EchoPod 0.9.1

EchoPod 0.9.1, replacement firmware for the Snowsky (FiiO) Echo Mini 8 GB.

Use it at your own risk. EchoPod is early, has been tested on one player, and comes with no warranty. Read the known issues and make sure you could recover the player through maskrom before you install.

Most of this comes from a comparison with FiiO's 4.0.0 firmware that velppa's Claude Code made (issue 12).

New

• Settings → Filter and Balance. Filter has five options, 1 to 5, that write FiiO's five DAC filter values; the names aren't known, so they're numbered. Balance runs from L12 to R12 and turns the louder side down by one dB a step (the step size is a guess, not FiiO's). Both are saved and apply at once.

Fixed

• The quietest volume steps are quieter. Step 1 starts at FiiO's quietest level and the first three steps rise smoothly from it. Before, step 1 was about -60 dB, which was loud with sensitive in-ear monitors.
• Bluetooth has its own volume curve, 6.5 dB quieter than wired, as in FiiO's firmware.
• The screen type is read from the panel instead of assumed, so a unit with the other panel gets its own start-up sequence. Tested only on a panel that uses the one EchoPod already used.
• The headphone-jack detect pins get their pull settings at start-up, as in FiiO's firmware.
• Turning off while music plays powers the DAC down first, which should avoid a pop.
• The updater also installs ECHOMINI.IMG.
• The second firmware slot is found by its header when it isn't where EchoPod assumed it. On the tested unit nothing changes.

When you update

• Your library, settings, equalizer, orientation, language and Bluetooth headphones stay as they are.
• The settings file gains a filter and balance byte. Going back to 0.9.0 or earlier makes that older firmware ignore the file and start from default settings.
• Delete the update file from the player once it has installed, or it installs again.

Full notes: docs/release-notes.md.

Install

Follow the user guide. Already on EchoPod: copy HIFIEC90.IMG to the top level of the player's internal storage (ECHO MINI), eject both drives and unplug; the player installs it. From FiiO firmware 3.7.0, 3.9.0 or 4.0.0: copy HIFIEC90.IMG to the top level of the player's internal storage, eject, unplug, take the microSD card out and restart. Installing from Windows is the tested route. One tester whose FiiO firmware kept refusing the file got it to install after first updating to FiiO's 3.8 firmware.

Check the download first: the SHA-256 of HIFIEC90.IMG must match SHA256SUMS.txt.

Your music goes on the microSD card; EchoPod doesn't read music from internal storage.

The 512 MB Echo Mini is not supported.