[Ferdinando1968]

I was talking about support for DSD passthrough since my DAC supports DSD

As far as I know WIIM-PRO does not support native DSD output SPDIF/COAX.

 

[adias]

WiiM Mini For Sale

I am in Southern AZ and have a virtually new (little used) WiiM Mini for sale. Anyone interested please contact me via IM.

 

[JaquesGelee]

As far as I know WIIM-PRO does not support native DSD output SPDIF/COAX.

Correct me someone, if i am wrong. But as far as i know, native DSD isn´t possible via coax in general. It´s more like DoP or convert to PCM f.e. and max. DSD64 DoP.

 

[Ferdinando1968]

Correct me someone, if i am wrong. But as far as i know, native DSD isn´t possible via coax in general. It´s more like DoP or convert to PCM f.e. and max. DSD64 DoP.

I'm not sure either, but I think you're right.
I've never read about native DSD over COAX/SPDIF.

The fact is that ROON, which recently certified the PRO for its own use, converts the DSD to PCM when the destination is the PRO
(contrary to other devices, it has no configuration options for DSD on the Wiim-PRO. And this leads me to think that the PRO doesn't 'handle' the native DSD).

 

[kandroid]

Taken from dCS website:

"The original idea for DoP (DSD over PCM) was invented by dCS in 2011. It involves taking groups of 16 adjacent 1-bit samples from a DSD stream and packing them into the lower 16 bits of a 24/176.4 data stream. Data from the other channel of the stereo pair is packed the same way. A specific marker code in the top 8 bits identifies the data stream as DoP, rather than PCM. The resulting DoP stream can be transmitted through existing 24/192-capable USB, AES, Dual AES or SPDIF interfaces to a DoP-compatible DAC, which reassembles the original stereo DSD data stream COMPLETELY UNCHANGED.
If something goes wrong and the data stream is decoded as PCM, the output will be low-level noise with faint music in the back ground, so it fails safely. This can happen if the computer erases the marker code by applying a volume adjustment."
---------------------------------
The Digital Coaxial interface supports DSP audio formats of 16-24 bit word length, with sample rates from 32 to 192 khz.
As per above DoP terminology, DSD64 (Sample Rate: 2822400 hz) requires 2822400/16 = 176400hz (176.4 kHz) PCM stream, so can be done via digital coax, but
DSD128 (5644800hz) requires a 352800hz (352.8 khz) PCM stream which in more than 192khz, so not possible.
The only way to play DSD128 and above is via downsampling.

 

[Ferdinando1968]

Taken from dCS website:

"The original idea for DoP (DSD over PCM) was invented by dCS in 2011. It involves taking groups of 16 adjacent 1-bit samples from a DSD stream and packing them into the lower 16 bits of a 24/176.4 data stream. Data from the other channel of the stereo pair is packed the same way. A specific marker code in the top 8 bits identifies the data stream as DoP, rather than PCM. The resulting DoP stream can be transmitted through existing 24/192-capable USB, AES, Dual AES or SPDIF interfaces to a DoP-compatible DAC, which reassembles the original stereo DSD data stream COMPLETELY UNCHANGED.
If something goes wrong and the data stream is decoded as PCM, the output will be low-level noise with faint music in the back ground, so it fails safely. This can happen if the computer erases the marker code by applying a volume adjustment."
---------------------------------
The Digital Coaxial interface supports DSP audio formats of 16-24 bit word length, with sample rates from 32 to 192 khz.
As per above DoP terminology, DSD64 (Sample Rate: 2822400 hz) requires 2822400/16 = 176400hz (176.4 kHz) PCM stream, so can be done via digital coax, but
DSD128 (5644800hz) requires a 352800hz (352.8 khz) PCM stream which in more than 192khz, so not possible.
The only way to play DSD128 and above is via downsampling.

Interesting, but that's basically what @JaquesGelee wrote.
But currently neither the WIIM app nor ROON show the possibility to convert the native DSD to DoP when the output device is the Wiim-PRO.
Maybe it will happen in a future update.

 

[megabigeye]

Hey all, sorry if this has been asked/covered before.
I'm considering switching from a RaspberryPi/Volumio setup to a WiiM Pro and Pro+ setup.

I have two questions/concerns:
1) The RPi/Volumio system has a lot of dropouts when streaming from my iPhone, using either Apple Music or Spotify. I've seen that the WiiM lets you specify using the 5GHz band only, which should make it more stable. Can anybody confirm that the WiiM Pro/+ are more stable than a RaspberryPi w/ Volumio using iOS?
2) What do you do when there's a power failure, etc.? If something goes wrong with my RPi, I simply re-flash the drive. Kinda annoying, but no big deal. What do you do when something goes wrong with the WiiM? Is there some way to recover its OS?

 

[adias]

Assuming your WiFi network is good, you should see excellent connections between an iPhone streaming via AirPlay and even better from Chromecast or Alexacast enabled apps.

If there’s some issue reset the streamer and or the App. I have not had issues with either WiiM Pro and Mini.

 

[Balthazar B]

Assuming your WiFi network is good, you should see excellent connections between an iPhone streaming via AirPlay and even better from Chromecast or Alexacast enabled apps.

If there’s some issue reset the streamer and or the App. I have not had issues with either WiiM Pro and Mini.

Or all of the other streaming services WiiM directly supports, like Qobuz, Tidal, Spotify, Pandora, Radio Paradise, etc. And all of the other Internet radio stations out there. They pretty much have everything covered, except Apple Music, and that's not WiiM's fault (Chromecasting or Airplaying Apple Music from your mobile device, while supported, is not optimal).

 

[megabigeye]

Or all of the other streaming services WiiM directly supports, like Qobuz, Tidal, Spotify, Pandora, Radio Paradise, etc. And all of the other Internet radio stations out there. They pretty much have everything covered, except Apple Music, and that's not WiiM's fault (Chromecasting or Airplaying Apple Music from your mobile device, while supported, is not optimal).

So you can log onto, browse and play Spotify directly on the WiiM? No need to use Spotify Connect?

Why isn't using AirPlay optimal? Just because of the dropouts?

 

[brantome]

So you can log onto, browse and play Spotify directly on the WiiM? No need to use Spotify Connect?

No, it uses Spotify Connect like most services these days. I think non-Connect Spotify solutions are pretty rare

Why isn't using AirPlay optimal? Just because of the dropouts?

Apple Music most often uses lossy AAC rather than lossless ALAC over Airplay 2 - this is fairly well documented. Nothing to do with WiiM or any other manufacturer

 

[megabigeye]

No, it uses Spotify Connect like most services these days. I think non-Connect Spotify solutions are pretty rare

Apple Music most often uses lossy AAC rather than lossless ALAC over Airplay 2 - this is fairly well documented. Nothing to do with WiiM or any other manufacturer

Thanks.
I see. So the difference between Spotify Connect and AirPlay is just that AirPlay isn't officially supported? Supported, but not officially?

The lossy aspect of AirPlay doesn't bother me so much. I honestly don't notice that much of a difference, if any.

 

[brantome]

Thanks.
I see. So the difference between Spotify Connect and AirPlay is just that AirPlay isn't officially supported? Supported, but not officially?

The lossy aspect of AirPlay doesn't bother me so much. I honestly don't notice that much of a difference, if any.

Sorry, don’t see where “officially” crept in - Spotify supports Connect, Bluetooth, Chromecast, Airplay etc - all those options appear in the Spotify app, so I guess that makes them official. Plus Spotify is lossy anyway…

The airplay comment I made above is in relation to Apple Music - seemingly even Apple can‘t cast their hi res music service using their own Airplay 2 protocol on iOS, but only from a Mac in a very particular set of circumstances

 

[Balthazar B]

Sorry, don’t see where “officially” crept in - Spotify supports Connect, Bluetooth, Chromecast, Airplay etc - all those options appear in the Spotify app, so I guess that makes them official. Plus Spotify is lossy anyway…

The airplay comment I made above is in relation to Apple Music - seemingly even Apple can‘t cast their hi res music service using their own Airplay 2 protocol on iOS, but only from a Mac in a very particular set of circumstances

Apple Music is maddening. It's like typing on the best-looking, best-sounding, best-feeling mechanical keyboard there is, that one loves to own -- only it will occasionally substitute random characters for reasons known only to the manufacturer.

 

[audiobomber]

Hey all, sorry if this has been asked/covered before.
I'm considering switching from a RaspberryPi/Volumio setup to a WiiM Pro and Pro+ setup.

I have two questions/concerns:
1) The RPi/Volumio system has a lot of dropouts when streaming from my iPhone, using either Apple Music or Spotify. I've seen that the WiiM lets you specify using the 5GHz band only, which should make it more stable. Can anybody confirm that the WiiM Pro/+ are more stable than a RaspberryPi w/ Volumio using iOS?

I assume you are using the built-in wi-fi receiver on the Pi? I have a 3B+, the wi-fi reception is very weak and digital noise from the wi-fi section compromises the sound. Get a router or extender that can work in Client Mode, which converts wi-fi to ethernet. For even better sound quality, get a router/extender that allows an external power supply upgrade.