Need guidance on next upgrade – WiiM Amp Ultra vs Speaker upgrade (Budget 78K)

[COOLDUDE7808]

See Signature , I have both WIIM Ultra and Vibelink , which in one box is WIIM amp Ultra . I got this thru a relative who was coming from US to India and saved some money . Purpose was to have a second system , which also has streaming / bluetooth - Which I rarely use , since I mostly prefer CD's . Hence did not go for expensive streamers like Audiolab or Eversolo

When you buy in India the price increases and then in terms of value it does not make sense , even if you want streaming there are other options available in a similar price range which you can consider .

Since your objective is improvement in Sound Quality .. Audition some Class AB amps within your budget . Then eventually upgrade to good floor standers maybe next year . This will result in a larger soundstage and you will hear better and more detail and separation in the music that you are playing i.e improvement in SQ .

For Improvement in SQ - everything in your chain has to go up . Changing or trying different brands in the budget category will give different SQ's ...which will give you a perception of improved sound ....unless you listen to something bigger and better and discover real improvement .

 

[DB1989]

@DB1989 Could you please explain how this might result in a downgrade in sound quality? I’d like to understand your perspective better.

For stereo applications, engaging a digital high pass filter to cut off the lower frequencies from the main speakers does not result in a great sound. I have consistently had much better results letting the main speakers run full range and let their low end naturally roll off and engage the subwoofer for frequencies below the effective range of the main speakers. For that bit of adjustment/calibration, the low pass filter on the Subwoofer is sufficient.

Furthermore, because both speakers and subwoofers have their own distinct tonality (based on their linearity in response/port tuning etc), you’re better off with getting better speakers which play deeper and maintain the same tonality till the lowest octave possible before handing over the duties to the sub. Using a high pass in stereo, and crossed high at that (60hz and above), usually robs a good bit of that character.

 

[Dhiraj]

See Signature , I have both WIIM Ultra and Vibelink , which in one box is WIIM amp Ultra . I got this thru a relative who was coming from US to India and saved some money . Purpose was to have a second system , which also has streaming / bluetooth - Which I rarely use , since I mostly prefer CD's . Hence did not go for expensive streamers like Audiolab or Eversolo

When you buy in India the price increases and then in terms of value it does not make sense , even if you want streaming there are other options available in a similar price range which you can consider .

Since your objective is improvement in Sound Quality .. Audition some Class AB amps within your budget . Then eventually upgrade to good floor standers maybe next year . This will result in a larger soundstage and you will hear better and more detail and separation in the music that you are playing i.e improvement in SQ .

For Improvement in SQ - everything in your chain has to go up . Changing or trying different brands in the budget category will give different SQ's ...which will give you a perception of improved sound ....unless you listen to something bigger and better and discover real improvement .

I’m now leaning toward upgrading either the amp to the Marantz Model M1 or the speakers to the Q Acoustics 3050i. I really wish my budget were higher so I could go for the HiFiMart combo deal of the M1 with the 3050i for ₹1.39 lakh — that setup would easily keep me satisfied for the next five years or more.

 

[morerajendra5678]

I’m now leaning toward upgrading either the amp to the Marantz Model M1 or the speakers to the Q Acoustics 3050i. I really wish my budget were higher so I could go for the HiFiMart combo deal of the M1 with the 3050i for ₹1.39 lakh — that setup would easily keep me satisfied for the next five years or more.

Go in for upgrade of amplifier to Marantz M1 first and later have better speakers than Q Acoustics 3050i. In terms of speaker upgrade Q Acoustics 3050i is not a huge upgrade.

 

[Dhiraj]

For stereo applications, engaging a digital high pass filter to cut off the lower frequencies from the main speakers does not result in a great sound. I have consistently had much better results letting the main speakers run full range and let their low end naturally roll off and engage the subwoofer for frequencies below the effective range of the main speakers. For that bit of adjustment/calibration, the low pass filter on the Subwoofer is sufficient.

Furthermore, because both speakers and subwoofers have their own distinct tonality (based on their linearity in response/port tuning etc), you’re better off with getting better speakers which play deeper and maintain the same tonality till the lowest octave possible before handing over the duties to the sub. Using a high pass in stereo, and crossed high at that (60hz and above), usually robs a good bit of that character.

Thanks for the clarification, hope M1 will do far better bass management than WiiM if I plan for it.

 

[caspian1985]

Thanks for the clarification, hope M1 will do far better bass management than WiiM if I plan for it.

Yes but you’ll have to pay $250 for the Dirac Live license to improve on the WiiM’s bass management

 

[DB1989]

Thanks for the clarification, hope M1 will do far better bass management than WiiM if I plan for it.

DIRAC live is far far better than whatever room management shtick Wiim purports to carry. Its not even in the same troposphere/ionosphere - You get what you pay for basically.

 

[DB1989]

Thanks for the clarification, hope M1 will do far better bass management than WiiM if I plan for it.

Pro Tip: As you keep on upgrading, you'll figure that synergy is the name of the game and some speakers sound better with certain amps.

If you end up getting the M1, the next speaker upgrade you should plan for is a B&W - they're a synergistic match made in heaven and sound terrific together.