The WiiM Amp is a stream-everything receiver with Mac Mini vibes

Linkplay Know-how introduced a brand new addition to its lineup right this moment: the WiiM Amp. The $299 gadget serves as a receiver with a decidedly classic focus, much more so than the WiiM Professional Plus that the corporate launched earlier this yr, because of bodily outputs that allow you to output on to a set of old-school passive stereo audio system.

The WiiM Amp is now the priciest streaming field from the corporate, but it surely’s attainable it earns it for the proper particular person. It’s extra versatile than most compact AirPlay 2 receivers because of plentiful streaming commonplace help and the distinctive set of outputs for the bring-your-own audio system crowd. That’s in all probability a really small chunk of the inhabitants, however there simply aren’t that many wi-fi receivers like this which are so focused, and judging from the tenor of the replies in WiiM’s boards, it’s a welcome possibility.

The WiiM Amp has a number of wi-fi music choices, together with Chromecast, Spotify Join, TIDAL Join, Alea Solid, and DLNA. It helps the standard audio codecs like MP3, FLAC, ALAC, and AAC. However its colour naming scheme — silver and house grey — is taken proper from Apple, and its rounded corners give it a distinctly Apple Mac Studio vibe, simply with a large quantity knob on the entrance. That is smart, as this gadget fills a really specific area of interest with its AirPlay 2 help.

AirPlay 2 is a good multiroom audio commonplace, however there’s at all times been a irritating hole between inexpensive AirPlay 2 receivers and really costly high-end ones from the likes of Denon and Sonos. There’s not so much in that center floor outdoors of WiiM’s Professional and Professional Plus receivers, and even these have room for enchancment.

Just like the WiiM Professional Plus, the WiiM Amp helps as much as 192 kHz / 24-bit variable bit charge audio out. It makes use of an analog-centric ESS Sabre ES9018 DAC. It outputs both 60W per channel at eight Ohms or 120W per channel at 4, and it helps Stereo PCM however not Dolby Digital or DTS. Its two units of banana plugs on the again provide you with two channels of passive stereo output, and a subwoofer connection rounds that out.

The WiiM Amp ought to enchantment to anybody who desires a standalone, extra simple technique to get streaming audio to their old-school audio system than plugging a second-gen AirPort Categorical or one in every of WiiM’s different units into an older receiver that is perhaps on its final legs.