I used the toslink to my external DAC which goes into my receiver. The App for control is great. This will replace my laptop which was hooked up to a separate DAC that fed my receiver. I use Qobuz and love that the app works with it so that is supports the high bitrate the Qobuz service provides. Setup was crazy easy and no is way easier to use than my previous laptop setup. The DAC that is ok but not that great. good for the price. But it doesn't matter for me since I can use Toslink to my DAC. If I was reviewing with the sound from my DAC with this device it would easily be 5 starts.

Small wonder does the trick. Easy install and integration with music apps makes it a breeze to start playing music where you want it. It’s able to push higher quality music which sounds great assuming you have the speakers for it. More clear than using Bluetooth. The device itself is well built and has a small footprint. Similar to OG echo dot. Easy to tuck away out of site. Plastic body with a glossy finish. Has a nice padded bottom to help keep it in place and protect your furniture. Software has some unusual quirks that could be ironed out but not a bit deal. I wish I could control and stream directly from music apps though. It would be easier to navigate music and premade playlists. But the WiiM app lets you find and play songs and some standard playlists grouped by genre. You can control volume, playback, scrub for location etc. anything you’d expect. I highly recommend this to anyone wanting to play higher quality music on your older (but still amazing) systems lacking WiFi or Bluetooth connectivity. Nothing beats analog for high quality sound but this gets you closer than traditional Bluetooth if you are looking to cut some chords.

If you use SPDIF instead of internal Dac, this little device would let you forget about the expensive BlueSound Node, the troublesome and unstable raspberry pi runs on any OS. This is simply the easiest and best solution by far. The downside would be that it uses it's own app to log into all the music services. You won't be able to browse through the native APP UI from spotify, tidal, qobuz or even amazon music. I haven't tried gapless so I can't put down "it just works" stamp yet! However, hi-res does work as expected. There are some glitches and bugs from Amazon Music though. When comparing to Qobuz, it simply just works as bit perfect. On the Amazon Music HD/UHD I believed it's probably Amazon's fault here. There will be constrain on bitrate and sampling rate if you output from TV because it's running mostly Android OS (ye! I am looking at you Amazon FireTV 4k Stick). You will only get 48k. However, on the Wiim mini is another story. It's better to show 24bit, but sometimes it's not bit perfect. it doesn't always shows properly up to 192k. Due to the inconsistency of Amazon music. Depends on your Dac, your streamer box (a computer, an iphone, tv, or wiim mini) they all behave differently. I can't grasp which one is the "best" solution or claim to be bit perfect here. But Amazon music seems to output hi-res music for sure. Amazon still need to work on their device compatibility issues though. For qobuz, it works like a breeze. Always accurate, and always works! I've had raspberry pi ran through LMS, volumio, audirvana, and roon before. If you want me to choose what's the best solution for sound quality and simplicity, I would choose wiim mini. Although you don't have a roon or audirvana as centralized server. You can't "stream" music to every devices from a home server. You will lose "screen display" feature on your computer or tv. However, you will not bump into audirvana can't switch playback devices or roon constantly having server down issues you need to restart the server. Best of all, you don't need to deal with LMS or volumio just another update that something "doesn't work" again. For the sound quality, I compare to Qobuz, it is indeed a close match. To be easy to use and bit perfect, Qobuz is obviously the best choice. Amazon music comes in second with this wiim mini. Best of all was the Alexa integration. It's now possible to tell Alexa to play music, and on wiim mini side, it starts to play bit perfect hi-res music. That's simply the missing piece from the echo eco system that Amazon did not have on their own products unless you've gone for Echo Studio. Amazon really need to do some catch up. It will sound better than you use Amazon FireTV 4k Sticks plug into the AVR before TV. Due to "compatibility" issues, versions of FireTV OS, and FireTV hardware. Not all FireTV works right out of box. In addition, not all AVR works with FireTV stick either. So I am grateful that Wiim Mini simply skips that whole route all together. The weak link would be spotify connect (not very sure if spotify connect is ever going to support bit perfect when spotify finally release hi res audio). Tidal works okay but obviously your DAC needs to decode MQA because wiim mini can't do that from internal DAC. Best experiences comes from Qobuz and Amazon Music HD/UHD. Bluetooth was alright. When you can stream through WIFI, why bother with Bluetooth? However, the streaming service is very limited. It won't support even something like Pandora just yet! You really need to use Airplay2 to playback those type of music services.

I really liked the idea of the Chromecast Audio but was always frustrated with its lack of support for Hi-Res Amazon Music playback and what I felt was relatively poor sound quality via the Toslink output. Looking to replace it, I struggled to find something suitable. I wanted a device with digital audio output(s) for use with my external DAC, Amazon Music HD/UHD compatibility at full resolution, and the ability to play local files stored on my NAS. Amazon's Echo Link came close but lacked high-res audio support over its Toslink output making it a no-go. The Bluesound node had everything I wanted but came with a price tag that made me pause to scour for any other possible alternatives. I then remembered a device that I had seen advertised by a value oriented Hi-Fi Youtuber: The Wiim Mini. After taking a look at the Wiim, I found out that it checked most of my boxes and though it definitely worth a listen given the affordable cost. I also noticed that it ran on 5V DC power, thus allowing me to power it with an extra iFi iPower 2 power supply I had laying around. I also had a spare Pangea Premier SE Toslink cable to connect it to my DAC (a Denafrips Ares II). I was immediately struck by the audio quality of the combination on my system. I find the Wiim Home app reasonably easy to use, the settings fairly intuitive, and the pace of updates makes quite clear that Wiim is listening to and addressing its customers' issues. I've encountered a couple of bugs with pausing tracks, but those have largely been addressed. I really like that after the app updates, I'm greeted with a brief description of changes / fixes applied. That along with the pace of updates inspires a pretty high degree of confidence in Wiim's support. I also love the ability to manually connect to an online stream and save it as a preset. I use this feature to listen to the BBC World Service's higher bitrate AAC stream. Playback of high-res files from my NAS is also a snap. All in all, I really love the Wiim Mini's awesome functionality, great sound quality, via Toslink, and the idea that even with the upgraded power supply and Toslink cable, it still came in under half the price of the Bluesound Node. I rarely take the time to write a review, but this thing is absolutely worth it to do so along with its great price. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone looking for a great sounding & inexpensive streamer. Pros: * Sounds wonderful via the Toslink output and an external DAC * Full-size Toslink fully supports 24 bit / 192 kHz output. * Most affordable streamer to support Amazon Music HD/UHD. * Utilizes 5V DC power making it compatible with iFi iPower & linear power supplies for a great upgrade * Supports a wealth of playback & streaming service options * Looks to be adding support for casting Amazon HD/UHD audio from the Amazon Music app (yea!) Cons: * A few minor bugs in the Wiim Home app (pause/play mainly). * Have found myself looking for and not finding a simple stop playback (square) option.

I recently bought a Denon CEOL all in one receiver with HEOS built in. So I needed to decide which streaming service (WIIM vs HEOS) I was going to use. Denon had had problematic software control, which was significantly upgraded in January 2024. It seems to work fairly well, now. WIIM seems to receive almost (not quite, but close) universal praise for its control software. Why I went with WIIM: * Greater chance of fewer problems with software. * More flexible in that I could use inexpensive speakers, and my existing legacy gear with it. * As one who uses hearing aids, I am unlikely to get to the point where HEOS's promised higher fidelity (and higher subsequent costs) will make a significant difference to me. * WIIM supports one of my favorite 2nd tier streaming services, Calm Radio), and HEOS does not. WHAT I LIKE ABOUT the WIIM mini: * VERY tiny! it sits on top of my elderly Technics SA GX190 with the vent holes on top in the area with no vent holes with room to spare in the spot with NO vent holes. * It came with all the cables I needed to connect my device to my Technics, and even included stuff I couldn't use. * It connected to the aux in RCA ports of my Technics reliever quite well. And the legacy Technics can control bass, treble, & volume quite readily. * Setup was EASY an straight forward. I believe literally ANYONE can do it. * Sound is VERY good, With or without my Hearing aids. My wife who doesn't uses HAs also thinks the streaming sound is very good. Maybe not as good as the new Denon HEOS streaming, but that could be the quality of speakers on the Denon as opposed to the Technics. * The WIIM software is easy to use after set up. I like using my Android device as a remote control for the mini. WHAT I DON'T Like about the WIIM Mini: * Only one thing really. The cord that connected the miniplug out of the mini to the RCA connectors, was all black (both RCA pins), so I couldn't tell which cord was 'left' and which was "Right'. I must have guessed correctly because it worked OK. I upgraded to a third party cable. IN CONCLUSION: I am pleased with my purchase. It seems well made, and the performance is better than I expected. The sound is quite good, particularly for a casual listener, even those who aren't hearing impaired. Could you do better? Yes, but I doubt you could do better for less than $100 US. Connectivity is good, Set up is easy, and the software is easy to use. I will likely expand my whole house audio system with WIIM products, even one for my Denon CEOL receiver.

I have long had the goal of having my whole house set up for streaming music. Years ago I picked up a couple Chromecast Audio devices and was happy for a while. I had one in the garage, paired with a set of powered computer speakers that worked great. I also paired another one on my patio with a mini amp and set of passive outdoor speakers. As time went by I added a few Google home minis, then later some Nest home minis and even a Nest Max. I thought I had reached my goal, as I could group different rooms, stream music wherever I wanted. Then I began to notice that occasionally when playing Spotify, the music would stop and then resume in roughly 5-10 seconds. I chalked it up to my WiFi. So I upgraded to an Asus mesh WiFi setup, and immediately noticed that my network improved for gaming, work, and TV streaming. Oddly, it got worse for streaming audio through any of my Google audio streaming devices. The stops began lasting 30 seconds to several minutes, and sometimes wouldn't resume without reconnecting to the audio device or group. I thought maybe it was Spotify, but Tidal, Prime Music, and IHeart all had the same problem. Very annoying...I decided to pick up a couple Sonos speakers, and was very happy with their better sound quality and rock-solid streaming connections. But I was not as happy with the price. Then I found Wiim, picked up a couple of the Minis, and realized that they worked great. No drops or disconnects, and easy control through the app. I replaced the Chromecast audios with the Wiim Minis, and immediately was back to enjoying music in the garage and outdoors. I am now planning to sell my Sonos speakers and replace them with Wiim Minis and powered bookshelf speakers. Saves me some money and will allow me to control everything from a single app. Solved my streaming audio problems with Wiim!

Caution! The WiiM Mini is a gateway to owning additional WiiM products. WiiM Mini (the internal DAC provides very decent audio. The WiiM Mini is great for music streaming, i.e. Spotify Connect. The WiiM Bluetooth (BT) remote control can be purchased separately and also as a bundle with the WiiM Mini.) The WiiM Mini has led me to purchase the WiiM Pro Plus (features a better DAC than the WiiM Mini, a BT remote control and support for Chromecast (I don't use this feature) and the WiiM Amp. I could have saved a bunch of $ if I had started with the WiiM Amp, skipped purchasing separate integrated amplifiers and the WiiM Mini and WiiM Pro Plus. Although this is my review of the excellent WiiM Mini, do yourself a favor and consider getting the WiiM Amp instead. *) The WiiM Home phone app to Spotify Connect integration is very good, easy to use. The sound quality when using the WiiM Mini (and other WiiM music devices) when streaming Spotify Connect is very good. (The WiiM Mini's sound quality when streaming Spotify is currently Ogg Vorbis format compressed audio (320kbps, 16 bits, 44.1kHz) **. The sound is so close to uncompressed CD quality (at least to my ears) that I no longer bother playing my CDs. I have disconnected my CD player and have hauled my remaining CDs to the basement because it is just too easy to call up playlists, artists, albums and songs at will using the WiiM Home app. * Note: As an integrated Class D amplifier/music streaming device the WiiM Amp has some limitations. The WiiM Amp does not have a built-in phono stage or a built in headphone jack (you can however pair BT earbuds or headphones with the WiiM Amp). The WiiM Amp only has a single RCA stereo line input connection (in addition to one optical digital input.) The WiiM Amp supports USB playback. The WiiM Amp provides connections for one pair of wired passive stereo speakers (4 Ohm or greater.) There is also an RCA subwoofer output with bass management via the WiiM Home app.) ** Note: The WiiM Mini and other WiiM music streamers are capable of streaming higher quality (uncompressed, lossless) audio including Amazon HD Music, Tidal and Deezer. (I do not currently use these music services.) [Update 6/3/24] I purchased another WiiM Mini to solve an issue I was having with the WiiM Amplifier. The WiiM Amp is a brilliant product in almost every respect. One notable exception is Wi-Fi connectivity. In my home the WiiM Amp only has acceptable Wi-Fi connectivity when the WiiM Amp is placed close, i.e. within the same room as my wireless router. To solve this issue, I use the WiiM Mini as a Wi-Fi music streamer. I connect the WiiM Mini to the WiiM Amp via the optical cable and this gets around my WiiM Amp Wi-Fi performance issues. (The optical connection is 24 bit, 192 kbps.) I stream Spotify Premium exclusively, I can't hear any difference when using the WiiM Amp with Wi-FI (placed close to the W-Fi router) or when using the WiiM Mini and the optical output from the WiiM Mini to the optical input of the WiiM Amp. Now I can locate WiiM Amps in different rooms in my home and not have Wi-Fi connectivity issues. This works for me. Maybe this solution will work for you if you are having WiiM Amp Wi-Fi issues.

I used the WiiM Mini AirPlay2 Wireless Audio Streamer to make my analog stereo system available on Airplay and Airplay2. After my ancient Airport hub died, I needed something compatible with Mac OS that would deliver high-quality sound. Because the operating system of the WiiM Mini is Linux-based, it was instantly compatible. Once out of the box, I had it set up in about a minute. Seriously. It took about a minute to get it paired and hooked up, using only my iPhone. I didn't need to use their app for anything (which is a real plus, in my opinion). Integration into Mac OS and iOS reminded me of the good old days of Apple, when peripherals "just worked." Apple could learn something from this device, as it was even easier to hook up than the original Airport hubs were, and so far it has not had any bugs (unlike the Airports did). So let's talk about that terrific sound: This streamer sounds beautiful! With dual-band wireless connections in 2.5G and 5G, the signal is strong, without any delay. Streaming music from PC or iPhone to separate locations across the house yielded simultaneous play across both systems. Even better than that, however, the Mini offers bit-perfect output, up to 192 kHz, 24-bit. Streamed music sounds every bit as good as a CD, which is a big improvement over my prior 2.5G Airport. Final note: This thing is tiny. It's about the size of a business card, and it's light as a feather. The lack of heft might make it seem cheap, but it tells me that the company added only the necessary electronics inside the tiny shell. Despite its size, the signal is huge and strong—at least that's what my security system told me. I have no reason to doubt it. The other thing the system reported is that the WiiM Mini's signal is not only robust, but extremely stable, so I don't expect to be having any weird hiccups later on. While the price tag gave me a moment's pause, I am happy with my purchase and the performance I'm getting out of this thing. I hope it will last as long as my old Airport did, which was long past its foreseeable useful and supported life. If that happens, then I will add this to my list of products that have been unbeatable as far as value is concerned. If you enjoy and appreciate Hi-Fi music, and are a user of modern Mac OS and iOS, I would not hesitate for a second to purchase one of these. It's almost as if the WiiM Mini AirPlay2 Wireless Audio Streamer was purpose built to go with a Mac. Now, if only, they made one in white....

UPDATED REVIEW: I was able to solve the communication issue I was having with the device. There is a setting in the Deco Mesh Wifi App call "Device Isolation". This allows you to keep certain devices isolated from others on the network and allows them to only communicate with other isolated devices. I disabled this setting and I was able to connect to the WiiM! I am not sure if this is a Deco or a WiiM issue, but no other devices had trouble with this setting on. My review on the sound quality and app is still the same. The sound quality is good but not great. It does take some time to keep your specific speakers to sound good through the app's equalizer, but if you are not an audiophile and can be cumbersome. It is a bit clunky to cycle through input and outputs, but its not too difficult. The streaming from device to device is awesome and allows me to listen to my records both in the house and in the garage without having to run wires. I highly recommend, but would ensure you do have some understanding on networking and audio background to be able to troubleshoot any issues. OLD REVIEW BELOW FOR REFERENCE: Do not buy the Wiim devices if you have a mesh wifi system. I have been spending the last two days trying to troubleshoot. I have reset systems, changed to Static IP, set to 5GHz, followed every step I was given and they still do not work. Also, the troubleshoot offered through the app is terrible, it just has you reset device and router unit something happens. The device does deserve some praise, I was able to get one of the devices to play and the sound quality was good, not great but good. The app is great, when it works and connects, and offers alot of adjustments in the EQ and the sound synchronization is a neat concept, but was never able to get it to work. I really wanted this device to work because I constantly move around the house to work on projects and wanted this to be seamless changing to different speakers setups I have without having to connect to different bluetooth devices or run wires everywhere, but unfortunately was able to get things set up.

Ok a few qualifiers, I AM 77 years old, have hearing aids ( from the long ago war), have listened to ALL forms of recorded music ( from 78’s to streaming, even the 45’s on the back of Wheaties box’s), and I am CHEAP, I follow “CHEAPSKATE AUDIO on You Tube. Take my stereo receiver, a Technics rated at 100 WPC, the outstanding Sony three way speakers, a Dayton 10 inch sub and now that mean little WiiM😜 if your like me and love the music and hate the outrageous cost that “those” people say you HAVE TO PUT OUT, to hear the bird f_ _ _ in the third movement then you gotta get this mean little WiiM. Amazon music and Pandora are ….well listening to west side story the grey hairs on my head tingled, Marl knolpher never sounded so good and that stairway that we have all walked to heaven? Naw I’m not crying. Music is new again, old stuff is alive, both equipment and media. Now Spotify , yea even Spotify sounds better. If you want to invigorate a senior stereo and hear what you have not heard then place your order NOW !!!