Synergy
OAK NANO is fairly sensitive and easy to drive, delivering full-range, dynamic sound, with sub-bass production and loudness not an issue thanks to its powerful motor and large, rigid diaphragm.
Despite its sensitivity, OAK NANO never produced any noise with any of the sources I paired it with; the cable never picked up any radio-frequency interference and was not sensitive enough to allow the sources’ noise floor to be heard. I
noticed this over the past few days when listening to the OAK NANO while walking, at a coffee shop, or at home.
Pairings
That said, OAK NANO pairs very well with the iBasso DC-Elite. OAK NANO easily reveals the DC-Elite’s subtly U-shaped sound signature and its hyper-detailed clean sound without taxing its modest 280 mW maximum power output.
With the MUSE HIFI M6 Double in tube mode, I hear the special, analog tubey sound without any treble roll-off or overt warmth. The bass remains tight and the perceived frequency response flat.
There are plenty of details with the OAK NANO and the M6 Double pairing, but OAK NANO reveals that M6 Double is not as resolute as the DC-Elite.
Finally, with the powerful FiiO M15S, I hear its excellent bass response and neutral tonality.
However, I never noticed an increase in dynamics when listening at my normal-to-loud listening levels, which means the DC-Elite and the M6 double are as comfortable driving the OAK NANO as the M15S is, despite their differences in maximum power output ratings.
Selected Comparisons
I have enjoyed the OAK NANO with all the sources mentioned in this review, as well as those not mentioned.
But since all the IEMs being compared are easy to drive, I decided to compare them mostly with the iBasso DC-Elite, which I use with my phone, DAP, or laptop as a digital source, for its highly detailed sound.
DUNU Falcon Ultra
Technical & Design
The DUNU Falcon Ultra uses a 10.7mm lithium-magnesium alloy dome fused to a soft, compliant suspension that forms its diaphragm. It combines the rigidity of harder magnesium with the damping of softer lithium metal.
The Falcon Ultra includes Interchangeable tuning nozzles. It has an impedance of 16 Ω and a sensitivity of 108 dB/mW.
The Falcon Ultra has a small shell with a substantial feel, as it is made entirely of stainless steel.
A polished titanium-like finish and a futuristic shape complete the Falcon Ultra Ti’s aesthetics. It includes a high-quality MMCX cable, but it is thin and prone to tangling.
Performance
I’m using the Falcon Ultra with the ePro EP00 medium ear tips, which improve its upper treble extension and imaging performance.
Both sound very neutral and reference-worthy as single dynamic driver IEMs in terms of sound quality; however, on first listen, the OAK NANO is simply more refined.
While both are free from obvious peaks in their perceived frequency response, OAK NANO sounds smoother, with more controlled bass and a flatter midrange, and offers a smoother, airier rendition of the vocalist’s natural recorded sibilance.
The Falcon Ultra sounds slightly warmer in comparison, not because the OAK NANO sounds thin, but because the OAK NANO has greater bass control and has a tighter bass response.
I also noticed that the OAK NANO has greater treble extension and more micro-detail.
While both have a spherical-shaped soundstage and holographic imaging, I find the OAK NANO to have a more spacious stage, but in terms of imaging, they are about equal.
You have to remember that I’m using third-party ear tips on the Falcon Ultra, but stock ear tips on the OAK NANO.
In terms of dynamics, I noticed that the OAK NANO sounds cleaner and has more obvious loudness swings than the Falcon Ultra.
I’m not implying that the Falcon Ultra sounds compressed; it’s just that OAK NANO is special when it comes to dynamics.
Hidizs MK12 Turris Titanium Limited Edition
Technical & Design
The MK12 Turris Titanium Edition features a 12mm dynamic driver with a 91% pure magnesium diaphragm and a powerful motor system that reaches 1.5 Tesla in the magnet gap, driving the larger-than-usual diaphragm.
The MK12 Turris Titanium Edition has an impedance of 32Ω and a sensitivity of 111 dB/mW.
Housed in a sleek titanium housing that went through precision CNC-machining and finished with an exclusive gradient-tint coating inspired by the Turritopsis dohrnii jellyfish—nature’s “immortal marvel”. The faceplate looks like the back of a sea creature.
Finished in a color-shifting chameleon paint, the paint shifts from purple to brown, similar to car paint that changes color depending on the angle of light. Hidizs calls this a Gradient-Tint finish.
Two cables are included: a 3.5mm and a 4.4mm plug. The MK12 Turris Titanium Edition features silver-plated twisted-pair cables crafted from high-purity oxygen-free copper, ensuring low resistance and high conductivity.
Performance
Both the OAK NANO and the MK12 Turris Titanium can be considered neutral-sounding IEMs. The MK12 Turris Titanium has more bass and less upper treble, yet remains very extended.
The OAK NANO has tighter, more articulate bass. and is airier in the treble and offers a smoother, finer rendition of natural vocal sibilance in recordings.
I also find the OAK NANO to be more resolving, with more micro-detail. Not that the MK12 Turris Titanium isn’t resolving and nuanced, but the OAK NANO is just more so.
The OAK NANO has a wider, more open stage, while the MK12 Turris Titanium has a narrower but deeper stage. I find the OAK NANO to have slightly more defined imaging and holography, but the MK12 Turris Titanium is very close behind.
Both the OAK NANO and the MK12 Turris Titanium have excellent dynamics with good liveliness and energy, thanks to their efficient, larger-than-usual drivers with powerful motors.
My Verdict
The driver in the FiiO SNOWSKY OAK NANO delivers what it’s supposed to promise, thanks to its light and rigid 13.8 mm Beryllium alloy W-shaped diaphragm driver mounted to a dedicated suspension and the 1.5T high-strength magnet motor system.
The FiiO SNOWSKY OAK NANO single dynamic driver IEM has a resolving, nuanced sound full of micro details, and spacious staging without sacrificing tonal balance and imaging performance.
I also find the dynamics excellent, and the micro-dynamics are easily perceived thanks to the efficient, high-performance driver.
Additionally, I like its design and compactness; the finish is high-quality and seems durable, including the cable hardware. I also like that the FiiO SNOWSKY OAK NANO set includes plenty of high-quality and comfortable ear tips to choose from.
My only complaint is the sound of the factory-installed black-ringed nozzle; I find it irrelevant and not to my liking, as it sounds too ordinary. That is why I switched to the red-ringed nozzles, which I’m very fond of and used in this review.
It seems FiiO has changed the trajectory of the SNOWSKY brand, releasing this great-sounding dynamic driver IEM. Thus, I would highly recommend giving the OAK NANO a try if you are in the market for a neutral, high-resolution, reference-quality IEM.
FiiO SNOWSKY OAK NANO Technical Specifications
- Driver size: Large 13.8mm dynamic driver
- Driver material: Beryllium alloy dome diaphragm
- Diaphragm technology: W-shaped diaphragm with dedicated surround design
- Magnet type: 1.5T high magnetic flux density external magnetic circuit
- Front cavity: Front acoustic prism
- Rear cavity: Rear chamber airflow control damping
- Cable style: Detachable cable with 2 tuning styles
- Chamber material: Pure titanium metal chamber
- Cable conductor: Frozen monocrystalline silver-plated copper cable
- Impedance: 50Ω @1kHz
- Sensitivity: 112dB @1kHz
- Detachable plugs: 3.5mm SE/4.4mm balanced/TC plugs
- Connector type: 0.78mm 2-pin
