The Best Music Streamers for Your Stereo: WiiM, Arylic, and FiiO Compared
A WiiM Pro adding streaming to an older whole-home amplifier.
A music streamer connects to the amp, receiver, or powered speakers you already own and adds AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, or Roon without replacing anything else in the system.
Top picks
- WiiM Pro is the best for most people, with every major casting protocol, Roon Ready, room correction, and a lower price than the other WiiM and Arylic picks.
- WiiM Pro Plus has the same features plus a much cleaner DAC and line input and a remote in the box, for systems that use the streamer's analog output.
- Arylic LP20 has a subwoofer output, a 12V trigger, USB-C audio in, and an IR remote.
- FiiO SR11 is a Roon transport for a USB DAC, with Gigabit Ethernet, USB output up to 768 kHz and DSD256 under Roon, and a screen and knob.
- WiiM Ultra is a hub with a phono input, HDMI ARC, a headphone amp, and a touchscreen, but no AirPlay.
Choosing a streamer
Connection to the amp
When the streamer feeds a receiver or DAC over optical or coax, its own DAC is bypassed, so buy the cheapest streamer that has the features you want, usually the WiiM Pro. When it connects over RCA, the built-in DAC does the conversion, and the Pro Plus is the upgrade.
Roon
The WiiM Pro, Pro Plus, Ultra, and FiiO SR11 are Roon Ready. Arylic doesn't list Roon for the LP20.
AirPlay
The WiiM Pro, Pro Plus, and Arylic LP20 are AirPlay 2 receivers. WiiM's Ultra page says AirPlay 2 is not supported, and What Hi-Fi lists that as a con. FiiO lists AirPlay for the SR11 without specifying AirPlay 2. In a house full of iPhones, that makes the Ultra the weaker choice.
Comparison table
| WiiM Pro | WiiM Pro Plus | Arylic LP20 | FiiO SR11 | WiiM Ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Role | All-round streamer | Streamer with a better DAC | Streamer with sub out | Digital transport | Streamer, preamp, and hub |
| DAC | TI PCM5121 | AKM AK4493SEQ | AKM AK4490EQ | None; feeds an external DAC | ESS ES9038Q2M |
| Published DAC SNR | 102 dB | 120 dB | Not published | Not applicable | 121 dB |
| AirPlay 2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | AirPlay listed | No |
| Google Cast | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Roon Ready | Yes | Yes | Not listed | Yes | Yes |
| Room correction and PEQ | Yes | Yes | Not listed | No | Yes |
| Sub out | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Extra inputs | Line, optical | Line (2 Vrms), optical | Line, optical, USB-C from a PC | None listed | Phono, line, optical, HDMI ARC |
| Ethernet | 10/100 | 10/100 | 10/100 | Gigabit | 10/100 |
| Remote | Sold separately | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Price (Amazon, Oct 15, 2026) | $169 | $249 | $199.99 | See retailer | $349 |
Specs come from each maker's product page: WiiM Pro and Pro Plus, WiiM Ultra, Arylic LP20, and FiiO SR11. Prices are from Amazon on October 15, 2026.
Best for most people: WiiM Pro
Check the WiiM Pro price on AmazonThe WiiM Pro supports AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, Amazon Music casting, DLNA, and Roon Ready. It has RCA, optical, and coax outputs plus line and optical inputs, and the WiiM Home app adds RoomFit room correction and a 10-band parametric EQ, which the LP20 and SR11 don't list. The analog input is modest and the remote costs extra, but neither matters if the Pro feeds a receiver digitally. See the full WiiM Pro review.
Best for analog systems: WiiM Pro Plus
Check the WiiM Pro Plus price on AmazonThe Pro Plus adds an AKM AK4493SEQ DAC to the WiiM Pro's features, and WiiM publishes 120 dB SNR for it against the Pro's 102 dB. It also has a 2 Vrms, 192 kHz line input and comes with a voice remote. Choose it when RCA cables run from the streamer to the amp, or when a turntable or CD player plugs into its line input. See the WiiM Pro Plus review.
Best for 2.1 systems: Arylic LP20
Check the Arylic LP20 price on AmazonAmong the streamers under $200 here, only the LP20 has a subwoofer output (with a 250 Hz crossover) and a 12V trigger. It also accepts USB-C audio from a computer, plays music from a USB stick, and includes an IR remote. Streaming covers AirPlay 2, Google Cast, and Spotify, TIDAL, and Qobuz Connect, but Arylic doesn't list Roon or room correction. See the Arylic LP20 review and the head-to-head Arylic LP20 vs WiiM Pro.
Best Roon transport: FiiO SR11
Check the FiiO SR11 price on AmazonThe SR11 suits someone who already owns a good USB DAC. Under Roon it sends up to PCM 768 kHz/32-bit and DSD256 over USB, and it has Gigabit Ethernet, an LCD, a control knob, and an IR remote. It has no Google Cast and no analog output, so it can't plug straight into an amp with RCA cables. See the FiiO SR11 review.
Best hub: WiiM Ultra
Check the WiiM Ultra price on AmazonThe Ultra works as a streamer and a preamp. WiiM lists an ESS ES9038Q2M DAC at 121 dB SNR, a 3.5-inch touchscreen, a phono input for a turntable, HDMI ARC for a TV, a headphone amp, a subwoofer output with a 12V trigger, and Roon Ready. It suits a system where a turntable, a TV, and one pair of speakers share an amp. WiiM's page says AirPlay 2 is not supported, so iPhone owners would stream over Google Cast, Spotify Connect, or Bluetooth, and What Hi-Fi lists the missing AirPlay as a con in its WiiM Ultra review.
Buying used
eBay searches for the WiiM Pro, WiiM Pro Plus, WiiM Ultra, Arylic LP20, and FiiO SR11 are a good start. Check that the power adapter is included and that the seller has removed the unit from their app account.
Where to buy
Where to buy
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