Coda(16) and Aric Audio(Motherlode) is a match that I have settled on for the last four years now after swapping pieces in and out at a fevered pace. I (at last)have no desire to alter this pairing as it sounds sublime in my home environment. In my experience, Pass makes great sounding amps, but their preamps are anemic and lifeless(and yes, I owned both the XP-20 and XP-30 paired with the XA60.8 and XA 160.8). Each of the XA (amazing amps) sounded far better when paired with the Motherlode Preamp. Bottom line if you take anything from my post...Pass on Pass preamps!
Parasound vs Coda
All,
I've been doing a lot of research into moving up from my current amplifier (Parasound JC5) and have scoured comparisons of Parasound to Pass Labs and others that I've been considering. Speakers are Focal Kanta 3s, Pass XP22, Lumin U1, Denafrips Terminator Plus. The setup sounds great as is but would be interested in an amp that offers a bit more refinement in the midrange and treble. Coda from all my research could fit that goal.
One comparison I haven't found has been users who've heard Parasound and Coda amps (I'm considering the Coda 16 or possibly 8) and would love to hear about what others have heard as far as preference, tonality differences, etc. Thank you in advance!