@tmac1700, I would ask Coda as it's really important to know definitively. Is there a switch on the back to choose RCA or XLR? If I remember correctly, someone on here with way more knowledge than most stated that. I welcome being corrected.
GREAT NEWS! The Coda Technology new #16 amplifier will arrive this week
I was just informed that Coda's brand new model #16, which is based on the latest generation of improvements used in the #8, will be arriving later this week for review for The Stereo Times website. Since the reviews I have done on the #8 amplifier and the 07x preamplifier, I have received numerous inquires when I'll get this piece in for review.
This beast of an amplifier, over hundred pounds with one of the largest power supplies in a single chassis design on the market, delivers 100 Class A before it crosses over into A/B. The Coda #8, is in my opinion, one of the best SS amps on the market for under ten grand. I expect, based on the run Coda is on with their new generation of gear, that the #16 will be a beautiful musical performer. We shall see! I still find it amazing based on build quality/performance that Coda's prices are so damn reasonable. Yes, the #16 will retail for around 12K, not inexpensive. However, I guarantee if this amplifier was manufactured by other high-end American or European companies it would be triple the price. If the #16 takes the already superlative performance of the #8 to another level, it will be truly a "killer" of an amplifier.
This beast of an amplifier, over hundred pounds with one of the largest power supplies in a single chassis design on the market, delivers 100 Class A before it crosses over into A/B. The Coda #8, is in my opinion, one of the best SS amps on the market for under ten grand. I expect, based on the run Coda is on with their new generation of gear, that the #16 will be a beautiful musical performer. We shall see! I still find it amazing based on build quality/performance that Coda's prices are so damn reasonable. Yes, the #16 will retail for around 12K, not inexpensive. However, I guarantee if this amplifier was manufactured by other high-end American or European companies it would be triple the price. If the #16 takes the already superlative performance of the #8 to another level, it will be truly a "killer" of an amplifier.
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There is a CODA 07x up for sale on USAudiomart and A’gon. I like my Benchmark LA4 preamp better with the CODA #8. That total silence of the LA4 is what I like the most. The CODA 07x preamp did seem to sound a little better with the KRELL Duo 175XD, though it was a short test. If the Benchmark LA4 had dual XLR outputs I would not keep the 07x. I need the dual XLR outputs to connect the CODA #8 for my RAAL SR1a headphones and the KRELL 175XD to my Thiel CS3.7 speakers. I was all set on upgrading the CODA #8 to the #16. However, this KRELL 175XD sounds a lot like the CODA #16 I demoed, and I do not think I will upgrade the #8. The RAAL SR1a headphones actually draw more power out of the #8 compared to my Thiel CS3.7 speakers. Which is very surprising. |
I own both preamps now and I feel that the LTA MicroZOTL preamp with the most recent "plus" mods is superior to the Coda FET 07x preamp by a pretty good margin. The one advantage is the Coda has balanced in and out. Not to take away from how good the 07x is but my setup and my opinion. A local dealer has thrown another wrench into the works by loaning me a Backert Labs Rhythm 1.3 to try out. Shootout time. |
@ kairosman You know, this is really interesting. I had the Coda Continuum #8 in house for a few months. I could totally see why someone would love it. It is extremely refined and transparent. I also had a Pass Labs XA25 for a while and these two amps sounded very similar. But ultimately I just preferred the JC1 monoblocks. What I liked was their low-end grunt and dynamic drive. That’s why I am a little impatient over discussions of the "best" amp. I really believe that there is no such thing. It all depends on what speakers you are driving and your personal tastes. I have found that Teajay’s tastes and mine are generally quite similar. I bought the Tekton Ulfberhts based on his review and they are the best speakers I have ever heard. I also bought the LTA Microzotl preamp based on his recommendation, and in this case I thought it significantly outperformed the Parasound JC 2 flagship preamp. But we just have different tastes with respect to amps. However, right now I am cursing his name because he has got me interested in the Coda FET 07x preamp. |
@tomlhuffman yeah I bet the Ulfberhts rock driven by the JC1s! My B&W 804 D3s dip down under 3 ohms at certain points too, can actually see that happening on the meters. Personally I find the JC1s (1st generation at least) to be a bit hard-edged and lacking refinement. I guess it depends on what you are looking for, the genres of music you listen to etc., I listen mainly to ambient, and a lot of vocals and acoustic, some classical music too, and when I am feeling nostalgic I will dig into classic rock (60s and 70s era). Also my room is smallish, and even though the walls are concrete I have neighbors in my condo complex that don't appreciate it when I play my Led Zeppelin (particularly Physical Graffiti these days for some reason) LOUD. @smodtactical I bought my No. 8 from Al, good guy, shoot me a PM if you want more detailed impressions. FYI my setup: PS Audio Dectet Power Conditioner Custom mains 1 meter cables for ALL components (each worth $200) Audioquest Yukon XLR 1 meter interconnects PS Audio Directstream Junior DAC/Streamer Schiit Freya+ & Denafrips Athena preamps (I swap these preamps in/out from time to time) CODA No. 8 amplifier Transparent Wave 2 meter speaker cables B&W 804 D3 floorstanders |
@tomlhuffman thank you for that. Kind of surprised the JC1s bested the coda no. 8 in any respect, surprising indeed. Teajay any idea how big the transformer is in the No 8 ? Or the capacitance? Would like to compare to the JC1. I want to add on a more positive note though I had a great time talking to Doug at Coda. He spoke for 30 minutes! He was incredibly friendly and accommodating in answering all my questions ! I then spoke to Al at hifiart up in Manitoba (as I am in Canada) and spoke with him at length about Coda and how much he loves the number 8. He finds it superior to many amplifiers hes heard including many pass labs amps. One thing I wonder is why not make a cheaper version of the no.8 without the VU meters? If you can shave $3000 off the price of the no. 16, why not shave some amount off the no.8 and offer a black version just with the cold coda symbol like the 15.5 or VU less 16? That would make coda incredibly competitive then! |
@kren0006 The variants are: No. 1 is 150/300/600 into 8/4/2 ohms, first 18 watts in Class A No. 2 is 250/500/1000 into 8/4/2 ohms, first 12 watts in Class A No. 3 is (I think) 350/700/1400 into 8/4/2 ohms, first 8 watts (I think) in Class A 3000VA transformer and over built power supply, so it is definitely a big-boy amp. Mine is the No. 1 variant, it gets warm but not hot, really happy with it, floored by it actually! |
I preferred the Parasound JC 1 monoblocks over the Coda #8 with the Tekton Ulfberhts. The Coda's transparency and musicality are beyond reproach, but it wasn't up to the Parasound's bass and dynamic slam, which ultimately I found more satisfying. The Ulfberht's impedance drops down to 2.3 ohms in the mid-bass and requires a lot of current. |
Bought the No. 8 based on Terry's review, amazing amp for 6K retail, it is better than anything under 10K that I have heard by a significant margin, and I have heard a lot of amps. I have yet to go beyond the 18 watts of Class A power, based on what the meters are telling me at least, and my B&W 804 D3s are relatively insensitive/power hungry. Also, I have yet to trip the breaker in my apartment, so it is not drawing as much as I thought it would given its current output. If your budget is constrained and the No. 16 is a big stretch, get the No. 8, which has 3 variants, mine is the No. 1 which has the most Class A watts, but even the No. 3 variant has 8 I believe AND PUSHES 350/700/1400 watts into 8/4/2 ohms! |
Hey tonnesen, In the past I had tried the Sander's Magtech on my MG-20's. It drove them easily, but I found the overall sound somewhat dry and the imaging was not as 3D as my Pass Labs amplifiers. I believe that Coda as the OEM supplier to Sander ended awhile back. So, I have not heard any of the current Magtech amps. However, the current generation of Coda amplifiers are superlative and if I was you, if you can arrange it, I would want to hear the #16 on the 10e ESLs, instead of just Sander's own amplifier. |
Terry - thank you for the Coda review! Have you compared the Sanders/Coda Magtech to any of the Coda or Pass amps? And any thoughts on the Sanders "voltage regulator that is essentially 100% efficient"? I'm assuming there must be some trade-off or downside to the voltage regulator. I'm planning to audition the Sanders 10e ESL and wondering if the Coda 8 or 16 might be a better than the Magtech. |
@teajay Hey man I am talking about the Magnus audio MA400 that you reviewed.https://hometheaterreview.com/magnus-audio-ma-400-stereo-amplifier-reviewed/ |
Just looking up the ref 1000m specs (Class D, very green) for comparison. Each monoblock draws no power in standby and 15 watts otherwise and deliver 500 w/ch into 8 ohm, 1000 into 4, and advertised to handle 2 ohm as well. Peak current 45 amps. Double that power and current per pair. BC suggests leaving them on most of the time and I do except if I know I will not be using for several days. |
Hey mapman, I have 20 amp dedicated circuits and have no problems tripping the circuit breaker turning on any amplifier. I never turn off the #16 and it draws around 230 watts and runs cool for a Class A design. So, I would not call the #16 a "green" design, but not expensive to run. Also you can put it into standby to conserve more energy, it only takes a few minutes to come up to speed because the standby mode keeps the caps charged. |
They should really get that information out there on the web site to make it more official especially for products like this that require a significant investment and might have other special things to consider. Info through the grapevine is not the same. I find getting hyped up on a new product then not even finding it on the makers website a big letdown. For example I have read one of the models spec’ed to deliver up to 100amps. That’s a lot! Catches my eye but then I wonder if the typical household circuit can handle that ( I read a typical US household circuit is only rated for 15-20 amps) and also what the power consumption is. If Class A and that much juice, must be very expensive to run! My Bel Canto ref1000m Class D amps will trigger the breaker on that circuit in my house if I power them both up at the same time. Each is speced to deliver 45 amps peak. Otherwise, they are very efficient and things run fine. I’ve never had them flip a breaker while running. Maybe if I went even louder..... All that aside, the 16 is a very good looking amp that I would very much like to hear. If ever I were to drop $16K on an amp, maybe this is the one I would consider. |
Back in Jan or Feb 2020 I was PMing someone here who had bought the AHB2 and also the CODA # 15.5. The CODA was bought just before the #16 came out. It is supposed to have all the same circuitry as the #16 except for a smaller power supply. Last week, I saw this persons CODA #15.5 on sale on USAudiomart for the price of a new CODA #8. My audio money is tied up in a financial investment for a little while longer. So today, I cannot go for that #15.5 myself. Just an FYI. |
I have the spec sheets for both the CODA #8 and #16 from CODA. If someone can point me to a shared online location to upload, I can do so. A bit ridiculous that info is not available on the CODA web site however, the company is good at returning emails. I was considering 3 amps, Benchmark AHB2 | Luxman m900u | CODA #8 or #16. I have heard the AHB2 and m900u. I like both of them a lot but have a few issues, the AHB2 is a little under-powered but I like the incredible silence on that amp. The m900u is noisier but is sweeter and sounds great. I have a chance to either audition of buy blind the #16 (and save a few bucks) . That SNR of 130 on the CODA #16 was eye popping to me (SNR of 116 on CODA #8). It is almost as good as the AHB2 but with the sweeter character of the Luxman. It seems a best of both worlds, I think I am sold. My preamp is the Benchmark HPA4 with a SNR of 137 so I want an amp very close to that. I can hear the difference in the silence. |
Hey markusthenaimnut, Even if you do not exceed the class A rating of the #8 you still get an overall higher level of fitness /polish to the overall sonic presentation with the #16 amplifier. It takes the already wonderful level of performance of its less expensive sibling to a more effortless level that just sounds more relaxed and musical. I have reviewed both and that's what I experienced. There are at least two other GON members who started with the #8 and went to the #16 with the same experience. |
I previously owned an InnerSound Electrostatic amplifier and loved it. For those who aren’t familiar with this amp, it is essentially a re-badged CODA from around 1999 - 2000. It was a superb amplifier. The only reason I sold it was that the protection circuit of my Quad speakers caused it to instantaneously dump enormous quantities of current into what is essentially a dead short, which damaged the amp. My question is about the difference between the 8 and the 16 if you are never exceeding the capabilities of the 8? Maybe another way to ask this is, if you are listening within the class A envelope of the 8 (less than 30 watts, right?), would you hear a difference if you replaced it with a 16? |
First, mapman the Coda website definitely needs to be up dated, if you want all the information on specs just call or Email Doug Dale and he will provide the information you are seeking. Secondly, on to smodtactical questions: I own Pass Labs XA-60.8s which are great. However, the #16 is quieter, has overall better dynamics/bottom end control, has a more airy top end, offers more transit speed, and takes the liquidity of the Pass Lab’s mono-blocks to even a higher level. This was heard on many different speakers when I was doing the review. Never have had the Luxman MA 400 amplifier in-house. When I have heard it in other systems thought it was very refined, smooth, and musical. My hunch is that its a touch warmer then the #16, but not as detailed or dynamic sounding. The #16 is a very detailed amplifier, but never sounds analytical, like some of the highly regarded European amps I have heard and did not care for. Another way to address your question, based on your personal taste and the context of your system’s synergy, would you want the overall tonality of the finest SET 211 or 300b amplifier? Both are great, just different, which do you like better? The #16 is like having a 100 Watt 211 SET amplifier regarding overall tonality and speed, the MA 400 would be like a 300B design. |
Hey Lance, So glad to hear that your "sore back" was worth it because of how much you are enjoying the #16! The #16 is completely grainless with an overall liquidity, is the quietest SS amp I have ever had in for review (that's way you are hearing micro-details you never heard before), and delivers timbres/tonality like a tube amplifier. It reminds me very much of the finest SET 211 amps I have had in-house with it's speed and purity of tonality, yet it also has unbelievable bottom end slam/control because of its massive power supply. |
@smodtactical, I have not owned as many SS amps as I have tube amps. The closest I’ve had to the Coda is the Plinius SA125 and a Mirror Image Audio 1.1 SB. The MI amp is about 30 years old and is better than the Plinius overall but can’t match the Coda #16 although the MI is still an amazing amp. You rarely see them pop up used but they are a bargain when you do. I also had a Van Alstine FET 400R but it wasn’t in the same league. The more I listen to #16 the more I feel like I’m listening to a tube amp. It is so very smooth. I try to find a weakness, grain, harshness or brightness but I cannot hear any such flaw. It has tremendous dynamics, speed and bass slam. I know how cliche it sounds but I can hear sound, instruments in the back ground that I haven’t heard before. |
My Coda #16 has been in house for five days now and break-in is going well. The sound stage is really opening up and the layered 3D imaging is outstanding. Dynamics are off the charts. The nonexistent noise floor is showing off the smoothest textures on a black back ground that I’ve heard. I’m a big fan of tubes and I love Linear Tube Audio, I have often said that LTA was the best compromise between tube and SS but I feel the coda is in the same camp. More to come. |
