Is FiiO starting to play it too cute with its lifestyle products including the new Snowsky Retro Nano portable DAC/Headphone Amplifier? We understand the marketing angle and it might be the right one with a specific demographic, but are they diluting the brand with so many new products?
Having just introduced 3 new products at CES 2025 including the FiiO JM21 DAP that is only $199, FiiO is clearly focused on the entry-level market right now in some areas.
Don’t get me wrong, FiiO’s lifestyle products including the surprisingly capable DM13 portable CD player offer rather good sonic performance and value for the money, and we like the “retro” design and feel — but it’s becoming increasingly difficult to recommend one product over the other.
How does the FiiO Snowsky Retro Nano differentiate itself from the dozens of portable DAC/Headphone amplifiers currently available?
The $59.95 retail price is certainly a good starting point.
Specifications
At only 28.3 grams, the Snowsky Retro Nano (annoyed by the name yet?) is extremely lightweight and small enough for your pocket. FiiO has managed to keep the design extremely compact at 55.1 x 37.5 x 13.7mm in size — imagine something the size of a small rubber eraser that we used to carry in our pencil cases in school for some context.
The small case includes a 3.5mm single-ended headphone output along with a 4.4mm balanced output and USB Type-C input as well for data and charging.
The removable and rechargeable 3.7v 10440 battery is a smart touch because you don’t have to worry about tossing the device if the battery fails. Simply get a new battery if the supplied one ever stops charging properly.
Bluetooth codec support is extensive; FiiO has gone with Bluetooth 5.1 and that includes LDAC/AAC/SBC/aptX LL/aptX HD/aptX Adaptive.
Firmware updates are OTA through the FiiO Control app, and the CS43131*2 DAC supports up to 16-bit/96kHz PCM.
There is no support for DSD or MQA — which makes sense as 99% of the listeners who might buy this have never heard of either format.
There is also an omni-directional microphone for those who might want to connect the device to their laptop, tablet, or smartphone and use it with their headphones for improved audio quality on calls.
The 0.96″ TFT (80 x 160) bezel-free display allows listeners to view the transmission codec, charging status, battery level, volume, EQ, and menu.
FiiO has not provided the power output specifications but we will update this article when they are provided.
The Bottom Line
With so many other portable Bluetooth Dongle DACs in its quiver, the FiiO Snowsky Retro Nano feels somewhat out of place; minus the $60 retail price which is undeniably affordable.
The portability and weight are strong selling points and support for almost every relevant Bluetooth codec is also worth mentioning.
But why would we buy this over the FiiO BT17 or FiiO KA15?
FiiO’s BRT17 is $199 and we understand that listeners who don’t need its power output and higher quality DAC will vote with their wallets in this scenario, but the KA15 is only $49 more and powered by two Cirrus Logic CS43198 DAC chips that are designed to deliver digital audio conversion for hi-res audio up to 32-bit/768kHz PCM, native DSD512, and MQA decoding.
The biggest difference is that the KA15 does not support Bluetooth transmission; which one can find in the $70 FiiO BTR13.
See what we are saying? Too many options. We may have to compare all of them to get a better sense of which one provides the best range of features and performance for the money.
Pricing & Availability
The FiiO Snowsky Retro Nano is available for $59.95 USD.
For more information: fiio.com/retronano
Related Reading
- FiiO’s BTR17 is the Incredible Shrinking Dongle DAC: Preview
- FiiO’s KA15 Dongle DAC Supports Hi-Res Playback With a Rather Unique Retro Look
- FiiO’s BTR13 Dongle DAC with Bluetooth Might Be Ideal for Gamers
- More Product Coverage from CES 2025
