wireless speaker Products from brands like Sonos, Apple make it very easy to stream music using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and other protocols. But if you have an existing hi-fi system with wired speakers, realizing the magic of wireless music can be an expensive upgrade, with many dedicated streaming components costing $1,000 or more. .
Vinyl LPs and compact discs remain viable media formats, but best music streaming service Tidal, Amazon Music Unlimited, Apple Music, and Qobuz offer high-definition audio and lossless CD-quality products that can match them in terms of quality. system. With the new WiiM Pro Music Streamer, you can do just that at a very affordable cost of $149 (approximately £122 / AU$225).
How cheap is that price? To put things into perspective, Bluesound Node ($600) and its cheaper sibling, NAD CS1 Endpoint Network Streamer ($349).
With support for audio up to 24-bit/192kHz, WiiM Pro is ready to handle almost any high-definition track available on streaming services. It can be used to stream over both Wi-Fi and wired Ethernet network connections and also handles AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Alexa Casting, Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect. Both optical and coaxial digital outputs are provided, as well as analog stereo and optical and coaxial digital inputs, in addition to an analog stereo output for connecting to the input of a receiver or internal amplifier.
The last feature is worth commenting on. This means that other sources such as CD players and turntables can be connected to the WiiM Pro and streamed to other systems and speakers in a multi-room setup. The WiiM Pro app walks you through grouping multiple of his WiiM Pros to play throughout your home. You can also use it to wirelessly group Nest, Echo, and Apple HomePod speakers for streaming. Works with Alexa, Hey Google, and Siri, so you can choose your assistant for voice commands and controls.
Music services that can be set in the WiiM Pro app include Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz, Amazon Music Unlimited, Pandora, Deezer, TuneIn Radio, and more.
The WiiM Pro offers analog and digital outputs along with inputs for adding sources to your multi-room audio setup. (Image credit: WiiM)
Analysis: WiiM Pro Brings Hi-Res Audio Streaming To The Masses
At $149, the WiiM Pro is the cheapest option I know for adding wireless high-definition audio streaming to your existing stereo system. I was looking for a streamer like this. For myself and for recommending to friends who want to avoid having to connect their laptop to the stereo for streaming. archaic customs.
For many, the barrier to doing that upgrade in the past was cost. At $349, the NAD CS1 is a budget option, but it omits an HDMI eARC port, analog stereo inputs, and most importantly, the app-based multi-room controls offered by the pricier Bluesound Node. That last feature, found across the Sonos speaker family, makes it easy to group different speakers together to play music throughout your home or play different music sources in different zones. increase.
What’s interesting about the new WiiM Pro is that the $149 streamer offers app-based multi-room playback and also supports three voice assistants for controlling playback, music selection, volume levels, and more. (The company says it will soon launch a remote accessory that offers traditional hardware control options.)
What does the WiiM Pro not offer for its $149 cost? The control app lacks built-in Apple Music support. This means Apple Music subscribers should instead use AirPlay 2 to wirelessly cast tracks from that service to the WiiM Pro. does not support Hi-Res audio). It also lacks support for Apple Music Spatial Audio. announced by Sonos it is new Era 300 speaker and its current arc and Beam (2nd generation) sound bar.
Even with that limitation, the WiiM Pro looks like a great deal and a great way for listeners to jump into the world of high-res audio streaming on the cheap. So please pay attention to the reviews.
