WiiM into Outboard DAC

main thing is to enjoy the music, which the value priced wiims allow many more people to do who might otherwise not, and that is a big positive

that said, the ultra gives you a usb digital out, whereas the lower wiims do not -- i can’t imagine the wiims have a very good internal clock or a high degree of noise isolation, so as @retiredaudioguy says, it’ll depend on the quality of the downstream to handle the so-so quality digital input being fed to it

one thing is for sure, the lower wiims using their sole spdif digital output will have your dac relying on the wiims synchronous clocking... for higher end systems, hardly ideal, but for more modest systems and casual listening, likely no problemo

I have a Pro Plus and, in my experience, it responds in a BIG WAY, as a streamer only to external DAC to a linear power supply. I was shocked at how much it improved things. It's counterintuitive I think to spend almost as much or slightly more on a decent LPS, power cord and DC cable as the streamer itself but I've found it to be very worthwhile. YMMV, just basking in the mediocrity here. 

thanks @hdm wondering what linear power supply you are using...I need some great mediocrity...

Interesting thread as I have wondered this myself.  I currently use a WiiM Pro as a bridge from my computer for Roon and JRiver.  I use the coax out on the WiiM into my Yamaha receiver which has its own DAC, so the Yamaha does the digital to analog conversion.  I would think then if I added an external DAC that was not the Yamaha, I would still use the coax (or optical) out on the WiiM but then put it into the corresponding input on the DAC, then out of the DAC just use RCAs to an analog input on the receiver (as opposed to what I am using now).  This would then give me the full benefit of the new DAC and bypass the Yamaha for anything but the volume as it is now in the analog domain?

I have a meridian 218 which no longer plays nicely with roon,   By using the Wiim , Roon recognizes it as an end point, and connects into the DAC , sounds like it always did.   
I appreciate my local dealer for being able keep supporting my stuff.