Thank you as always for your excellent review of this special, limited run, equipment. I'm glad you have found something you really like and for sharing it with us all. All the best, Sir.
Go with the ESS card if you're considering an All in One with the Pietus Maximus. I just got the Multibit card version and there was an obvious dip in volume compared to my Geshelli J2S AK4499 with Sparkos OpAmps DAC through RCA. Sent the PM back to swap in the ESS card
@@Soundoverload I should have the ESS PM next week. It was very good with the Geshelli J2S but I want to use the PM as an AIO for a desktop set-up to create some room on the desktop
Been listening to this amp for a week now. it is definitely amazing. I loved the Piety and this is a huge leap in technicality. I also have the ESS card which has a lot of punch. I love using my Gustard R26 with this amp as well. On the Caldera it brings out an incredible amount of detail and space. On the new Bokeh you get a pairing that I think is probably unbeatable for the price. The OG Empyrean is the best it has ever sounded on this. I personally like this amp with a warmer headphone and DAC pairing, but it does well with everything. It isn't just an incremental upgrade to the Piety. Pietus is totally its own thing in technicality and tuning. Big props to Christian at NITSCH who is on a roll with amazing products. Heard the DSHA-3FN with my Caldera and AC at CanJam and wow intoxicating holographic shimmer going on with the treble there. Also got to hear his JAR600 which is the best a sennheiser 600 series has ever sounded hands down.
Excellent review. I am also floored by the value of this amp compared to its performance. It is scary close to my $3k tube amp in many areas. I can't think of an audio product besides OG Bifrost 2 that has provided this much performance for so little money. This amp is a marvel.
This amp sin on my to-get list. I have a Piety in a stack that includes the Freya N, Gungnir Multibit, and Lokius. I use a Sys to switch between the Piety and Asgard 3. I spend more time with the Piety selected, so the Maximus has my serious interest.
Oh my. I have that same stack of Schiit, with a Mani 2++. I love it, but I think I might have to move the Mani to my desk (with Modi MB2) and replace it with a Pietus.
Similar stack but instead have a loki n Magni heresy… looking to upgrade the headphone amp as i just bought a HD800s, any updated comments on the piety or if you have others?
A50x review coming soon I hope? Dk if they only gave review units to ppl they sponsor or not, but that's what it looks like so far. I've had their social media team tell me on both IG and twitter that they are aware of consumer want of a version without the hdmi splitter when i mentioned it would be nice to have a version without that as a 4k 120hz hdmi splitter like that drives up cost. Would be sweet. Mic sounds good too
think this would work well with a focal utopia? I know that hp is very amp picky and im still looking for a reasonably priced source chain that can do the job.
$380 is a lot compared to other headphones. For console, sure, if you don't have an external mic and absolutely need wireless. For PC, nah, plenty of quality headphones + external mics out there you can buy while staying well below $350. Just my two cents, coming from someone who's had A50's for the past 4 years and recently switched to Sennheiser.
Looking forward to see you testing the new Astro A50 X, never going to use wireless trash products but I’m still curious if its an upgrade over the old one 😜
A little off-topic, but if I were to get the beyerdynamic dt 770 pro 80 ohm or the audeze maxwell, would you recommend the new bee or lamacall headphone stand?
If you could get a Mjolnir in and compare it that would be the money side by side! I've got a piety and i almost compulsively have to collect this 🤣 UPDATE: went to the Schittr, definitely getting an MJ3. PS: the hum is capacitive coupling of the human body to a chassis grounded single ended device. The hum is always there, it's just too quiet in low gain and not apparent at high volume.
Hi Joe astro or Logitech finally finally updated the a50s there the a50 x there expensive you can switch to consoles or PC in one switch which I'm not very happy about it because I play on PS5 only. They have better games than Xbox x they have Spiderman and the last of us to will be waiting for your review thank you Joe and Merry Christmas
Most of these reviewers who praise the Piety and Pietus have never tried the Jotunheim 2, which both are based on. A direct comparison would be interesting. The Jotunheim 2, which I own and love, is probably better than these and it's also balanced unlike these.
I had a jot 2 and have a piety and have a pietus on the way. Cant comment on pietus yet but would happily take a piety over jot 2, the jot 2 was one of my least favorite amps ever.
I thought there was no inherent advantage of a balanced circuit over a properly designed single ended one, all other things being equal. It appears some manufacturers are treating balanced as an upgrade so they design and market accordingly.
I'll never get how some people get nostalgic for that distorting tube amp sound to the point they'll try to deliberately emulate it. What used to be a technical limitation now is a sought after 'flavor' and has nothing to do with 'high resolution' or 'fidelity'. This is for those who want a flaw in their chain so they can justify more spending on source matching etc. It's ok to like it but it should be clear objectively this is not hi-fi. If it sounds "better" it's never on all tracks and genres.
I don’t know how anyone can be a music fan and NOT like tubes. How many great guitar songs over the years were recorded through a tube amp, clearly you find those pleasing right? So why would it not be a pleasing sound for playback? Don’t get me wrong I like a nice analytical SS amp too for other genres particular electronic music, but classical and rock just sounds so much bigger, livelier and meatier on tubes, what can I say. Probably the best comparison to me is how retro video games look like ass on an OLED but really shine on an old analog CRT with scanlines and phosphors.
@@mikeg2491 My problem is two-fold. Philosophically, I don't consider a distorting speaker amp an instrument like I would a tube screamer amp etc applied by the artist in their creative process. A speaker amp is a link in the sound reproduction chain. Of course I get we can never quite reach perfection that is a live performance due to different limitations (like room acoustics not matching the original) and some parts we'll inevitably end up having to adjust to make them more natural/pleasant. But there's a strong case to be made that adding distortion deliberately is definitely not natural. That's not to say I'm against people liking things that don't necessarily perform well objectively, it's their right, but... ...Part 2 is these people will often have impressionable newcomers believing that spending a substantial amount on such a piece of gear will buy them "better" sound because they'll swear by it even if it's demonstrably just their subjective preference for distortion. Nowadays when people often blind buy stuff online based on reviews and recommendations, these things need to be communicated clearly especially when some benefit from these omissions. Tubes are not hi-fi by modern standards.
@@zaq9339 Agree there’s alot of bombastic claims out there but I don’t see why a $500 tube amp should be considered inherently more devious than a $10,000 solid state one just going off a frequency chart, price levels in audio are all over the place. I don’t build electronics for a living but I have no doubt the second one is padding their profit margins way, way more which is more abusive to me than subjective audio opinions of flowery reviews. In a utopian world we should all be privy to R&D costs to determine what is the real snake oil, not looking at specs or charts. Personally I think there is way more crookedness in the speaker industry and it’s crazy to me no one says anything about $50k speakers but build a $500 distorting amp and the objective crowd goes nuts. Likewise headphone prices have gotten out of control too with these $3k-$10k boutique HPs. I actually own a Susvara and it’s good but not 8x the cost of a HE1000 good. I’m just fortunate to be at a point in my life to afford these toys but I recognize they are stupid and I’m just paying for marginal gains. Plus they at least hold their value somewhat so I can resell later. Personally speaking my Pinocchio-like cobbled together Grado headphones are my favorite against the Audeze’s, Focals and Hifimans of the world. Go figure.
I am looking forward to your DSHA review!
Thank you as always for your excellent review of this special, limited run, equipment. I'm glad you have found something you really like and for sharing it with us all. All the best, Sir.
Thanks Simon! Definitely one of my favorite amps I’ve ever used by far
Go with the ESS card if you're considering an All in One with the Pietus Maximus. I just got the Multibit card version and there was an obvious dip in volume compared to my Geshelli J2S AK4499 with Sparkos OpAmps DAC through RCA. Sent the PM back to swap in the ESS card
How does it compare to the Gishelli if you got the ESS version back? (I know the dacs are different)
@@Soundoverload I should have the ESS PM next week. It was very good with the Geshelli J2S but I want to use the PM as an AIO for a desktop set-up to create some room on the desktop
@@JTB-- all right thanks, let me know how it goes 🙏🏻
@@Soundoverload I'll report back once I get the PM next week
@@JTB-- Seems no one likes Schiit’s newer multibit dac card. Am I hearing that right? lol Should I sell my Lyr3 to get the PM?
Been listening to this amp for a week now. it is definitely amazing. I loved the Piety and this is a huge leap in technicality. I also have the ESS card which has a lot of punch. I love using my Gustard R26 with this amp as well. On the Caldera it brings out an incredible amount of detail and space. On the new Bokeh you get a pairing that I think is probably unbeatable for the price. The OG Empyrean is the best it has ever sounded on this. I personally like this amp with a warmer headphone and DAC pairing, but it does well with everything. It isn't just an incremental upgrade to the Piety. Pietus is totally its own thing in technicality and tuning. Big props to Christian at NITSCH who is on a roll with amazing products. Heard the DSHA-3FN with my Caldera and AC at CanJam and wow intoxicating holographic shimmer going on with the treble there. Also got to hear his JAR600 which is the best a sennheiser 600 series has ever sounded hands down.
The ESS card is the way to go. The Multibit card which cost more($750) has an obvious dip in volume compared to a DAC in the RCA
Excellent review. I am also floored by the value of this amp compared to its performance. It is scary close to my $3k tube amp in many areas. I can't think of an audio product besides OG Bifrost 2 that has provided this much performance for so little money. This amp is a marvel.
This amp sin on my to-get list. I have a Piety in a stack that includes the Freya N, Gungnir Multibit, and Lokius. I use a Sys to switch between the Piety and Asgard 3. I spend more time with the Piety selected, so the Maximus has my serious interest.
Oh my. I have that same stack of Schiit, with a Mani 2++. I love it, but I think I might have to move the Mani to my desk (with Modi MB2) and replace it with a Pietus.
Similar stack but instead have a loki n Magni heresy… looking to upgrade the headphone amp as i just bought a HD800s, any updated comments on the piety or if you have others?
Have the piety,and love it This sounds VERY interesting. Thank you.
Loved that IEM stand. Which stand is that ?
He found a dead tree and used it for his stand.
I use the original Asgard 3 with multibit DAC, which is already warm and ultra-natural, so that would be what I'd be curious to compare it to.
i sit here staring at my Asgard 3 and thinking hmmmm.......
Thanks a lot for all the helpful videos, can you do a review of the Topping dx9 pro amp/dac if you have a chance to get one, please.
Actually I hope to cover that in January or February!
joe whats up my boy can u connect this amp to the ps5?
What are the most noticeable improvements of this over the Piety asides from bass, on a hd600 for example? Thank you!
A50x review coming soon I hope? Dk if they only gave review units to ppl they sponsor or not, but that's what it looks like so far. I've had their social media team tell me on both IG and twitter that they are aware of consumer want of a version without the hdmi splitter when i mentioned it would be nice to have a version without that as a 4k 120hz hdmi splitter like that drives up cost. Would be sweet. Mic sounds good too
think this would work well with a focal utopia? I know that hp is very amp picky and im still looking for a reasonably priced source chain that can do the job.
The phono pre is an incredible option.
sigma delta or multibit deck for competitive fps gaming?
Are you hype for those new Astro A50’s?
$380 is a lot compared to other headphones. For console, sure, if you don't have an external mic and absolutely need wireless. For PC, nah, plenty of quality headphones + external mics out there you can buy while staying well below $350. Just my two cents, coming from someone who's had A50's for the past 4 years and recently switched to Sennheiser.
Looking forward to see you testing the new Astro A50 X, never going to use wireless trash products but I’m still curious if its an upgrade over the old one 😜
What headset do you use when playing COD/Warzone competitively?
Is it the Stealth Pros, VZR, something else?
Curious what this sounds like as a preamp with speakers.
What's the Cambridge Audio dac/amp model you like? I've been wanting to try one of their setups for a bit, thanks!
So is this Class A(B)?
A little off-topic, but if I were to get the beyerdynamic dt 770 pro 80 ohm or the audeze maxwell, would you recommend the new bee or lamacall headphone stand?
Hi there! How does Maximus do with Metal If I use them with Caldera?
What are those headphones Stand?
If you could get a Mjolnir in and compare it that would be the money side by side! I've got a piety and i almost compulsively have to collect this 🤣
UPDATE: went to the Schittr, definitely getting an MJ3.
PS: the hum is capacitive coupling of the human body to a chassis grounded single ended device. The hum is always there, it's just too quiet in low gain and not apparent at high volume.
Is Schiit manufacturing these headphone amps for Nitsch? Or, Schiit and Nitsch buy from the same vendor?
Schiit manufactures these headphone amps for Nitsch
A review of those new a50x would be awesome
In time my friend :)
♥
Does anyone who owns the Pietus, also own a JDS Labs Element 3? I LOVE my element, but the Maximus is giving me irrational thoughts. Help please? Haha
Is this the krusty crab?
Hi Joe astro or Logitech finally finally updated the a50s there the a50 x there expensive you can switch to consoles or PC in one switch which I'm not very happy about it because I play on PS5 only. They have better games than Xbox x they have Spiderman and the last of us to will be waiting for your review thank you Joe and Merry Christmas
Hi James. Thanks for your support! The review will be done in about 7-10 days! Sorry for the delay!
Would you say this is a baby Jotunheim?
It's the same size and more expensive than the Jotunheim.
I know I've found a good reviewer when they listen to everything from Korn to Taylor Swift lol.
Most of these reviewers who praise the Piety and Pietus have never tried the Jotunheim 2, which both are based on. A direct comparison would be interesting. The Jotunheim 2, which I own and love, is probably better than these and it's also balanced unlike these.
I had a jot 2 and have a piety and have a pietus on the way. Cant comment on pietus yet but would happily take a piety over jot 2, the jot 2 was one of my least favorite amps ever.
You can easily say the same thing for people who praise the Jotunheim 2 and have never tried the Pietus or Piety.
@@hiatsini Lyr 3 would be another interesting comparison
@@hiatsinihigh gain or low gain piety
I thought there was no inherent advantage of a balanced circuit over a properly designed single ended one, all other things being equal.
It appears some manufacturers are treating balanced as an upgrade so they design and market accordingly.
If only it was BALANCED. :(
Almost 5W available through SE. What's the issue?
@@the12gaugeshotty Tungsten.
@@TheVeganVicar well, you're going to need a speaker amp for that. Balanced vs SE isn't relevant with that headphone.
I'll never get how some people get nostalgic for that distorting tube amp sound to the point they'll try to deliberately emulate it. What used to be a technical limitation now is a sought after 'flavor' and has nothing to do with 'high resolution' or 'fidelity'. This is for those who want a flaw in their chain so they can justify more spending on source matching etc. It's ok to like it but it should be clear objectively this is not hi-fi. If it sounds "better" it's never on all tracks and genres.
I don’t know how anyone can be a music fan and NOT like tubes. How many great guitar songs over the years were recorded through a tube amp, clearly you find those pleasing right? So why would it not be a pleasing sound for playback? Don’t get me wrong I like a nice analytical SS amp too for other genres particular electronic music, but classical and rock just sounds so much bigger, livelier and meatier on tubes, what can I say.
Probably the best comparison to me is how retro video games look like ass on an OLED but really shine on an old analog CRT with scanlines and phosphors.
@@mikeg2491 My problem is two-fold. Philosophically, I don't consider a distorting speaker amp an instrument like I would a tube screamer amp etc applied by the artist in their creative process. A speaker amp is a link in the sound reproduction chain. Of course I get we can never quite reach perfection that is a live performance due to different limitations (like room acoustics not matching the original) and some parts we'll inevitably end up having to adjust to make them more natural/pleasant. But there's a strong case to be made that adding distortion deliberately is definitely not natural. That's not to say I'm against people liking things that don't necessarily perform well objectively, it's their right, but...
...Part 2 is these people will often have impressionable newcomers believing that spending a substantial amount on such a piece of gear will buy them "better" sound because they'll swear by it even if it's demonstrably just their subjective preference for distortion. Nowadays when people often blind buy stuff online based on reviews and recommendations, these things need to be communicated clearly especially when some benefit from these omissions. Tubes are not hi-fi by modern standards.
@@zaq9339 Agree there’s alot of bombastic claims out there but I don’t see why a $500 tube amp should be considered inherently more devious than a $10,000 solid state one just going off a frequency chart, price levels in audio are all over the place. I don’t build electronics for a living but I have no doubt the second one is padding their profit margins way, way more which is more abusive to me than subjective audio opinions of flowery reviews. In a utopian world we should all be privy to R&D costs to determine what is the real snake oil, not looking at specs or charts.
Personally I think there is way more crookedness in the speaker industry and it’s crazy to me no one says anything about $50k speakers but build a $500 distorting amp and the objective crowd goes nuts. Likewise headphone prices have gotten out of control too with these $3k-$10k boutique HPs. I actually own a Susvara and it’s good but not 8x the cost of a HE1000 good. I’m just fortunate to be at a point in my life to afford these toys but I recognize they are stupid and I’m just paying for marginal gains. Plus they at least hold their value somewhat so I can resell later. Personally speaking my Pinocchio-like cobbled together Grado headphones are my favorite against the Audeze’s, Focals and Hifimans of the world. Go figure.
Isn’t this an SS amp? Does it really matter if it sounds warm? It is technically a SS amp?