Review – The WiiM Amp All-In-One Streaming Amplifier

Overview:

Let’s start this review with a clear definition of what this product is and who it is for. When you start to combine all of these features, it’s easy for the average consumer to get a little confused.

Company’s description in the FAQ section of their website below.

“The WiiM Amp is a all-in-one streaming amplifier box, designed to provide both streaming capabilities and amplification to your passive speakers. It comes equipped with HDMI ARC, Sub Out and a USB port, enabling playback of local music via USB.”

Still confused? Simply put, this device allows you to create a hub for all of your digital streaming services along with HDMI ARC and RCA inputs to plug in your television and devices like turntables, cassette decks, and CD players. The high-quality onboard amp has plenty of power to drive your passive speakers, and the device gives you Bluetooth connectivity for devices like headphones and wireless speakers.

For you old-schoolers, it’s kind of like what your amp/receiver combo used to do for your home stereo system. That being said, the first thing we noticed is that there is only one RCA input. So what happens if you have a CD player and a turntable? The WiiM team designed this product to be small and powerful, and with that, they had to sacrifice things like multiple RCA inputs, but this is easily solved with a RCA input switch like this one.

So who is this for?

This device is a true hybrid designed primarily for those with passive speakers who want to streamline their systems and still maintain high-quality sound, as well as providing wireless connectivity for some speakers and headphones. The amp is what you are spending your money on, so if you don’t have passive speakers, then you can get less expensive devices that offer the wireless connectivity of BT, Chromecast, Apple Airplay, etc.

Note: We tested the WiiM amp with a set of KLH 5 passive speakers and it was impressive overall for the size and price of the unit. The WiiM amp features the Hi-Res Audio badge from Japan, meaning this has some serious audio engineering endorsement.

Design and Build Quality:

The WiiM Amp is pure modern minimalism with a subtle nod to the past with it’s central, tactile control knob. The packaging feels much like an older Apple product, simple and to the point with a premium feel. The product itself reminds us of an older Apple Mini computer, it’s sturdy, made from high quality materials and actualy feels more expensive than it is.

The front of the device is a clean one-knob design, while the rear provides the following inputs and outputs:

– HDMI ARC input for your television

– RCA input for a turntable, CD Player, etc.

– USB A input for plugging in a hard drive with music files

– Optical Audio input

– Ethernet input

– Sub output

– Banana Plug/Wire speaker outputs R/L channels

The WiiM Amp also features a remote control and integrated app to help control and set up everything.

Getting Started with the WiiM Amp

Setting up the WiiM Amp is a breeze. Even if you’ve struggled with IKEA furniture and can’t program your grandma’s VCR, fear not. The WiiM Amp comes with a straightforward manual that rivals the simplicity of an emoji. Download the app, connect a few cables, hit the power button, and voila! You’re ready to dive into a world of audio bliss.

Streaming Options

Get rid of app-hopping with the WiiM Home app. This all-in-one interface connects you to popular music streaming services, including Spotify, iHeartRadio, Tidal, Amazon Music, Qobuz, Napster, Pandora, TuneIn, Deezer, and more.

Along with managing all your streaming services in one place, the Home app also allows you to manage your system. Easily control your music experience throughout your home, one room at a time. Adjust the volume, sync speakers, save your favorite songs, set alarms, and customize settings all from one place. You can even use voice commands to go hands-free. Whether you’re using Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri, controlling your music is just a word away, and you can do it all with the included voice remote.

What about your library of high-quality digitized music?

The team at Wiim didn’t forget about you. Connect your USB-A drive to the WiiM Amp and enjoy high-quality music in every corner of your home. Stream your digital music collection to multiple WiiM devices wirelessly. The WiiM Amp not only indexes your music library but also acts as a media server, making your personal tunes accessible anytime, anywhere in your home. So you don’t feel like burning all those CDs was for nothing!

Want to get super nerdy and go all in on customization? No problem.

Experience an unparalleled level of sound customization with the WiiM Amp via the Home App. Whether you’re looking to enhance the sound of ceiling speakers, revive old audio equipment, or optimize your home theater, the WiiM’s EQ options make it relatively easy to dial in your sound. You can choose from 24 EQ presets to get started and fine-tune your sound further with a 10-band graphic EQ. The app also offers 4-band parametric EQ for broader frequency control. If you go full nerd, you have the ability to have EQ profiles for each input source, including HDMI, Optical, Line, BT, or Network.

Sound Quality – A Surprisingly Potent Punch in a Petite Package

Despite its unassuming size, the WiiM Amp packs a punch. The WiiM Amp does a fantastic job of balancing clarity and warmth thanks to it’s high quality Amp (TI TPA 3255 Amplifier) and Digital Audio Converter (ESS Sabre). Whether you’re relishing in the intricate details of a jazz ensemble or thumping to the bass-heavy beats of your favorite hip hop track, this amp handles it all with finesse. The highs are crisp, the mids are perfectly present, and the lows are as satisfying as finding extra fries at the bottom of the fast-food bag.

The WiiM Amp features the Hi-Res Audio badge, which means it has passed some seerious tests. WiiM also runs audio tests that resulted in a Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise (THD+N) of just 0.002% (-93 dB) and 98 dB SNR at 5W. For non nerds, this means no distracting noise or distortion, you hear the music the way the artists intended.

Specs:

Power

60 Watts/channel at 8 ohms

120 Watts/channel at 4 ohms

Speaker Output

Stereo or dual mono sound

Home Theatre Audio Formats

Stereo PCM (Dolby Digital and DTS are not supported)

Audio Input

HDMI Arc, Optical, Line

Audio Output

Passive Speaker Terminal

Subwoofer Output

Audio Output Quality

SNR – 98 dB

THD+N – 0.002% (-92 dB)

Audio Format

MP3, AAC, ALAC, APE, FLAC, AIFF, WAV, WMA, OGG

EQ

Preset, 10-band Graphics EQ, 4-band parametric EQ

Subwoofer Output

Auto-detecting cable insert, user-adjustable 30-200 Hz crossover

Power Supply

100-240V 50/60Hz AC Power

Network

IEEE 802.11 b/g/n/ac Dual band, 10/100 Mbps LAN

Bluetooth

BT 5.1

A2DP Sink and Source, AVRCP

BLE HID

Supported Streaming Protocol

AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Spotify Connect,

TIDAL Connect, Alexa Cast, DLNA

Summary 

The team at WiiM has managed to put a lot of power and functionality into a little box, and for the price of $299, the WiiM Amp delivers big on quality and value. If you are looking to utilize your passive speakers and streamline your home audio system, this device will suffice for most people’s home audio needs and then some.

Pros:

• Amazing sound quality and components
• Great price
• High-quality and durable build
• Easy to use unless you are diving deep into customization

Cons

• Bluetooth Codecs could be better, 5.1 is already dated, and it would be nice to see something like aptX HD or Adaptive