FiiO Snowsky Retro Nano Review

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The Snowsky Retro Nano held a reliable connection to my smartphone at all times, and even with LDAC, there were no dropouts. Sometimes, though, I could hear that after resuming playback, there was a minor audio glitch where the playback would speed up for a split second. Probably some kind of a buffer error.

As for the battery life, the runtime from the included lithium cell isn’t exactly great. The problem is that gauging battery life accurately is super hard. It may vary depending on the codec, sample rate, gain mode, the sensitivity of the connected load, and the volume level.

I was able to drain the included 350mAh 10440 cell in about 5 hours by using LDAC Bluetooth with IEMs out of the 3.5mm jack. In other words, budget for an extra cell or two if you need a full day’s worth of listening. Most cells promise to retain 80% of capacity after 300 charge cycles, so I’d expect they’ll last for at least a year if you recharge every day.

When used with a smartphone, the Retro Nano is able to let you answer calls in two ways. Its 3.5mm jack is TRRS and supports an inline mic with basic control buttons. If you’re using an audiophile cable with no mic or listening from the balanced 4.4mm jack, the voice input will be taken from the built-in mic. Just hold the Retro Nano near your face, and the omni mic will pick up what you’re saying.

The people I talked to this way reported decent speech legibility; however, there’s no physical noise cancelling like you’re getting with a mic array, so you might struggle in noisy environments. Also, you’ll look like an enigmatic writer or spy talking to a small dictaphone, which can be a boon to some.

As for the sound, there’s really nothing to complain about. Both the signal conversion and amplification happen on the chip, so if you’ve heard one CS43131-based DAC, you’ve heard all of them, provided the implementation is right. The basic tonality is quite neutral, with the tiniest pinch of warmth sprinkled on.

It’s not the most exciting of listens, but the Retro Nano does so little wrong here that ear fatigue doesn’t set in for the longest time. In other words, it’s a safe tuning.

When it comes to technical performance, I was pleasantly surprised that the Snowsky Retro Nano throws a wider-than-expected soundstage. Again, it makes things sound less intense and results in a very smooth listening experience. In terms of resolution, the Retro Nano is fine, but you’re likely not buying it to scrutinize anything.

When used in a commute setting, the outside noise will likely block most of the fine details anyway, so nothing gained but also nothing lost.

I’m happy to report that the sound quality on the Snowsky Retro didn’t change with the state of charge of the lithium power cell. As you know, lithium cells drop in voltage when they’re spending charge, and it can impact the performance of the device if it’s tuned to perform well at a certain voltage.

FiiO are well-known for designing intricate power-regulation schemes for their products, and it seems like the Snowsky Retro Nano shares the same family DNA.

Comparisons

VS Qudelix 5K

The unassuming Korean dongle has become a crowd favorite. I know of many reviewers who use it despite owning more fancy gear because it just works. It was the first DSP-equipped Bluetooth dongle, and even after 4 years, its software support remains unmatched. I’d even go as far as to say that the software is integral to the whole product you’re getting.

Like the Snowsky Retro Nano, the 5K uses a do-it-all chip, so there’s no external analog stage. The controls on the Qudelix rely on a series of presses on the four rocker buttons and generally are less user-friendly. There’s also no screen to show the status of the device. It sports a 550mAh lithium pouch, which is replaceable but requires opening the dongle up. The extra juice does come in handy, and generally, it runs about 2 hours longer for me.

Sound-wise, the Snowsky Retro Nano is largely on-par with the Qudelix 5K. Each offers its own spin, with the Retro Nano being more laid-back and easy to listen to and 5K proudly wearing the more vivid and hi-fi ESS sound badge. Neither can really brush shoulders with dongles sporting separate output stages and DACs, but that might be a moot point on the go.

VS Softears S01

If you’re looking to really save some money, there’s a multitude of smaller cable-dongles like the Softears S01. This particular one is based on the CS46L41 audio codec, which means that the chip truly does it all – takes USB power and data and does DAC, ADC (for the mic), and amplification.

Yes, the spec sheet here won’t blow your socks off, but at this point, you’re probably just looking to return what’s been stolen from you by Big Tech – the headphone jack on your smartphone.

In terms of sound, the Softears S01 is quite hard to criticize; in other words, it doesn’t make any gross missteps. The basic sound signature veers to the vivid side of neutral and is generally rather fun. As for the technicalities, it’s mostly on par with good headphone outputs on the Apple devices that still are allowed to have them. For 24 or so bucks you’re paying here, it’s a lot of functionality.

The question here, of course, is if you’re willing to dick around with a dongle hanging from your smartphone. The Snowsky Retro Nano sits snugly in your pocket while your smartphone is free to let you doom scroll the day away. It’s nice that the Softears S01 can’t run out of juice, provided your phone is still alive, but the fact that it uses an integrated cable means that someday it’ll be e-landfill. Me? I’d rather have the Retro Mini than three Softears S01s for the same cash.

Conclusion

The release of the Snowsky Retro Nano proves that FiiO is a bit of people’s champion of audio. As I already mentioned, the Bluetooth dongle doesn’t really do anything groundbreaking, but the accessible price and fun branding is one of the better attempts at bringing new people into audio.

Yes, the cassette aesthetic makes me cringe a bit because I actually remember listening to portable tape players, but it’s a fresh breath of air and suggests that audio can be fun. Crazy, I know!

The only real technical issue I have with the Snowsky Retro Nano is the limited runtime from a single power cell. If you’re considering purchasing the Retro Nano, I’d get one or two extra 10440 cells, a charger, and plastic holders for them. Otherwise, I see nothing that will keep you from using it to enjoy music on wired headphones or IEMs.

An easy “Headfonia Recommended”, not because the Retro Nano made me nostalgic to the era of cassettes but rather because it brought back a piece of gear from an era when electronics weren’t as disposable. That’s a blast from the past I can get behind! The Snowsky Retro Nano, is now featured on our Best DAC/AMP list.

Summary

Pros:

• Great value for money
• Replaceable power cells
• Full-fat 10-band PEQ
• We have a screen!
• Great sound
• The consumer-friendly vibe

Cons:

• The runtime from a single cell isn’t great
• Minor UX problems