SNOWSKY (FiiO) Wind Retro On-Ear Wired Headphone Review (2) – Like A Detuned Radio
Disclaimer: we were sent review copies of the Wind by Yellow at Fiio; the phones can be purchased here: http://www.fiio.com/
Every once in a while I uncover my ears from whatever headphones I’m using in order to reunite with whatever’s going on in the real world. This morning, they peeked out long enough to hear Trump berating Zelensky for starting the war with Putin and, more egregiously, for having “4% approval.” I resolved never again to leave Headfidom or to peer at cable news.
Anyway, if you go on Ali or Amazon and you’ll find virtually thousands of virtually indistinguishable, unnecessary models of IEMs. However, Koss aside, almost no one is still making the once-ubiquitous, featherweight Walkman-style open-ear headphone. We were thus stoked to receive Fiio’s new, $19 SNOWKSY Wind, which (aesthetically at least) promise to be sympatico with the new crop of portable CD and cassette players like Fiio’s DM-13 and the WAR WE-001.
The Wind arrived in a cardboard box so lightweight I thought it was empty–these phones make the (80g) Koss Porta Pro feel like a boat anchor. Considering the pricepoint, build quality is pretty good—metal faceplates give the Wind a more upscale look than its plasticy peers.
Comfort is off the hook—unlike the similarly-designed there’s no clamping pressure, and despite their seeming frailty the phones remain stable during walks/runs/leaps from tall buildings. Their specs indicate they should be easy to drive, although I found they sounded better with more powerful amps, and maximum output is rather low, though adequate.
Fiio describes the Wind’s SQ as “warm and sweet,” which is apt—they have a smooth, analog timbre which isn’t hyper-detailed but has good clarity for its stature. Bass is surprisingly voluminous, but very loose and somewhat monotonic, like a cheap car woofer (it does tighten with more power); mids are full-sounding if a bit laid back, while high end has limited extension but is free from sharpness or sibilance. Soundstage is surprising wide, if low, and instrument placement is accurate.
Where these trail the Koss KSC/Porta Pro is in their dynamics—the Koss has a lot more visceral punch and contrast between soft and loud passages, while the more costly Roseselsa Distant Mountain has a thicker note texture, deeper and tighter (though still slowish) bass and more forward, clearer mids.
For whatever reason, though, the Wind synergized almost perfectly with my WAR cassette deck—bass was tighter and highs were higher than with other sources, even if the presentation was slightly veiled and less aggressive than with the Distant Mountain.
As Jürgen opines, the Wind isn’t an audiophile piece; it’s not highly resolving and won’t extract new nuances from your old recordings. It is, however, well worth the ticket price on the basis of comfort and aesthetics alone; that it sounds pretty good is a nice sweetener. Recommend.
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