WiiM Ultra launch price

[sral]

I wonder if May 9 will also available for purchase at Amazon.

Seems unlikely, as they've noted there would be beta testing of the unit.

 

[James 🇬🇧]

I'm excited for this and it was only a few months ago I was saying to someone that if wiim make a sreamer with a screen like the top dogs do I will100% buy it. Aslong as they can stick to their philosophy of keeping price down and quality/features up thats why i voted £349. I love my wiim pro and it's one of the best purchases I've made for my hifi.

 

[Bill Mac]

Wiim should have multiple version of this device to cater to those who want it and don’t want. Every features get added it drives the cost. Display which in my case I won’t use since I’m 15 feet away and 3.5 inch screen is tiny. Analog input, I don’t use those since I’m using nothing but digital. Only matters digital in/out usb and sub out.

Wouldn't producing multiple versions of the Ultra effect costs as well?

 

[hoohoohoo]

WiiM Ultra To Launch At High End Munich 2024 https://www.hifipig.com/wiim-ultra-to-launch-at-high-end-munich-2024/

 

[Steve Woodhouse]

AVR has those bass management feature. What I want to see is a sophisticated bass management similar setting on mini dsp. Mini dsp has heaven of tweaking you can use with many choice of such as butterworth, linkwitz Riley among other thing, delay, gain and separate high and low pass. This where I am willing to pay extra.

The reason delay is used in AVRs for subwoofers is that the speakers are often at different distances from the listener, and sub placement may well be best in a corner or at the side.

In a stereo set up, as long is it doesn’t cause too many issues, a sub will be placed in between the front pair, and can usually be positioned the same distance away.

Having delay may be useful in some circumstances, but isn’t as vital.

 

[Steve Woodhouse]

I'm excited for this and it was only a few months ago I was saying to someone that if wiim make a sreamer with a screen like the top dogs do I will100% buy it. Aslong as they can stick to their philosophy of keeping price down and quality/features up thats why i voted £349. I love my wiim pro and it's one of the best purchases I've made for my hifi.

I think the main reason for having a screen is that the top competitors tend to have one. It’s saying “We can do as well as them at half the price!” and removed the possibility of the competition saying “Yeah, but there’s doesn’t have a screen” as an excuse for charging double.

 

[Brantome]

I think the main reason for having a screen is that the top competitors tend to have one. It’s saying “We can do as well as them at half the price!” and removed the possibility of the competition saying “Yeah, but there’s doesn’t have a screen” as an excuse for charging double.

Plus if you go back to old posts since the mini where people have been asking for new features, I’d say USB out and a screen have been the most common requests. So WiiM are reacting to the community rather than merely matching competitors

 

[Kryton]

Hoping a matching amp unit is available at launch of the ultra. Much like what Eversolo has done for their A6.

 

[Steve Woodhouse]

Here’s the competition at Munich.

How much? Scroll down for price.

NAD Announces Masters M66 BluOS Streaming DAC-Preamplifier

Ahead of the High End Munich show in Germany (May 18-21) and of its retail launch, NAD Electronics announced the Masters M66 BluOS Streaming DAC-Preamplifier, a new no-compromise flagship component, so advanced, it represents an entirely new category of hi-fi separates. The M66 offers...

audioxpress.com

 

[castalla]

Here’s the competition at Munich.

How much? Scroll down for price.

NAD Announces Masters M66 BluOS Streaming DAC-Preamplifier

Ahead of the High End Munich show in Germany (May 18-21) and of its retail launch, NAD Electronics announced the Masters M66 BluOS Streaming DAC-Preamplifier, a new no-compromise flagship component, so advanced, it represents an entirely new category of hi-fi separates. The M66 offers...

audioxpress.com

At 5500 it's not really a competitor

 

[James 🇬🇧]

Here’s the competition at Munich.

How much? Scroll down for price.

NAD Announces Masters M66 BluOS Streaming DAC-Preamplifier

Ahead of the High End Munich show in Germany (May 18-21) and of its retail launch, NAD Electronics announced the Masters M66 BluOS Streaming DAC-Preamplifier, a new no-compromise flagship component, so advanced, it represents an entirely new category of hi-fi separates. The M66 offers...

audioxpress.com

That was last year

 

[Fender]

That was last year

A really old hat

 

[Fender]

Looking and comparing in the price segment up to twice the price will eventually make sense. Bringing devices which sell for 10 times the price is nonsense and populistic. In audio there never was a linear relation that 10 times the price equals 10 times "better". Quite sure many people will be glad with the NAD from last year in between. All the WiiMs perform great within and even a bit above their market segment. They are not build and not able to compete with high end.
And for certain people: History learned us Guerilla tactics are successful for a while. At the end of the day all failed ;-)

 

[Steve Woodhouse]

Looking and comparing in the price segment up to twice the price will eventually make sense. Bringing devices which sell for 10 times the price is nonsense and populistic. In audio there never was a linear relation that 10 times the price equals 10 times "better". Quite sure many people will be glad with the NAD from last year in between. All the WiiMs perform great within and even a bit above their market segment. They are not build and not able to compete with high end.
And for certain people: History learned us Guerilla tactics are successful for a while. At the end of the day all failed ;-)

I fundamentally disagree. We’ve had this discussion before, but I’d challenge anyone to do a controlled double blind test between that pre amp (sorry I didn’t notice the year) and the Ultra (I accept I’m making presumptions with the latter, though not unreasonable ones).

This is an example of cheaper kit apparently ‘not competing’ with the high end.

Matrix HiFi --> Blind testing high end full equipments

What I will concede, the NADs of this world may feel more prestige (nothing wrong with that), and may be more robust - though at the prices we’re discussing, you could probably go through three Ultras and still have plenty of spare change.

Truth is, once in situ, and you’re just used to how something looks, it’s down to sound quality.

Just my opinion.

 

[bherren]

Looking and comparing in the price segment up to twice the price will eventually make sense. Bringing devices which sell for 10 times the price is nonsense and populistic. In audio there never was a linear relation that 10 times the price equals 10 times "better". Quite sure many people will be glad with the NAD from last year in between. All the WiiMs perform great within and even a bit above their market segment. They are not build and not able to compete with high end.
And for certain people: History learned us Guerilla tactics are successful for a while. At the end of the day all failed ;-)

"not build and not able to complete with high end" ...

You mean like my NAD with BlueOS amp who couldn't stream 192kHz from tidal connect without glitches, does wifi via a 2.4Ghz only $5 USB dongle and died after just 5 years needing a new amp board, preamp board and PSU ?

Maybe the "really really high" end market segment is built better, I don't know, but the likes of NAD, Cambridge etc ... are not. Not anymore at least.

 

[Fender]

I fundamentally disagree. We’ve had this discussion before, but I’d challenge anyone to do a controlled double blind test between that pre amp (sorry I didn’t notice the year) and the Ultra (I accept I’m making presumptions with the latter, though not unreasonable ones).

This is an example of cheaper kit apparently ‘not competing’ with the high end.

Matrix HiFi --> Blind testing high end full equipments

What I will concede, the NADs of this world may feel more prestige (nothing wrong with that), and may be more robust - though at the prices we’re discussing, you could probably go through three Ultras and still have plenty of spare change.

Truth is, once in situ, and you’re just used to how something looks, it’s down to sound quality.

Just my opinion.

No chance bringing me on one of the sides, neither the objectivistic nor the surrealistic ;-) The objectivists however seem to be a little bit more under arms.
My approach is clear for me and I accept both sides. But no camp will ever get an endorsement. (I leave that for campaigns in US elections) There is no valid one or the other. Remember, I'm in between.

 

[Steve Woodhouse]

No chance bringing me on one of the sides, neither the objectivistic nor the surrealistic ;-) The objectivists however seem to be a little bit more under arms.
My approach is clear for me and I accept both sides. But no camp will ever get an endorsement. (I leave that for campaigns in US elections) There is no valid one or the other. Remember, I'm in between.

I take your point.

But ultimately, there’s a clear binary choice. Either you can hear a difference between two transparent DACs or you can’t. There’s no inbetween, no third option.

But yes, ultimately it’s not about one ‘side’ ‘winning’. I know what I know, I’ve tried, I’ve tested (self-performed double blind) between several DACs, and the theories about what constitute transparency are born out by that, and I’ve never seen them contradicted by another controlled test.

So, I’m happy to go with that. And if others aren’t, that’s up to them.

Best wishes.

 

[Fender]

I take your point.

But ultimately, there’s a clear binary choice. Either you can hear a difference between two transparent DACs or you can’t. There’s no inbetween, no third option.

But yes, ultimately it’s not about one ‘side’ ‘winning’. I know what I know, I’ve tried, I’ve tested (self-performed double blind) between several DACs, and the theories about what constitute transparency are born out by that, and I’ve never seen them contradicted by another controlled test.

So, I’m happy to go with that. And if others aren’t, that’s up to them.

Best wishes.

Totally agree what you say about differences in DACs. Even the "poor" internal in my Pro was good enough. The internal in my new digital is not audible better (connected to the Pro) and so was it with the quite expensive RS2 connected with an amp some people would rank expensive.
With the digital side I'm done and the existing stuff reached the target. As long as the discussion stays in the "digital domain" its fine.
Nevertheless I like too surround me with nice toys I can afford. Do you think I should apologize for that?

 

[wiimamp user]

I'm sure

If your referring to the dac chip that is no indication on how any unit will sound, what creates a good sounding dac is the power supply and the how they did the output stage. A dac chip from 20yrs ago can sound better than a current one If those two things are done correctly. Don't be fooled by thinking the latest dac chip will sound great. Its power supply and its output stage are more important. Hopefully WIIM considered this rather than just throwing in the latest chip.

I'm sure Wiim know what they are doing.
Ofcourse they know it's about a dac chip and all the other components( the complete picture).
They are not that company who looks only at the latest chip..
Maybe some customers do..but ,well informed ones, know a device doesn't have to have the latest flagship chip to sound superb.
I think a older one could even sound far more better because a dac alone doesn't tell the whole story..

 

[wiimamp user]

When looking a a compatitor you will have to look at price.
And again.. 10 times more expensive or lets say 2 times doesn't mean it's that more better..but I think most of us know this.
A very expensive device isn't often not that , way better, if you know what I mean.
The prices and the quality wiim offers is excellent in my opinion.

But then you will have to look at the software and support side of a product you are buying.
And of course with a wiim product you can choose to go for another dac just as you prefer ( mini,pro,pro plus, Ultra) but that other device_ being a older or new one_ becomes that device with all the support and possibilities because of the Wiim products.