Best Of

Re: RUSH is Back 2026 tour

Toolfan66 wrote: »

motorhead43026 wrote: »

Viking64 wrote: »

Now let's talk about KISS without Ace Frehley and Peter Criss.

Kiss was just as awful with as without.

Well, their longevity says otherwise. 😃

Probably the most influential and marketed band in history..

Most influential? That's a stretch, but I give them props for their longevity and sticking to their formula. Most marketed band; for sure. I Idolized them growing up the 70's.....then I grew up...lol. They put on a great show, perhaps one of the most entertaining in rock.

If they didn't go over the top with their shtick and just relied on the music, their longevity would have suffered a lot, IMO. Put on the most entertaining show, give 110%, and appreciate your fans and the mediocre music can be overlooked

One thing I give them huge credit for is recognizing they would be nothing without their fans. Not every band praises their fans as much as Kiss does.

H9

heiney9

3 ·

Re: WiiM ULTRA

Emlyn wrote: »

I got a WiiM Vibelink amp on sale yesterday to try out the brand. Very impressed for $230. Out of the box it's output is at least equal to a Pioneer Elite SC-57 receiver I had been using. Bass performance is most noticeable. Build quality is solid and their gear is packaged to mimic Apple's way of doing things. The speaker binding posts are internal which I haven't seen before but they are cool and actually seem like a great idea.

https://www.wiimhome.com/wiimvibelink/overview

It advertises 100 watts into 8 ohm loads and 200 watts into 4 ohm loads from a Class D amp but turns out it's only 60 watts into 8 ohm loads when using the RCA connections. Not sure why that is. The higher power ratings are for when the internal DAC is being used.

Haven't used the built in DAC yet as I have it connected to a Sony HAP-Z1ES media player. My use case is for a room with a weak WiFi signal. A WiiM Ultra streamer wasn't needed in my case but I am going to get one for elsewhere to replace a Squeezebox Touch.

It's a great, inexpensive amp. When paired with the Ultra, it's a great combination for very little $$$.

My father runs the Ultra and Vibelink for his enclosed porch setup, also connected to an OLED, running Totem Arro speakers.

We spend a lot of time out there, especially during the football season.

The power jump using the digital inputs is not night and day, but we did notice a bit fuller overall presentation and a bit better midrange clarity. Overall, I think it's a worthwhile move to use the digital connections.

Upstatemax

1 ·

Re: WiiM ULTRA

I got a WiiM Vibelink amp on sale yesterday to try out the brand. Very impressed for $230. Out of the box it's output is at least equal to a Pioneer Elite SC-57 receiver I had been using. Bass performance is most noticeable. Build quality is solid and their gear is packaged to mimic Apple's way of doing things. The speaker binding posts are internal which I haven't seen before but they are cool and actually seem like a great idea.

https://www.wiimhome.com/wiimvibelink/overview

It advertises 100 watts into 8 ohm loads and 200 watts into 4 ohm loads from a Class D amp but turns out it's only 60 watts into 8 ohm loads when using the RCA connections. Not sure why that is. The higher power ratings are for when the internal DAC is being used.

Haven't used the built in DAC yet as I have it connected to a Sony HAP-Z1ES media player. My use case is for a room with a weak WiFi signal. A WiiM Ultra streamer wasn't needed in my case but I am going to get one for elsewhere to replace a Squeezebox Touch.