The trigger output is unusual, as it's designed to turn on an external amplifier once the WiiM Pro has detected an incoming stream. This is in addition to a USB-C power input, a microphone for multiroom audio synchronization, an Ethernet port and a 12-volt trigger. The back of the unit includes analog and optical digital in and out jacks, plus a coaxial digital out. If there's one thing the WiiM Pro offers, it's plenty of connections - both physical and of the streaming variety. The WiiM Pro offers plenty of connections, including analog in/out and digital in/out. The WiiM is well made, and though it isn't particularly heavy, it includes a rubber bottom to stop it from slipping around when you plug in cables. Design-wise, the WiiM Pro is exactly the same size as the Sonos Port, at 5.5 inches square and 1.6 inches tall. The WiiM Pro is a step up from the $99 WiiM Mini and while it offers the same Burr-Brown PCM5121 decoder, the Pro has more functionality, including Chromecast built-in and analog inputs. Even adding a WiiM Pro to a $200 soundbar makes sense.

But the WiiM Pro offers a salve by supporting every single open standard I can think of, as well as its own streaming app in an affordable box. For example, in my mind, it's just not worth adding a $449 Sonos Port to a $600 receiver like the Onkyo TX-NR6100 - much less a cheaper system. Competing ecosystems like Sonos offer rock-solid performance, but if you're bringing existing equipment into the fold, it can get very expensive. The WiiM Pro is a Wi-Fi and Bluetooth music streamer designed to connect to existing stereo systems, soundbars or speakers. The $449 Sonos Port (left) versus the $149 WiiM Pro (right).

Alexa multi room music