Right now, Thomas evaluations the FiiO SNOWSKY RETRO NANO, an reasonably priced retro-designed self-powered Bluetooth dongle DAC with as much as 220mW output energy. It’s priced at $59.99.
Disclaimer: I acquired this pattern in alternate for my sincere opinion. Headfonics is an impartial web site with no affiliate hyperlinks or companies. I thank FiiO and SNOWSKY for his or her help.
You may click on right here to be taught extra concerning the FiiO audio merchandise beforehand reviewed on Headfonics.
This put up follows our present scoring pointers, which you’ll be able to learn in additional element right here.
FiiO SNOWSKY RETRO NANO Assessment
Abstract
Total, I fairly loved my time with the FiiO RETRO NANO. It is a feature-packed and really reasonably priced dongle DAC that gives what I’ve come to anticipate from a FiiO sub-brand: worth and functionality.
Professionals
Cool retro design
Big selection of options.
Replaceable battery.
Cons
Brief battery life.
Flimsy battery door.
As one of many extra standard Chinese language manufacturers, FiiO has confirmed to be a robust competitor within the audiophile world. Their product lineup contains moveable audio units like DACs and DAPs, headphones, bookshelf audio system, turntables, and even a pc keyboard.
With the RETRO NANO, FiiO is launching its latest worldwide sub-brand, SNOWSKY. This new product brings customers an reasonably priced, highly effective, feature-rich machine with a singular, retro aesthetic impressed by cassette tapes of yore.
Whereas the RETRO NANO’s headline function is its Bluetooth DAC performance, it may also be used as a wired headphone amplifier.
Including additional performance and flexibility are options like a replaceable battery, balanced and single-ended outputs, and retro-inspired sound presets accessible by way of an onboard UI.
At $59.99, the RETRO NANO is a robust begin for FiiO’s new model.
Options
Contained in the RETRO NANO is Qualcomm’s latest QCC5125 Bluetooth chip with Bluetooth 5.1 help.
It additionally comprises twin CS43131 DAC chips. HiBy’s snazzy little R1 DAP makes use of the identical chip, however not in a twin configuration.
The RETRO NANO helps Bluetooth connectivity. Nonetheless, must you run out of battery energy or wish to preserve what you’ve obtained, it may also be run as a wired DAC by way of USB.
I used to be blissful to see that the RETRO NANO integrated each single-ended 3.5mm and balanced 4.4mm headphone outputs. Folks attracted by the design and low worth in all probability gained’t have any gear that makes use of the 4.4mm output, however understanding the RETRO NANO helps this improve path is encouraging.
Uncommon in most trendy merchandise is a completely rechargeable and replaceable battery. Understand that whereas a AAA battery will match, the RETRO NANO requires a better voltage and will solely be used with the suitable battery sort.
Design
SNOWSKY had enjoyable with the RETRO NANO and put in on the face of the machine a 0.96” 80×160 colour IPS show, seemingly pulled straight from the KA15 I reviewed late in 2024.
The GUI got here with the display screen, although with a shocking quantity of customization to make it higher match with the RETRO NANO’s classic aptitude.
The remainder of the machine is cool, too. The sky-blue outer shell has a cassette-inspired design with a USB port on one aspect, twin headphone outputs on the opposite, a small battery door on the again, and all bodily controls lined up alongside the highest.
Seams are outstanding each visually and to the contact; nonetheless, tolerances are in line with no misalignments or extra glue. The machine feels fairly strong, too, with only a trace of flex to the plastic again when squeezed, although the battery door feels considerably flimsy and fragile.
Total, I discover the design of the RETRO NANO to be interesting. The cassette design motif is cute, the GUI is visually entertaining and straightforward sufficient to navigate, and the construct high quality is completely nice for the value.
Controls
Ranging from the left is a mode button that swaps between varied animated backgrounds, or with an extended press, opens the menus giving customers entry to extra options like achieve, customized and preset EQ choices, and extra.
Subsequent to the mode button is one for play/pause/menu choose. Subsequent are the amount/menu up and down buttons, adopted by an on-off slider.
Whereas all the pieces is plastic, the buttons depress with a satisfying, tactile “snick”. The on-off change feels tactile sufficient, however nothing is satisfying about the way it operates.
Battery Life
FiiO/SNOWSKY charges the battery life at about 7.5 hours, although they don’t specify if that is achieved by way of the single-ended or balanced outputs. My expertise has proven this to be achievable by way of the single-ended output, although solely at low volumes.
In additional normal use at work, the RETRO NANO runs out of juice across the 6.5 to 7-hour mark when listening by way of the single-ended output. When utilizing the balanced round, I anticipate to get round 6 hours of use.
I often depart the onboard quantity at 40 (of 60) and depart quantity management to the supply machine.
Whereas that is removed from a horrible efficiency, energy customers could also be left wanting higher stamina from the RETRO NANO.
Filling the included battery storage case with a spare wouldn’t enhance the RETRO NANO’s longevity, however it could make a useless battery much less inconvenient, notably if you happen to’d reasonably proceed to hear wirelessly vs. utilizing the machine as a wired DAC as a substitute.
I/O
Because of a USB Kind-C port on the proper aspect of the machine, the RETRO NANO can join instantly with different units to behave as a wired DAC. This port can be used for charging.
The left aspect of the machine has two headphone ports. On high is a single-ended 3.5mm port, whereas beneath sits the coveted 4.4mm balanced output port.
The inclusion of the balanced output with an honest 220 mW of energy is an particularly welcome addition. It permits the RETRO NANO to develop with these customers who wish to dive into extra superior audio gear.
Packaging & Equipment
A daring, eye-catching design adorns the compact cardboard field wherein the RETRO NANO is displayed by way of a considerably obscured viewing window.
The entrance of the packaging contains the standard branding and mannequin data, whereas flipping to the again reveals some fundamental specs alongside extra paintings and branding.
Sliding out the inside cardboard drawer, you discover the RETRO NANO and equipment tucked in and underneath a plastic insert. The packaging has a clear and nice design, is straightforward to get into, and doesn’t produce a lot waste.
Beside the RETRO NANO, underneath a cardboard cowl, is an empty, protecting battery case. Lifting out the insert, you discover a lanyard, Kind-C to Kind-C USB cable, sticker package, QuickStart Information, guarantee card, and a warning insert for the battery.
Whereas the equipment included are good to have, not together with a spare battery appears like a missed alternative.
Having a replaceable battery is a invaluable function and can be highlighted additional by an included spare, and the battery lifetime of the RETRO NANO isn’t the best anyway, so having a available additional to swap to at a second’s discover can be superb.
Connectivity
Bluetooth
It was examined with a Huawei P40 and Shanling M1 Plus. Pairing the RETRO NANO was fast and straightforward to determine.
The machine instantly begins trying to find a tool to pair with as soon as turned on, pending BT mode is chosen within the menus (it’s the default).
Out of your supply machine, you merely must activate Bluetooth and seek for accessible units the place the RETRO NANO ought to seem.
For the reason that RETRO NANO helps LDAC and different excessive bitrate codecs, the sound high quality is sweet. The element ranges are nice, and the amount ranges are fairly usable.
The usable vary was additionally fairly good, enabling the usage of the RETRO NANO wherever in my condominium. At work, I might nearly enter the subsequent constructing over with my supply machine left on my forklift earlier than I’d begin to expertise stuttering and the inevitable disconnect.
At something however excessive distances, the RETRO NANO offers a dependable, steady connection.
USB-DAC
To make use of the RETRO NANO as a DAC over USB, you might want to enter the onboard menus, scroll right down to mode, and alter it to PC.
From there, the method is solely plug and play to get it to work instantly with my Microsoft Floor Professional 4 or ASUS ROG Ally Z1 Excessive.
Utilizing it as a DAC along with your cellphone is way the identical course of. Simply hop into the menu, change the mode to PH, then plug it into your cellphone and begin listening. For the reason that RETRO NANO helps the CTIA protocol, you may as well use the inline mic and controls on acceptable headphones.
SNOWSKY did an excellent job making the usage of the RETRO NANO as a wired DAC straightforward. There aren’t any hoops to leap by way of; simply change the mode and plug it in.
Sound Impressions
Testing was accomplished with the ROSESELSA Distant Mountain, KEFINE Delci AE, and the Lime Ears TERRA.
Abstract
With the RETRO NANO, SNOWSKY dialed in a fairly balanced sound, biased in direction of the decrease midrange and mid-bass areas. This warms up the signature, making it finest paired with impartial to barely cool or bright-leaning headphones.
Signature
SNOWSKY’s function product has a warm-leaning signature with a mid-bass bias. This provides the RETRO NANO’s sound output a lush, weighty presentation that takes the sting off shiny headphones.
Extension into the lows is sweet, with solely the deepest notes working out of steam. The mid-bass is dense and punchy, serving to emphasize this area on headphones the place it could be missing.
The treble extension is strong, with any roll-off occurring past what I’m able to listening to. Emphasis does drop into the brilliance areas, nonetheless, lowering any harshness current in an earphone with greater than preferrred ranges of higher treble emphasis.
The mid-range advantages from the commonly heat tone of the RETRO NANO, giving vocals loads of weight and bravado and percussive devices a cracking assault. Feminine vocalists are the spotlight, although the extra grunt afforded to male vocalists is not any slouch.
The heat does skew the RETRO NANO’s timbre in direction of thickness, ensuing within the potential for devices and results to sound denser than is correct.
It does considerably deal with wonky tuning, although, warming up and softening the aggressive mids of one thing like FiiO’s older FH1s, for instance.
The RETRO NANO falls brief in micro-detail and texturing as the heat of the tune smooths these qualities out. The stated data isn’t gone, however EQing is required to lift it again to the place I really feel it ought to be and return a sure dynamism to the presentation.
Staging & Dynamics
Staging out of the RETRO NANO is dealt with effectively, with the machine in a position to present a convincing quantity of house that satisfies the wants of merchandise identified for his or her staging, just like the Lime Ears TERRA.
The RETRO NANO units the default vocal positioning simply outdoors the outer ear. If you toss on one thing that already has an expansive stage, the expertise may be impressively open and spacious.
Devices are afforded loads of house to stay outlined and effectively separated. Depth is obvious as effectively, with the presentation giving off an excellent sense of layering and dynamics.
The beneficiant default staging additionally helps to enhance merchandise which can be extra common of their staging manufacturing. The Shozy Type 1.4 and Campfire Audio Ponderosa are two examples of merchandise whose staging advantages from being paired with the RETRO NANO.
Imaging by way of the RETRO NANO is completely ample, with no flaws or standout elements. Sounds transfer easily and precisely sufficient from channel to channel, edge to edge, with no oddities of notice.
Click on on web page 2 beneath for my really helpful pairings and chosen comparisons.
