Earlier this year I tested the WiiM Ultra music streamer and now it’s the WiiM Amp Pro’s turn to take over. Both products were announced in May at the High-End Music Show in Munich. The Ultra and Amp Pro models represent WiiM’s commitment to its music streaming platform and the two new products were the first to abandon Apple Airplay in favor of WiiM’s multi-room wireless music protocol.

The compact and powerful WiiM Amp Pro is the brand’s second-generation streaming amplifier. WiiM claims that the unit’s sound quality reaches a new level thanks to Post Filter Feedback (PFFB) technology, ensuring performance independent of load. It’s a powerful device and ideal for anyone who doesn’t have an existing audio system.

The WiiM Amp Pro uses Wi-Fi 6E and BT 5.3 with BT LE audio support for wireless connectivity, giving it robust reception and transmission when streaming high-resolution audio. The WiiM Amp Pro pairs with most passive speakers and can connect to other sources such as TVs and vinyl record players, which can then broadcast that signal throughout the house to other devices WiiM or Bluetooth wireless headphones and speakers.

The WiiM Amp Pro is powered by the WiiM Home app, a comprehensive smartphone app with support for many music streaming services. The app is well designed and always refined and regularly updated. It is clear that WiiM wants to capture a large share of the streaming market and is investing heavily in the development of the application.

The WiiM Amp Pro’s audio is driven by a TI TPA3255 Class D amplifier producing 60W per channel into 8Ω and can drive up to four speakers with enough power to drive most passive speakers with music from a wide range of streaming services or directly from music from a smartphone. application. For those who like to use hands-free controls, the WiiM Amp Pro works with compatible voice commands like Alexa and Google Assistant. The system comes with the WiiM Voice Remote which has a built-in microphone for issuing commands to Alexa or Google.

The DAC used in the WiiM Amp Pro is the premium 32-bit/384kHz SABER ES9038 Q2M DAC. Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 are supported with dual antennas for robust reception. The circuit is housed in an aluminum case but there is no screen to display album art. To do this, you must rely on the WiiM Home application.

To fine-tune the sound of the WiiM Amp Pro, a built-in room correction emits a wide audio tone that is monitored with your smartphone’s microphone. The captured sound is analyzed, then adjustments are made to the amp’s EQ to ensure the bass and treble levels are adjusted to match the room’s acoustics. Room correction will also take into account the addition of a subwoofer, if applicable.

The WiiM Home app supports a range of music services such as Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer, Qobuz, TIDAL, Pandora, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, SoundCloud, Radio Paradise, Sound Track Your Brand and more. Music can be streamed from any unsupported app using Google Chromecast, Alexa Cast, DLNA, Spotify Connect and TIDAL Connect. The only missing protocol is Apple Airplay. I think this is a mistake but it’s a decision WiiM seems happy with.

For those who like to listen to music from playlists, the possibility of gap-free playback at levels up to 24-bit/192 kHz. It’s amazing how good a well-curated playlist can sound when the songs flow together.

With a choice of inputs, the WiiM Amp Pro can be used with external devices such as turntables, televisions, cassette decks and tuners on any WiiM compatible device. TVs can have their audio enhanced with the WiiM Amp Pro’s HDMI ARC support and built-in subwoofer output, turning your TV into a home theater.

The sound from the WiiM Amp Pro is certainly loud for its size. The choice of speakers is important because the amp is quite heavy in the treble and the speakers can sound a little bright. A subwoofer makes a difference, so keep that in mind if you’re one of those people who likes lots of bass.

The whole system is easy to set up and kudos to WiiM for a great app and frequent firmware and app updates to expand the usability of the WiiM line. Apple AirPlay cannot be added to the WiiM Amp Pro via a future firmware update, which is a shame. One thing this device lacks is Airplay compatibility. I managed to add Airplay to the unit by plugging in a Belkin Soundconnect Airplay receiver via the optical input on the back of the WiiM Amp Pro. So if you need Airplay, there are ways around this.

The other thing the WiiM Amp Pro is missing is a headphone output. The only way to listen to the device with headphones is via Bluetooth. And while the WiiM Amp Pro supports high-res Bluetooth codecs, I still prefer to use wired headphones and since the WiiM Amp Pro is small enough to sit on a nightstand, that would be a useful addition.

The WiiM Amp Pro’s controls are simple to use with a nice rotary volume knob that has a built-in control in its center for pausing and playing music. The whole device looks sleek and compact. It’s an affordable way to install a music system in a bedroom, college dorm, or even a kitchen.

Verdict: The WiiM Amp Pro is an excellent music streamer with superb audio definition. The choice of speakers is important because the sound is slightly bright. If you like more bass, consider adding a subwoofer or using larger speakers. The build quality of this little streamer is also excellent and well worth the price. The only negatives for me are the lack of Airplay and the lack of a headphone jack. Apart from these two negative points, the WiiM Amp Pro is a positive experience. If you want an alternative to the WiiM Amp Pro, I suggest looking at the Marantz Melody X, which includes a CD player.

Price and availability: The WiiM Amp Pro is available now from Amazon and costs $379 / £399 / €369.

Technical specifications:

• Amplifier: Class D.
• Output power: 60W per 8Ω channel.
• Audio Inputs: Analog (RCA), Digital Optical Port, HDMI ARC, up to 24-bit/192kHz.
• Speaker pairs: 2.
• SNR: 120 dB.
• THD+N (1 kHz): 5 W/8 Ohms: -105 dB, 60 W/8 Ω: -100 dB.
• EQ: 10-band graphic EQ and 10-band parametric EQ.
• Auto Room Correction: Full bass management with adjustable crossover frequency, level, phase and latency.
• Power supply: 100-240 V AC.
• Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi 6E, 802.11 b/g/n/ac/ax 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz triple bands.
• Bluetooth: 5.3 with BT LE audio, supports both A2DP, AVRCP, HID receiver and transmitter, works with WiiM Voice Remote.
• Ethernet: 10M/100Mbps.
• USB Media Library: Organize a personal media library and use it as a media server on all WiiM devices.
• USB audio output: Connect to an external USB DAC or amplifier.
• Dimensions: 190 x 190 x 63 mm.
• Weight: 1860g.
• Accessories: WiiM Voice Remote, AC 100-240V power cable, HDMI cable, RCA audio cable, optical audio cable.