FiiO tempts you again with retro equipment. Budget audiophiles are excited

Snowsky Echo is an improved, more refined version of the extremely popular and affordable Snowsky Echo Mini model, which has already gained recognition among budget lovers of good sound. Although the new product debuted in China at the end of January this year, it is only now available for global sales. The player can now be ordered in the manufacturer’s official store on the AliExpress platform its price is approximately PLN 335. The equipment is available in four colors: black, blue, orange and green.

Snowsky Echo continues the idea of ​​a DAP player, which in appearance refers to the times of cassette tapes. The most noticeable change compared to its plastic predecessor is the use metal casing. The structure of Snowsky Echo is made of a CNC-cut 6000 series aluminum and magnesium alloy, which gives the device a premium character and increases its resistance to damage.

The change in material resulted in a slight increase in weight from a modest 55 grams to 85 grams. There is also a slightly larger IPS display on the front 2.39 inches and 222 x 480 resolution. This screen goes well with the dynamic interface that allows you to display animations classic cassette tapes or VU indicators.

The manufacturer did not stop only with visual changes. There are two layouts in the interior of Snowsky Echo DAC Cirrus Logic CS43198, which replaced the CS43131 bones known from the cheaper variant. The output power has also been noticeably improved, which is great news for owners of more demanding audio equipment.

The standard 3.5 mm output now offers 120 mW into a 32 ohm load, while the balanced 4.4 mm output delivers as much as 260 mW under the same conditions. Higher power and the use of new transducers have slightly shortened the operating time on one charge. Built-in cell with a capacity of 1100 mAh however, it still allows for a solid fourteen hours of continuous music playback in lossless formats. The device plays music from FLAC, MP3, OGG, M4A, WMA, DSD64/128/256 and WAV (24-bit / 192 kHz) files.

An interesting solution in Snowsky Echo is the possibility disabling player charging when using it in USB DAC mode when connected to a smartphone. This feature effectively prevents excessive battery drain on your phone. Snowsky Echo has also gained the long-awaited support for remote controls integrated with headphone cables, which makes it easier to quickly control playback without having to take the device out of your pocket.

However, the issue of wireless connectivity remains a compromise. The player, like the Mini model, supports only the basic Bluetooth SBC codec. What has also remained unchanged is the built-in memory with a capacity of 8 GB and a microSD card slot that supports media up to a maximum of 256 GB.