Overview
Looks Good. Measures Great. Sounds Even Better.
The WiiM Ultra packs an extraordinary amount of performance into an affordable component. Its ESS ES9038 Q2M DAC and carefully engineered analog output stage deliver genuinely excellent measured performance, with a specified 121 dB signal-to-noise ratio and THD+N approaching -116 dB. More importantly, it sounds clean, open, and transparent enough to pair comfortably with highly revealing audio systems.
That matters to us. We would not recommend using a streamer as a DAC and preamplifier with our power amplifiers if we thought it was going to become the weak link in the system. The Ultra has impressed us both on the test bench and, most importantly, in extended listening.
And then there is RoomFit.
RoomFit Can Make a Bigger Difference Than Changing Electronics
Your room and speaker placement have an enormous influence on what you actually hear, particularly in the bass. WiiM's RoomFit system measures the interaction between your speakers and room, then applies precise digital correction to reduce the peaks and other response problems created by that interaction.
RoomFit allows you to select different target curves, define the frequency range being corrected, control maximum boost and cut, adjust Q, and save different correction profiles. You can perform the measurements using a compatible phone or tablet, or take things even further with an external calibrated measurement microphone such as a UMIK-1.
In our experience, properly implemented room correction can produce an audible improvement far greater than many traditional component upgrades, especially in rooms with significant low-frequency problems.
WiiM RoomFit Setup Suggestions
Serious EQ for Fine Tuning
RoomFit is only part of the story. The Ultra also includes powerful manual equalization tools, including a 10-band Graphic EQ and 10-band Parametric EQ.
The parametric EQ gives you control over frequency, gain, Q, and filter type, allowing you to make extremely precise adjustments. You can use it to fine-tune your system after RoomFit, accommodate personal preferences, tame a bright recording, add a little warmth, or adjust tonal balance without changing anything else in the system.
WiiM also allows different EQ settings to be assigned to different sources, and PEQ can be applied in stereo or adjusted independently for the left and right channels. That is an exceptional amount of control for a product at this price.
A Complete Digital Hub
The WiiM Ultra can function as much more than a streamer. It includes digital and analog inputs and outputs, HDMI ARC, USB, Optical, Coaxial, RCA line input, Phono input, headphone output, Subwoofer Out, and a 12V trigger.
That means it can serve as the control center for an entire system.
Use it simply as a digital streamer feeding one of our Integrated Solutions, or connect its analog outputs directly to one of our Power Amplifiers and let the Ultra serve as your streamer, DAC, preamplifier, EQ, room correction system, and source selector.
TV and Subwoofer Integration Made Easy
HDMI ARC makes it easy to integrate your television into a high-quality two-channel music system. Your TV becomes another source, while HDMI-CEC allows convenient volume control.
The dedicated Subwoofer Out adds another major advantage. Crossover frequency, level, phase, and timing can be managed within the WiiM ecosystem, and RoomFit can then be used to help integrate the subwoofer with your speakers and room.
The result can be a remarkably sophisticated music and home entertainment system without the complexity of a traditional AV receiver.
Hi-Res Streaming Without the Hi-End Price
The Ultra supports playback up to 24-bit/192 kHz and works with services including Spotify, Amazon Music, TIDAL, Qobuz, and others, along with your own local music library.
It is also Roon Ready and supports Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, Google Cast Audio, DLNA, Squeezelite, and other popular streaming protocols.
In other words, it does the things most people actually need a modern streamer to do, and it does them exceptionally well.
Why do we offer the WiiM Ultra?
The short answer is that it checks most of the boxes our customers care about. It sounds great, measures extremely well, is easy to use, reliable, packed with useful features, and remarkably affordable.
When we first brought the WiiM Ultra in for evaluation, we were already partnered with another major streaming company. We simply wanted to see what the folks at Linkplay were up to.
Boy, were we impressed.
In fact, we believe the WiiM Ultra may be one of the most significant products our industry has seen in years, and we do not say that lightly. The combination of sound quality, measured performance, RoomFit room correction, sophisticated EQ, connectivity, usability, and price fundamentally changes what customers should expect from a product in this category.
Why did we choose the Ultra?
When deciding which WiiM product we wanted to offer, analog audio performance mattered.
Our amplifiers are exceptionally open and transparent, so it made little sense to pair them with a streamer whose DAC or analog output stage would compromise that performance. The Ultra delivers excellent measured analog performance and has sounded equally impressive in our listening tests.
That makes it easy for us to recommend not only as a streamer, but also as a DAC and preamplifier when paired directly with our power amplifiers.
What if I'm only using the digital output?
If you are connecting the WiiM Ultra digitally to the DAC in one of our Integrated Solutions, you can simply use it as a high-quality streamer and take advantage of its interface, RoomFit, EQ, HDMI ARC, Subwoofer Out, and other features.
If you connect the Ultra directly to one of our Power Amplifiers, it can take on a much larger role, serving as the streamer, DAC, preamplifier, source selector, EQ, and room correction system for the entire system.
Important Note for Apple Music Users
The WiiM Ultra does not support AirPlay and cannot function as an AirPlay receiver.
Apple Music can still be played through the Ultra using other supported methods, but if AirPlay from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac is an essential part of your listening routine, the Ultra may not be the right fit.