New user questions

carlmart

Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2023
Messages
5
I'm just registering and arriving to this forum. And I find that there's already a discussion on using PCP/Squeelite/LMS with the WiiM. This is the only way I plan to use it: as an audio manager. Can I?

Until now, my only experience with audio streaming has been with Raspberry + Linux, where I installed PCP. Interface should only be cabled Ethernet, never wifi, BT, and no web streamer like Spotify or similar. Only my own audio library.

Output will always be using an external DAC, through USB (not coaxial or optical), in this case the Topping D50.

My main concern was to be able to use the system with a plain remote control, not with a smart phone. And the Rasp unit had to have a touch-screen capable handling of the files, that were inside my PC. So I assembled and tested such a system.

But using it was not that easy. At the time I had some issues with LMS, that I believe now are solved. So I was planning to start again with that system, even try other free audio streamers.

The most important thing I have to say is that using that setup, on the tests I made, I had never listened to a digital system that played back music with such quality. No CD player that I had used, or DVD, had that fantastic music feeling.

But at the time I also had bought a Nvidia Shield TV to manage my video files, which also allows easy audio managing. I never got to compare it side by side with the PCP + DAC setup. You can use the Shield with a DAC output, but that affects the 5.1 video setup. It's one or the other.

The Shield audio quality has nothing to do with the other setup: it lacks all the extremely high audio quality of the other system. But it's easy to use. And accepted the quality sacrifice.

So here I find the WiiM, sold at a reasonable price, that seems to offer similar things to the Raspberry setup in a smaller package. It also demands an external DAC for audiophile quality. It looks promising.

But it seems to lack two things: capability to use a normal RF remote control and no touch screen connection capability. Is that so?

Well, now I would appreciate your comments to my need and if I can make the WiiM to fulfill them.
 
I'm just registering and arriving to this forum. And I find that there's already a discussion on using PCP/Squeelite/LMS with the WiiM. This is the only way I plan to use it: as an audio manager. Can I?

Until now, my only experience with audio streaming has been with Raspberry + Linux, where I installed PCP. Interface should only be cabled Ethernet, never wifi, BT, and no web streamer like Spotify or similar. Only my own audio library.

Output will always be using an external DAC, through USB (not coaxial or optical), in this case the Topping D50.

My main concern was to be able to use the system with a plain remote control, not with a smart phone. And the Rasp unit had to have a touch-screen capable handling of the files, that were inside my PC. So I assembled and tested such a system.

But using it was not that easy. At the time I had some issues with LMS, that I believe now are solved. So I was planning to start again with that system, even try other free audio streamers.

The most important thing I have to say is that using that setup, on the tests I made, I had never listened to a digital system that played back music with such quality. No CD player that I had used, or DVD, had that fantastic music feeling.

But at the time I also had bought a Nvidia Shield TV to manage my video files, which also allows easy audio managing. I never got to compare it side by side with the PCP + DAC setup. You can use the Shield with a DAC output, but that affects the 5.1 video setup. It's one or the other.

The Shield audio quality has nothing to do with the other setup: it lacks all the extremely high audio quality of the other system. But it's easy to use. And accepted the quality sacrifice.

So here I find the WiiM, sold at a reasonable price, that seems to offer similar things to the Raspberry setup in a smaller package. It also demands an external DAC for audiophile quality. It looks promising.

But it seems to lack two things: capability to use a normal RF remote control and no touch screen connection capability. Is that so?

Well, now I would appreciate your comments to my need and if I can make the WiiM to fulfill them.
What issues were you having with LMS? I'm still having issues with it currently,
 
What issues do you have?
You already tried helping me 😁
 
I'm just registering and arriving to this forum. And I find that there's already a discussion on using PCP/Squeelite/LMS with the WiiM. This is the only way I plan to use it: as an audio manager. Can I?

Until now, my only experience with audio streaming has been with Raspberry + Linux, where I installed PCP. Interface should only be cabled Ethernet, never wifi, BT, and no web streamer like Spotify or similar. Only my own audio library.

Output will always be using an external DAC, through USB (not coaxial or optical), in this case the Topping D50.

My main concern was to be able to use the system with a plain remote control, not with a smart phone. And the Rasp unit had to have a touch-screen capable handling of the files, that were inside my PC. So I assembled and tested such a system.

But using it was not that easy. At the time I had some issues with LMS, that I believe now are solved. So I was planning to start again with that system, even try other free audio streamers.

The most important thing I have to say is that using that setup, on the tests I made, I had never listened to a digital system that played back music with such quality. No CD player that I had used, or DVD, had that fantastic music feeling.

But at the time I also had bought a Nvidia Shield TV to manage my video files, which also allows easy audio managing. I never got to compare it side by side with the PCP + DAC setup. You can use the Shield with a DAC output, but that affects the 5.1 video setup. It's one or the other.

The Shield audio quality has nothing to do with the other setup: it lacks all the extremely high audio quality of the other system. But it's easy to use. And accepted the quality sacrifice.

So here I find the WiiM, sold at a reasonable price, that seems to offer similar things to the Raspberry setup in a smaller package. It also demands an external DAC for audiophile quality. It looks promising.

But it seems to lack two things: capability to use a normal RF remote control and no touch screen connection capability. Is that so?

Well, now I would appreciate your comments to my need and if I can make the WiiM to fulfill them.
Have you considered a secondhand Squeezebox Touch? It is exactly what you are looking for - touch screen and remote.
 
What issues were you having with LMS? I'm still having issues with it currently,
At the time the problem was with the cue files, that LMS didn't seem to recognize. The LMS people was very helpful and solved it.
But there were versions after that for PCP and LMS that I have to try. Pity WiiM does not have an USB output to go into the DAC. USB proved superior than coaxial input on the Topping.
 
I'm not familiar with any streaming services that use dsd or sampling rates above 192k

I also want USB functionality, even HDMI output for hooking up to a receiver and i2s too

But, this Wiim is bang for the buck king, especially when using an existing external DAC and squeezelite functionality

My 2 cents, adjusted for inflation

PS, I've used Pis in this capacity, with DAC hats and also an allo digione
The digione is better than this Wiim on the same DAC and system, is very versatile but has been priced into a different category
I find the cheap DAC hat to have power supply issues and therefore barely used it
But in an LMS infrastructure, they can all be part of a multiroom audio solution
 
Last edited:
I also want USB functionality, even HDMI output for hooking up to a receiver and i2s too

But, this Wiim is bang for the buck king, especially when using an existing external DAC and squeezelite functionality
But you have to use the coaxial output when connected to a DAC!

But in Audiosciencereview they commented this:

USB has the advantage that the connection carries no clocking information. The data is assembled in a buffer then clocked out by a crystal close to the DAC itself. Such free running crystals inherently have the lowest jitter. Coax or Toslink are good enough the differences aren't audible in almost all cases.
 
But you have to use the coaxial output when connected to a DAC!

But in Audiosciencereview they commented this:

USB has the advantage that the connection carries no clocking information. The data is assembled in a buffer then clocked out by a crystal close to the DAC itself. Such free running crystals inherently have the lowest jitter. Coax or Toslink are good enough the differences aren't audible in almost all cases.
USB (or i2s) allow compatible DACs to do DSD natively

HDMI allows the use of AV Receivers to allow for hi-def multichannel and simplifies the connection to it (coax & toslink can be hooked up too, so not quite as important)

That's enough for me, and there's ways to internally upsample that way or feed upsampled music too. Only makes the case stronger
USB & I2S & HDMI are what I want
 
Well, then that rules the WiiMs out. A pity.
You may want to keep an eye out later this year. There have been rumors WiiM may release a variant product with USB out in the future (as a pure streamer, I hope, but I I have no reason to expect that).
 
Back
Top