FiiO SnowSky Nature (black)

SnowSky is a FiiO sub-brand, and the Nature is its closed-back over-ear headphone with a retro look. The 50 mm dynamic driver has a Japanese carbon-black diaphragm made of a stiff 19 µm PET layer and a damping 30 µm TPU layer, which FiiO says avoids a metallic or plastic colouring of the sound; the tuning went through 8 driver revisions, 15 chamber revisions and nearly 1,000 listener reports, aiming for a natural, easy-going sound. Closed-back means the cups are sealed, so it blocks some outside noise and keeps your music to yourself. At 24 Ω and 101 dB/mW FiiO designed it to play straight from a phone or portable player, with a USB DAC/amp dongle as an upgrade. The dual 3.5 mm sockets accept single-ended and balanced cables, and the included 1.5 m cable has a microphone and a one-button remote. It weighs about 280 g, the leather pads twist off for cleaning, and the faceplates are ABS plastic with a printed wood grain, not real wood. The black edition has a dark, ebony-like grain with fine golden lines.

• 50 mm dynamic driver, carbon-black diaphragm
• Closed-back, 24 Ω, 101 dB/mW, about 280 g
• Detachable cable with mic and remote