[Jimmyblues1959]

Please suggest: Piety VS Atom+
I have a Sennheiser HD650 and planning to get an Amp. I am aware that the best pairing for the HD650 should be a tube amp, but I find that the better ones are out of my budget ($150 approx.).
This brings me to Piety and Atom+, both these amps have had wonderful reviews. I was about to go for an Atom+ then, i found out that Piety is back in stock.

I'm confused, which one to buy?

I've never heard either of the amps.

Thanks

For what it's worth, I own an original Atom as well as a Piety. Much prefer the sound of the Piety with both my planars and dynamics.

 

[mystaiced]

Please suggest: Piety VS Atom+
I have a Sennheiser HD650 and planning to get an Amp. I am aware that the best pairing for the HD650 should be a tube amp, but I find that the better ones are out of my budget ($150 approx.).
This brings me to Piety and Atom+, both these amps have had wonderful reviews. I was about to go for an Atom+ then, i found out that Piety is back in stock.

I'm confused, which one to buy?

I've never heard either of the amps.

Thanks

If a tube amp is what you’re looking at, the Schiit Vali 2++ is an excellent choice at $149 plus shipping and tax. The piety is also excellent, but is $164. And it is a solid state amp with tube like characteristics. I tend to lean towards the Vali 2++ over the piety most times I listen because I love the real tube sound. I have not heard the atom amp, so I cannot chime in on that.

 

[ardbeg1975]

If a tube amp is what you’re looking at, the Schiit Vali 2++ is an excellent choice at $149 plus shipping and tax. The piety is also excellent, but is $164. And it is a solid state amp with tube like characteristics. I tend to lean towards the Vali 2++ over the piety most times I listen because I love the real tube sound. I have not heard the atom amp, so I cannot chime in on that.

I agree the Vali 2+ is a great amp (I previously owned one) but I found that I needed to move to NOS tubes to get closer to “tube 3D sound” with the Vali’s hybrid circuit. The newer tube pairings just didn’t bend the sound enough for my taste. Thus, with a NOS tube, the price point could be higher at which point I just started looking a pure tube amps. Having recently acquired a Piety, I actually prefer it over the Vali 2+ (unless you go crazy and drop say a MELZ 6N8S into the Vali via a pin adapter).

 

[shafat777]

I am getting ready to have my piety go toe to toe with my Bliss KTE. Should be a great matchup.

 

[mystaiced]

I agree the Vali 2+ is a great amp (I previously owned one) but I found that I needed to move to NOS tubes to get closer to “tube 3D sound” with the Vali’s hybrid circuit. The newer tube pairings just didn’t bend the sound enough for my taste. Thus, with a NOS tube, the price point could be higher at which point I just started looking a pure tube amps. Having recently acquired a Piety, I actually prefer it over the Vali 2+ (unless you go crazy and drop say a MELZ 6N8S into the Vali via a pin adapter).

Yea. I forgot about the NOS tubes. I got lucky and found a 4 pack of RCA command 5670’s for about $20 each. And they sound great with it.

And I do enjoy the piety as a preamp with my 2 channel stereo setup.

 

[Ham Sandwich]

When comparing the dampening factor of the Piety and chosen headphone, with the Q of the headphones?

I ask this question to illustrate to notion that component synergy is important.

Andrew

The Piety has an output impedance of less than 0.6 ohms at low gain or high gain.
By specs the damping factor is plenty high enough with 20 ohm, 25 ohm, or 32 ohm headphones to have well controlled bass and well controlled sound. Yet with the Piety the bass sounds loose with audible distortions. The amp has a very low output impedance. The problem isn't the damping factor. The issue lies elsewhere.

I've listened to my various headphones with amps that have high output impedance. I know what the headphones sound like with poor damping factor. And the Piety doesn't sound like that. It's different. There is something else going on that is causing the effect of loose sounding bass and general poor control of the driver.

 

[jonathan c]

The Piety has an output impedance of less than 0.6 ohms at low gain or high gain.
By specs the damping factor is plenty high enough with 20 ohm, 25 ohm, or 32 ohm headphones to have well controlled bass and well controlled sound. Yet with the Piety the bass sounds loose with audible distortions. The amp has a very low output impedance. The problem isn't the damping factor. The issue lies elsewhere.**

I've listened to my various headphones with amps that have high output impedance. I know what the headphones sound like with poor damping factor. And the Piety doesn't sound like that. It's different. There is something else going on that is causing the effect of loose sounding bass and general poor control of the driver.

** I will guess the robustness, voltage swing capability of the power supply are factors; limited by a $160 MSRP

 

[Firedays]

Please suggest: Piety VS Atom+
I have a Sennheiser HD650 and planning to get an Amp. I am aware that the best pairing for the HD650 should be a tube amp, but I find that the better ones are out of my budget ($150 approx.).
This brings me to Piety and Atom+, both these amps have had wonderful reviews. I was about to go for an Atom+ then, i found out that Piety is back in stock.

I'm confused, which one to buy?

I've never heard either of the amps.

Thanks

Dear all,

Thank you so much for your inputs. Through your responses, i could gather that the group as a whole is leaning towards Piety.

Its obvious that there will be some bias towards Piety in a thread, but ITS ALL ABOUT MUSIC ABOVE ANYTHING ELSE . I'm fairly convinced that i will enjoy my listening experience with a Piety. I have decided to go ahead with the Piety, ordered one today.

Happy Listening Everyone .

Take care of your ears. Avoid high volumes. Lol, i feel old giving this advise.

 

[Mattyjm]

Dear all,

Thank you so much for your inputs. Through your responses, i could gather that the group as a whole is leaning towards Piety.

Its obvious that there will be some bias towards Piety in a thread, but ITS ALL ABOUT MUSIC ABOVE ANYTHING ELSE . I'm fairly convinced that i will enjoy my listening experience with a Piety. I have decided to go ahead with the Piety, ordered one today.

Happy Listening Everyone .

Take care of your ears. Avoid high volumes. Lol, i feel old giving this advise.

fwiw I used to own a atom alongside a piety (quite obvious which one I kept). I found the atom slightly lacking in body/power, almost sounding thin. If you need something cheap, Atom. If you have the budge for piety, go Piety.

 

[BS5711]

The Piety has an output impedance of less than 0.6 ohms at low gain or high gain.
By specs the damping factor is plenty high enough with 20 ohm, 25 ohm, or 32 ohm headphones to have well controlled bass and well controlled sound. Yet with the Piety the bass sounds loose with audible distortions. The amp has a very low output impedance. The problem isn't the damping factor. The issue lies elsewhere.

I've listened to my various headphones with amps that have high output impedance. I know what the headphones sound like with poor damping factor. And the Piety doesn't sound like that. It's different. There is something else going on that is causing the effect of loose sounding bass and general poor control of the driver.

The problem might simply be that it is ultimately an entry level amp that some folks are getting a bit over analytical about and comparing its performance with amps that cost orders of magnitude more ?

 

[Firedays]

fwiw I used to own a atom alongside a piety (quite obvious which one I kept). I found the atom slightly lacking in body/power, almost sounding thin. If you need something cheap, Atom. If you have the budge for piety, go Piety.

Thanks for Sharing. I was hoping that someone who owns both the amps provide their opinion. And you have.

 

[Baten]

If you have the budge for piety, go Piety.

I have a pretty significant budge for piety over here

 

[Mattyjm]

Thanks for Sharing. I was hoping that someone who owns both the amps provide their opinion. And you have.

*had

sold the atom long time ago, and never looked back since...

 

[Jimmyblues1959]

*had

sold the atom long time ago, and never looked back since...
[/QUOT

I was just at the Monoprice Website and it says that the Cavalli Liquid Platinum has in fact been discontinued. I thought that might be the case the way that Monoprice has been heavily discounting the LP recently. It had a good run at nearly 5 years. I wonder if the Liquid Spark will remain or also be discontinued?

I still have the JDS Labs Atom but I have not used it in quite sometime. I've always found it to be on the sterile side, sound wise, which made digital sources, in particular, fatiguing to listen to. The Piety on the other hand, is very pleasant sounding. It can become harsh, but only if you over drive it. I use it mostly for classical and jazz. When I listen to classic rock, I prefer my Cavalli Liquid Platinum in balanced mode, since it has much more power, and does not become harsh when pushed. Tonality wise, I think the Piety and LP are similar. Both being very pleasant sounding for long-term listening.

 

[Firedays]

Well, i have never heard the Senn HD 650 outside my LG G8x. I expect the Piety to be nothing short of a revelation.