Install. Set up. Press play.

Start with the firmware file.

A firmware image contains the software that runs your player. For installation, you need a ready-made image named GNARLYR.img.

• The matching release files. Keep GNARLYR.img, its checksum and its installation guide together. The checksum is a fingerprint you can use to check the file.
• A computer and a USB data cable. Use a cable that transfers files as well as charging.
• A charged ECHO and a backup. Copy any music and personal files you want to keep to your computer before the first installation.

Already have Gnarlyr 1.0 or later? Go straight to updating Gnarlyr. Switching from FiiO’s software? Start with first installation.

Install Gnarlyr for the first time.

The first installation uses the ECHO’s built-in recovery mode. This gives your computer access to install Gnarlyr before its own updater is running.

1. Prepare your files. Have GNARLYR.img, the full-size ECHO recovery tools and the matching installation guide ready. Keep a copy of FiiO’s original firmware for recovery.
2. Put the ECHO in recovery mode. Unplug USB and press the recessed RST button with a paperclip. Hold every button except Power, then connect USB while keeping those buttons held.
3. Follow the recovery installation guide. Use its full-size ECHO procedure to check the connection, back up the original firmware and install the image. Complete the verification steps before restarting.
4. Start the player. Restart into Gnarlyr and check Settings → About. Let the first library and artwork scan finish before connecting USB again.

Add music. Make it yours.

Once Gnarlyr starts, choose where your music lives and a few settings that make the player comfortable to use.

1. Choose your music storage. Gnarlyr uses a readable microSD card when one is inserted. Use FAT32 or exFAT. Without a card, it uses internal storage. Settings → About → Music shows which storage is active.
2. Copy your music. Choose Settings → USB mode → Storage, then connect to your computer. Copy music to the active music drive in any folder layout. Internal storage and an inserted microSD card appear as separate drives.
3. Eject and let the library refresh. Eject every mounted ECHO drive so the player can check for changed music. Let any library and artwork scan finish. For a manual refresh, choose Settings → Rescan library.
4. Choose your look and controls. In Settings, choose Theme, Text size and Orientation. Controls lets you assign playback tap and hold actions. Open Music to browse your collection and start listening.

Your settings stay on internal storage, so inserting or removing a card keeps your preferences.

For the next update, copy one file.

Once Gnarlyr is installed, its updater handles later versions. Copy the new image, eject the drives and let the player finish before unplugging.

1. Connect in Storage mode. On the player, choose Settings → USB mode → Storage. Connect USB and open the internal-storage drive on your computer.
2. Copy and check the image. Put the complete GNARLYR.img at the top level of internal storage, outside any folders, as its only update file. Check it against the checksum supplied with the image before ejecting.
   Check the copied file on macOS

   Check the copied image · macOS

   Copy

   shasum -a 256 "/Volumes/YOUR_ECHO/GNARLYR.img"

   Replace YOUR_ECHO with the internal drive’s actual name. Compare the result with the checksum supplied with the image.

   For a copy without macOS metadata sidecars, use cp -X. Remove any ._GNARLYR.img sidecar from the drive.

3. Eject every ECHO drive. Eject internal storage and the microSD drive, if present. Keep the cable connected while Gnarlyr checks and installs the image.
4. Wait for “Update installed.” When that message appears, unplug USB, hold Power for two seconds to switch off, then turn the player back on.
5. Check the version. Open Settings → About. The update file is removed after a successful installation.

The image belongs on internal storage, even when your music is on microSD.

Eject first. Unplug when it is ready.

Eject tells your computer to finish writing and gives the drives back to the player. Unplugging removes the cable. During an update, those are two separate steps.

• Eject all the drives. Gnarlyr needs both internal storage and any connected microSD drive returned before the update check starts.
• Leave USB connected during installation. Wait for “Update installed” before removing the cable.
• Restart after the update. The restart loads the new firmware and its matching USB code together.

For everyday music copying, eject every drive too. Gnarlyr checks for changes and refreshes the library when needed.

Need to try again?

Recovery mode provides a separate way to reinstall firmware if the normal player interface is unavailable.

• The ECHO will not start. Use the full-size ECHO recovery guide and your saved original firmware. Follow its complete write-and-verify procedure.
• An update was not recognized. Check that the file is named GNARLYR.img, sits at the top level of internal storage, and is the only update image there.
• You are using an older custom build. Follow that build’s migration instructions before updating. The older-build reference explains image identities.
• You want to return to FiiO’s software. Use the full-size ECHO’s official ECHOV200.IMG and its matching return-to-stock instructions. FiiO ECHO firmware ↗

Recovery reference and image checksum →