WiiM Ultra Music Streamer & Digital Preamp | 3.5" Touchscreen, Compatible with Google Cast & Alexa, Stream Spotify, Amazon Music, Tidal & More | HDMI ARC, Phono Input & Headphone Output | Space Gray

I have owned a number of streamers over the last few years including Bluesound, Raumfeld and Arylic, the most recent being the Arylic S10+ which I used in conjunction with an SMSL SU-1 DAC which sounded good but I found it irritating to use as my streaming service of choice is Amazon Music which it only supports via Airplay which I found to be very inconsistent in operation. The WiiM Ultra was a step up in price so I was expecting better performance and so far it hasn't disappointed. The WiiM Home control app is excellent and very versatile and once downloaded the setup was a breeze although the firmware update took about 15 minutes. I use the analogue output to feed a pair of Q Acoustics M20 powered speakers, I couple the Ultra directly to my router via an ethernet cable, I have my Mac computer connected via optical digital cable and I have external solid state drive connected via USB.The unit itself is very substantial and quite weighty and certainly good for the price, the touch screen has good clarity and clear graphics and it's nice to have album artwork displayed while listening, and it defaults to a clock when there is no music playing.The supplied remote is good quality and works well, only black mark is there were no batteries supplied for it, shame on you WiiM ☹️ It works via bluetooth not IR which means no delays that IR remotes sometimes suffer from. As to the sound quality it is a step up from streamers I've had previously, the previous best I had was the Bluesound Node 2i which was a similar price, the Ultra is more detailed without being clinical and more even in tonal balance, the Node 2i being a little on the rich side of neutral. The Ultra is also a little more dynamic particularly in the bass. Overall I'm delighted with the WiiM Ultra and at it's price point it has to be regarded as a bargain and deserves a 5* rating.

The WiiM Ultra is the bargain of the year.Being an old bloke its taken ages for me to embrace streaming music.I took the plunge and bought the Eversolo DM-A6. Tried to like it but could never get the vinyl like warmth I required.Returned it and got the £865 back.Then I heard about the WiiM Ultra. Got it for £275, and expected much less from it.Set up was easy. Used a digital Coaxial cable to my amp. Downloaded the app but initially used Amazon Music and Spotify via my phone to play music.You can use the WiiM app and the supplied remote if you prefer.I've spent years perfecting my system. Thorens deck/Goldring E3 cartridge. Onkyo integrated amp. Musical Fidelity CD. SkyQ box. LG DVD. LG TV. Huge LA Floorstanding speakers.The WiiM Ultra took its place on my Target rack and all was ready to play.Right from the get go I knew I could live with it.Unlike the Eversolo it was less 'hifi' and more musical.The sound is warmer, perhaps not quite as revealing as the Eversolo, but much more musical.The WiiM just makes you want to play more music!It gets your feet tapping, which is as it should be.It looks fine too. The screen is pretty basic and only 3.5 inches but it shows album covers and track info, which is enough for me.Build quality is fine too. Not as good as the Eversolo but at less than a third of the price that is to be expected.It has lots of options to connect to ancillary equipment.It comes with power lead (figure 8 type) and optical cable. There's even an ethernet cable. I just use WiFi.If you have a decent hifi system, or even active speakers I doubt you'll be disappointed with the WiiM Ultra.It's a great bit of kit. Far outperforming its price point.It's rare that something is much better than expectations. This is!Reduced from £350 to £279 now is a great time to score one, before they sell out!I forgot to mention WiiM do regular updates to the software so the app should get better.

It’s my first streamer, as I’m an old bloke who’s only recently joined Tidal and discovered the delights of quality music streaming. Excellently packaged, which instills confidence. Very easy to set up and use, and a truly excellent app. I’m impressed with both the build quality at this price point and the sound quality. One thing to note for Arcam users connecting the Wiim to an avr, you have to engage ‘stereo direct’ mode on your Arcam to get sound if connecting by RCA cable (supplied).

As some people are, I'm always apprehensive about 'snake oil', especially regarding HiFi equipment.So, after reading several reviews, I decided to buy the WiiM Ultra for a couple of reasons: to stream Amazon Music directly to my Sony STR-DN 1080 amp instead of through the TV and use its higher quality DAC.All the other benefits the Ultra has at its disposal are win-win bonuses.The app is great to use, with the complete setup easily accomplished.The Amazon app is seamless in use with the Ultra.There are several connection options both in and out.The sound quality is better than using the TV connection, with smooth yet solid bass, and the high notes are crystal clear. The speakers I'm using are the DALI Oberon 5's, which are brilliant in themselves.Using the Ultra through the DALI's negates the use of the REL subwoofer; the bass is that good.I also have a Pioneer Precision A300R amp, which is 30 years old, but the sound through this amp is fantastic, and even better than the Sony amp.The Headphone output is also great, and easily handles my Beyerdynamic 600-ohm headset.All-in-all, the Ultra is a worthy addition, and the money spent on it is, IMHO is well justified.So, if you're thinking of buying a streamer, with great audio (no snake oil here), then the Ultra will not disappoint.