WiiM may be spreading its wings by entering two new product markets this year, but it is also buckling down on its speciality – affordable streaming components.
Its new Amp Ultra is a streaming amplifier that, by name at least, combines the talents of its Ultra streamer with those of its existing Amp (and Amp Pro) streaming amplifier. We may not have loved the Amp when our expert reviews team tested it last year, but the Ultra streamer proved, like its cheaper Pro Plus sibling, a runaway success.
If it is indeed the foundation of WiiM’s latest streaming product, and the company can build on that with decent-sounding amplification circuitry, the WiiM Amp Ultra should be a tantalising proposition that's hard to resist.
WiiM says that the Amp Ultra builds on the streaming power of the Amp and Amp Pro models, delivering 100 watts per channel (into eight ohms) compared with 60 watts.
That touchscreen from the Ultra, which we described as “nearly as slick as using a smartphone screen”, has been carried over, while the aluminium chassis is also familiarly minimalist.
As with all products in the company’s ecosystem, the central nervous system of the Amp Ultra is WiiM’s operating system and Home app, which is an access gateway to several music streaming apps, including Spotify, Amazon Music, Tidal and Qobuz.
Google Cast, Alexa Cast, DLNA, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and Bluetooth are also supported, as is voice control via Alexa, Google Assistant and the included WiiM Voice Remote.
WiiM product users will be familiar with the additional functions offered by the app, such as automatic room correction, multi-room grouping and control, and EQ customisation.
And in addition to its music duties, the Amp Ultra offers TV integration features such as HDMI ARC, Dolby Digital decoding and a subwoofer output. In fact, as the streaming amplifier can simultaneously power up to four passive speakers, it can be used as the hub in a multi-channel (up to 4.1) speaker system, or alternatively used to drive a couple of stereo set-ups in the home.
With the Ultra, Amp and Amp Pro each priced below £400 / $400 / AU$600, could the WiiM Amp Ultra be the component to push the ceiling higher? We will have to wait patiently to find out; WiiM says it will announce pricing later this year.
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