I've been looking on and off for an affordable unit that anyone could hook to their sound system and get into the streaming world with, which is also flexible enough that it can work with different technologies and not be locked into any one proprietary system.
I haven't yet tried one of these yet, but what impressed me is that it supports DLNA, Chromecast Audio, AirPlay, and has a full set of inputs and outputs, including both optical and coaxial digital outputs to feed to an external DAC, or to an integrated amp or receiver which accepts digital input. It also has traditional analog outputs. It can work wirelessly via WiFi, but also has an Ethernet input (which I highly recommend for high-res streaming to avoid dropouts). It connects to your network so you can control the device using an app on your phone or tablet*, as most apps can handle at least one of the three casting technologies above. (For anyone using Roon Player, the Chromecast connectivity lets you use the WiiM Pro as a Roon endpoint.)
One thing it apparently cannot do is play back digital files from a USB or network drive. However, there are phone/tablet and computer solutions that could add this capability for an affordable price. The WiiM Pro's purpose in life is to take a stream of data from your network and play it on your attached equipment, so it is a good way to update your system without spending a lot.
The WiiM Pro also offers Bluetooth connection. While it doesn't offer the better-sounding AptX HD or LDAC options, at least Bluetooth streaming is possible. Anyone looking to stream only Bluetooth would be better served by a device that can handle the higher-quality options. Note that all Bluetooth connections use lossy data compression.
* One thing I have done here at Casa Rudy is purchase a cheap Amazon Fire HD8 tablet for use as a remote for the audio system (Roon Player, Qobuz, Pandora) as well as being able to control other devices in the home like the thermostat and Kasa LED lights and smart outlets, and monitor the security cameras. If you can find an HD8 (or similar) during a sale (like Prime Day, Black Friday, etc.), you can sometimes get these for as little as $60. I have better tablets and two phones, but I figure if anything happens to this HD8 ("stuff" happens in the home), I'm not heartbroken and it's easily replaced.
I would only recommend looking up a procedure online before starting it for the first time to load the Google Play services and store, as you get a much larger selection of apps to choose from.
I would trust this to work better than any of the off-brand cheap tablets out there. It's not the most powerful thing in the world and can get a little laggy at times, but I'll take that over dropping my better tablet on its corner on the ceramic tile floor or lose it inside a recliner and end up crunching the screen.
One suggested upgrade would be to feed this into an external DAC. The internal DAC results in fairly good sound that would serve many listeners well, but adding an inexpensive DAC like the Schiit Modi+ ($129) would elevate the sound noticeably.
I haven't yet tried one of these yet, but what impressed me is that it supports DLNA, Chromecast Audio, AirPlay, and has a full set of inputs and outputs, including both optical and coaxial digital outputs to feed to an external DAC, or to an integrated amp or receiver which accepts digital input. It also has traditional analog outputs. It can work wirelessly via WiFi, but also has an Ethernet input (which I highly recommend for high-res streaming to avoid dropouts). It connects to your network so you can control the device using an app on your phone or tablet*, as most apps can handle at least one of the three casting technologies above. (For anyone using Roon Player, the Chromecast connectivity lets you use the WiiM Pro as a Roon endpoint.)
One thing it apparently cannot do is play back digital files from a USB or network drive. However, there are phone/tablet and computer solutions that could add this capability for an affordable price. The WiiM Pro's purpose in life is to take a stream of data from your network and play it on your attached equipment, so it is a good way to update your system without spending a lot.
The WiiM Pro also offers Bluetooth connection. While it doesn't offer the better-sounding AptX HD or LDAC options, at least Bluetooth streaming is possible. Anyone looking to stream only Bluetooth would be better served by a device that can handle the higher-quality options. Note that all Bluetooth connections use lossy data compression.
* One thing I have done here at Casa Rudy is purchase a cheap Amazon Fire HD8 tablet for use as a remote for the audio system (Roon Player, Qobuz, Pandora) as well as being able to control other devices in the home like the thermostat and Kasa LED lights and smart outlets, and monitor the security cameras. If you can find an HD8 (or similar) during a sale (like Prime Day, Black Friday, etc.), you can sometimes get these for as little as $60. I have better tablets and two phones, but I figure if anything happens to this HD8 ("stuff" happens in the home), I'm not heartbroken and it's easily replaced.
I would only recommend looking up a procedure online before starting it for the first time to load the Google Play services and store, as you get a much larger selection of apps to choose from.
I would trust this to work better than any of the off-brand cheap tablets out there. It's not the most powerful thing in the world and can get a little laggy at times, but I'll take that over dropping my better tablet on its corner on the ceramic tile floor or lose it inside a recliner and end up crunching the screen.
One suggested upgrade would be to feed this into an external DAC. The internal DAC results in fairly good sound that would serve many listeners well, but adding an inexpensive DAC like the Schiit Modi+ ($129) would elevate the sound noticeably.
Last edited:
