In this review, I’m taking the FiiO Snowsky Wind Pro headphone for a spin. The unit costs $19,99 USD.
Disclaimer: FiiO and Snowsky are not related to Headfonia. They sent me the FiiO Snowsky Wind Pro headphone free of charge, to be featured on Headfonia.com.
FiiO Snowsky
Snowsky is FiiO’s latest venture in creating a sub-brand offering a distinct product line. Previously, they’ve created Jade, a sub-brand for their more value offerings. Snowsky is similar in that it offers affordable, youthful, and fun products, but now FiiO sprinkles a bit of nostalgia-bait on them for good measure. Everyone likes a bit of Retro, right?
We have already looked at several of the Snowsky offerings, and you can find all those reviews here.
In this new Snowsky review, we are looking at the Wind Pro headphone. It’s the Pro version of the earlier released, regular Wind retro styled on-ear headphone. Make sure to check out that review here:
FiiO Snowsky Wind Review
We will do our best to highlight the differences between the two models throughout the review. Let’s get going!
FiiO Snowsky Wind Pro
The Wind Pro still is lightweight, retro-looking semi closed headphone with a 40mm driver, but there are some important differences in the technical design and tuning.
Comprehensive driver upgrades Step into a new era of quality audio
The new 40mm driver is building on the FiiO EH11’s acoustic design. This together with the soft composite suspension, supposedly results in higher (more robust) bass impact, improved low-end dynamics (down to 23Hz) and minimized resonance. We’ll find that out later in this article.
A tribute to the timeless charm of classic compact headphones that is easily accessible to today’s listeners.
Next to the driver developments, the Wind Pro also is engineered with specialized vents and acoustic damping filters. The front chamber volume has been increased to achieve greater amplitude.
The rear chamber has been redesigned to increase resonance space, thus achieving more full-bodied and authoritative bass impact as well as extended treble and natural, transparent vocals.
It also prevents the “stuffy” sensation common in closed-back models—ensuring your music feels open and effortless, even during extended listening. Furthermore, it solves the problem of sound leakage found in fully open-back designs.
Also new is the cable design. Well, we do get the same 1.2m long Oxygen Free Copper TPE-based cable with a (standard regulated) Inline control, but it now has a braided sheath as well as.
Like with the original Wind headphone, you can still tune the sound with the supplied pads. The Wind Pro comes with pre-installed orange pads, and you get an extra set of grey pads.
FiiO also sent us their optional HS-Wind Pro A pads and asked us to use these for the review. The HS-Wind Pro A pads feature a denser, thinner foam than the regular ones. FiiO states the A pads – which seem difficult to source – have a higher level of comfort (softer on the ear), as well as a more balanced sound. We’ll go over the audible difference later in this article.
The FiiO Snowsky Wind Pro headphone – available in black and silver – is selling for only $19,99 USD and you can find its dedicated web page here. You can buy the Snowsky Wind from one of FiiO’s dealers, or directly from the brand itself.
Sound & Performance
Intro
This is the chapter in which we find out how the companies describe their product’s sound. In the case of the FiiO Snowsky Wind Pro, we find quite a bit!
Building on the warm, natural sound of the EH11, the Wind Pro delivers a full-bodied and authoritative bass impact as well as extended treble and natural, transparent vocals.
The WIND PRO has a bass emphasis while enhancing mid-bass atmosphere. The sound across the treble, midrange, and bass frequencies is more balanced and fatigue-free. Perfect for vocals, Cantopop and Mandopop.
With the Wind Pro you get punchy, precise drumbeats and a richly layered soundstage. With a neutral yet warm sound signature, the WIND PRO offers a classic, relaxed listening experience that never grows tiring. It’s a versatile performer across all genres, excelling in pop, jazz, and vocal performances.
Recommended genres: Pop, jazz, country, vocals, and more
We do also have a frequency response graph which was shared by FiiO:
Let’s find out how it really sounds!
Tuning & Tonality
As we have two sets of pads to go through, I decided to split up the sound part based on the pads. In theory there should not be any difference between the orange and grey/black pads, but there is a difference between the regular and A pads.
I used multiple sources while listening to the Wind Pro, going from the AudioQuest DragonFly Copper, to the Hifiman EF10000DAC, the AK SP4000 and the EarMen L-AMP MKII.
I personally do find a warmer source does the Wind Pro most justice, with a softer top end in the delivery.
Regular Orange & Grey Pads
For strikes me first here are the bass and the vocals, but there’s more to the sound than that.
For the size of the driver and the price it’s going for, you can’t really say anything bad about the precision and of revealing and detailed it is. Don’t expect this to be a technical highlight with a high level of tonal extension and decay. The Wind Pro, even though not bad at all on a technical level, is more about musical enjoyment, engagement and listening pleasure.
From a sound stage perspective, the Wind Pro scores quite well for the width. For the depth and layering there’s room for improvement, but for a semi-open, small-sized headphone, this is still impressive. The openness and immersiveness are superb, top marks to FiiO and Snowsky in this regard.
The stereo image and left-right balance, just like in the original Wind, is very good. The Wind Pro also shows good PRaT, and the delivery is musical, energetic and engaging. Don’t expect the tightest bass and most refined tonality though, at this price level there are limits.
The mids are nicely spacious and airy, with good separation. The mid weight is a little lighter, with a more vocally forward presentation. The treble range extends nicely, and I like the energetic presentation. I personally find the Wind Pro to less sibilant than the original.
Bass here reaches a nice depth, even with some real sub-bass rumble, but it isn’t the most controlled or refined. It isn’t what the Wind Pro is capable of or built for. Mid-bass is more important here, and it comes with a good punch as well as impact. It’s enjoyable but not overly present.
I especially like the Wind Pro with stock pads for listening to slower, heavier bass music, where vocals are important. Think Billy Eillish. For faster paced music like metal, I didn’t really find it the best (Falling in Reverse) but for Retro-Soul, Deep Funk, and Classic R&B (Lee Rivers and Charles Bradley), it works well.
Optional Orange & Black A Pads
What I mostly notice here is a more balanced sound, with improved mid-bass performance. Think about precision, refinement and even a bit more tightness.
The sub-bass presence is a bit lighter here, but you in return get a softer top-end and a sound which is easier to listen to, as it’s less fatiguing.
Don’t expect any difference in extension, layering, precision or any other technical character. A pad change can only do so much here. There undeniably is a difference between the regular and A pads, but it’s about very specific things. Don’t expect night and day difference resulting in overall different tonality and presentation.
Source Synergy
If you feel the mids are to cold or warm, this can quite easily be resolved by switching sources. As said, the Wind Pro to me performs best with smoother, warmer solid-state gear, as well as with tube driven devices.
Drivability wise, the Wind Pro with its 101dB Sensitivity and 32Ohm Impedance, is nothing to worry about and you can basically plug it into anything that has a 3.5mm output. Amplification isn’t needed “per se”, but it does help amplify the bass (and its tightness) and overall weight presence, as well as throwing in the amp’s tonality in the mix.
I quite like listening to the Wind Pro from the DF Cobalt and L-AMP myself. On the latter, I recommend not using the extra-bass function, as the Wind Pro clearly can’t handle that much low-end.
Accessories, Box
At the low $20 USD price Snowsky and FiiO are selling the Wind Pro headphones for, you can’t expect too much and that shows directly when receiving the box.
Like with the OG Wind, It’s a small, thin and simple box without any foam protection. That said, the box does look nice, and the headphone drivers and pads were nicely protected by some type of plastic bags. Besides that, there was little protection for shocks or impacts and the Wind Pro has place to move around in the box. As the pics show, the box took some damage on the way over here, the headphones are fine however.
On the inside of the box you will find the Wind Pro headphone, two pairs of regular cushions, one quick start guide and one warranty card. A carrying/protective pouch would have been nice, but for the price that’s probably too much to ask for.
Build Quality & Design
The Wind Pro looks like the regular Wind headphone, except for the larger driver casing and maybe thicker foam.
The design is simple and of course has the typical retro look and feel. FiiO and Snowsky call it “An irresistible, compact on-ear design with a retro aesthetic”.
Effortlessly chic. Simply put on the WIND PRO to instantly transport yourself back to the 2000s. Beyond just headphones—the WIND PRO is your essential portable retro-style statement piece!
The Wind Pro now features a fully braided cable for a premium feel and superior durability, built to withstand daily wear and tear. It certainly looks tougher and feels smoother. For the rest I can basically repeat what I said about the Wind when I reviewed that back in June of last year: I guess you either like or hate the old school design, unless you were alive in the 80s and 90s. Then it’s pure sentiment.
The Snowsky Wind Pro is light and flimsy as you would expect from a 77g headphone with a tiny stainless-steel headband. In the old days the drivers would simply break from the headband, which I am pretty sure they will still do if you let these be used by an 8-year-old kid.
All fun aside, I think FiiO built these as well as they could, considering the typical design and the retro styling. I am still worried about possible cable connector breaks and the cushions tearing up, but only time will tell. I do know that I am more careful now than when I was a kid. So, let’s see how things evolve.
The FiiO Snowsky Wind Pro headphone review continues on the second page. Click here or use the jumps below.
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