I'm kind of curious about these things, admittedly it's the wood casing that intrigues me I guess (You get a choice of two woods). They're$39. It's very small, like a flash drive. This guy does a very indepth and long review (spread over two pages including lots of pictures) at https://headfonics.com/fiio-snowsky-melody-review. He generally points out that it perfoms no better or worse than most DACs in this price range, interesting read actually but very long. Bellow is just an excerpt along with his final verdict.
https://headfonics.com/fiio-snowsky-melody-review/
".... Thanks to Melody’s slightly V-shaped sound signature, the music feels more energetic and dynamic than most dongle DAC/amplifiers with a neutral sound signature.
Dynamics are good as long as I don’t go too loud, as I hear a slight compression in sound at 75 percent volume and higher with the IEMs in this review. ... ..
My Verdict
It’s refreshing to see a new product that pushes the boundary in terms of design and features. The FiiO SNOWSKY Melody achieves this by virtue of its small size, unique design with a wooden body, and feature richness via its FiiO Control App.
I appreciate the ability to switch between Class AB and Class H amplifier modes, the inclusion of a fully adjustable 10-band parametric equalizer, and other features that remain with the Melody after being programmed with the FiiO Control App.
However, I’m not a fan of the slightly boosted bass and less than stellar transparency in the midrange and treble, which excludes it from being used for critical listening and as a reference neutral and transparent sounding dongle DAC.
I believe the unique wood-themed FiiO SNOWSKY Melody dongle DAC will satisfy listeners who like playing around with EQ or using EQ to tune a specific IEM or headphone. And those who want a non-technical sound signature.
FiiO SNOWSKY Melody Technical Specifications
Product type: DAC and Headphone Amplifier
Color: Walnut/Maple
Weight: about 10g
USB chip: SPV5048
DAC chip: CS43131x2
Input: Type-C USB
Output: 3.5mm/4.4mm balanced
Size WxHxD: 22.5mm x 42.5mm x 11.5mm
Max sampling rate support: PCM 32-bit/384kHz and DSD256
3.5mm PO output:
Output power: 100mW@32Ω
SNR: 124dB
THD+N: 0.0006%
Noise floor: 1uV
Crosstalk: -76dB
Output impedance: less thanΩ
4mm BAL output:
Output power: 250mW@32Ω
SNR: 127dB
THD+N: 0.0003%
Noise floor: 1.1uV
Crosstalk: -121dB
Output impedance: less than 0.5Ω
I keep picturing this as perfect for a remote install, because of it's built in processor effects and it's low price, it's also has balanced outputs, and saved settings etc.
All I'm saying is if you had some remote unattended transmitter solar install somewhere this $36 dongle would be better than no kind of processing at all. I'm tempted to get one just to experiment with as a feed - just to pass the time until the next Sholckwood hits the market. If nothing else I could use it for the tv!
It's on Amazon:
/FiiO-Melody-Headphone-Amplifier-Headphones/dp/B0FK9SQ1Z3
Only 3 reviews so far ...
Seth Phelps
5.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase
They should have called it Tiny Tim.
Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2025
Color: Maple
I bought this for the PEQ and saves it on the device itself so all I got to do is plug it in. Pretty nice!
It also sounds pretty good too. Amplification is pretty great for the size. It's TINY
Wolff
5.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase
Wonderful
Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2025
Color: Walnut
The very best dongle for under $100 that I have ever used or heard!!!
scoto #1
5.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase
Amazing dongle
Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2025
Color: Walnut
Amazing dongle not just for the price but one of the best dongles I've heard period. Build quality is stellar, it's light and tiny and the wood is beautiful. Sound is warmish and natural and the stage is huge, this really sounds way beyond the price point. It's quite detailed too, and resolution is good. And of course the Parametric eq is excellent. There's more powerful but with my gear this is plenty of power. I love that it saves the eq settings and filters on the unit itself. I can use my m1 s and get eq on higher bitrate files and tidal. (M1 eq only works on Redbook audio). And I like the sound of the melody more than the m1 plus because of the bigger staging and less digital sound. All this and you get volume and track controls on the unit, and indicator light. This dongle has a big sound reminds me of ibasso elite which is crazy. Great layering too and dead quiet. I think fiio is killing it with this line, and so far this is the best in looks and sound. Oh, and run it in for a bit and remember although nice detail this is a warmer more natural sounding dongle.
Oh.. I meant to post this and got sidetracked