NITSCH x Schiit Pietus Maximus Review:
Today I’ll be sharing my experiences with the NITSCH x Schiit Pietus Maximus paired with my headphone and DAC stable. I was fortunate enough to be able to purchase this DAC slightly before release and am choosing to share my impressions of my own decision. I’m not being compensated in any way for this review and as always, my viewpoint will be unfiltered. My preferences may be different from yours and I welcome this.
My review chain is as follows: Schiit Modi Multibit 1, Modi Multibit 2, Bifrost 2 OG, Gungnir A1, Modius E. Yes, my DAC collection is pretty Schitty. I’ve also owned the Gustard R26, Yggy A1/2/LIM and several other high performing DS and MB dacs. Headphones are JAR580 OG & HD8XX EQ'd
Pairings:
This is extremely important as synergy is king in the world of audio enjoyment. I found that the Modi Multibit 1 and by similar sonic extension the built in MMB card are an ideal match for my preferences. The BF2 OG sounded good, Gungnir SE wasn’t as great due to the inherent limitations of that DACs SE outputs. MMB2 was serviceable but not as layered as MMB1, MMB2 is a touch energetic in the treble and Pietus revealed this. Modius E was another excellent pairing and, as before by extension the built-in Sabre card will also perform well here.
So, long story short you won’t need an uber-buck DAC to get great sound of the Pietus. A neutral/dark one is a great match. Just get yourself one of the in-built DAC cards from either Nitsch or Schiit and call it a day with an all-in-one solution or get yourself a used MMB1/Modius E for pretty cheap. They are all over and reliable.
For headphones I use primarily the JAR580 OG (which performs similar to the JAR600 available on NITSCH’s website) and an EQ’d HD8XX. The 660S/S2’s were also great from this amp. I don’t currently own any Planars so if this is your primary headphone type I won’t be able to share any impressions, however given the specs of this amp it should perform well enough with everything short of the HE-6. I can certainly say that the Sennheisers I own sounded incredible. The JAR series in particular really did shine on the Pietus.
Features and Operation:
This amp is simple, RCA in and SE out with an RCA out pre section as well. Inside is an Alps RK27 pot which I have absolutely no complaints about. The black knob on the front is a very welcome change from the usual Schiit gray affair. Everything feels smooth and there is no annoying light up front, though the power switch is still in the back per classic Schiit design. In the front there is a three-pole gain selector which is -10db, 0db and +15db. Unlike the original Piety the gain settings are perfect and even high gain allows for some pot movement before ramping up quickly. Power is rated at 4.2w into 32ohms and 600mw into 300 – which is to say plenty. Internal PCB is white and components are very high quality. Add-in cards are supported of course making this a compelling all-in-one solution. The Pietus also runs pretty cool and can be left on 24/7 without worry. This is a big plus in my opinion.
Sound Quality:
Compared to the Piety the Pietus is not as upper mid forward – which is quite the relief. Depending on the headphones (looking at you, 660S) this posed quite the problem with Pietus’s little brother. With the other 6 series I had no qualms. Pietus has a more relaxed and fleshed out low-end as well with a very organic bass presentation. My favorite rendition of the lower registers was from the Modi Multibit DAC (or MMB card) as the heft was very engaging and the high frequencies are smoother as well. Perfect match for the 600 series. Modius E wasn’t far behind trading a bit of euphony for accuracy and speed, which the higher tier headphones took advantage of. Midrange here is incredibly resolving from Pietus, not to be confused with overly sharp or detailed. Every sound is complete with a pleasing finish and my urge to keep playing tracks definitely overwhelmed. Treble range is a huge improvement with Pietus. It is far more detailed and engaging than the Piety, as well as more even. This is as far as my subjective FR analysis will go, but I will say that Piety is punchier on the top and bottom while Pietus has the far and away more elegant and performant midrange – all while having more cohesive bass/treble capabilities.
My initial approach was going to be comparing the Pietus to other amps in my stable and really digging down deep. This plan quickly faded away upon long listening sessions with the Pietus. All sounds were distinct and had a great follow-through. Like a craft brewed coffee finish on my pallet, Pietus was nimble in how it carved through my music library presenting music in a different way that really won me over. This isn’t your typical measurement focused amp yet doesn’t present itself in a way that is deficient either. I’ve spent a lot of time comparing gear and using music I know as a tool. The Pietus just made me want to listen and enjoy for hours on end, which is what this hobby is supposed to be about. Soundstage isn’t the biggest I’ve heard; however, the mid-sized staging has incredible resolve and cohesion – on top of accurate placement. Nothing is missing or obscured. Incredibly engaging and textured throughout is how I'd characterize the Pietus.
Conclusion:
Simply put Pietus is the best sounding SS amp I’ve ever heard (I've owned the Auralic Taurus MKii, Rag 1.5&2, GS-X Mini and many more) and suits
my preferences well. It’s effortless in presentation and I don’t even care to analyze my music while using it. It runs cool and presents my music in a way that wants to be heard and enjoyed. It finds that perfect balance between performance, engagement and a very slight euphonic touch. It’s not flat or panned, wide or claustrophobic. Honestly it brings me back to the roots of what I enjoyed about this hobby in the first place every time I listen to it.
As an aside I was considering giving MJ3 a go using Schiit’s 15-day trial. However the Pietus has left me quite pleased, even surprised. I think I’m good here, and it’s time to get back to listening. Thanks for reading all!
Again, the nice white PCB of the Pietus:
so I'll stick with my Midgard. But I'm very curious to hear some reviews whenever y'all get them in!
