The WiiM Sound is a potentially game-changing product for the US-owned company that made its name with very capable, entry-level streamers. But does this smart speaker have what it takes to challenge market leader Sonos?

The new WiiM Sound is the first smart speaker (streaming and Bluetooth) from WiiM – a company that's best known for its streamers and streaming amplifiers.

And, having had it on test for barely a month, we can confidently say that if you are looking for a smart-speaker alternative to Sonos, then the WiiM Sound should be at the top of your demo list.

WiiM’s strategy has been interesting. They started off with streaming products designed to integrate into traditional hi-fi systems: for instance the Mini in 2021, and Pro in 2022.

The company then started making streaming amplifier products such as the WiiM Amp and Amp Pro. They have since released the Ultra, the Amp Ultra and the Vibelink integrated amp designed to work with the WiiM Ultra.

The WiiM Sound marks a new stage in that strategy. Having started with products designed to work with traditional hi-fi systems, the WiiM Sound is aimed squarely at the multi-room, smart-speaker market that Sonos products have dominated for so long.

Bluesound, arguably WiiM’s closest competitor in terms of its current product range, already has the Pulse 2i and Pulse Flex 2i. And then there are complete all-in-one streaming systems from Ruark, among others.

The WiiM Sound is therefore up against some very accomplished opposition.

The question is: does the WiiM Sound offer enough in terms of features and, importantly, sound quality to make a case for itself?

Features and Specs

Supports hi-res playback up to 24-bit/192 kHz
A 4-inch long-throw woofer and dual tweeters
Peak output is around 100W
A 1.8-inch touchscreen that can display album art, track info, source switching, custom wallpaper and clock faces
Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, Ethernet, 3.5 mm Aux input
Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Qobuz Connect, TIDAL Connect, DLNA, Google Cast, Alexa Cast, Roon, LMS among others
WiiM’s user-friendly control app
Multi-room and stereo capabilities
AI RoomFit™ on-board room correction, 10-band graphic and parametric EQ
Available in black or white finishes; wall-mount ready

What immediately sets the Sound apart from competitors like Sonos is the presence of the circular touchscreen. This is both functional – allowing you to pause, play and skip tracks – and fun, allowing the display of album artwork and standby wallpaper.

Although room correction is hardly new to products like this (think Sonos Trueplay), we found AI RoomFit worked well to tailor playback in our largish showroom.

Like most smart speakers, the WiiM Sound can easily be connected to many music apps. However, it is worth noting that it does not have an always-on microphone like, for instance, the Sonos Era 100. This means that if you want to voice-control the Sound via Amazon Alexa, then you need to do so via the WiiM Voice Remote (supplied), an Alexa-enabled device like an Echo, or through your phone.

However, the Sound does support high-res files up to 24-bit/192 kHz. That beats most Sonos products which top out at 24/48.

Of course, whether you will be able to hear the extra information on a 96/192 file played on a WiiM Sound compared to a 24/48 track on a Sonos product is another matter.

Which neatly brings us on to…

Sound Quality

Straight out of the box the WiiM Sound sounded well-balanced. Listening to Qobuz over Wi-Fi, with the EQ off, the bass was well judged and the mid-range and treble nicely balanced with no frequency band dominating.

Turn on the bass boost (there are lots of EQ options) and the Sound starts to sound a little more like Sonos units, which tend to have bass-heavy presentations. Some may feel that, on certain tracks, the WiiM Sound benefits from bass boost just to give a fuller presentation, particularly in larger listening spaces.

There is an appealing openness and naturalness to the Sound’s presentation of the mids in particular that, to our ears at least, outperforms units like the Sonos Era 100 and Move. Playing acoustic or classical music on the Sound reveals the unit’s mid-range strengths, with things like vocals, strings, brass and pianos recreated with surprising fidelity for a smart speaker.

The WiiM unit has an impressive soundstage for a single-box unit, projecting the music beyond the confines of the compact body. Of course, it’s not the same expansive sound that you would get from a Hi-Fi separates system, but the WiiM gives more depth and width to music than you’ll hear from some other smart speakers on the market.

Our demo WiiM Sound does a pretty good job of filling the Portsmouth shop, even at 50 percent volume. We haven’t heard a stereo pair of WiiM Sounds yet, but we can only assume they will sound even better and more engaging than a single unit.

In our opinion the new WiiM Sound elbows its way effectively towards the front of the queue in a market dominated by Sonos.

It has appealing functionality, not least the touch screen and high res playback. To us it sounds more detailed and open than many equivalent Sonos units.

It may not deliver quite the amount of bass weight delivered by bigger Sonos units but that is not necessarily a bad thing as it contributes to the Wiim’s more open sound, and mid range strengths.

The Sound’s build quality looks good and we like the fabric covering the speaker’s central section.

Our Verdict

The new WiiM Sound firmly stakes its claim in a market long dominated by Sonos. With its touchscreen, high-res playback, and intuitive app, it sounds more detailed and open than many comparable Sonos units. While it may not match the bass weight of larger Sonos speakers, this actually enhances its open sound and mid-range clarity. Build quality is solid, with a stylish fabric-covered central section, and the speaker performs well as a stand-alone unit, in stereo pairs, or as part of a multi-room setup.

Sonos will no doubt be watching closely, as the WiiM Sound marks a significant challenge, with more products from WiiM on the horizon. The WiiM Sound is available to demo in the Portsmouth store — pop in, email us at portsmouth@audio-t.co.uk or call 0239 266 3604.

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