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Gadgets

WiiM's Multi-Ecosystem Smart Speaker Gets a Rare Discount

The 100W Sound speaker, a flexible alternative to Sonos and HomePod, drops to $254 alongside its cheaper Sound Lite sibling.

WiiM has carved out a niche by refusing to lock users into one streaming ecosystem, and its Sound speaker is now 15 percent off at Amazon and directly from WiiM, dropping from $299.99 to $254.15.

The 100W speaker connects via Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, or ethernet, and supports more than 20 streaming services along with Chromecast, Spotify Connect, DLNA, and Alexa Cast. That means it can slot into an existing Google Home or Amazon Echo multi-room setup rather than forcing you into a new one. AirPlay 2 support is notably absent, though it's available on WiiM's separate Pro Music Streamer.

The cheaper Sound Lite, normally $229.99, is also down 15 percent to $194.65. It shares the same connectivity and output as the Sound but skips the 1.8-inch touch display and bundled remote, while adding AI-based room sound adaptation. Both can be wirelessly paired with other WiiM speakers for surround setups.

Why it matters: As Sonos stumbles with app problems and Apple/Google/Amazon keep their ecosystems fairly closed, WiiM's bet on broad protocol support is a rare case of a smart speaker maker prioritizing interoperability over lock-in. That's a meaningful differentiator for anyone with a mixed-brand smart home who doesn't want to rebuy hardware every time they switch services.

Sources: The Verge