Storytime: NITSCH x Schiit Magni Piety, Magni Pi, etc.

Discussion in 'Headphone Amplifiers and Combo (DAC/Amp) Units' started by purr1n, Oct 29, 2022.

  1. Lyander

    Lyander Official SBAF Equitable Empathizer

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    Not that it'll need any more hype, but I plan to put my unit out on tour among friends-- maybe leave it with a local store to get a bit more exposure. Presuming it catches on any I might be able to guarantee some more interest in my side of the globe (though who knows how much of that will translate to sales).
     
  2. Philimon

    Philimon Friend

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    Does Cee Tee want to build another 200-500 Pietys? How much time and effort does it take to build x units? How much is the profit? I imagined Piety was more like a loss leader product to build company awareness.
     
  3. GuySmiley'sMonkey

    GuySmiley'sMonkey Almost "Made"

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    Ubiquitous lust plus limited run makes it a low-risk proposition. Buy it, try it. Don't like it? Easily sold on. This reasoning almost prompted me to hit "buy", but shipping costs make it more of a risk in Australia without having heard it first.

    Kudos to Christian, though. He's a smart bloke with an integrity everyone notices.
     
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    Last edited: Nov 22, 2022
  4. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    It's not that hard. Although sometimes the stars align. I didn't know who Randy the Cheap Audio Man was at the Texas Show. I just happened to bump into him and he asked me what was worth checking out. Obviously there was Schiit already, so I lead him down the hallway to other stuff. This was right before the Show start at 10am. One door happened to be open and @CEE TEE was doing the final touches on his table and room. @CEE TEE made sure the curtains were open to allow plenty of light and offer an open welcoming environment. The gear on this table was laid out nicely and orderly with brand materials on the side. Randy proceeded to interview him and @CEE TEE made it up as he went along.

    Sometimes it comes down to luck. @CEE TEE didn't know who Randy was (he could have been a total rando) and that Randy would later post his video garnering several tens of thousands of views in the afternoon that same day. @CEE TEE's email box was filled with hundreds of interest emails the next day.

    Actually he didn't make it up as he went along. @CEE TEE already a had story behind the Magni Piety, a good one. @CEE TEE made sure he had branding materials ready being that Nitsch was a new brand. @CEE TEE made the room welcoming and orderly. @CEE TEE also tended to the table like one those highly skillful bartenders in Japan who have that Obi-Wan sense of when to offer you another drink or just to leave you alone, but always keeping their eye on you.

    It's always the same formula for success. Wake up early in the morning and get your shit packed tight. There's no luck when you don't take advantage of it when it hits you in the face. Trust me, Tom Brady memorized the playbook, was one of the first to practice, last out of practice, and demanded a lot in himself and his team.

    P.S. A product that sells itself also helps.

    P.S.S. Giving samples to influential people helps. I cannot stress how F'ing cheapskate some audiophile companies are. I know Josh Valour isn't popular here, but he's definitely a person I'd get product to. Sending a unit to @atomicbob was the right move. It's hard for me to feature a product that synergizes with another product if I don't have said product on hand. I mean, you know how often I would have used an LCD-4 or Utopia with amp and DAC reviews had those companies sent me one?

    P.S.S.S. The biggest hype train ever: HD6XX. Massdrop sold thousands and thousands upon thousands. For a product once relegated as a has-been because Head-Fi got people hooked on FOTM. All it took were contrarian / revisionist views, many from this site, that came about because people were starting to realizing that a lot of betterer stuff was really two steps forward and three steps back.
     
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    Last edited: Nov 22, 2022
  5. pure5152

    pure5152 Friend

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    Per @purr1n 's suggestion, I've gone ahead and compiled all the piety info I could find so far here. It includes impressions from this thread, atomicbob's measurements, and impressions from the Texas Audio Roundup thread (rhythmdevil's and hands's). This could be a good starting point for creating an index to add to the first post. Mods, feel free to add as desired as further impressions come up.

    ---

    piety official description/specs: https://nitschsound.com/products/magni-piety
    @CEE TEE 's piety dev story: https://nitschsound.com/blogs/news/making-a-new-magni

    Measurements:
    - [@atomicbob]: piety in-depth measurements
    - [@purr1n]: piety measurements

    Impressions and Comparisons:
    - [@purr1n]: piety vs asgard 3, magni 3+, and vali 2/2+ (also some more vs asgard 3)
    - [@purr1n]: piety with IEMs and some dac discussion
    - [@Hands]: piety impressions and comparison with magni 3+
    - [@Azimuth]: in depth review and comparisons to BW, Dynamo, Vali 2+, Magni 3
    - [@rhythmdevils]: piety prototype impressions
    - [@schiit]: brief comments about piety
    - [@bazelio]: brief impressions

    Video impressions:
    - [@Azimuth]: in-depth video review (17:30)
    - [Randy (cheapaudioman)]: in-depth video review (12:45)
     
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    Last edited: Nov 22, 2022
  6. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    inserted into first post.
     
  7. insidious meme

    insidious meme Ambivalent Kumquat

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    Yo, @Clemmaster. Wake up!
     
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  8. Baten

    Baten Friend

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    Or an SBAF version with a limited edition print like the cat-SW51 (or a slightly better pot while we're dreaming :heart:)
     
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  9. ChaChaRealSmooth

    ChaChaRealSmooth SBAF's Mr. Bean

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    Magni Piety Impressions

    For all those wondering, the heavens did not part and the angels sing when I plugged in the Magni Piety to listen to. However, just like how I really liked Asgard 3 and think it punches above its price class, I too think Piety does a lot well for its price and also punches above its price. I must admit that I have never heard the Magni 3+ (only heard the Magni 3), so I won't be able to directly compare them. Instead, I'll have some notes against the Asgard 3 (which I gave away to a friend who could make much better use of it than I could).

    All listening was done with the high gain. I did try the low gain as well, but I felt the dynamics sounded a bit too compressed with the low gain.

    Sonics

    The Piety is along the lines of the Asgard 3 in the sense that they both belong in the category of SS amps that somewhat emulate tubes and are overall rich, rounded, and lush in presentation. Piety though doesn't go as far as Asgard 3 in this regard; the Piety isn't quite as lush as the Asgard 3, which can be criticized (fairly) as being overly thick. Think of the Asgard 3 as having more sins of commission (more rich, thick-sounding) but also fewer sins of commission (more resolving). For some, the Asgard 3 goes a bit too far in that direction. I personally think Piety is more palatable in that regard even though I really like the Asgard 3.

    An area I do have concerns about (for some listeners at least) is the treble. The Piety has some splashyness in the mid-treble that comes off as unrefined if you're coming off of a good high-end amp like a DNA. It's certainly not terrible in this regard and isn't really a big deal, but it is worth noting especially when the rest of the presentation is more warm and laid-back. In a way, it almost reminds me of some R2R DACs in the sense that most of them seem to exhibit some sort of treble ringing despite being overall lush sounding; if that doesn't bother you then the Piety will not bother you.

    As far as the transients go, it's not what I'd call sluggish, more like a touch laid-back. Again, sort of like Asgard 3 but not as laid-back as that amp. Same story with dynamics (along the lines of Asgard 3), but I think the Piety might slam a touch more. I'd need the Asgard 3 again to compare directly side by side.

    In a nutshell, the Piety is sort of like an Asgard 3 but not as rich, lush, and thick. Asgard 3 does edge it out in resolve, but Piety is at the level where I was still greatly enjoying myself.

    Headphone Pairings
    1. Focal Utopia: Probably sacrilegious, but actually somewhat works. I think the Focals need an amp that has some richness, and the Piety fits the bill without taking too much away from what makes the Focals great.
    2. Sennheiser HD600 (JAR mod): YES.
    3. ZMF Atrium: Funny enough, the Piety has enough juice for the Atrium and sounds pretty good. I do think that with more open Aeolus mesh (which is NOT the same as the vented stock Atrium mesh) the splashyness of the treble can come across as a bit too much.
    4. ZMF Verite: For when you want a rich presentation.

    Conclusion

    Anyone who rode the bandwagon should be pleased as long as you weren't expecting some DNA Starlett/Stratus/Stellaris slayer. Piety is not a miracle, but the value proposition it presents is very high (especially since I really do like amps that are along these lines in terms of how they sound.
     
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  10. ductrung3993

    ductrung3993 Facebook Friend

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    Thanks @ChaChaRealSmooth, i couldnt help but have very high expectation following the raves (which I know can only increase the chance of disappointment). Needs help to bring me closer back to reality!
     
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  11. Azimuth

    Azimuth FKA rtaylor76, Friend

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    I will agree with @ChaChaRealSmooth that there might be some splashiness in the highs, but it is not very distracting, especially coming from something like a Magni 3+ or even the old Vali 1. Yes, coming from some top tier tube amps, sure. I can see that. It is cozy laid back, but without putting a blanket on the highs or a syrupy sound. I think someone told me that it won't blow you away with technical ability, enjoyable to listen to and not very fatiguing. I think this person said it is almost relationship or wifey material, lol.

    The other thing I wanted to point out that some of you, if you are anything like me, are kind of confused on the actual shade. Some pictures look like near black. Some look almost like a darkish gray. Well, it is a very difficult amp to take a picture of because the hue does change with light. Here is with the sun at my back:

    IMG_2032.jpg
    And here it is with the sun more facing towards me:

    IMG_2033.jpg
    The case is very smooth. Not as rough as the old gray painted cases. It does seem like some kind of paint or powder coat. Like maybe it is black and gray mixed powder coat, and that is why it catches the light differently. The main case is also a couple of shades lighter than the darker gray on the typical Schiit boxes and the Piety box has a bit more texture to it.

    I am digging the subtle changes from Schiit...the star drive screws on top, smooth black knob with white dot indicator, and rear screen printing as seen from @purr1n 's post. Other small surprises inside the box that I won't spoil.
     
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  12. M3NTAL

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    I've been anticipating the Piety's arrival, so I pulled out one of my more reference dynamics headphones, the Focal Clear (OG) and have been listening to that connected to a Vali 2+ on high gain.

    Quick out of the box impressions are that the Piety might be more relaxed than the Vali 2+ while the Piety is on Low Gain. Flipping to High Gain on the Piety seemed to make it a little more aggressive and forward in most places you might confuse as increased transients. I think the Low Gain still has driver control, just a more even and slight laid back presentation. I'd probably guess the Vali 2+ in High Gain is somewhere in between.

    I look forward to listening to this for a while and roll through some headphones. See how it acts/reacts to things.

    Thank you Cee Tee.
     
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  13. Jh4db536

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    Received Piety#158 today, used it though my modified Philips CD-880/internal dac and a .1DAC > HD-800. I was afraid that it might not have enough balls for 800, however, i found that it has plenty (previously only heard it with ETA MINI C and HD580 so i already know it works with those. Need about 3o clock on high gain (about 75% volume). I do not like low gain. There is just enough slack to keep it natural sounding. Personally I still think it's a little bit too straight and crisp but I think most people will find this to have the right amount of compromise. Edit: i like this most with my HD580. Piety doesn't have the magical synergy of a dedicated HD800 amp although it is plenty powerful enough (it's committing that lower treble splash too much for my liking with this pair).

    Impressions generally concur with most people here and i might take a few quotes:

    I never thought i would ever want to own a SS headphone amp given i can pretty much make myself anything i want at this point. 'The Piety simply has an engagement factor that a solid-state amp sound not have. The Magni Piety basically should not be allowed exist'. This is one of the few SS amps at Any price that i can actually keep on my head for more than a few songs. That is an accomplishment.

    I think it is fairly transparent and malleable amp for SS. It sounds clear and just the right amount of sharp/round. Edit: I'm starting to hear the magni treble sharpness even on a very round.1DAC. I know what flavors my sources give off and i hear most of it on the other side. HD800 sounds like an 800 through the Piety for good and bad. That is okay and Right. Edit: from a source perspective it's not very transparent. It commits the air and transients to everything (probably even a suckris DAC). This is still remarkable given that many amps 10x the price still cannot reach (omit) transient and dynamics even if the source was capable. This is evident when i use a really chill dac with a a steeper overall slope, politeness, and roundedness the piety still remains very sharp, crisp, and transient tilted.

    FR is flat enough and extended for me. I hear deep punchy bass notes that im used to hearing. The stock OS DAC in the 880 is extremely airy and it's coming through the other side (whoa). Mid is just a bit sweet (or allows some degree) not as pure as SW51, not overemphasized and not sucked out if i change to a normal source. It's engaging for an SS amp. SW51 would sound rolled off n shaped boring AF in comparison.

    I personally don't care too much for imaging presentation on headphones. The stage is not flat like many other similarly priced amps. there is a little depth, width and a little height and it's proportional. Due to the air i mentioned above there is /can be a sense of ambient space. Piety is not lean or thicc sounding it's neutral on that aspect.

    Textures not as high as a big boy tube amp; there's a tiny bit not as much as my diy sangaku hybrid. Transient performance is Excellent (it slaps and slams) unlike some really expensive popular amps. I think this amp is neutra-dry (close to neutral leaning very slightly dry). I view this as neutral from a cold or warm perspective - it'll swing cold on a cold source and warm on a warm one. The source gear I'm using has a lot of inner warmth so on my chain it sounds warmish but not as much as a bh crack (even with mods)

    Big thanks for CeeTee to bringing something like this to the market at a price that people can afford and not have to tinker to get this kind of sound.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
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    Last edited: Dec 3, 2022
  14. M3NTAL

    M3NTAL Friend

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    One thing to note now that the sun has gone down. The internal LED's are white. They cast a faint disco ball effect on to the ceiling.
     
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  15. TheloniuSnoop

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    Sit back, relax, and play some techno. :punk:
     
  16. JellyRhino

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    Here's my first hours impressions with a Bifrost 2 (OG) and a pair of HD8XX (EQed):

    Hi gain sounds very good and kind of saturated
    - Vivid and lively mids, not aggressive or too incisive, pretty smooth actually
    - Kind of wet Bootsy Collins phat bass, cool and tasteful
    - Somewhat less resolving snappy treble with diminished air, compared to lo gain

    Lo gain is mellower and more controlled, closer to Asgard 3 but not as laidback
    - Still engaging mids, more so than Asgard 3
    - Controlled bass, bouncier than Asgard 3
    - Quite resolving controlled spacey treble, pretty much on par with Asgard 3

    As expected, Zampotech SW51+ is a less saturated and less compressed straight shooter, more resolving, transparent, liquid, refined, natural, effortless, open, expansive, etc. It's also much bigger and more expensive.

    n.b. DHL was fast, but they threw the box on my porch. That was kinda scary.
     
    Last edited: Nov 25, 2022
  17. Dandrac42

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    Wow is my First impressions on the Piety. It will not be replacing the Folkvanger or the Mjolnir2 but yea the Vali2+ for my IEMS just got replaced. Bravo ! So small like the Vali but better without the tube rolling PITA. What a find. Oh yea if you don't like the tonality try the other gain setting cause its like getting two amps in one.
     
  18. earnmyturns

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    Surprising(ly good) combo story. I had a Soekris 2541 around, waiting to join an office setup. My Piety just arrived. Very basic setup: Roon core on fanless PC > USB > Soekris > line RCA > Piety high gain > VC monkeypod. A tad rough & thick, not surprisingly given that from experience this DAC needs a bit of time to stabilize, but dynamics, tonal density are convincing on "Eventide" by Rajna Swaminathan (mrudangam and voice) & Miles Okazaki (guitar), one of my recent Bandcamp favorites.
     
    Last edited: Nov 26, 2022
  19. schneller

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    @CEE TEE will you all do a second batch at some point?
     
  20. Philimon

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    Ya, its good. Low-gain for LCDX.
    [​IMG]
     

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