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The WiiM Ultra is the flagship of the entire WiiM lineup, priced at $329 and built around an ES9038Q2M SABRE DAC, a 3.5-inch touchscreen, and a phono stage for turntables. I went through the official spec sheet and a stack of independent reviews to see whether the flagship price tag actually buys you a flagship experience.
What’s actually inside
The Ultra plays back up to 24-bit/192kHz through its ES9038Q2M SABRE DAC, with a claimed 121dB signal-to-noise ratio on the line out. It supports the usual streaming standards: Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Google Cast, Amazon Alexa, Bluetooth 5.3, and Roon Ready.
Physically, it packs in far more than most streamers at this price. RCA line in and out, optical in and out, coaxial out, HDMI ARC, a USB port for local files, a dedicated subwoofer output, and a moving-magnet phono input for a turntable, all in one aluminum chassis.
What buyers and reviewers are actually saying
What Hi-Fi and HiFi Report both singled out the same two strengths: sound that stays clean and balanced across genres, and a touchscreen that reviewers called genuinely useful rather than a marketing gimmick, since it’s rare to get a real display at this price point.
The complaints cluster around two specific points. First, the Ultra does not support AirPlay 2, which every other current WiiM streamer does support. WiiM has confirmed this is a hardware limitation of the Ultra specifically, not a firmware gap that gets fixed later. Second, reviewers flagged the built-in phono stage as the weak link in the unit, describing the sound through it as cloudy with dynamics that feel squashed compared to the Ultra’s digital inputs.
Working around the AirPlay gap
If you’re an iPhone owner who relies on AirPlay daily, this is the single biggest factor in whether the Ultra fits your setup. WiiM’s own support documentation recommends Bluetooth 5.3 as the workaround, noting it delivers the same 256kbps AAC codec quality as AirPlay would.
The other option is pairing the Ultra with an AirPlay-compatible WiiM device, like the Mini or Pro, in the same multiroom group. Either way, it’s worth deciding before you buy rather than after.
How it compares
Against the rest of WiiM’s own lineup, the Ultra is the only model with a touchscreen, phono stage, and HDMI ARC, which justifies the jump from the $219 Pro Plus. Against Bluesound’s Node, independent listening tests gave the Node a slight edge in clarity and instrument separation, while the Ultra countered with more connectivity and a lower price. I covered that full comparison in WiiM vs Bluesound.
Should you buy it
If you want one box that handles hi-res streaming, TV audio through HDMI ARC, and a turntable input, the Ultra covers more ground than anything else in WiiM’s catalog at this price. Just confirm AirPlay isn’t a dealbreaker for your household first, and don’t expect the phono stage to replace a dedicated phono preamp if vinyl is a serious part of your setup.
For the return window and warranty terms if it’s not the right fit, see my returns, warranty, and deals guide. For getting the most out of it once it arrives, check my WiiM setup tips.