WiiM expands its whole-home ecosystem with a new soundbar

WiiM, the audio company that’s challenged the idea that audiophile-level performance requires a small loan, is expanding its whole-home ecosystem with the WiiM Bar, which releases in July . Much like its other speakers and audio components , the WiiM Bar supports a bunch of streaming options and expandability at an affordable price — in this case, $479. The company’s first soundbar has a 3.0.2 Atmos configuration with a total of eight drivers — three front mid-woofers, three front tweeters, and two up-firing full-range height drivers — paired with four passive radiators. That configuration can be expanded to 3.1.2 with the addition of a WiiM Sub Pro for $449, or to a 5.1.2 surround setup by also adding two of the company’s wireless Sound or Sound Lite speakers. It’s compatible with both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, and includes room correction, dialogue enhancement, and a night mode. While most current soundbar designs from companies like Sonos, Bose, and Samsung are sleek yet understated, the WiiM Bar stands out with a 2.1-inch round touch display front and center. The Bar isn’t the first WiiM device to incorporate a touchscreen; they can also be found on the WiiM Ultra streamer, WiiM Amp Ultra streaming amp, and WiiM Sound speaker. I’m all for having a display that shows things like volume level, playback information, or album art, and I like that it also offers another way to control the soundbar. …