- Audio
- Portable Media Players
Fiio's more affordable sub-brand appears to be preparing a tiny music player
Comments (0) ()When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Weibo)
- Leaked images show a super-compact Snowsky digital audio player
- Fiio says yes, it supports microSD storage
- Specs and pricing are still secret but expect it to be very affordable
Snowsky, which is the more casual sub-brand of budget audiophile break-out star Fiio, appears to be planning the launch of a new and extremely compact audio player that's closer to an iPod nano or even an iPod Shuffle than many of today's best Hi-Res Audio players.
A new leak on Weibo (via Notebookcheck.net) shows a device labelled with the Snowsky logo and the words Echo Nano, and it appears to be a smaller version of the current Echo Mini. That latter device is styled to look like an old-school audio cassette but the new Nano looks more like a vape.
The player shown in the leaked image is small and kind of cuboid, with what appears to be a monochrome display on the side and a 3.5mm headphone jack and control wheel on top. It looks very 2000s, in a great way. The physical does remind me more of the Fiio's stuff than Snowsky's such as the Fiio BTR17 DAC/amp, or the Fiio JM21 music player.
You may like-
This super-cool portable CD player has aptX for high-quality wireless listening – and works as a Hi-Res Audio DAC over USB-C as a bonus
-
Our favorite budget audiophile brand just launched a new tiny add-on to bring aptX Lossless and LDAC to any phone – yes, including your iPhone
-
It’s time for the iPod Shuffle to come back, in wireless form
FiiO Snowsky Echo Nano: what we don't know
Another image (above) posted to Reddit gives a better if blurry idea of what the player looks like, but as yet we don't know what's inside that rather nice-looking case.
We don't know pricing or availability yet, but given that the Echo Mini retails for $49 in the US and £49 in the UK I'd expect this new model to be very low priced: it's a much simpler product.
Specs are still a secret, although a Fiio representative appears to have confirmed that the new device will support microSD cards.
I've got high hopes for this, because FiiO is very good at delivering high quality audio from very modestly priced hardware: recent product launches include the aptly named Snowsky Tiny, an extremely small hi-res DAC designed for smartphones.
Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inboxContact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.And the aforementioned Echo Mini has been attracting very positive reviews for its warm and involving sound. If Snowsky can deliver decent battery life and hi-res audio for a low price, it could well have a hit on its hands.
The best music players for all budgetsOur top picks, based on real-world testing and comparisons➡️ Read our full guide to the best hi-res music players1. Best overall:Activo P12. Best budget hi-res player:Fiio JM213. Best step-up hi-res player:Astell & Kern A&norma SR35
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.
TOPICS Hi-res audio
Carrie MarshallSocial Links NavigationContributor
Writer, broadcaster, musician and kitchen gadget obsessive Carrie Marshall has been writing about tech since 1998, contributing sage advice and odd opinions to all kinds of magazines and websites as well as writing more than twenty books. Her latest, a love letter to music titled Small Town Joy, is on sale now. She is the singer in spectacularly obscure Glaswegian rock band Unquiet Mind.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
Logout Read more
This super-cool portable CD player has aptX for high-quality wireless listening – and works as a Hi-Res Audio DAC over USB-C as a bonus
Our favorite budget audiophile brand just launched a new tiny add-on to bring aptX Lossless and LDAC to any phone – yes, including your iPhone
It’s time for the iPod Shuffle to come back, in wireless form
Join the resistor-ance with FiiO's new super-smart (and refreshingly affordable) desktop DAC
FiiO QX13 review: a headphone amp/DAC to make your smartphone sing, albeit over-eagerly
Forget Sonos, WiiM and Bluesound both just launched new small wireless speakers to build your multi-room hi-fi dreams around
Latest in Portable Media Players
This super-cool portable CD player has aptX for high-quality wireless listening – and works as a Hi-Res Audio DAC over USB-C as a bonus
It’s time for the iPod Shuffle to come back, in wireless form
Astell & Kern A&ultima SP4000 portable music player review: a brilliant step on the journey but not 'the peak of performance and design' promised
Our favorite hi-res audio firm has a new music player, with aptX Lossless, up to 4TB of storage, desktop-class amplification, and an AI chip that's actually useful
Maxell adds a little speaker to its Walkman-esque tape player, and this is one launch I hope stays in Japan
Maxell's Bluetooth cassette player is probably the tape revival player you're most likely to want to own – if you can get one
Latest in News
Yes, Elden Ring Nightreign - The Forsaken Hollows DLC will be harder than the base game, but it will still be fair to players
Milly Alcock reveals why she panicked after securing Supergirl role
How to watch Dancing With The Holidays on Fubo (it's free)
Free open-world RPG Where Winds Meet finally hits mobile next week after a successful PC and PS5 launch
How to watch What is the Monachy for? on BBC iplayer (it's *FREE*)
US Congress to consider App Store age verification measures
LATEST ARTICLES- 1The audiophile iPod Shuffle replacement of your dreams is coming from the best budget music player maker, based on this leak
- 2EU Court gives the Dutch the green light to pursue Apple App Store anti-trust case
- 3US Congress to consider App Store age verification measures
- 4Yes, Elden Ring Nightreign - The Forsaken Hollows DLC will be harder than the base game, but it will still be fair to players
- 5'What have I done?': Supergirl star Milly Alcock reveals why she had a very visceral reaction to being cast in the DCU
