I love the WiiM Pro. Until I got the WiiM, I was sitting on the sidelines with streaming, other than having a Spotify account for playing music in the car or on my iPhone when I'm on the go. It seemed too complicated and expensive to me to buy any complicated streaming hardware for my home system.

This year I decided to look again at the home streaming options to see if I should get onboard. I read about the WiiM Pro and decided to try it. I'm glad I did. When combined with a high-rez music streaming service, it's amazing how good streaming music can sound, and the cost barrier to entry is now incredibly low with the WiiM Mini and Pro. Assuming you already have some kind of music system, that's all you need (along with a streaming service).

I got the Pro over the Mini because of the extra inputs and outputs, and especially the wired Ethernet cable option.

I don't have a whole lot to add to other reviews, but in my review I want to explain how I hooked up my turntable to one WiiM Pro so I could broadcast that signal to my other WiiM Pro in a different room using WiiM's multiroom functionality. I have a ton of old records that aren't on any streaming service and I thought it would be nice to be able to listen to them in different rooms, since I only have one turntable. Buying two WiiMs made this possible!

I connect my turntable to a vintage stereo preamp with a phono stage in the conventional way through the preamp's phono inputs. My preamp has "tape out" output jacks and I run a stereo RCA interconnect cable from the preamp "tape out" into the WiiM Pro's "line in" RCA inputs. The setup would be similar if you have an integrated amplifier (preamplifier + amplifier combined in one component) or a receiver.

For that WiiM Pro, in the WiiM Home app, set the "audio input source" to "Line in". (Remember to set it back to WiFi or Ethernet when want to switch back to streaming from a music service). Play a record, and on your preamp set the "source" to phono. If your preamp has "tape out" outputs like mine (it might also be called something like "record out") then the preamp will send the music signal into the WiiM. You want to use the preamp's "tape out" outputs and not the "line out" outputs that you would send into an amplifier. This is because the "tape out" occurs after the phono equalization stage in the circuit, but before any volume, tone or balance controls; it's basically the pure unprocessed music signal.

Next, in the WiiM Home app, follow the instructions in the online manual to configure multiroom audio. The included paper manual in my box was very basic and didn't explain this.

As of my writing this review (Feb 2023) the way to do this is in the WiiM Home app (iOS) is to first make sure you have both WiiM's already setup. Next, start with the WiiM that's connected to your turntable. In the "device" setup area, you should see both your WiiMs. Tap the WiiM that's connected to your turntable to select it then press the nearby "link" icon (looks like two connected chain links) for that WiiM. This open a little chooser where you can see the other connected WiiM's in your network. Press the checkmark next to the other WiiM(s) that you want to play the same signal being broadcast from the first WiiM. Now go listen to your music.

A few more notes and details:

* With a setup like this you can plug any source, not just a turntable, into a WiiM (via a preamp or possibly directly) and play it on your other WiiM. For example, a CD player. FM tuner. Cassettes. Your beloved 8-track tapes. R2R tapes. Maybe a 78 rpm turntable?

* In my configuration, playing a record, sending the signal through a ADC, into the first WiiM, streaming it over AirPlay 2 (I think that's how it goes?) into the other WiiM, and then decoding it back through the DAC in the other WiiM (or your own external DAC) is undoubtedly losing resolution compared to playing that same record through an all analog system. But it still sounds pretty darn good. I haven't compared playing a record this way vs playing the same album via a streaming service (like TIDAL, Amazon Music, etc.) but I would guess they are fairly similar in resolution and quality. If that album is in HD (like 24/92 or higher) on the streaming service, the steamed album might beat the vinyl album once it's downsampled over AirPlay. But my old albums are either not on a streaming service or if they are, they are probably in 16/44.1 or lower so it may be a wash.

* One benefit of multi-room audio is to be able to play the same song in multiple systems and be able to go room to room and hear the same song seamlessly. With my configuration, I wasn't able to play the record in my main system (turntable -> preamp -> amp -> speakers), while also broadcasting it to the other WiiM, without unacceptable latency. The downstream WiiM was around 1 second behind my analog system. If you think about it, the main system is playing the signal instantaneously while the other WiiM is getting a slightly delayed broadcast. So I'm not criticizing WiiM for this, there is nothing they can do about it. By contrast, if you use both WiiM's to stream music as receivers, they are able to stay in sync because both WiiM's can "work together" to sync the music, but not when one of the two systems it not even playing through the WiiM. If the systems are close enough that you can hear the speakers from both systems at the same time, then it will be unlistenable because of the delay. But if they are far apart then you might be OK.

* Earlier in this review I wrote that I am outputting my stereo preamp directly into the WiiM. Later, I placed an external analog-to-digital converter (ADC, not to be confused with a DAC which does the reverse) between the preamp and the WiiM. I ran an interconnect from the preamp "tape out" into the ADC, then connect the ADC from its digital SPDIF (optical) output into the WiiM's SPDIF input, and in the WiiM Home app, I changed the "audio input source" to SPDIF. This is purely optional but I'm putting it out there as an option for anyone who has a ADC.

* I haven't done any critical listening to see if my external ADC is better than the WiiM's own internal ADC but If I get around to that, I may update my review. My ADC is a cheap Hdiwousp $17 device I got on Amazon.com which claims to convert to digital up to 96 kHz. I can't confirm that.

* Finally, I left this out of my review above, but before I got the WiiM, I bought a Bluesound Node. I regret that. The WiiM is just as good. The only advantage the Node has is the HDMI input and subwoofer output which personally I'm not using. Maybe the Node app is better. The DAC in the Node might be better but I have an external DAC anyway. But you pay $450 more for the Node. I am selling my used Node on an online auction site now.

Using the WiiM Pro Plus as a primary sound source in an office environment. I'm using the WiiM Home App or alternatively the Tidal Connect link using Tidal's app. The WiiM unfolds MQA on Tidal for a perceptibly clearer and more dynamic sound. The WiiM Pro Plus sits on a shelf above my dedicated headphone amplifier -- a Schist Ragnarok -- and plays music through a set of Audeze LCD-2 headphones that I've had for years. I'm using my iPad as a control device (either the WiiM Home app or Tidal app) while I do actual work on my iMac.

I've only had this for a couple of days, so I don't have anything to say about reliabiiity or long-term listening fatigue. I CAN say that I'm finding the sound quality much better than I feared. My primary listening system uses very high-quality audiophile gear that I've painstakingly acquired to achieve great sound. The DAC alone is more than 10 times more expensive than the WiiM, and my electrostatic speakers are over $10,000 these days. So I'm used to good sound. That said, the WiiM Pro Plus is a simply OUTSTANDING deal. I'm not doing any critical listening, but I'm quite happy with my new office music partner.

Setup was trivial, although the instructions were either too simple or too complex. The only quick-setup guide was for the hand-held remote, and that's sending me to a device menu buried in the user interface. The full 40-page manual can be downloaded, and poking around will reveal the performance, hook-up, and features that are quite impressive (10-band equalizer, for instance, or the ability to sync multiple units together for whole-house sound, as examples). For my super-simple office application it was major overkill.

I use Roon at home, and Tidal. The WiiM Home App works mostly intuitively, although there are a lot of features and capabilities that might be important to those who like to play with their food rather than just eat it. There are a lot of ways to use this streamer, including as a simple streamer into a DAC of your choice if you don't like the built-in upgraded AKC DAC that is the "Plus" part of the WiiM Pro Plus package.

At the moment this is not "Roon-Ready" but the previous experience with the WiiM Pro model suggests that it should become RAAT certified in a couple months or so. The WiiM shows up on my Roon app as a Squeezebox Lite unit, which is better-sounding than Chromecast or Airplay. I've tried mine with 3 different control maps: 1) the WiiM App, which you need to run at least occasionally to keep track of over-the-air updates (I've had 3 so far and I've had it less than a week). 2) Tidal Connect let's you cast your phone Tidal through the WiiM where it will connect to your account and run the highest bit-rate supported, depending on what your Tidal plan supports. I'm using the top plan and the high-res + MQA sound quality is best so far. 3) You can run it as a Roon end point player, although not yet certified. When it does get certified, that is likely to be the best-sounding option, giving you the most control of your music.

The WiiM app purportedly lets you play your own music if you have it online in your network someplace. I tried linking one of my music folders and it kinda worked, but got very draggy and slow. It's like teaching a dog to dance... it's amazing it can do that, much less do it well.

Overall I'm very pleased with my purchase, the great development team behind it and the terrific value it represents in terms of sound quality and capabilities at this price point. Highly recommended.

Final Thoughts"¦
Yes, 4 stars, but buy it. Particularly for someone building an introductory system, I think it is more advantageous to think of the WiiM Pro [Plus] as a *preamp* with streaming capabilities. Besides a quality, networkable source, you are getting"¦

â˜‘ï¸ Digital and analog inputs
â˜‘ï¸ Digital and analog outputs
â˜‘ï¸ DAC (go Plus if you need it)
â˜‘ï¸ ADC
â˜‘ï¸ DDC (?? No USB, but optical/coax)
â˜‘ï¸ Input/Output selection
â˜‘ï¸ Volume control
â˜‘ï¸ Tone control (including parametric 🤯)
â˜‘ï¸ Remote control (save your money and use the app)

Add a Class D amp, speakers and some cables, and you are off to the races with no deep commitment to separates or an integrated system. Let your curiosities lead you from there"¦ In any event you'll still have a killer streamer.

The caveat"¦ This is an affordable work in progress. It has bugs. As with any integrated system, a separate DAC will almost certainly outperform what's inside (I don't know, but I assume this applies to the ADC as well). Also, if you plan to use Tidal, you are shopping in interesting times [I'm writing this on Sep 7, 2023]. Though Tidal has all-but-dropped MQA, they have yet to roll out FLAC to third-parties such as WiiM. Meantime, the Pro is equipped for MQA and your sample rate will be capped at 96kHz even if you're paying (like me 🤦"â'‚ï¸) for 192, though the bit depth will go up to 24. The good news is sample rate is not the "whole story," and this is a non-issue on Amazon.

I'm not sure this generation will ever be *perfect,* but WiiM is regularly updating the firmware, and I enjoy this thing most days. The rest of my journey is logged below. Happy hunting ✌ï¸

Update 4/5:
Writing this on Aug 16, 2023. The good news... WiiM is keeping up with the updates, which is promising. The bad news... The Pro switched inputs in the middle of watching TV again, with no app activity that I'm aware of that would trigger a switch to Wifi. I got it back with little issue, and it's not common, but that's a drag. The Sample Rate Switch Latency continues to have zero effect on the popping that occurs when turning on off the TV with the SPDIF input selected. It's possible I'm not using it correctly, but I've set it to all different ms' with no luck. I'm also getting soft popping between "Master" and "HiFi" songs on Tidal. There is some chatter on the forums to alleviate this, but I'm not interested in forcing a resample through volume or EQ. Some of the latest updates seem to have addressed something similar for Amazon users, so perhaps a fix is coming soon. I plan to write WiiM about it. Other than that... as usual, when this thing works... [these-hills-sing meme].

Update 3/5:
I would lower this rating to a 3.5 if I could, but I will round-up to 4 stars because I have faith that the updates will eventually iron all this out... "All this" being, this device is inconsistent. I do not have the connectivity issues described in other posts, but it does behave oddly during operation. The indicator light will change from green to white (or vise versa) with not changes to the input (it *has* changed inputs too, but thats only happened only once... I have it set to auto-sense, but there was/is no activity that I'm aware of that would trigger the switch... I'll turn this setting off and see if that helps). The BIGGEST issue: Last night I temporarily lost my latency setting (the sound was no longer syncing with the video). I attempted to recalibrate through the app, but it produced no clapping sound [red flag]. The app set the latency to 0ms (was previously ~30) and then... I lost sound. I switched input to Wifi, which thankfully worked fine and I got the sound back once I returned to SPDIF-in, but I was worried I was back to square-one (see Update 1/5), at which point I would have dropped the product altogether. Lastly, it now pops my speakers when I turn off the TV-source. This is not the biggest deal (I just mute the preamp before turning off the TV), but it didn't do that before, and it didn't happen when I had the TV going straight into the DAC. [EDIT 7/13/23: I've since realized there is a Sample Rate Switch Latency under Audio Output to alleviate this - Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't]. All that said, I still cannot get the clapping sample when attempting to sync the sound, the setting remains at 0ms, but the output seems fine 🤷"â'‚ï¸ ... To give you a sense of the timeframe, I'm posing this on Tuesday, July 6 (the original device was delivered June 8). I will write a fourth update if this gets any worse. This product has a LOT of potential, my fingers are crossed, but buyer be warned... Thar be bugs ðŸ—ºï¸ ðŸž

Update 2/5:
After a process-of-elimination with WiiM support, they sent me a new device which arrived promptly. Thankfully, it works as intended (thrilled!). In retrospect / having gained familiarity with the app, there were some warning signs the original device was faulty during configuration (no sound was heard for the mic test, and the resolution test was inconsistent). I simply had no frame of reference to know what I was listening for. That said, I heard the clapping and piano on the new device and it works as advertised. In case anyone looking at the Pro has the same gear, as seen in the photo, I'm running the TV into the Pro > Schiit Modi 3 > Schiit Saga S and can confirm this works fine at full resolution and bit depth. I've also incorporated the Schiit Lokius for all sources since my original review, so I'm no longer using digital eq in WiiM Home (as useful as it was). Though the new device works as advertised and my interaction with WiiM was positive, I'm leaving the rating as 4/5 to reflect the journey"¦ feels fair to me.

Update1/5:
I've run into some issues and I feel it's only fair to lower the rating from 5 to 4 stars. As a streamer, this works great, but I opted for the Pro over the Mini specifically for the optical input to connect my TV. I had it working, but a few days ago it stopped and I have been unable to get it back up and running. To be clear, everything "downstream" from WiFi works wonderfully, but I suspect there is a physical issue w the SPDIF-in. I'm in the middle of ironing this out with WiiM. I'll update a second time with an end to this story - I hope I won't have to, but the rating could drop further.

Original review:
I'm new to this game, but I am thoroughly pleased with the Pro. In addition to learning not to rely on the TV's DAC, I realized using the TV as a streamer was a narrowed experience as well (poor interface, gaps, re-sampling, etc). I now have the Pro "daisy-chained" between my TV and a Schiit Modi 3 via the SPDIF ports (effectively doubling as a preamp). The TV is now strictly for video and the Pro for music, with no additional DAC's or sacrifice to the experience 🥳

The digital EQ is also handy. I'm looking to eventually add an analog component for the whole system (which includes a turntable), but for the time being it's been great for addressing standing waves and brightening the speakers.

As expressed in other reviews, this has been an eye opening experience with respects to what I feel I need[ed] to buy on vinyl.

This is the fifth Wiim Pro that I have purchased. Clearly I like them if I've bought that many! I first bought one to see how it worked, and if I would be able to use several of them to update my multi-zone whole house audio system that I installed 30 years ago. At that time, I put in-wall speakers in five rooms of our house, but they were all "Zone B" to my AVR, so they all had to play the same source. I wanted to now be able to play different sources in each room, but wanted to take advantage of the still-good in-wall speakers. I researched and looked seriously at the Bluesound Node ecosystem until I discovered Wiim. It has been perfect for my needs, as I wanted five independent zones, which in this case means five Wiim Pros. I decided on the Pro rather than the Mini becasue I wanted the Chromecast capability as well as a few other features that the Pro offered. They are easy to set up, easy to use, and have been extremely reliable. Since I now had five independent zones, I need five stereo zones of amplification, so I bought a new multi-zone amplifier with the ability to trigger each zone independently with the Wiim Pro 12V trigger out. It works perfectly. I highly recommend the Wiim Pro if you are trying to build a multizone system. It's great because you can use it with existing amplifiers and speakers, with powered speakers for a completely new location, or as is shown in the picture, with a new small Fosi amplifier with some existing vintage Allison speakers. It is extremely flexible.

I purchased the Wiim Pro because of the bit-perfect output from its toslink optical and coaxial digital outputs. I own Topping and SMSL DACs that satisfy my picky audio quality requirements, but using seperate devices (PCs) to control music in three rooms (family room, office, bedroom) was not practical. Bluetooth audio from my phone to my stereos has never been good enough for me, which my family cannot understand....

The companion Wiim app for iOS or Android devices now lets me use my smartphone or tablet to control music streamed from Amazon Music HD, Spotify, Radio Paradise or Tidal in 24bit/192hz output to DACs in the family room (toslink optical) or bedroom (coaxial digital). The RG6 coaxial cable that I no longer used for cable TV distribution is used with a pair of cheap RCA to F-connector adapters to carry the digital coax signal.

The Wiim app also allows me to choose between the Wiim Pro's toslink, coax or analog RCA outputs and choose 24bit/192hz for either of the digital outputs, feeding into the DACs in the family room and bedroom. The Wiim Pro also has RCA analog output from its built in Burr Brown-based DAC, which is fine for my office's music needs.

The Wiim Pro provides both ethernet and wifi connectivity. I have used both without any problems, but wifi obviously depends on how far it is located from your access point(s). So you can place it wherever it is most convenient for your audio connections.

Perhaps I am pickier than the average music listener, but the Wiim Pro is just what I needed to get the hifi audio quality that I desire in three different rooms, at the touch of my phone or tablet. Highly recommended!