SNOWSKY OAK NANO Review: HiFi Earphones You Could Mistake For Jewelry
FiiO has become a familiar name among headphone enthusiasts, but SNOWSKY is still relatively new. The sub-brand puts more emphasis on youth, individuality and fashion, and honestly speaking, that positioning made much more sense to me the moment I opened the OAK NANO.
At first glance, I could have mistaken them for a pair of expensive cufflinks.
The gold-colored trim, intricate silver grille and presentation box make the OAK NANO look more like jewelry than conventional HiFi equipment. FiiO says the design was inspired by classic wristwatches, so that impression is clearly intentional.
Yet underneath the extravagant exterior is a surprisingly traditional idea: one large dynamic driver doing everything.
Jeff Li
SNOWSKY OAK NANO: Key Specifications
Driver: 13.8mm single dynamic driver
Housing: Pure titanium
Earphone connection: 0.78mm two-pin
Included plugs: 3.5mm, 4.4mm balanced, USB-C DSP
USB-C DSP: BES3001-SP
USB-C playback: Up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM
DSP: 8-band PEQ through FiiO Control
Tuning: Interchangeable red and black nozzles
Pros
- Beautiful jewelry-like construction
- Energetic and coherent sound
- Works well with both electronic and acoustic music
- Excellent interchangeable plug system
- USB-C DSP plug included
- Wide aftermarket cable compatibility
Cons
- Energetic tuning can become fatiguing with powerful sources
- Two-pin connection loses the free rotation of MMCX
- 4.4mm balanced isn’t automatically the best option
They Really Do Look Like Expensive Cufflinks
There are plenty of expensive earphones that look expensive, but normally they still look like HiFi equipment. The OAK NANO is different.
Sitting inside the dark presentation box, the patterned silver faceplates and gold-colored surrounds genuinely made me think of cufflinks. The titanium construction also gives the earpieces enough solidity that the design doesn’t feel decorative for the sake of decoration.
Jeff Li
I’ve tested plenty of FiiO earphones over the years, but I don’t remember another one making quite this first impression.
FiiO’s Dynamic Drivers Have Come A Long Way
The OAK NANO is particularly interesting to me because I’ve watched FiiO continue experimenting with dynamic drivers over several generations.
I previously tested the EM5, an unusual 3D-printed earbud with a 14.2mm beryllium-coated driver and flute-inspired acoustic tube. Honestly speaking, I wasn’t too impressed by the sound. It was very warm and certainly unique, but it felt more like an ambitious experiment.
The FF3 was a huge improvement. Its stainless-steel construction was impressive, while the sound was considerably more interesting.
FiiO clearly didn’t give up on the concept, and the OAK NANO feels like another step forward.
One Driver Gives The OAK NANO A Very Coherent Sound
Unlike hybrid IEMs that combine dynamic drivers with balanced armatures, the OAK NANO relies on one 13.8mm dynamic driver.
I think there is an advantage to that simplicity.
Hybrid designs can sound incredible, but different driver technologies don’t always blend perfectly. With the OAK NANO, bass, vocals and treble feel like different parts of the same presentation.
The word I keep coming back to is coherent.
It reminds me why manufacturers such as Sennheiser continue to get so much mileage out of carefully engineered single dynamic drivers. There is a natural consistency to having one diaphragm reproduce everything.
But natural doesn’t mean laid-back.
This Is One Very Energetic Earphone
If I had to choose one word for the OAK NANO’s sound, it would be energetic.
The FF3 was already lively, but the OAK NANO takes that considerably further. Pop, K-pop and electronic music work especially well, with strong attack and an immediacy that makes the music feel exciting rather than analytical.
What surprised me was how well it also handled acoustic recordings. The dynamic driver retains enough warmth and body for guitars, strings and vocals to sound natural.
That makes the OAK NANO considerably more versatile than its energetic character initially suggests.
I Actually Preferred 3.5mm To 4.4mm On The M15S
I’ve learned over the years that balanced does not automatically mean better.
Using the FiiO M15S, I actually preferred the OAK NANO with the 3.5mm plug on Ultra High Gain. It seemed to hit the right balance between energy and long-term listening comfort.
Jeff Li
The 4.4mm balanced connection appeared to bring out slightly more detail, but it could also push the already energetic OAK NANO closer to listening fatigue. Dropping the gain helped balance things again.
That doesn’t mean 3.5mm is inherently better. The so/urce, gain and listening level all matter.
Fortunately, FiiO includes both.
FiiO’s Swappable Plug System Keeps Getting Better
The OAK NANO uses 0.78mm two-pin connectors rather than MMCX. Initially, I thought that felt slightly like a step backward because two-pin loses MMCX’s ability to rotate freely.
Jeff Li
In practice, I found one simple advantage: I don’t need a removal tool. The cable pulls straight out, and FiiO also points to the much wider selection of compatible aftermarket two-pin cables.
More importantly, I rarely need to disconnect the cable anyway because FiiO puts the modular connection where it is much more useful — at the plug.
Interchangeable plugs have become almost standard on FiiO’s better wired headphones and IEMs. That’s a win for customers because buying separate high-quality cables for 3.5mm and 4.4mm can quickly become an expensive exercise.
It also fits FiiO’s general approach to value. The company has always had a habit of making me feel slightly spoiled with accessories, providing almost everything needed to properly enjoy the product straight out of the box.
The OAK NANO goes a step further by adding a third USB-C DSP plug.
USB-C DSP Makes The OAK NANO Much More Practical
Jeff Li
This isn’t simply a USB-C adapter. The plug contains its own DSP circuitry, supports up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM and provides an 8-band PEQ through FiiO Control.
That makes the OAK NANO much easier to use with modern devices that no longer have a headphone jack.
Most flagship phones have already abandoned 3.5mm, and even laptops such as the new Dell XPS 13 have followed. Instead of carrying a separate dongle DAC, I can connect the OAK NANO directly through USB-C.
FiiO has also revised the interchangeable connector itself. Compared with previous versions I’ve used, the four-contact connection is shallower and noticeably easier to remove, while the screw-down collar still gives it the same reassuring mechanical rigidity once locked.
I’m also curious whether the USB-C DSP plug could work directly with FiiO’s upcoming DT11 digital transport. On paper the idea makes sense, but that’s something I would want to physically test before claiming compatibility.
SNOWSKY Finally Makes Sense To Me
Before trying the OAK NANO, I wasn’t entirely sure why FiiO needed another audio brand. After all, FiiO already covers almost every corner of enthusiast audio.
The OAK NANO makes that distinction much clearer. SNOWSKY gives FiiO room to make fashion and visual identity a bigger part of the product, while still keeping the same HiFi foundation underneath.
Jeff Li
Final Verdict
The SNOWSKY OAK NANO made sense to me the moment I opened the box.
It genuinely looks like a pair of expensive cufflinks, with titanium construction, gold-colored detailing and an intricate silver grille giving it a visual identity unlike most FiiO earphones I’ve tested.
Fortunately, this isn’t style compensating for substance.
The single dynamic driver produces a coherent, natural presentation, while the energetic tuning makes the OAK NANO particularly entertaining with pop, K-pop and electronic music. At the same time, there is enough warmth and body for acoustic recordings to remain convincing.
The accessory package might be equally impressive. I can use 3.5mm, 4.4mm balanced or USB-C DSP without buying another cable, while interchangeable tuning nozzles and PEQ provide even more flexibility.
Interestingly, having all those options also reminded me not to automatically choose whatever looks best on paper. On the FiiO M15S, I actually preferred 3.5mm to 4.4mm balanced.
My experience with FiiO’s dynamic-driver designs has gone from the unusual but not completely convincing EM5, through the much improved FF3, and now to the OAK NANO.
FiiO clearly hasn’t stopped experimenting.
This time, though, the experiment looks considerably better dressed.
Just make sure whoever you give them to knows they’re not cufflinks.
David is a tech enthusiast/writer who is often on the move, but since the pandemic is on a mission to explore gadgets to improve his ‘home work’. This is a contribution to an ongoing IBTimes review series on gadgets for Home Productivity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Driver Does The SNOWSKY OAK NANO Use?
The OAK NANO uses a single 13.8mm dynamic driver with a beryllium-alloy dome.
Does The OAK NANO Use MMCX?
No. It uses a standard 0.78mm two-pin connection, giving it broad compatibility with aftermarket IEM cables.
What Plugs Are Included?
The supplied cable includes interchangeable 3.5mm, 4.4mm balanced and USB-C DSP plugs.
Does 4.4mm Sound Better Than 3.5mm?
Not necessarily. On the FiiO M15S, I preferred 3.5mm on Ultra High Gain. The result will depend heavily on the source, gain and listening level.
What Does The USB-C DSP Plug Do?
It lets the OAK NANO connect directly to compatible USB-C phones and computers while providing its own decoding and DSP, including an 8-band PEQ.
What Kind Of Music Is The OAK NANO Best For?
Its energetic presentation works particularly well with pop, K-pop and electronic music, but the single dynamic driver also gives acoustic instruments enough warmth and body to make it surprisingly versatile.
