Audio maker WiiM announced its first smart speaker on Wednesday, the WiiM Sound. Set to launch in Q3 2024, it promises high-resolution sound with 24-bit/192 kHz playback, advanced EQ, and automatic sound correction for whatever room you put it in.
It also looks a lot like Apple’s Homepod.
The company boasts high-resolution wireless streaming without a phone, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, an Aux input, and 100 Mbps Ethernet. It comes with a 24 preset EQ and 10-band graphic system for tailoring your sound, plus it can take measurements of your room, making corrections to the sound depending on the room, like pumping up the bass or mid-range frequencies. Apple’s larger smart speaker does the same but doesn’t include an EQ.
View from the top and side.
WiiM
The WiiM Sound can pair with another speaker for a stereo setup, and it can integrated with your home theater as either a surround sound or center channel speaker, according to the company. You can stream directly from your apps using Chromecast, Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, DLNA, or Alexa Cast, too.
The speaker delivers 100W of power through a four-inch woofer with dual-balanced mode radiator tweeters and multi-room sync so you can play the same audio to more than one speaker if you have them set up around the house.
It works with the WiiM app to stream directly, too, which also gives you access to anything on your smartphone, including audio files on the device itself. The speaker has a screen on it so you can control it directly, as well, and show album art while it’s playing. Heck, it’s even got an alarm clock.
WiiM is known for its high-end audio with affordable prices, so it could come in as a solid, lower-priced alternative to Apple’s $290 Homepod 2.
“Stay tuned for pricing details, we’ll announce them when the product becomes available,” said the company.