WiiM Pro digital out – depth and sample rate "pass through" option

[Staffan.Ringesten]

I am an owner of the WIIM Pro. I have a question regarding the depth and sapling rate on the digital outputs and if it would be possible to add a feather.

As it is now, when using the digital outputs you need to choose one of the fixed sample rates (44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 96 kHz or 192 kHz). For the depth you have two options; 16 bits and 24 bits. Usually, when listening to different sources the depth and sample rate of the signal varies, hence the incoming signal needs to be up-sampled or down-sampled to match the fixed values that you have chosen.

I would very much like to see a feature where you can also select a "pass through" option. The signal would thus pass unharmed to the external DAC. Selecting this option would of course need to “gray out” the options of fixed sample rate and depth.

Is this something we can hope to be implemented in the future?

Regards,
Staffan from Sweden

 

[Mr Ee]

I am an owner of the WIIM Pro. I have a question regarding the depth and sapling rate on the digital outputs and if it would be possible to add a feather.

As it is now, when using the digital outputs you need to choose one of the fixed sample rates (44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 96 kHz or 192 kHz). For the depth you have two options; 16 bits and 24 bits. Usually, when listening to different sources the depth and sample rate of the signal varies, hence the incoming signal needs to be up-sampled or down-sampled to match the fixed values that you have chosen.

I would very much like to see a feature where you can also select a "pass through" option. The signal would thus pass unharmed to the external DAC. Selecting this option would of course need to “gray out” the options of fixed sample rate and depth.

Is this something we can hope to be implemented in the future?

Regards,
Staffan from Sweden

This is how it already works.
You set it to the max your dac accepts, and it'll only downsample to that max if required.

Edit: to be clear(er) - the wiim will never upsample (unless you consider performing the first mqa unfold an upsample).

 

[Brantome]

Yeah, those aren't fixed output rates, just the max your DAC can take. If they were fixed, then the WiiM wouldn't be bit perfect which it is (if EQ is off and fixed volume is on)

 

[Mr Ee]

And I was going to make a joke about how adding a feather to the optical output makes it lighter...

 

[Staffan.Ringesten]

Thanks for the quick reply!

I don’t think I understand about the MQA but I never use that anyway – it is disabled.

Listening right now to a Swedish radio station, sending with 32kbps, 16 bits, 48.0 kHz. I have selected 24/96 on the WIIM Pro and the display on my external DAC says 24/96 as well. Shouldn’t the display on the DAC reed 16/48?

(Sorry for my poor English!)

 

[Mr Ee]

Thanks for the quick reply!

I don’t think I understand about the MQA but I never use that anyway – it is disabled.

Listening right now to a Swedish radio station, sending with 32kbps, 16 bits, 48.0 kHz. I have selected 24/96 on the WIIM Pro and the display on my external DAC says 24/96 as well. Shouldn’t the display on the DAC reed 16/48?

(Sorry for my poor English!)

Well, that is indeed strange. Over to @Brantome
What does the wiim app now playing screen show?

 

[Brantome]

Yeah, I would say your DAC should reflect 16/48. What radio station and source, and which DAC?

 

[Staffan.Ringesten]

And yes, EQ is off and fixed volume is on.

 

[Staffan.Ringesten]

DAC: Topping DX-5
Radio. Sveriges Radio P2

I have tested multiple radio stations with the same result.

 

[Staffan.Ringesten]

Could be the coax-input on the DAC that is faulty. I should perhaps test the SPDIF-input on the DAC

 

[Brantome]

What service are you using on the WiiM Home app to play the radio - Tunein, vTuner or Open Network Stream?

Also, if you set the WiiM max output to 24/48, does the DAC change to that?

 

[Staffan.Ringesten]

Tunein

 

[Staffan.Ringesten]

Yes the DAC change always to the value that I have selected on the WIIM.

 

[Brantome]

Using vTuner and my Pro COAX output, my Wiim home app shows 192kbps and 16/48, with my Linn showing the correct sample rate

 

[Brantome]

Tunein

I can't play non UK Tunein radio due to a copyright issue in the UK, but I get a 192kbps stream from vTuner rather than the paltry 32kbps that Tunein seems to be offering you

 

[Staffan.Ringesten]

OK, thanks. I will do some testing with vTuner and also take a closer look on the settings of my DAC.

 

[Staffan.Ringesten]

Case closed! I switched to vTuner and the DAC now show correct values on the display. I will use vTuner from now on.
Thanks again!