WiiM is one of the most interesting companies in the audio world right now, having broken out over the past couple of years largely thanks to the disastrous Sonos app update and the company’s quieter period since.
Around this time, WiiM went from offering expansion boxes for traditional hi-fi, to launching sleek integrated streaming amplifiers, to launching its own wireless speakers and subwoofer, starting with the WiiM Sound, to unveiling its first soundbar.
Ahead of the soundbar’s launch, I spoke to WiiM CEO Dr. Lifeng Zhao about the decisions the company made when developing the soundbar, whether WiiM has a distinctive sound profile, and what it means to deliver “simplicity” in the context of these products, among other topics.
Lifeng Zhao is the founder and CEO of Linkplay Technology Inc., and a technology entrepreneur with deep expertise in connected devices and audio/video networking. Prior to founding Linkplay, Zhao served as chief software officer at InterVideo Inc. and then president and co-founder of Nemochips Inc., developing expertise in multimedia software and application ICs. In 2014, he founded Linkplay Technology, leading the development of the Linkplay audio streaming platform and WiiM brand, technologies now integrated into more than 10 million connected audio and smart home products worldwide. Zhao holds a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Southern California, holds more than 30 U.S. and international patents in audio, video, and networking, and has contributed to products recognized by the CES Innovation Awards, Red Dot, iF Design Award, and Japan Good Design Award.
TechRadar: Tell me why you chose to create a soundbar now.
Lifeng Zhao: WiiM is four years old; in terms of brands, we are currently a new player. So we created a streamer and amplifier, which converts or upgrades your existing audio equipment. These are becoming very popular among our users, which are starting to grow [where they use them] to more environments: their living room; their press rooms. So, we always get this kind of feedback: they ask “when are you going to launch the home theater, because we already have your equipment, but we don’t want to have separate components.”
To use our streamer or amplifier, you need to have passive or amplified speakers, right? But many people want to have a powerful all-in-one device in their living room. So they don’t really want separate components because you know there’s mess [with wires, and aesthetics]so we are still receiving this request.
I’m also a big fan of entertainment, so I for one want something easy to use with Dolby Atmos that can fulfill my music and TV experience. So this came from both our own usage and a request from our community.
TechRadar: So, did you consider making an AV receiver or something like that before deciding to go the soundbar route? You’ve already made the amps, so an AV receiver seems like the most obvious solution.
Lifeng Zhao: We already have the AV receiver if you think about it, right? We have the amps.
TechRadar: Only two channels.
Lifeng Zhao: Yeah, 2.1. But you can extend it with your surrounding channels [using wireless WiiM speakers]. That’s the beauty of our systems. We don’t want to create a traditional AVR, but we have a solution for these AVR users. People want a multi-channel system, but they don’t want complicated wired solutions. It’s not flexible and there are many limitations on placement, so we already have version 2.1, but you can expand it with the surround speakers.
We are exploring more possibilities, but we do not want to create a legacy AVR; we want to create compact, powerful and wireless versions of the AVR.
TechRadar: The soundbar you offer is very good value for money considering the number of physical channels you have integrated and the amount of technology. Many soundbars of a similar price to yours are quite small, while yours is reasonably large. Can you tell us about the design process for deciding how big you want the soundbar to be and how that relates to the price you want to charge?
Lifeng Zhao: First, let’s go back to our target users. We want this soundbar for both needs: watching TV and listening to music. We don’t want you to need two separate devices just because you watch TV and listen to music in your daily life. So we thought about how if we did [a product] only for TV, just to improve voice clarity, then we don’t really need to go big – but we see that a lot of people really want to listen to music with good bass, so the physics of that means we can’t make it too small.
So we think we can do [a soundbar with a subwoofer] but many people prefer the simplicity of an all-in-one – so that also gives us a size limit. So for our first we wanted [to make one] people can just buy for most use cases. So considering the size, our main target market is the US and Europe, and in most European countries people have one family. [room]. So they have TVs that are 55 inches or larger. So we’ve done some surveys, and we think this is the kind of ideal size that can capture the majority of our audience.
TechRadar: You mentioned trying to balance bass with size and compactness. So you have the four passive radiators in there. Did you design the size of the soundbar based on the size of the speakers and radiators you wanted to use, or did you choose the speakers based on the size you wanted the soundbar to be?
Lifeng Zhao: We start with acoustic criteria. We say how much bass depth we want, based on our [previously launched devices]. We’ve launched the amps and we’re seeing how people configure their systems. We want to go to 50Hz so users can get good bass – so that gives us acoustic volume. We calculate the size based on this volume, but we want it to be a sleek soundbar, so we have some height limitations. But we can calculate the length, depth and height while still leaving room for the speakers.
I always say that you start with the acoustic criteria, then you calculate the size, then you design the best speaker based on that size limit.
TechRadar: Do you have more than one HDMI port for passthrough?
Lifeng Zhao: We have HDMI eARC, we don’t have relay. We think people will connect most of their devices through the TV because the TV has multiple HDMI inputs.
TechRadar: A lot of your competition also only has one HDMI port, but there are a lot of people who have had their TV for a long time and have collected a lot of boxes to connect to it, and so it can be very difficult to lose one of your HDMI ports to your soundbar. So, is there a reason behind this decision: was it a matter of cost, technical design or simplicity that you chose to have only one port?
Lifeng Zhao: Design is always about compromise, isn’t it? So here I would say we value simplicity, so people don’t confuse HDMI and HDMI ARC. Before this trip [at Linkplay/WiiM] I also worked a lot on multimedia devices in my previous career, so we know that simplicity is very important. This is a choice to further enhance this simplicity in this device.
TechRadar: One of the cool things about your soundbar is that you have a screen on the front, like the Wiim Sound speaker. Screens on soundbars are always a pretty controversial topic, as people are very attached to having a light in front of their TV. Tell us about how the screen works when watching content and why you decided to include it.
Lifeng Zhao: Actually, we debated a lot internally. Our first screen compatible devices [were the streamer and the amplifier]then the sound speaker. So we’ve accumulated a lot of experience on how people use a screen. Coming back to your question about why we put a screen on the soundbar: first of all, the soundbar is made both for people who use it for listening to music but also for watching TV, and in both cases we see the need for a screen. To give you some examples, when listening to music, people are always looking somewhere to see what’s playing and they like to look at the cover of their favorite album. We see that people will even build a separate screen just for artwork while listening, so we see that and want to provide integrated solutions for that.
Then we return to the soundbar. So we’re really saying two things. The first is that if you don’t really need the screen, you can turn it off. Another thing is we really want instant feedback. Think about it: if you only have one LED light with so many inputs, outputs and functions, how do you know what the status of the device is? It’s really confusing even for me when I look at LEDs, you know? I always forget, like, [what would flash] when the network is not working, right? How do I know?
So we want to give people simple, intuitive control and instant feedback because the device is so powerful. Many statuses may be important to your use cases. In a simple device, we can just use a very simple app, but when it becomes very powerful, like your smartphone, you need to have a screen for people to interact.
TechRadar: There are obviously two ways to think about simplicity. The first is to show less information to keep things simple and give users confidence that they are in the mode they like and things won’t change. Whereas I think you’re saying the way to introduce simplicity is to make sure people have all the information in front of them, so they’re not wondering what the options are. More information makes things simpler. Is it fair to say that this is how you feel?
Lifeng Zhao: What I’m trying to say is that there are certain use cases where you need more information, but we don’t want to give people too many options. So if you don’t want this screen while watching TV, our system will turn off automatically. omatically for you as you can separately configure the mode for each of your viewing needs. But you can do even more, or we can do it automatically for you by default. You only need to set up once.
We want people to use the screen intuitively. We do not want to sow confusion; we don’t want to get complicated. But [instead of] having only a red or yellow indicator, we will tell you, oh, your network is disconnected or your format is not supported, right? Let’s say you don’t support DTS, right? If you just have a yellow indicator, people won’t really understand, they’ll be really frustrated because they don’t have sound. So that’s the kind of simplicity we want to have.
TechRadar: When it comes to expanding the system, you have the option to easily upgrade to 5.1.2 channels by adding the other WiiM products. Have you considered going beyond? Because probably, with your technology, you could offer 7.1 2 or 5.2.2. Have you thought about offering them?
Lifeng Zhao: Yeah, that’s the beauty of our system, isn’t it? We started from separate components, so we have accumulated a lot of experience. Another thing is if you look at our wireless technology, we invest a lot in terms of wireless infrastructure – we have Wi-Fi 6E, so if you have the best routers, we can leverage your routers, so we don’t really have a limit. If your wireless environment can support it, we can extend it further.
Yes, when we launch the soundbar it supports version 3.0.2, but as you mentioned we can extend it beyond version 5.1.2, so that’s exactly what we’re doing, with the latest Wi-Fi standard you know we can extend it further and with low latency.
[Editor’snote:[Editor’sNote: Since this interview, WiiM has changed its stance and aims to support the addition of separate front left and right speakers for use with the WiiM Bar at launch, which can be either the WiiM’s wireless speakers or any speaker connected to a WiiM amp. Dr. Zhao gave us this additional comment: “We can confirm that the bar supports front, left, and right wireless speakers. This was not originally planned as a launch feature, but based on community feedback and team testing, we decided to share it. There seems to be a lot of interest from our community, so if internal feedback and testing continues to go well, we’ll look to keep it in.”]
TechRadar: So are you saying that anyone can actually go beyond 5.1.2 channels?
Lifeng Zhao: For now we are talking about version 5.1.2, but potentially with the software update we can expand the version further.
TechRadar: Speaking of wireless technology, have you explored Dolby Atmos FlexConnect as an option for your products?
Lifeng Zhao: We are still exploring different types of connectivity and multi-channel options. FlexConnect is definitely on our radar.
TechRadar: Is there any reason you can’t support it now?
Lifeng Zhao: This is our first, right? As I mentioned, we can support it with a software update, so the hardware is there. It’s just a matter of whether we think it’s mature enough or user experience friendly. [is ready]. We don’t really want to give people half-baked technology; we want to make sure it’s really good and people can easily use it. So it’s possible that we can do this even with current hardware with the software update, but I can’t commit to that one yet.
TechRadar: Speaking of the ecosystem, it seems to be another piece of hardware that doesn’t support Apple AirPlay 2, which is the case with most new versions released by WiiM. Can you tell us why this hasn’t been included in the latest products?
Lifeng Zhao: We have many options on our devices, we support over 25 music services, and then we have other “streaming” options there – and we value people’s content. If you use Spotify, we want you to use Spotify Lossless instead of a compressed file. [stream]and we’re actually seeing a lot of confusion between people using Spotify Connect with the other option you just mentioned. [AirPlay 2]. So it’s really a choice, like a design choice: we make it easier to use with high resolution.
We really want people to enjoy the best quality of their music on our system, and we also offer other options, which you can do very easily. We have multiroom whatever the source, via the Wiim input. And with most music sources, you can create lossless audio – so those are the two options we currently offer.
TechRadar: Here you propose the correction of your RoomFit room. I assume this is very similar technology to what you’ve offered previously on amps, but have you had to make any changes to work with Dolby Atmos and other formats you support here?
Lifeng Zhao: It must be different, right? Because in the soundbar we treat Dolby Atmos as a type of spatial audio, we also handle DTS, so we have multichannel. [sound to deal with]. Previously with RoomFit, we started with a single device, then upgraded to version 2.1 with a subwoofer – but now we’ve expanded RoomFit to the entire system. It’s about adding your surrounding speakers, adding your subwoofer, it’s not just about doing things like balancing your SPL or your frequency spectrum, we’re also balancing the timing.
So we’ve really expanded RoomFit for spatial audio. We invested a lot of time to get it right, and we hope that when we launch this soundbar, people will be amazed at how good it is. You simply do a one-click calibration, it does everything for you: it calibrates latency, level matching, both for your FOH, surround and subwoofer.
TechRadar: You mentioned earlier about designing the acoustic signature to deliver the type of sound you wanted. And would you say that the new soundbar, WiiM Sound speakers and your amps share a particular sound signature? Is there a signature sound that you think is WiiM style?
Lifeng Zhao: We’re not really a traditional hi-fi, if you look at our history. We really appreciate the source. That’s why we always emphasize that if you have a very good source, we want to reproduce it in the original format. This means resolution and bit depth, so we try to minimize distortion when we do the [digital-to-analogue].
We do a lot of things mathematically to try to perfect the sound based on your existing system. In our amp, we want to enhance the signature of your speaker that you already have, so in our RoomFit, we actually want to address the ambiance of the room as much as possible. So your high end, high frequency – we want to keep that signature [of your speakers] because that’s what you paid for, right? So I would say we want to value people’s preferences more, and in some parts We can do well, we control that part – then we give people options. Simplicity and powerful control.
If you go to the advanced settings, you can always change your signature, because if people hear a warm sound, they [can have it].
TechRadar: This makes sense, especially for amps and such. But when you make WiiM Sound soundbars and speakers, you choose the sound the speakers output. So, have you chosen a particular sound profile that you want to set as default, or is it different for the soundbar than for the music speakers?
Lifeng Zhao: Exactly. Right out of the box, we want really good sound, and if you’re talking about sound signature, we have different profile settings for HDMI input or music inputs. For musical inputs, we really want to have good clarity and rich sound [with] respect to the original. Then, for HDMI, we optimized the bass for immersive sound. So we have a different profile, and I think that’s a very good default for each of the sources.
TechRadar: It’s interesting to talk to you about this element, because in some companies that I speak with, the speakers are what they really focus on, whereas you seem to focus more on the processing and the signal path. Do you think that comes from the type of company you are, as a digital platform company that has expanded into speakers, and not the other way around? Do you think that makes a big difference in the way you approach your products compared to older hi-fi companies that did the analog side first and then added digital?
Lifeng Zhao: To create a better product, we need to marry the two sides. I would say that we start from the digital world, but when we made the amplifier, we [developed] a lot of analog, so we have a very good understanding of this digital-to-analog transfer [process]. So we’re certainly analog people as well, and when we produce speakers, our teams are made up of people who have worked in the traditional field. [hi-fi] companies such as Harman Kardon, so we also have expertise in this area. Our talents will be in wireless, and in DSP, And we also have a lot of acoustic engineers.
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