When wirelessly or Ethernet network connected to the WiiM Amp with UPnP, is the WiiM’s internal DAC seen and able to be used directly by Audirvana.
Hello and welcome!
The WiiM is a fantastic and cheap streaming amplifier, which is also high on my wish list.
Its biggest disadvantage is that it cannot be connected to the Mac via USB. You will only be able to output to it from your Mac using AirPlay.
Where is your music stored, on a NAS or on an external hard disk/SSD?
In the first case you could run a DLNA server on the NAS, with which the WiiM can communicate directly, in the second case you can connect the drive to the USB port of the WiiM and operate it via app.
Hi Holger and thanks for the welcome!
The wiim amp’s usb is read in-only for an external drive.
Audirvana & mac to the WiiM amp:
1 chromecast
2 via the toslink optical (shows as ‘built in output’) - this would be line in otherwise and,
3 via UPnP
4 Airplay (2)
1 chromecast - up to 96 KHz / 24-bit
2 toslink - hardwired, up to 192 KHz / 24-bit
3 UPnP - up to 192 KHz / 24-bit (as far as I can make out)
4 airplay (2) up to 44.1/16-bit
1 chromecast - Wiim app: change gain, play/pause reflected in Audirvāna, no cover art or metadata in wiim
2 toslink - gain handed to Wiim and unavailable in Audirvāna app, but all other controls remain with Audirvāna app, no cover art or metadata in wiim
3 UPnP - Wiim app: change gain, scrub, and play/pause reflected in Audirvāna, no next/prev, shows cover art and metadata
I’m not sure why UPnP can’t do next/prev ?? It can do everything else, and at the highest res. Is this behaviour common across other UPnP configurations and endpoint devices from Audirvana?
Welcome…
This is a solution for transmission of the TOSLINK signal over Ethernet… For best audio performance you must manage your power/ground/earthing scheme so to avoid ground-loop noise on the PoC line… However the optical interface will decouple the WiiM Amp from the computer… But using the PoC will inject noise on the digital-audio signal-path… Sort of a double-edged sword… It may be a non-issue in the subjective assessment of sound-quality in the final audition.
I can‘t see why a converter would be a solution for the problem of the OP 
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All transport functions, etc, and Album artwork and meta data can be handled within Audirvana and the Audirvana Remote app…
Using the TOSLINK output of the Mac Mini to the Ethernet converter/transceiver and from the Ethernet converter receiver’s TOSLINK output to the DAC, provides electro-mechanical power/ground noise isolation between the computer to the DAC/Amp.
The looming question is whether or not the Mac Mini TOSLINK output supports a 192kHz sample-rate.
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The mac midi app allows a max setting at 24bit/192kHz for the Toslink. udirvāna reports the same. Wiim amp app doesn’t report on this connection but the app allows you to choose the line-in resolution: 16 or 24 bit depth and sample rate of 44.1, or 48, or 96, or 192khz.
If you see 192kHz available in Audio MIDI Setup when the TOSLINK connection is made to the DAC/Amp, then this is the reality and Audirvana will send signal sample-rates up-to 192kHz to the DAC…
Why would you care about the file meta-data that is sent to the DAC, when all of this is displayed in the Audirvana UI and Audirvana Remote UI…? UPnP protocol is not always implemented properly by some manufacturers because they want the user to use their proprietary control protocol(s), and sometimes there is confusion between how Audirvana handles UPnP and what the DAC designers implement in their interpretation of UPnP protocol they may be using in their proprietary control software…
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Thanks that’s good news to know Audirvāna is reporting accurately. It’s important (to me) to if not solve it then at least understand where the issue lies.
Apart from the connection issue: How does the WiiM amp sound? I’ve read in test reports that you certainly have to spend €1000 more to get a significantly better sound. What is your impression?
So far I’ve been very impressed with it - For the price it’s very well done indeed. Take a look at https://darko.audio/2023/12/wiim-amp-video-review/ his assessment of the sound chimes with my experience using it.
The ability to handle higher res and integrate with Audirvāna and HDMI ARC are great and I suspect I’ll be using this more with Apple TV/music app. The WiiM app is great and the ability to dial-in a sub directly - to the sub’s LFE connection - from the app is excellent.
When I upgrade the amp at some point then the WiiM can be the streamer, is how I’ve been thinking about it.
Incidentally I’ve not had any of the issues he mentions towards the end of the film - WiiM have said they addressed these in a firmware update.
Thank you for sharing your impressions. I’ve read and watched a few reviews and videos about the WiiM Amp and I’m really impressed! Maybe I’ll treat myself to something small like this… 
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