Denon HEOS LINK or Wiim Music Streamers?
I currently have a Denon HEOS Link and use Tidal for streaming music. It sounds pretty good but I have not heard any others and I'm wondering if I'm missing any sound quality. Looking at the Wiim Ultra or Pro Plus as they are relatively inexpensive but seem well-liked. My current setup: Van Alstine SET 400 amp, Van Alstine T-10 RB tube pre-amp, Denon HEOS LINK Streamer, Rotel RCD 991 CD Player, and SALK HT2-TL speakers. I do not have a separate DAC. WiFI is a must as I can't run cables in the house. The LED display of the Wim Ultra would be nice but sound quality and Wifi are the primary considerations. My Van Alstine pre-amp only has RCA inputs and outputs so my streamer choices are limited. I don't mind saving up for something better either. And we are MAC based. Thanks for any insight.
+1 @gkelly Since you don't have a separate DAC, sounds like you will be using the DAC in the streamer. If so, then go with the WiiM Ultra over the Pro or ProPlus. The DAC is better in the Ultra. And at $264 this week on Amazon Prime Days, it's a no brainer and should work while you save up for a better streamer and separate DAC. |
You have a nice system and are doing it a disservice by not having a good DAC. Using the DAC in a cheap steamer is a mismatch and a performance bottleneck relative to the rest of your system IMHO. DACs are important, and there are tons of excellent options out there these days. Sorry, just being honest here. |
