At about twice the size of an Apple TV box, the Wiim Amp Ultra is still extremely compact. Don't be fooled by its appearance; it has plenty of power, more than many amplifiers with much larger volumes. It can therefore (very) advantageously replace the classic [abc]Hi-Fi[/abc] system, provided that you connect a pair of speakers. Two drawbacks, however, are that the Wiim Amp Ultra lacks a Phono input and [abc]AirPlay[/abc] compatibility.
Wiim Amp Ultra, Class D amplification££££
The compactness of the Wiim Amp Ultra is of course linked to the presence of a Class D digital amplification (two TI TPA3255 models + six TI OPA1612 operational specimens) particularly valiant since it is capable of delivering 2 x 100 W under 8 ohms (2 x 200 W under 4 ohms). The latter, associated with an ESS 9039Q2M 192 kHz/24 bits Dac, is the guarantee of a high sound quality.
Precision, the front panel houses a 3.5" (8.9 cm) [abc]LCD[/abc] touch screen with a beautiful effect. The latter displays album covers, replaces the main transport buttons (volume, source selection, etc.), displays the time and date, allows adjustment of the 10-band parametric equalizer (24 memories)…
The Wiim Amp Ultra is compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple Siri and can therefore be controlled by voice from a phone/tablet or an Echo, Google Home or HomePod speaker. Namely, the automatic RoomFit calibration is present directly through the microphone of your smartphone (or an external microphone connected to your smartphone) and the Wiim Home application. Finally, the Post Filter Feedback technology minimizes distortion and magnifies sound clarity to offer a wider soundstage and more details, therefore a more immersive. And this, regardless of the type of speaker connected.
Wiim Amp Ultra, main features££££
The Wiim Amp Ultra network amplifier/player, certified [abc]Hi-Res Audio[/abc], manages the main [abc]streaming[/abc] music services: Amazon Music HD, Apple Music, Deezer, Qobuz, Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect…). Also worth noting are [abc]Bluetooth[/abc] 5.3 and [abc]Wi-Fi[/abc] 6E. The [abc]UPnP[/abc] ([abc]DLNA[/abc]) Alexa Cast and Chromecast (integrated) audio gateway functions are also available and allow the Wiim Amp Ultra to access the multiroom dimension. We must also mention the Roon Ready label.
Wiim Amp Ultra, Home Cinema too ££££
Compatible with Dolby Digital and equipped with the ARC function, the Wiim Amp Ultra is also gifted for Home Cinema. It is even possible to assign it the role of the center channel or the front or surround channels within a 100% Wiim configuration.
Wiim Amp Ultra, the connections££££
The Wiim Amp Ultra therefore has an HDMI [abc]eARC[/abc] CEC connector, a perfect feature for automatically switching to the TV sound once the latter is switched on, and recovering the sound signal up to [abc]Dolby Digital[/abc]. Not to mention an [abc]optical[/abc] input, a stereo [abc]RCA[/abc], an [abc]LFE[/abc] output, a powered [abc]USB[/abc]-A port, a [abc]Ethernet[/abc] port and two pairs of speaker terminals.
Available in silver or space gray finish, immediately. Recommended price: 599 euros.
Reminder of the key characteristics of the Wiim Amp Ultra:
• Model: [abc]2.1[/abc]
• Power: 2 x 100 W under 8 ohms or 2 x 200 W under 4 ohms
• Inputs: 1 [abc]optical[/abc] input, 1 stereo [abc]RCA[/abc] input, 1 USB port and 1 Ethernet port
• Outputs: 1 [abc]HDMI[/abc] [abc]ARC[/abc] output, 1 subwoofer output
• Signal-to-noise ratio: 120 dB
• Total Harmonic Distortion (THD): 0.0005%
• [abc]UPnP[/abc] ([abc]DLNA[/abc]) audio functions
• RoomFit functions (automatic calibration)
• [abc]Bluetooth[/abc] 5.3 compatibility
• [abc]Wi-Fi[/abc] 6E compatibility
• [abc]Chromecast (built-in)[/abc] compatibility
• Alexa Cast compatibility
• [abc]Dolby Digital[/abc] compatibility
• ESS Sabre ES9039Q2M 384 kHz/32-bit audio
• [abc]Hi-Res Audio[/abc] streaming via USB/Network: yes
• Siri network
• Spotify network Connect
• Works with Amazon Alexa network
• Works with Hey Google network
• Tidal Connect network
• Qobuz network
• Amazon Music HD network
• Web radios: yes, TuneIN
• Other: 3.5" color [abc]LCD[/abc] touchscreen on the front, 10-band parametric equalizer (24 memories)
• Frequency response: 20-20,000 Hz
• Impedance: 2 to 8 ohms
• Dimensions (W x H x D, mm): 200 x 75 x 200 mm
• Weight: 2.45 kg
