Bluesound died - is Wiim a good alternative?
I have been using a BlueSound Vault as my streamer for many years, but it finally died, and my resuscitation attempts have failed. I want to replace it with another low-cost streamer, and the Wiim Pro looks like an interesting possibility for $150.
The rest of my system is:
- McCormack DNA-1, fully refurbished (gold, love it):
- Bel Canto 2.7 DAC, Which I also use as my pre;
- Usher Mini Dancer 2 speakers
I like the Bel Canto DAC pretty well, So I doubt the DAC in a Node 2i would be any better. Aside from that, is there any other reason to spend more for the Node?
@philgo01 thanks for your post – it’s been so long since the CD ripping feature died that I’m not sure what the cause was, but I’m pretty sure it was electrical. @pnolley1 thanks for all the info on the benefits of battery powered streaming! At this point, I’m just trying to get some sound, but when I get the new streamer, I’ll consider going battery powered.
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I wanted to get into streaming about a year ago and after reading many positive reviews I purchased a Wiim Ultra. It’s performed really well and has a lot of flexibility and options you can experiment with to tailor sound to your room. I added a Geshelli J3 DAC with Burson V7 chip (recommended for Blues, Jazz) and SQ improved further. Their software is extremely easy to use and they do frequent updates. I started with WiFi but have recently added a Ethernet cable for a more secure connection. |
Cheeg: Gkelly answered your question to me about ethernet connection above: the Wiim will automatically recognize your streaming platform when connected to Ethernet. I use a Pro Plus with an outboard DAC with this power supply (50W/5V/3.5A) and a good power cord and DC cable and this power supply is probably the equivalent or better than most of the supplies that you’d find in $2K-$4K streamers and performance is outstanding. Plus it’s a simple connection with the Pro or Pro Plus vs a major modification to do the power supply on an Ultra.
I just plugged a Zerozone 30W/2.5A LPS into my Pro Plus a few minutes ago as a friend just bought one and loaned it to me. Also Rcore, but a bit more expensive with possibly better filtering, but only 30W and 2.5A. Will be interesting to see if I can hear any difference between those two supplies. The Sengterbelle is definitely far superior to the less expensive 15W Talema transformer based supplies on Aliexpress for just a bit more money.
This is an interesting read when it comes to adding a better power supply to the Wiim’s (albeit the lowly Wiim Mini lol!) and comparing it/them to some more expensive fare. https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/reviews/a-tale-of-two-streamers-r1159/
Rest of my system is Unison Research Triode 25 with Opera Grand Mezza Speakers & Vera-Fi Caldera 12 Subwoofer. Analog is Michell Gyrodec with a couple of Jelco tonearms & Audio Technica Art 9XA and modified AT 33 Mono with an Aqvox Phono preamp. So remotely acceptable stuff capable of showing off improvements in different parts of the audio chain.
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