Amplifier recommendation

Never heard the Bryston, nor the CODA No 11. I do know that CODA amps are huge current machines and deliver a good chunk of that power in Class A..I know the CODA No 8 well, and own the latest S5.5.

The S5.5 drives some very difficult speakers extremely well (vintage Infinity RS Kappa 7s and Thiel 2.3s) among others.....but I would think the Coda No. 11 could be a good match

https://forum.audiogon.com/posts/2727106

Merle Travis. 

@helomech What did you use for a preamp with the No 8?  I upgraded from an older Coda to the No 8.  I don't find it lacking in bass at all. 

FWIW, the Coda No.11 has achieved a near legendary status among some.

I would not hesitate to buy one for a reasonable price, and that’s even despite the fact I was ultimately somewhat disappointed with a newer No.8. 

You should also consider the restored/upgraded Yamaha B-2 VFET amp for sale here. It will likely compete with anything remotely near your budget. I know for a fact it would stomp the Hegel 160. 

@viridian What you suggest I should go to? The Rotel RC-995 might be outdated to today standards but I still think is a good value preamp that uses a beefier PS with a toroidal tranformer and balanced outputs. Compare to my previous model RC-980BX which is actually much older model, was night and day difference. Maybe the better route is to go integrated.

@audition__audio Thanks for the comment. I am more looking for a neutral sound with no added coloration. Although I do praise tube sound it might not be my cup of tea at the moment. 

Coda over Bryston if you must choose between these 2 brands. My fist choice might be tubes but I would check the specs on your speakers first. 

Merle?

Haggard or Watson?

@viridian 

+1, but also the most overlooked is power conditioning. VeraFi Audios Snubway ($295) is amazing, especially considering that I already have 20 amp dedicated line + a Core Power 1800 PLC

Burmester 911 mk3

I would be looking at a new preamp and put the amp upgrade on the back burner, YMMV.

Thanks again for the recommendations. I think I am down to a couple models, the Odyssey Khartago or even the Hegel H160. I like the Hegel concept using a built in DAC in an integrated amp.

I agree with kennyc, I would go with AVA or Odyssey. They could be bought new at your budget.

a step up from the Acurus line is Aragon. Both were made by Mondial back in their original days.I had a wonderful Aragon 4004 (with 24K Pre-amp that I still own). I bought it new for ~$1,800 in early 1990's. Lot's of dual power supplies and bass slam, with a smooth mid. I sold it around 2000 for a used Krell 200-S (which originally sold for $7,500). It took that big of leap to beat the Aragon. I see their newer models for sale (8008 MK. II, I think) for about $1,500 on the used market.

The Acurus amplifiers used a small, cheep, 10uF aluminum electrolytic capacitor as the input signal coupling capacitor.  If you are handy with a soldering iron you can replace this 3 cent AL part with a polypropylene or polycarbonate capacitor of similar value.  To keep the new capacitor small you could use a 5 uF, 50 Volt poly part..  The poly part will be 20 or more times larger than the AL part, so i may need to have the leads insulated as not to touch other parts.  I think you will be very surprised at the improvement you will hear with this simple modification.

Regards,

jac122555  

Audio Alchemy and Elac Alchemy - both designed by audio guru Peter Madnick with extensive experience working for other brands including the Constellation Audio cost-no-object project with other noted gifted designers.

Cabasse Abyss here earned TAS’s 2024 Golden Ear Award in September 2024 issue#352

I am going to throw in 4 to the mix. All different:

1. Gato Audio. To get to the budget you have look at their DIA 250. Used. This is class D. I have their AMP150 - Class AB. From Denmark.

2. Hegel. Again for your budget I would say H390. I think from Norway.

3. Vincent Audio. From Germany. I have SV200. It is their smallest integrated- hybrid. You could look at some of their other models. They are affordable even new.

4. Akitika. This one is a curve ball. Made in the US. Usually a DIY amp but also available fully fully assembled. I acquired one recently - assembled- with volume control. It works like a dream. Very very affordable- around $600. You would be surprised.

regards,

Manu

@highend64 

sorry, but I do not own.  However, the last 8yrs I’ve been deep researching for my analog + digital chain so I have extensive lists (OCD?) of good/great mostly current components. Demoed much gear at audio stores and audio shows.  My goal was to find the “subjectively” best sonics, then try to build my system to match within budget.

There is a lot of fantastic gear..for a price, also high value gear.  But gear that meets “bargain” sonics that punch way above their price point, is scarce.  I can maybe think of 5 or so I would truly classify as a bargain.

What I do know, is that Magico’s Alon Wolf, who makes some of the very best speakers, uses the Khartago  here

@kennyc Thanks! I heard great things about the Odyssey amps. What are you thoughts on the Khartago model compare to the Stratos model? They seem to have similar topology with the exception of more PS caps capacity on the Stratos model.

@samac the balanced connection is a plus. 

@highend64 

The 1582MKII is the one I’ve listened to. It shares the same characteristics of the 1590. It sounds great.

I believe the addition of balanced inputs was the biggest change to the 1582MKII from the original. They share the same overall design.

Cheers,

Scott

Odyssey Audio - Sonic bargain (very few of those) great reviews.
Audio by Van Alstine - high value, also has used gear on their website.  
Orchard Starkrimson - another option, fair/good reviews 

+1 @ozzy62 - be aware that some used amps need the extra cost of recapping to fix worn out parts

@samac Thanks for the recommendation. The RB-1590 does look sleek but for my speakers might be too much. The RB-1582 might be more suited for my taste. What about the mkii model? Is there an improvement from the original?

@highend64 

You might want to consider the Rotel RB-1590. I’ve been completely satisfied with mine for nearly four years. The Music Room has one listed for 2.2k. You might be able to find one closer to your budget.The Rotel RB-1582 would work well too.

Both would work well with the sound you’re looking for and the music you listen too. As I reply I’m listening to Rush and then I’ll listen to some Merle and maybe even Norah later. It will all sound fantastic through the Rotel. :-)

Good luck with your search.

Cheers,

Scott

Coda mudrange is crystal clear without grain and without glare. It’s also a fast and dynamic sounding amp. The warmth of Class A comes thru in the sweetness of the highs but without sacrificing the extension. Tonal accuracy is awesome with Coda. If you’re looking for artificial bloom you won’t find it here.

@yyzsantabarbara I was not referring CODA silky midrange in particular. The Krell model is 5x the price of the CODA I mentioned.

The CODA is not a smooth silky mid-range. For that the KRELL Duo XD lineup is amazing. However, the CODA gear is slightly warm and to the neutral side of things.

The Parasound A21+ was my gateway drug to the CODA gear. The A21+ was rather good but a but a bit too warm and not as detailed as the CODA (or KRELL Duo XD). The A21+ would be a great value option for a non-warm speaker, like my Magnepan LRS+.

I appreciate all of the responses. I may be vague on what I am looking for.  It seems everyone like that smooth silky midrange sound as the main priority. Don't get me wrong when it comes to vocals and instrumental but I also like to keep it real and dynamic. I listen mainly streaming and most mostly rock and country. I do listen occasionally like Norah Jones and anything easy listening.  

My budget is around 1.2k but I can push it to 1.8k only if I need to.

Unless you're married to the Bryston and Coda option, for about the same money on the used market, the Parasound A21 is a good choice

@yyzsantabarbara I traded it in to Coda.  Doug knew the condition of the amp.  I don't know if they typically do that sort or thing, or not.  Mine was in mint condition, so maybe he wanted it for other reasons.  There are no dealers anywhere near me. 

@sls883 Did you trade the amp in with CODA (Doug) or with a dealer. I am eying the new CODA SYSTEM 150 amp and have a CODA #16 for potential trade.

BTW - OP, last week, I setup my home office in my big space where I have my CODA #16 amp with my Yamaha NS5000 speakers. I am starting a new job soon and need a 2nd office. I have been listening to the CODA everyday now after just periodic and short listening sessions in the past. I forgot how amazing the CODA amp was, I have goose bumps listening to some tunes on this system. I highly recommend the CODA amps.

I also owned PowerPac 300 (same as the 4B-SST) and the 7B-SST. The CODA gear is at a different level.

Doug Dale with Coda could give you an estimate to re-cap it if you wanted it done by them (assuming they have time to do it now).  About a year ago, I was told $450 + shipping  to recap my older Continuum Stage.  It was still functional, but the tops of the caps were domed.  Doug could not say how long they would last, but they were on their way out.  I ended up trading my old amp in on a new Continuum No 8.  

The  Coda 11 is indeed a discontinued model. I had one back in the late 90s, so you can see how old it is. It’s a great sounding amp, but I’d steer clear of one unless you want to do at least a recap on it.

You should read Jeff Fritz’s articles on Sound Stage Ultra when he decided to revamp his system from a mega expensive to a fixed budget. While he was deciding on amps in the 20k - 40k range he got an old CODA Class A amp as a temporary placeholder amp. He was shocked at how good it sounded relative to the latest amps he was auditioning. I think it was the CODA 11.

There is a seller close to where I live that has a CODA 11 for sale. It has intrigued me for my $1000 Magnepan LRS+ speakers. My CODA #16 is incredible on the LRS+ but it is needed elsewhere.

Jeff's Getting a New Stereo System: Part Three (soundstageultra.com)

The Ultra Jeff Fritz Reference System (soundstageultra.com)

@audphile1 I can vouch for the Coda #8. It's what I'm using and I'm very pleased.

I owned Coda CSiB integrated and it’s an amazing amp. Built on the No.8 platform with essentially the 07 preamp built in. Amazing sound. Plenty of flexibility with 3 versions to choose from to match the speakers you own. My highest recommendation. If you decide to go the separates route, look into No.8 amp.

The Bryston is a light weight compared to the Coda. Hands down Coda all day long between these two amps.

Looks like you're looking at the same class of the amps as yours and even nearly same power. Just to listen to a different amp instead of current, then yes the sound maybe different, but will that be an upgrade not as significant I think, but Bryston is the best choice out of the ones you've listed. 

What specific improvements are you looking for, and what’s your budget?  

Never heard of the model 11. Is that a discontinued Coda amp?

Triangles love tubes.