Adding a Wiim Mini to your LMS system

[d6jg]

I have put more info about the current options for using the WiiM Mini with LMS into 3rd Party Hardware - https://forums.slimdevices.com/showt...m-Mini-and-Pro

Basically it can be made to work with LMS as it stands with both the AirPlay bridge and uPnP bridge but as usual both have compromises.

It is however confirmed as running a version of Linux so the inclusion of Squeezelite at some future time should be possible and is now on their roadmap. If this happens then yes it will be just like any other SB player device with no compromises on the audio front although I don't suppose it will be possible to pass metadata to the WiiM App but personally I don't think that matters when you are going to be using Material on the same phone/tablet anyway. It will be just like squeezelite running on a Pi without a touch screen.

[whitman]

Over at the WiiM forum they've just posted this update on LMS/Squeezelite implementation:

"We'll raise this with our team. Our current plan is to work on this after we complete the "Roon Ready" effort and hope to get it done in the Q1, 23. We'll see if we can get it released earlier. Please stay tuned!"

Fingers crossed even more tightly than usual.

[chicks]

Roon client is a bloated pig, requires the Linux port of Windows .NET runtime. What a mess.

LMS client is native Linux, tiny, easily installed. The obvious first choice technically.

Sadly, influential reviewers all use Roon, so it is marketing’s first choice.

[threshold350]

Adding a Wiim Mini to your LMS system

Roon client is a bloated pig, requires the Linux port of Windows .NET runtime. What a mess.

LMS client is native Linux, tiny, easily installed. The obvious first choice technically.

Sadly, influential reviewers all use Roon, so it is marketing’s first choice.

IMO, if the intention is get approval of audio reviewers, Wiim better have this singing like $1000 streamer and not sound like an Alexa puck. Or if the attention is to appease Amir to review for the ASR peeps since he couldn’t recommend in his last review, that is a tough audience. Making a product for 2 type of audiences hasn’t been done…yet. The hi-fi group will buy a product based on the numbers. The audiophile group will buy by based on how it sounds. Making a product for the subjective and objective reviewer hasn’t gone well based on everything I’ve read in the forums.

I agree. Adding the Squeezelite client should be easily added. They wouldn’t even have to add to their app to use. Just install the client and ppl who use LMS will be able to use. Ppl who don’t have LMS, they don’t even notice it’s there.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Cut-Throat]

Roon client is a bloated pig, requires the Linux port of Windows .NET runtime. What a mess.

LMS client is native Linux, tiny, easily installed. The obvious first choice technically.

Sadly, influential reviewers all use Roon, so it is marketing’s first choice.

Roon just gave me a 3 month trial for $2.... So, I've fiddled with again. This time in depth to see what all the fuss is about and to understand its capabilities. Almost everyone that uses Roon Likes it, except those that have used PiCorePlayer (which is me). -- Roon is for people that are Music Lovers and want to look at Metadata to find out the name of the Vocalists, Horn Players etc. -- Links to other Albums that creators of the current album have created etc. etc. --- That sort of Stuff. It has no interface to Tunein Radio (Which I use to find radio stations all over the World). I really dislike Roon's Separate Play Queue from Selecting Music. You have to go back and forth. Select the Music on one screen. Look at the Play queue on another Screen/ I really like the LMS Split Screen for Play Queue and Music Selection.

Where Roon really falls on its face, is the inability to control the Music Player from a technical standpoint. I use PiCorePlayer in many rooms of my house and have them set up to start certain RadioStations, or Playlists on my Raspberry Pies... Roon cannpt do any such thing. With Hundreds of Settings and Many Pluggins you can configure PiCorePlayer to your Taste.. Roon will Play music that you select. That's All... And mostly that's what the masses want.

[threshold350]

Roon just gave me a 3 month trial for $2.... So, I've fiddled with again. This time in depth to see what all the fuss is about and to understand its capabilities. Almost everyone that uses Roon Likes it, except those that have used PiCorePlayer (which is me). -- Roon is for people that are Music Lovers and want to look at Metadata to find out the name of the Vocalists, Horn Players etc. -- Links to other Albums that creators of the current album have created etc. etc. --- That sort of Stuff. It has no interface to Tunein Radio (Which I use to find radio stations all over the World). I really dislike Roon's Separate Play Queue from Selecting Music. You have to go back and forth. Select the Music on one screen. Look at the Play queue on another Screen/ I really like the LMS Split Screen for Play Queue and Music Selection.

Where Roon really falls on its face, is the inability to control the Music Player from a technical standpoint. I use PiCorePlayer in many rooms of my house and have them set up to start certain RadioStations, or Playlists on my Raspberry Pies... Roon cannpt do any such thing. With Hundreds of Settings and Many Pluggins you can configure PiCorePlayer to your Taste.. Roon will Play music that you select. That's All... And mostly that's what the masses want.

From what I saw at Axpona in the rooms that used Roon, it was an easy way to search for a particular track. Majority of the tracks were played from Qobuz to play the hi-rea version.


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[kwolter]

...I use PiCorePlayer in many rooms of my house and have them set up to start certain RadioStations, or Playlists on my Raspberry Pies...

Curious how you do this? I use the Squeezebox plugin on Homeseer, but curious if there are other ways???

[d6jg]

Curious how you do this? I use the Squeezebox plugin on Homeseer, but curious if there are other ways???

There is an option in pCP to auto play an LMS favourite at start up

[kwolter]

There is an option in pCP to auto play an LMS favourite at start up

Yes, under the Tweaks tab you'll see the entry about half way down.

[d6jg]

There is a separate thread about this device in 3rd Party Hardware - https://forums.slimdevices.com/forum...m-mini-and-pro - but I thought I'd post an update here.

I have been experimenting a fair bit with my WiiM Mini (the Pro is yet to be released in UK) and I can report that using dev version 2.1.11 of Philippe's UPnP/DLNA Bridge the WiiM pretty much works almost perfectly straight out of the box as an endpoint for LMS.

The UPnP/DLNA Bridge settings are as out of the box with the exception that I have increased max sample rate. Critically this combination can do gapless playback and the only areas where it doesn't work 100% as an SB player / endpoint are as with any UPnP device - synchronisation, smart crossfade, replay gain etc. Flow mode is not in play so 24bit Qobuz Flacs are passed at 24bit.

In my testing it has been hooked up to an Onkyo CD Receiver via optical. The Onkyo supports 24/96 and the WiiM is configured accordingly - other users have it hooked up to 24/192 capable DACs.

As it is working I am currently a little reluctant to update to the Bridge version 2.1.12 which is available.

WiiM are still saying that they will add squeezelite which should make these devices perfect for those of us that don't want to go the Raspberry Pi route (when properly available again).

What is very interesting over at the WiiM forums is that the Pro particularly appears to be attracting 2 sorts of buyers - those that just want a means of playing digital audio from Amazon, Apple etc via a basic HiFi and also the full Audiophile fraternity. There is quite a level of ignorance from the former group coupled with the "my $10,000 Dac is best" from the latter group. Some of it is quite amusing.


PS. I don't really want to post at the WiiM forum saying just how close this is via UPnP bridge in case it discourages them from adding squeezelite.

[castalla]

From reviews I've read, I'm not clear whether the wiim has Bluetooth transmit to earpods, speakers, etc.
Any advice?

[d6jg]

From reviews I've read, I'm not clear whether the wiim has Bluetooth transmit to earpods, speakers, etc.
Any advice?

On the WiiM Mini you have Audio Out options as follows

Aux Out (3.5mm Jack)
SPDIF (Optical)
Bluetooth

On the Pro I expect the same plus Coaxial but not seen it yet.

I have not tried Bluetooth yet.

[castalla]

I might just give the mini a try. I like the small form factor - I have an Arylic 50 which is good but bulky, and the features are sparse compared to the mini.

[d6jg]

I might just give the mini a try. I like the small form factor - I have an Arylic 50 which is good but bulky, and the features are sparse compared to the mini.

I have not really looked at any of its native capability in detail but on paper it looks great. Instead I have concentrated on making it work and testing it with philippe_44 's UPnP/DLNA Bridge which is near perfect using 2.1.11.

If WiiM do load it up with squeezelite then it will be a serious player.

If you are in UK the Mini available on Amazon from 2 places one at £79 the other at £89 - Pro is due later this month.

£79 version - https://smile.amazon.co.uk/WiiM-Mini...ps%2C78&sr=8-2

[castalla]

I think the pro exceeds my uses. Do you know if Audible is available as a service?

Amazon. de have it available for 90 euro (and no BREXIT customs to deal with! )

I have an extensive LMS system using the bridge plugins so it should just slot right in.