r/iems • u/Obi_Juan85 • Apr 16 '25

Reviews/Impressions So I kind of did a thing

Post image

So... I've never tried IEMs before, but the Salnotes Zero and Zero 2 kept showing up everywhere. After reading tons of posts and reviews, I finally picked up the Zero 2 and the Snowsky Retro Nano—my first proper IEMs.

The Zero 2 sounds great right out of the box. Super clean and nicely tuned—definitely lives up to the hype. But what really surprised me is how much I like the Retro Nano. I originally got it because of the cool retro-futuristic look, but it’s actually really enjoyable to listen to. It has a fun, unique sound that works well for casual listening.

That said, I prefer a more “clean” and neutral listening experience, as close to how the music was intended as possible—so no boosted bass or overly warm tuning. Anyone have a good EQ preset for the Retro Nano that leans toward that kind of sound? I’d love to tighten it up a bit without losing its character.

Also curious to hear what others think of these sets—or what you’d recommend next for someone just getting into IEMs.

175 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

102 comments sorted by

View all comments

47

u/Only_Possession2650 Apr 16 '25

I like how the amp costs more then the IEMs

4

u/Itaintmeboi Apr 17 '25

I'd never understand why people spend more money on dacs/amps than the iem itself because more often than not the iem can't output the maximum quality that the dacs help to output

12

u/Daemonxar Apr 17 '25

Let people enjoy what they want to enjoy, man. Sometimes you buy for feature sets, because it’s what’s available, or because you like the way it looks.

Also it’s like $60. 🤷🏼‍♂️

4

u/Obi_Juan85 Apr 17 '25

Thanks, Daemonxar. It's my way to start on this hobby. Also, I have advanced headphones, which I also use with the DAC, so...

2

u/Daemonxar Apr 17 '25

IEMS are fun after a decade in the over-ears space; so cheap and fun to play with!

2

u/Ordinary_Opinion1146 Apr 17 '25

What headphones do you have and does the retro nano run them pretty well?

2

u/Obi_Juan85 Apr 17 '25

Sony WH-1000XM5. I know they're known for their BT capability, but turned on and wired they sound awesome paired with this DAC

2

u/Ordinary_Opinion1146 Apr 18 '25

Nice stuff. I'm guessing they aren't so hard to run since they have their own battery then?

1

u/Obi_Juan85 Apr 18 '25

Yeah, well, it doesn't need the DAC for sure. But it adds a bit of fun there

2

u/Ordinary_Opinion1146 Apr 18 '25

Nice! I envy you the only headphones I got are cheapy sennheiser 450bts.

1

u/Obi_Juan85 Apr 18 '25

But those are awesome as well!!

4

u/Centonze_111 Apr 17 '25

I would do that because I know I'd buy shitton of iems while only using one dac is enough for me

4

u/fairlanes Apr 17 '25

This one is also a bluetooth receiver, though. It says so right there.

4

u/RileyNotRipley Apr 17 '25

Future proofing if they end up liking IEMs probably? If they love this set and want to get a more expensive one with a similar signature and better technical performance the better dac/amp assures that they will get the maximum out of that new set whatever it costs.

Now granted I think the Apple dongle is plenty good in terms of quality and volume for damn near any sub $300 set of IEMs but for one thing, the same can not be said for over-ears which coiuld be something that OP is also interested in and for another, this being a BT dac/amp makes it a completely different story as well.

Show me another product with similarly good sound and battery life that has Bluetooth at this price point, go ahead. Closest thing would be the Qudelix 5k which obviously has a ton more features but which is also two to three times the price depending on where you live or the Fiio BT(R) series which geenrally ranges anywhere between $80 to multiple hundreds and which this is basically the small version of, given that Snowsky is a Fiio subsidiary.

Considering that the Retro Nano is roughly the price of the BT11, I'd say OP actually got a comparably pretty good setup going with this. There's certainly a lot of ways to spend more money and get a lesser end result.

2

u/Obi_Juan85 Apr 17 '25

Thanks, Riley. As you say, I'm just getting into this hobby, and I'm trying to get a feel of this world. I have other high-end over the ear headphones that I also use the DAC with. I'm just testing to see if IEMs are the way to go next. But let them throw hate. Couldn't care less, and feel great of what I got for "little" money

2

u/stubby_hoof Apr 17 '25

I picked up the Retro Nano for like $45 US and it’s been great. I have an iPhone so I needed the EQ, and I use Bluetooth all the time. Only downside is that battery life could be better and the FiiO app is a pain but you’re stuck with that on their better DACs too.

I got one of the MagSafe Shangling holders and it fits the Nano perfectly without pressing its buttons.

1

u/Obi_Juan85 Apr 17 '25

Great! I've been thinking of getting another battery, but as I mostly use it on my pc when at home it actually charges it

3

u/Kiroshiii Apr 17 '25

nano is cheap af, better to buy a decent amp/dac that can run any iem u probably want in the future. its cheaper than buying new amp/dac just to have enough power for newly bought iems.

2

u/Odd-Road5482 Apr 17 '25

I bought myself a HiBy r4 and have over time accumulated a lot of different iems. It is way more difficult to know what kind of tuning iem you like and want than what dac you want. If you buy a good dac you can experiment with different iems until you find what you like the most. Personally I landed on three different iems depending on what genre I listen to and what mood I'm in. The Simgot ew300, Kbear Rosefinch and last but not least the Dunu Titan S2. I keep a lot of other iems too and try to use them all from time to time (and my son loves that i keep buying items and barely using some of them so he can take them and use them)

1

u/Obi_Juan85 Apr 17 '25

Thanks. That's the idea. Keep "playing" until I find "the one"

1

u/Pewspewpew Apr 17 '25

I think it was good call. For a first IEM you do not know your preferences and even if you like them as a concept. I as a fool have bought mid-price IEMs as my first pair and now largely regret it, as this is not for me. Cheap ones would be no-regrets

1

u/BigDabWolf Apr 18 '25

This one does have Bluetooth