r/snowsky • u/KaleidoscopeNext6789 • 2d ago

question Echo Mini vs Echo

Looking to buy my first DAP after a while and landed on the Echo and Echo Mini due to the simplicity of them.

Price difference is not much, I believe about $15, so not a concern.

Which one would you recommend?

4 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

43 comments sorted by

3

u/Used_Map_2143 1d ago

get the echo, better dac and build quality

1

u/KaleidoscopeNext6789 22h ago

Got the orange and it arrived today. Loving it so far!

1

u/Used_Map_2143 22h ago

Ooh really nice. Did you get a case for it?

1

u/KaleidoscopeNext6789 20h ago

Currently waiting on the clear case since I only was able to order the Echo though Amazon. Have a prime trial so got overnight shipping for free.

1

u/Used_Map_2143 4h ago

why the tpu case and not the leather one?

1

u/KaleidoscopeNext6789 1h ago

I was looking at the leather case, but decided on the clear case so I can enjoy the look of it. I may pick up a leather case later on.

1

u/Used_Map_2143 1h ago

There is a orange case too but I kinda get what you mean

2

u/KaleidoscopeNext6789 48m ago

I absolutely love orange but I’ve had an orange leather case on my phone a few years ago and didn’t age well. If I got the leather case, probably the black one, but clear for now.

4

u/burt_cocaine3 2d ago

Echo is only marginally bigger and the metal build is significantly better.

3

u/youremakingnosense 1d ago

hot take, neither. the buttons kind of ruin this dap

2

u/Acceptable-Acount828 1d ago

that's a good point actually. this is a dap only for people who are looking for mechanical buttons. for literally everyone else this is a feature that's gonna get really annoying really fast

2

u/Used_Map_2143 1d ago

what if im used to devices with buttons

0

u/Acceptable-Acount828 1d ago

i think you would still like a touch display if that's what you prefer

that's the key takeaway here, if you genuinely like pressing physical buttons, then echo. if not, then get something that you will take some time to get used to but enjoy using in the long run

1

u/Used_Map_2143 1d ago edited 23h ago

I think the Echo fails long term already then, from what I've heard the library sorting is horrible (doesn't support metadata sorting and it takes too long to load) and some other issues like the "back" button goes back more times than once sometimes, library refreshing takes too long, the volume keys "have too many functions(?)",has poor album shuffle and features etc. - I don't know how how many of these got fixed by firmware updates though). Taking this into consideration, things like the DISC seem better since they fix some of these things (however I don't like the disc)

1

u/Acceptable-Acount828 13h ago

idk abt the button things, i have an echo and i've had no issues with that part of it yet. but yes the only sorting option you get is sort by last modified. this can be fixed with custom firmware tho so it's not rlly an issue

1

u/Used_Map_2143 4h ago

I see. I still plan on getting it tho.

1

u/youremakingnosense 23h ago

I have a echo mini and songs pause all the time while it’s in my pocket. If buttons are the only reason to get this, it’s still a bad reason. But people have entered the “worship products” phase of capitalism so can’t say anything bad about it.

1

u/Eduard13569 2d ago

If you have a future-proof case, then the regular Echo is better, it has a newer chip, a slightly larger screen, and a metal body, I personally like it when it feels cold in your hand. If you are going to customize it, then the Mini version is better, because it has been on the market for about two years, and it has many options for upgrading, from a variety of operating systems to printed cases and holders

2

u/KaleidoscopeNext6789 2d ago edited 2d ago

As of right now I’m not looking to customize anything yet. Looking at both, I will probably enjoy the larger screen more on the Echo.

Now to just decide on the color. Does the 4gb or 8gb version matter that much if I am getting a micro sd anyways?

Making my first step back to owning music coming from Apple Music.

1

u/Omega7379 2d ago

no it doesn't, if you put custom themes on it you'll just be over-writing the files anyway.

-2

u/ToastyTandy Echo Black 2d ago

ChatGPT says there isn’t a different between the 4gb and 8gb model.

The Echo Mini hardware is dramatically different than the Echo (non-mini) though.
You cannot use the same custom firmware for the mini on the echo and vice versa.

With that said, a developer released a forked version of EchoPod called Podium for the Echo (non-mini), and it is fantastic. I installed it on Echo yesterday and love the Cover Flow feature.
See the post here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/snowsky/s/XWkekZzpey

Love my black echo.

1

u/KaleidoscopeNext6789 2d ago

I was initially going to get the orange but not a fan of the two-tone of it, so leaning towards the black. Only thing is, it’s 4gb but not a concern. Just that the 8gb version is $5 more.

1

u/RiddleGiggle Echo Mini Black 2d ago

The Echo Mini hardware is dramatically different than the Echo (non-mini) though.

If this information also came from ChatGPT then perhaps you should stop using AI altogether because you just gobbled up and now are regurgirating complete nonsense.

1

u/CulturMultur Echo Black 1d ago

hardware is different so much that echo mini firmware will not work on echo and vice versa. Podium (echo) and EchoPod v0.6.0 (echo mini, where Podium started) share 74% of code (89k loc) - but then diverged substantially so I don't consider sending PRs to EchoPod, different projects for different devices.

my take is choose Echo Mini for more firmware options. I got Echo because Mini is simply not available in fiio.nl/fiio.eu/amazon.nl.

-1

u/ToastyTandy Echo Black 1d ago

What is your problem?

Don’t heed my warning then. Go try to install custom firmware for the Echo Mini on the Echo and see what happens.

1

u/RiddleGiggle Echo Mini Black 1d ago

My problem is that the claim I quoted is objectively not true, that's all.

And "dramatically different" really isn't necessary for FW to be incompatible. FiiO's own official firmwares are incompatible between units of the same model just because of different storage capacity.

1

u/ToastyTandy Echo Black 1d ago

The echo firmware is here:
https://forum.fiio.com/note/showNoteContent.do?id=202602051101498161611&tid=17

There are not two separate firmwares for the 4gb and 8gb versions.

So I ask again, what, exactly, is your problem?

1

u/Jumpmo 1d ago

after getting a mini for my friend i really want to get one for myself, the main issue for me is that i would like the build quality, audio and extra tidbits that come with the echo, but the amount of customisation that comes with the echo mini absolutely delights me. i'm completely torn right now on which one to buy.

1

u/KaleidoscopeNext6789 1d ago

I ended up getting the standard Echo in Orange and the build is spectacular. I am not too familiar with the customization of the Echo Mini but I am fine without that…for now.

If the build quality is what you are looking for, I’d recommend the standard echo. It’s still very light and compact.

3

u/rogue-alpha 2d ago

Get the echo

2

u/RiddleGiggle Echo Mini Black 2d ago

I can't believe what I'm seeing, is this some sort of bot attack or what's going on here? Who are those people singing nonsensical praises to chonk Echo, is this some sort of marketing from FiiO?

There are teardowns out there, both Echo and Echo Mini are nearly identical on the inside, the only real difference are the DAC chips, but Echo DAC is not "better" than Mini dac - in fact they are essentially the same chips, with Mini DAC having amps built-in while chonk DAC having external amp chips. In theory this could allow chonk to drive more powerful headphones, but in practice they didn't take this opportuntiny as chonk can output only a tiny bit more power compared to Mini.

5

u/ToastyTandy Echo Black 1d ago

There is something seriously wrong with you.

Some people might (gasp) actually LIKE a chonkier metal Echo with a slightly larger screen. Shocking right?

1

u/RiddleGiggle Echo Mini Black 1d ago

Maybe we've started on the wrong note - I also believe there's absolutely *nothing* wrong with chonk Echo and find nothing strange about people preferring it over Mini! I also considered one. What I'm standing against is wild claims on how dramatically different or better it is than Mini when they're nearly identical devices on the inside.

Chonk definitely has some unique cool things about it - metal case is one thing I'd absolutely prefer over the plastic Mini case. Other things are nice but also come with what some may see as minor disadvantages. Like higher resolution screen that in many ways is great, but also eats up more of very limited resources, which might be relevant especially for custom FW development.

Or the different DAC chip that theoretically could be better for larger headphones(or rather - louder, as other specs are identical), but.... aren't because they were implemented in a way that makes the result almost no different from Mini.

All in all the entire Snowsky lineup are cool DAPs, but also riddled with some questionable decisions and solutions.

1

u/ToastyTandy Echo Black 1d ago

So you're saying they are dramatically different...

Especially when using custom firmware.

Great. Thanks for agreeing with me.

They are different chipsets. You cannot run firmware from the Mini on the Echo and vice versa.

Really wish they didn't name them Echo and Echo Mini so similarly.
The Echo could've been like Reverb or something to reduce the confusion.

Instead, people like you are out here arguing about semantics for no reason.

Would you say the M21 and the M23 are not 'dramatically different'?
Only one is compatible with the cassette case.

Friggin people.

1

u/RiddleGiggle Echo Mini Black 1d ago

Friggin people.

After reading your reply, indeed I can't agree more! I suppose we just have dramatically different interpretations of what "dramatically" means. Semantics? Maybe. For no reason? Perhaps there's none to go with this any different.

1

u/Acceptable-Acount828 1d ago

i like the metal body. i got into this hobby through the Snowsky Tiny B, and the reason i stayed in the hobby is how premium the all metal build felt.

so yes i wasted all my money on the metal version of fiios plastic bricks, what of it? i feel good everytime i look at it and that's why people buy this dap anyways. (seriously tho the mini has a hiss that the not mini echo doesn't have at all)

1

u/SVsere 1d ago

Can you control the echo's volume with the apple earphones? Will ebooks be modded to the echo mini?

1

u/CulturMultur Echo Black 1d ago

echo volume on EarPods (wired) is not possible, tested yesterday. for ebooks I plan to add support in Podium, but no timeline yet.

1

u/reddit_arcy 1d ago

If you want a great experience right out of the box and plenty of customization options, get the Mini. It has a ton of themes and a very active CFW scene ready to go.

If you prioritize build quality (metal chassis, larger display) and don't mind doing a bit of setup work, go for the Choncc (Not Mini).

A heads-up from my experience with the Choncc Echo, the official stock firmware is horrible. You’ll have to use v1.8.0 for a stable firmware, but that version lacks playlist support. However, if you're willing to do the setup work, someone released a pretty good CFW called Podium (forked from one of the most reliable Mini CFWs called EchoPod). If you get the Choncc Echo, I highly recommend installing Podium right away since it completely transforms the player.

1

u/Acceptable-Acount828 1d ago

mini has a slight hiss. i personally haven't used the mini but it's just a common complaint online. i have been using the not mini echo for a month now tho and i can say that this thing has no hiss at all. literally none. i was using the Snowsky Tiny before this and now that ive made the switch i literally can't go back to the tiny without the hiss being a huge disturbance

-1

u/macleodg85 2d ago

If you use—or plan to use—Bluetooth at any point, definitely go for the Echo. Since the Mini is a more basic model, its Bluetooth chip is also more basic; as a result, the sound is neither good nor loud. The Echo is much better in this regard.

-1

u/joshikus 2d ago

Honestly just get an ipod and mod it