Pass Labs xa-25 or Coda Continum #8

You guys are having too much fun ie therapy with this audio stuff. Great therapy and it's fun to read and see people's non biased opinions. Enjoy the music and the search.

@ghdprentice - IIRC you’re curious about 300B amplification but have not yet explored, why not?  Like the OP, get a used Volti and a 300B amp. Shouldn’t be too expensive relative to your current audio chain.  Seems like loads of fun.  You only live once.

I have a great 300B amp. It is a head amp that can also power speakers. i equipped it with Takitsuki 300B tubes. I use it daily. 

I went through XA25 for a couple of years with the PMC Twenty26 @86dB

It was the clarity and vice like grip that was a major feature. Mine was silent as it was upgraded fully shielded internally by the upgrade company at the time.

Ultimately I found the ARC combo LS10 and D240 MKII suited my taste. Transparency sound stage and musicality.

Today I’m still using the D240 in the second system, and a Michi X3 in the main system. I’ve been meaning to swap these around to compare.

OP

all of the above are great post. I have not heard a Coda, but I am a pass labs kind of guy

However, I notice that your previous gear is a tube 300B. I own an Audio note clone 845 based SET and before I purchased this unit, it was a shoot off between 300B JeLabs design versus 845. I chose the 845 simply because for the dynamics and PRAT, while the JELabs 300B presented a lot of lovely 300B liquidity.

going on, I then compared my XA25 to the 845 clone and I can tell you this, they are nearly close to each other. the xa 25 advantage is its ability to represent music in a 3D like space more than the 845 clone. 

but other than that, the PRAT, tone and vocals of females are very surreal. very palpable.

 So, i hope i was able to convey how a xa25 may sound like.as comparing to your 300b tube, xa25 can push more power. I suggest if you can demo both, that will be the best way.

Good luck 
 

@joeycastillo Thank you Joey. My local dealer doesn’t demo models unfortunately. I’m going by word of mouth I guess. Whether it’s the xa-25, sit-4 or sit-5, I’m sure I will be happy. They are all excellent choices. I do like the idea of the extra power. Leaning sit-5 or xa-25. I’m in no hurry so I don’t want to rush. Trying to enjoy hearing from people and getting their viewpoints. So, thanks again. Much appreciated

I have the XA-25.  It is a superb unit, it does nothing except make the signal bigger!

To quote Stereophile "...what might be the most transparent amplifier available at any price".  The review sums it up.

It is not sterile but do not expect quite the luscious midrange that 300Bs can yield.

I go back, forth and around rolling between the XA-25, a completely upgraded Elekit TU-8900 (including Lundahl OPTs, Jupiter Paper-Wax caps, NOS RCA 2A3 tubes, Amperex ECC82s) and a home brewed push pull, balanced 6SN7 (NOS RCA Black Plate), 300B (current production WE) and Lundahl OPTs. (I am 81 years old and can just move the XA-25, 63 years ago I was in the university crew and a bit of that has stayed with me)

The XA-25 is (probably) the most resolving and accurate, the Elekit allows me to listen inside the soundstage and the 300B is just seductive. 

Perhaps, for what I have spent on those three amps I could have fond one that had all of the qualities - but I doubt it, as I suspect that the enhancement (?) by the tube amps precludes the ultimate resolution of the SS. 

My speakers are Rockport Atria IIs (87dB @ 2.83V, 4 Ω) that I bought before the 50% price increase!

I was intrigued by Coda too at one point but found it really really odd that the only reviews are in stereotimes by the same author who gushes over them in every article. Not one review to be found in Sterophile, Absolute Sound or any of the other larger review mags. Coda of course defends the lack of reviews by saying they save money on advertising etc. 

@speedthrills there have been a lot of positive reviews by members of this forum.  You don't believe those? 

@earthbound I currently have a Coda 07X, #8 V2 and the S5.5 and I’m not sure where the "noise" comment came from but I 100% disagree. All three of these units are as silent as can be. The #8 is a little warmer sounding and not quite as revealing as the S5.5 but neither of them are what I would call "lean or bright" sounding. I love that they run cool to the touch so they’re not space heaters like some other amps can be. Another great thing about Coda is their amps can deliver up to 100 amps! My speakers are Marten Django XL’s and I believe their sensitivity rating is 89db and the little Coda S5.5 handles them with no problem at all, sounds like a 200wpc amp-Current matters. The #8 grabs ahold of them with a Gorilla like grip and won’t let go, that current makes a difference that once heard is hard to forget.

I’ve also owned Pass amps and they too are fantastic sounding amps. They do run hot and take a couple of hours to fully warm up before they come on full song. Built like a brick sh#t house too! 

@johngp The noise comment came from a couple of people on here if I recall. Glad to hear that that isn’t the case. At this point, for space concerns in the coming months, I think I’m going with the Pass int-25. Give it a trial run. Has more power than the Sit-4 and is cheaper than the sit-5. The dealer has a demo xp-12 for sale so since I would try that, may as well go xa-25. Not sure I would want that preamp with the sit-5. I’d always think I should get the xp-22, which is out of my range right now. So, int-25 to start and if that isn’t what I like, sit-4 with the xp-12. 

Sounds like a good plan, you can't go wrong with Pass. If you're getting the XP-12 it will match beautifully with the XA-25, great combo!! Enjoy and make sure and keep us posted, good luck!

Thank you and will do. Hopefully order after next week. Gentleman is on vacation next week so gives me some more research time. Although I think I’ve read and watched every review on all 3. 

@johngp Between the Coda #8 V2 and the S5.5, which one do you prefer? And what preamp are you pairing it with?

So funny, I have recently been torn between the XA25 and Coda No 8 myself. My main system is a Technics SU-R1000 but I have been wanting to rebuild something similar to my old Backert Labs Rhythm/Luxman M900u pairing, with clean, holographic imaging and staging of tube preamp but the power and finesse of a high end solid state amp. 

Since I have a beautifully restored CL40 preamp already, I’ve been looking at starting with the amp and have been leaning toward the Coda 8 V2. I’m a little torn though because to afford one I’d have to liquidate the Technics and I really want to keep that amp. Plus I would hate to let go of the Technics and then be unhappy with the Coda. And if the Coda didn’t work out, the Pass seems much easier to resell. 

So to tide me over for a bit I got a massively upgraded Adcom 545II to pair with the Luxman CL40 in a “high end” vintage system to swap out with the Technics when I get urge to change things up. It sounds wide, clean, and powerful and is incredibly transparent - I am hearing the CL40 in all its glory (and its flaws). 

But I’ll probably be moving to the Coda No 8 when I do make a change. 

@jsqt Consider the Schitt Wotan stereo amp at $2000 if you want a cheaper CODA #8. I am hard pressed to say which I like better. I no longer have the CODA CSiB or the CODA #8, but I do own the CODA #16. I find the #16 better than the Wotan (which I also own).

The only issue with the Wotan for me was that it took 1 month of very heavy play to make it sound clean on top. You are not going to get that on the 15-day home trial from Schitt.

I was intrigued by Coda too at one point but found it really really odd that the only reviews are in stereotimes by the same author who gushes over them in every article. Not one review to be found in Sterophile, Absolute Sound or any of the other larger review mags.

@speedthrills, I agree there are not many recent Coda reviews but there are lots of older reviews including Stereophile.

e.g.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/coda-technologies-s5-power-amplifier

https://www.enjoythemusic.com/superioraudio/equipment/1104/codas12.htm

https://www.dagogo.com/coda-technologies-cs-amplifier-review/

http://everythingaudionetwork.blogspot.com/2016/08/ean-audiophile-review-coda-technologies.html

I believe they have been making amplifiers from ~1989, so I don't consider them a niche brand.   The many positive reviews from members here and other sites like WhatsBestForum regarding Coda led me to purchase a S5.5 after owning two Pass amps, and the reviews and strengths were spot on to my ears.  I'm very happy with it and don't miss either Pass amp (specially the summer time heat :)), not that they both were not great amps too and gave me years of pleasure.

Regarding the posts regarding resale concern, if you use HiFi Shark folks can see many Coda amps selling over many years at reasonable used prices.   ~$4K used for the $6400 S5.5 (upgraded model) or ~$3500 used for the $6100 XA25 isn't a big difference either way.

@jsqt I have a No 8 V1.  I was curious about your choice of V2.  I have 89dB efficiency speakers and Doug Dale with Coda recommended the V1.

I am guessing that the choice of V1, V2, or V3 was based on speaker effeciency, but there is probably more to it.  I wanted the additional watts of class A output. 

I spoke to Doug Dale about the lack of reviews on his products a while back. He says the big magazines require expensive advertisements in their magazines before they will review most companies products. He acknowledged he had previously spoken to them about this. Coda is a very small company and cannot afford to do this. As most people know it's pay to play for these magazines.