it, I would think JRiver should be able to also do it through DLNA. Maybe 2 Pros would work but it sounds like waiting for hi res multi room may be the way to go. Thanks.

 

[Brantome]

You may be able to do it using ChromeCast groups (again, not on the Mini which doesn’t support ChromeCast) or from BubbleUPNP perhaps? Qobuz is capped at 24/96 over ChromeCast (by Qobuz itself) and I haven’t tried grouping any of my ChromeCast capable WiiM devices to see what happens. I might give that a go…

 

[Brantome]

Just tried grouping my WiiM Amp, WiiM Pro and WiiM Pro Plus into a ChromeCast/Google Home group and played some 24/96 tracks. The Qobuz app still showed 24/96 and while the WiiM app doesn’t show the resolution when Chromecasting (I think because they couldn’t access or rely on the info), my Pro uses coax into my amp which was able to confirm the resolution as 24/96 as well.

 

[dtc]

Just tried grouping my WiiM Amp, WiiM Pro and WiiM Pro Plus into a ChromeCast/Google Home group and played some 24/96 tracks. The Qobuz app still showed 24/96 and while the WiiM app doesn’t show the resolution when Chromecasting (I think because they couldn’t access or rely on the info), my Pro uses coax into my amp which was able to confirm the resolution as 24/96 as well.

I can group my Mini and my Pro using JRiver and play to that group using DLNA. Both devices show the correct high res sample rate. The problem is keeping them in sync. Such networked groups do not stay in sync for long. That is why I trying to use the syncing function in the Wiim app.