How to conect WiiM Mini to Khadas Tone Board DAC?

[uzapuca]

Hi guys,

Newbie here. How to connect WiiM Mini to Khadas Tone Board DAC?

I read some forum about using a 3.5mm Mini Jack to Coax cable but others reply that a is not a good option for digital. Another reply says that it should use a Toslink to S/PDIF adapter. So, which is the right and better way?

I am attaching WiiM Mini and Khadas Tone Board DAC ports for reference. Could you send a link of the right cables? There are many cable options when you put Amazon's "3.5mm Mini Jack to Coax cable". Should it be mono or stereo? I don't know.

Thanks 1000 for your help!

Best,

 

[Vincent Kars]

3.5 aux out is analog. No use to feed analog into a DAC!
The only protocol both have in common is SPDIF. You need a optical to coax converter.

 

[Gray]

Ideally you'd have a DAC with an optical digital input.
But if you already own / have heard that Khadas in action, you'll know how good it is.
(I've heard a few DACs but none better).
I reckon it will be worth you getting that optical to coax adaptor.

 

[Fandango Andy]

Hi guys,

Newbie here. How to connect WiiM Mini to Khadas Tone Board DAC?

I read some forum about using a 3.5mm Mini Jack to Coax cable but others reply that a is not a good option for digital. Another reply says that it should use a Toslink to S/PDIF adapter. So, which is the right and better way?

I am attaching WiiM Mini and Khadas Tone Board DAC ports for reference. Could you send a link of the right cables? There are many cable options when you put Amazon's "3.5mm Mini Jack to Coax cable". Should it be mono or stereo? I don't know.

Thanks 1000 for your help!

Best,

View attachment 8023



View attachment 8024

The other responses are correct. The only digital output on the Mini is toslink/optical.

You have probably already figured this out but if you haven't the Mini has an intal DAC and comes with an 3.5 to RCA, so you can still use the device until you sort your external DAC.

There are plenty of Toslink to Coaxial converters available, but I have no experience of them. No idea if there is any signal loss. Maybe worth a second post to see if anyone has experience of them. If they work, it will be cheaper than a new DAC.

 

[uzapuca]

Thanks very much for the good and interesting replies.I will look for that Toslink to Coaxial converter. I did write Toslink to Coaxial converter on Amazon and there are many, but I have no idea how good and solid they are. I will make a post, so anybody can help me out which one is good.

Indeed, I did hear very good things and reviews on the Khadas Tone Board at a very affordable price as well.

Review and Measurements of WesionTEK Khadas Tone Board DAC

This is a review and detailed measurements of Khadas Tone Board DAC from WesionTEK. It is on kind loan from the company. The retail price on Amazon is USD $99 including free shipping. As the name indicates, this is a bare board DAC: Don't confuse this with Raspberry Pi boards though. This...

www.audiosciencereview.com

so I am anxious to have a good setup to make it work.
Thanks again for the great help!

 

[Fandango Andy]

Thanks very much for the good and interesting replies.I will look for that Toslink to Coaxial converter. I did write Toslink to Coaxial converter on Amazon and there are many, but I have no idea how good and solid they are. I will make a post, so anybody can help me out which one is good.

Indeed, I did hear very good things and reviews on the Khadas Tone Board at a very affordable price as well.

Review and Measurements of WesionTEK Khadas Tone Board DAC

This is a review and detailed measurements of Khadas Tone Board DAC from WesionTEK. It is on kind loan from the company. The retail price on Amazon is USD $99 including free shipping. As the name indicates, this is a bare board DAC: Don't confuse this with Raspberry Pi boards though. This...

www.audiosciencereview.com

so I am anxious to have a good setup to make it work.
Thanks again for the great help!

It all depends on what you are plugging it into. The WiiM has an OK, but not great DAC, it depends on how good the other components are as to if an external DAC will make that much difference. What amp and speakers are you using?

 

[uzapuca]

3.5 aux out is analog. No use to feed analog into a DAC!
The only protocol both have in common is SPDIF. You need a optical to coax converter.

Will this converter be the one I need?

PHIREE U2S 2019 & Douk Audio U2 Review and Measurements (Digital USB to S/PDIF Interfaces)

PHIREE U2S 2019 & Douk Audio U2 Review and Measurements (Digital USB to S/PDIF Interfaces) Update March 2022: Added comparison with the Douk Audio U2. Here is a quick review of the PHIREE U2S 2019 digital interface. This is basically some USB to S/PDIF converter that allows you to get USB...

www.audiosciencereview.com

or should I go for this kind of converter?

https://www.amazon.com/Optical-Converter-Bi-Directional-Repeater-ROOFULL/dp/B01N32C5GT/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=5eaSV&content-id=amzn1.sym.c2cf8313-b86b-4327-9de4-9398adaa570b%3Aamzn1.symc.a68f4ca3-28dc-4388-a2cf-24672c480d8f&pf_rd_p=c2cf8313-b86b-4327-9de4-9398adaa570b&pf_rd_r=KG1QDB9H5PGBNQ9SG671&pd_rd_wg=5DPYn&pd_rd_r=a8f3408e-323d-44c1-a403-79837f1bd052&ref_=pd_hp_d_atf_ci_mcx_mr_ca_hp_atf_d&th=1

Thanks!

 

[uzapuca]

It all depends on what you are plugging it into. The WiiM has an OK, but not great DAC, it depends on how good the other components are as to if an external DAC will make that much difference. What amp and speakers are you using?

Hi Fandango,
Thanks for the reply. I read the WiiM mini internal DAC is quite basic or not very good. On the other hand, Khadas Tone Board has pretty good reviews, so it would be nice to take advantage of the combination.

The idea for the setup is to give new life to an old Marantz SR 5200 (2001 model with no USB), so use the WiiM Mini to stream and receive Spotify music, then connect to the DAC to improve the sound and then to AV Marantz Receiver, finally to a set of nice Bookshelf and Center Stage Klipsch speakers.

Any thoughts or ideas on how to improve the connections or this setup?

Thanks! ;-)

 

[Vincent Kars]

To the best of my knowledge the Mini doesn't support USB audio. So you need a optical to electrical (coax) converter

 

[uzapuca]

To the best of my knowledge the Mini doesn't support USB audio. So you need a optical to electrical (coax) converter

Thanks for the fast reply.
Since I am new to audio and converters and just to be sure. Are those optical to electrical (coax)?

Amazon.com

https://www.amazon.com/Optical-Converter-Bi-Directional-Repeater-ROOFULL/dp/B01N32C5GT/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.2qMfQHRb_Fm1YWqvLBHirCGKC2Vpae2fPG0lHYO9XTTeiDEnjUHNiskMoM4agDn9NZuh39Uxb9yLScZ_YeKeT_xjpqbTk5rWTW35t2X9pHaRKUVaapHTSi_L79Z6S9NtK7XNE4o9VnUiCWNE4ql9q3MdZb1rQxLd6I17qm65i9s8U_XKFmkIFpLDOL5qOj87n68j86dQeUjkYWE7iUZhnwIbPozNnFpX1H6qFbYpOpQ.TJn3npUJYPKwWHzKtZzgXna8_x0Syv7NfwYh4kVt5JE&dib_tag=se&keywords=Digital%2BOptical%2Bto%2BCoaxial&qid=1734041298&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1

By the way, I dont know if the world "electrical" means something of a powered converter?

 

[Vincent Kars]

That is the kind of converters you need.
Basically this is about S/PDIF. That is the protocol used. It can be used over optical, using light or over coax using electrons.
If your amp has a Toslink (optcal) input ,you can try that as well

 

[uzapuca]

That is the kind of converters you need.
Basically this is about S/PDIF. That is the protocol used. It can be used over optical, using light or over coax using electrons.
If your amp has a Toslink (optcal) input ,you can try that as well

Thanks Vincent for the very good information. I will go for one of those. Best!

 

[djh1697]

Ideally you'd have a DAC with an optical digital input.
But if you already own / have heard that Khadas in action, you'll know how good it is.
(I've heard a few DACs but none better).
I reckon it will be worth you getting that optical to coax adaptor.

I think it is more to do with the ESS9038 DAC chip as opposed to the Khandas toneboard, excellent as it is. I used to have the March DAC, that was truly a masterpiece based on the toneboard. My current DAC is a Topping D90LE, which I use in DSD512 mode, the D90 has four of the ESS9038 chips.

 

[Gray]

I used to have the March DAC, that was truly a masterpiece based on the toneboard.

A masterpiece of pricing 🤨
Wasn't the March DAC effectively just a Khadas Toneboard - but without the Khadas' coax digital input option? 🤔

My Khadas made do with a less fancy box: