To listen to anything on low quality YouTube is crazy to even compare ,a sound bar maybe but that’s it.
SIMPLY AMAZING: Coda Technologies 07x Preamplifier
I have in-house Coda Technologies 07x preamplifier, which is the latest iteration of their '0' series linestages. Very briefly, over the last seven years I have had over five solid state preamplifiers, price range was between 4K to 20K, in for auditioning in my system. They were quite good, but lacked what my tube based linestages had to offer. The solid state pieces were wickedly transparent, micro-detailed, tight accurate bass extension, and had great overall dynamics. However, they lacked the organic timbres/tonality, 3D imaging, and the ability to create a sense of space between the players that my tube based preamplifiers produced in my system.
So, I was concerned that based on my personal preferences that the Coda 07x might not be my "sonic cup of tea". Boy was I wrong! Besides, the superlative build quality, starting with the double-sided gold-plated circuit boards, and the sane prices Coda charges compared to other much more insanely priced gear, the 07x is priced at $6'500, this preamplifier has patiently shocked me regarding it might be the best synthesis between what solid state offers (transparency-clarity/low frequency extension-control/micro-details/speed-dynamics) and the best of what tubes have to offer (pristine timbres-tonality-color/holographic imaging/three-dimensional sound-staging with a sense of air around the individual instruments).
Coda always, at least in the America "flies under the radar" compared to other US manufacturers, but based on performance, build quality, and smart evolved engineering they offer cutting edge equipment at reasonable prices that deserve to be heard by more music lovers. I'll get into all the little details in my review on the performance of the 07x, but for right now if you are thinking about purchasing a solid state linestage, consider giving Doug Dale a call to hear this very special piece.
So, I was concerned that based on my personal preferences that the Coda 07x might not be my "sonic cup of tea". Boy was I wrong! Besides, the superlative build quality, starting with the double-sided gold-plated circuit boards, and the sane prices Coda charges compared to other much more insanely priced gear, the 07x is priced at $6'500, this preamplifier has patiently shocked me regarding it might be the best synthesis between what solid state offers (transparency-clarity/low frequency extension-control/micro-details/speed-dynamics) and the best of what tubes have to offer (pristine timbres-tonality-color/holographic imaging/three-dimensional sound-staging with a sense of air around the individual instruments).
Coda always, at least in the America "flies under the radar" compared to other US manufacturers, but based on performance, build quality, and smart evolved engineering they offer cutting edge equipment at reasonable prices that deserve to be heard by more music lovers. I'll get into all the little details in my review on the performance of the 07x, but for right now if you are thinking about purchasing a solid state linestage, consider giving Doug Dale a call to hear this very special piece.
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wrm57 - i'd reach out to coda's doug dale to be certain. i have a dbx 3bx plugged into the processor loop, and when i engage it, it will play whatever source is selected. i suspect that if i only used the input and not the output, and plugged a separate source component into it, then that's what would play. but, i'm not certain. i do know that there are quality switching devices available, and you could use one of those into one of the 07x's regular inputs... here's a few i found in a quick search, from quite expensive to quite inexpensive. used, of course, means even less expensive... https://www.manley.com/hifi/msj http://hollowstate.netfirms.com/Branches%207/Mapletreebranches7.pdf https://www.decware.com/newsite/ZSB.html https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/source-selectors/source-selector-rca-4-to-1-reversible-p-13228.html https://www.ebay.com/itm/193721783746
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Can any 07x owners clarify how many different sources can be connected? Reviewing the manual online is no help. From pics of the back, it looks like a total of 5: 2xXLR and 3xRCA (including processor in, which I'd assume works like another source input). Is this the case, that 5 different sources can be connected? I actually need 6 but I could scrape by with 5. Thanks. |
The bleed through is likely a common issue on all the 07x's. Mine has it and also another A'goner who was DM'ing me on the CODA 07x has the same issue. This is most certainly not the case. Coda mentioned that this issue has affected a handful of components, including only a few 07x out of hundreds in the wild. |
yyzsantabarbara i don’t think normal bleed-thru is an issue that would warrant selling the preamp. simply turn off the source that’s bleeding thru. regarding other uses of the preamp, the only thing i really use via the remote is the volume, so i really an not all that concerned about the other features... |
The bleed through is likely a common issue on all the 07x's. Mine has it and also another A'goner who was DM'ing me on the CODA 07x has the same issue. I hate the push button volume control that can accidently go into the unwanted state if you inadvertently hit the knob. You also need to have the 07x placed close to eye level so that you know what operational state it is in. It is hard to read the GUI. I hate the fact that it is not dead silent. At least in comparison to my previous preamp, the Benchmark HPA4. If this unit did not sound so good I would sell it. Since my need for 2 sets of XLR's is diminished the Benchmark LA4 preamp will come back into the system to potentially replace the 07x. I should add that I now also own the CODA # 8 amp, which I like a lot. The KRELL K-300i integrated that I was planning on selling was kept and I am so happy I kept it. So the CODA 07x is on shaky ground with me. Another issue I had was that the volume control's internal wire had become loose from shipping. I was getting all manner of problems with the preamp due to that issue. I opened up the case and pushed the wire connection together and that solved all the crazy operational errors that I was having. Doug Dale was very helpful in working with me to resolve it, though I figured it out. |
an update to my "bleed-thru" issue. it seems that my issue is more serious. as sometimes, i’m getting balance-2 still playing fully, when i switch from balance-2 to balance-1. after speaking with doug dale, i packed it up and sent it off. it very well could be a relay, in my case, after all. but doug did say the bleed-thru i’ve read about here is most likely not this issue, but a simple situation of one or both of the sources being hot, w/a lot of gain. in that case, you could change the source layout to your inputs, or, as folks have indicated, just turn off the source that’s bleeding thru. it seems my issue is something else. doug s. |
hi all! re: bleed issue: sorry for late comment about this, but i got no notifications of new posts to this thread. anyway, i noticed an issue w/my 07x, which only occurred when switching from balanced 2 to balanced 1. sometimes i'd get no sound, sometimes i'd get both 2 & 1 playing, sometimes 1 would play at a muted level. (and going from 1 to 2 also worked perfectly) so, when i spoke with doug dale about it, he said it sounded like a relay issue, and i'd have to send it in, as it wasn't a socketed part that could be swapped out. well, i was in no rush; i wanted it fixed, but it wasn't a deal breaker, since going from aux or disc to balanced 1 worked perfectly. and i was waiting to get my melos ma333r back from mark porzilli, so i wanted to wait until that happened, so i'd still have a great preamp in my system. well, mark porzilli is now either (a): no longer mentally competent and/or capable of proper documentation, or (b): an asshole. i suspect it's a mix. it took me a year of back-n-forth emails to get him to finally agree he was responsible for repairing the unit under warranty, (suffering the nasty abuse of him saying i was accusing him of sending out something that wasn't tested, {which it WASN'T}; and accusing me of trying to rip him off for a freebie repair, until i documented events via emails). then, after i sent it out, it took him 25 months to finally return the preamp. and to add insult to injury, instead of doing the proper repair to the balance pot and the special tube volume pot that was installed almost 20 years ago for $500, he just ripped everything out and installed a $15 cheap chinese sourced alps pot. it's too bad; the preamp still sounds great, even w/the cheap alps pot, but it sounded better before i sent it back to him for repair. (i'd originally paid $1k for a circuitry mod, which sounded great, but the remote & balance/volume controls weren't working properly when i got it back.) i will likely replace the cheap chinese alps pot with a tortuga ldr pot, a relatively easy conversion, before i can really decide which preamp to keep. (sorry for the diversion, i was less than pleased and just had to vent. mark was always cool in my dealings w/him prior; he's definitely got a screw loose somewhere, now. or maybe he just gets nasty, if he's made a mistake; some people are like that.) after all that, the melos still sounds great & i know it will sound even better w/a tortuga ldr volume/balance pot. the fact that i'm still considering keeping the coda, being a bona fide tubehead, speaks for how excellent *it* is. i thought i'd *never* have a s/s preamp in my main system. anyway, now, w/the melos back in the system, it was the time to contact doug dale and reschedule having the 07x sent out to him to fix the relay. sometimes, it's good to wait - when i contacted doug initially, he thought a relay that was soldered to the board was bad; he now said that coda received a bad run of another chip that's socketed, and that it's been misbehaving in some amps as well as preamps, similar to the problems i was having, so it's most likely that chip and not the relay. so, he agreed to mail me the chip as it's not a difficult diy, as long as you're careful aligning the 16-pin chip w/the sockets. worse case, it's something else, (which i now doubt), and i'll have to send it off anyway. i haven't yet put the 07x back into the system, (switching out preamps in my system is a b**ch), but i powered it up and everything works, regarding the switching, anyway. when the 2-to-1 switching problem 1st occurred, the 2-to-1 switching clicked much quieter than any other source selection changes, and i'd initially thought that was indicative of the bleeding/muted sound/no sound problem, so when i installed the new chip, and 2-to-1 switching still clicked much quieter than the source selection changes, i was concerned the problem may still exist. so i called doug about the differing sound of the relays clicking; he said it was mere coincidence that the 2-to-1 click was quieter than the others, and not related to the problem. the preamp's circuitry is such that balance 1 comes on when the unit is turned on, so going from 2-to-1 engages one less relay than any other source selection change, making a quieter click than the others. while not 100% certain the issue is fixed until i try it connected in my system, doug is convinced the chip i replaced was bad, because of my getting either no sound, muted sound, or bleed-thru when going from 2-to-1. he said that issue is directly attributable to what this chip should be doing - especially the bleed-thru. so, all you owners with bleeding 07x's may want to contact doug at coda and tell him you need a new 4094 chip. and hearing about others w/this problem, and only occurring w/the balance inputs, i'm confident it's the issue, and a good 4094 will fix it. and it's nice not to have to deal with sending the unit out for repair. i will follow up when mine is back in my system. if you look at this pic, the chip that needs replacing is at the far left/center, to the left of the 'coda' logo; above and perpendicular to the much larger chip. https://www.linearsystems.com/lsdata/images/Coda-012216-p-021.jpg doug s. ps - if customer service is a priority, coda's doug dale is great! he was ready to send me out a call tag to send the unit back to him, before he sent out the chip. |
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I now have a lot of hours on the CODA 07x in my office system and this unit has helped me setup my gear in an interesting way. It also made the decision to sell my KRELL K-300i integrated a lot easier. This weekend I brought back my Benchmark AHB2’s from my living room and hooked up each AHB2 to the XLR output sets of the 07x. One set of outputs go to the AHB2 driving my Thiel CS3.7. The other output goes to the AHB2 driving my RAAL SR1a headphones. In the past I came to the conclusion that the AHB2 did not sound good with the RAAL SR1a. It was too harsh and the RAAL is the most revealing speaker I have ever heard. I also said that the AHB2 in stereo is not hard hitting with the Thiel CS3.7. It felt underpowered. The RAAL SR1a was sounding so good with my CODA 07x + AudioMirror Tubadour III SE + D-Sonic Class D amp that I thought I should put back the Benchmark AHB2 to see if it sounds better wit the 07x as compared with the Benchmark HPA4 preamp I used previously. I think the AHB2 is an incredible amp and replacing the D-Sonic with the AHB2 did what I expected. The smidgen of harshness that I felt was there with the D-Sonic was gone with the AHB2. It sounds amazing and I have decided to use the AHB2 as my RAAL SR1a amp, this is a complete 180 degree turn for me based on my prior gear combos. This result I attribute solely to the CODA 07x taming the RAAL’s high frequencies. On my Thiel CS3.7 I liked the AHB2 in mono over a single stereo unit. However, now with the CODA 07x and the Gustard X26 Pro DAC I am hearing the very best combo of gear on the CS3.7. Prior to this new combo the best gear I had on it was the Benchmark DAC3B + HPA4 + AHB2 mono. I attribute the brilliance of the new combo to both the CODA 07x and the Gustard X26 Pro. Maybe more of a push to the Gustard. It certainly does not feel underpowered, though I have heard more bass with my KRELL K-300i integrated. The CODA 07x and the Benchmark AHB2 is an amazing combo. The dealer said as such to me when I was looking at the CODA 07x. He said a few of his clients are using that combo. I will say that this combo I have now sounds better than the CODA CSiB I had (from a 2018 build). I am looking to get the CODA #8 or #16 but I will definitely keep the AHB2’s in the office. Don’t get me wrong on the Benchmark HPA4 preamp. It is also an incredible preamp, it is just not as warm as the CODA 07x. It has no sound to it. The D-Sonic is also an amp that I like a lot. Today it is rocking my KEF LS50s with the HPA4 preamp. No harshness with speakers, just with the RAAL. One day in the future, I am going to switch the Gustard X26 Pro (connected to the CODA 07x) with the Benchmark DAC3B (connected to the HPA4) to see what is contributing the most to the great sound I am hearing now on my floor standers. Is it the CODA 07x or the Gustard? |
Last Night I had the following (with the bleed on Balanced 2): Balanced 1: Gustard X26 Pro DAC Balanced 2: Magnum Dynalab MD102 Tuner Disk: Aux: Today, I now have the following setup: Balanced 1: Gustard X26 Pro DAC Balanced 2: AudioMirror Tubadour III SE DAC Disk: Aux: Magnum Dynalab MD102 Tuner With todays setup I am not able to reproduce the bleed. I tried with all 3 sources playing at the same time and other combinations with 1 of them off. I should note that about a decade ago this same tuner had some bleed with either a BAT preamp or Bryston preamp. I am going to put this issue down to the tuner since I cannot reproduce it with the new configuration. |
yyzsantabarbara. 1. The remote control comes from Coda pre-programmed. At least this one did. This one is a universal brand mc-450. 2. There is no on/off switch. The only option is a mute function, that sadly, is only operated via remote. 3. Yes, I have noticed the source bleed as well. Shutting off the one source when using the other cures this. At least on this one it did. |
I now have a CODA 07x in the house and have some issues I would like to get cleared up. Since today is Sat and Mon is the day I can call CODA I thought I would ask here. 1) What is the manufacturer to select when setting up the remote. Though I now see the remote is working even though the test part in the setup failed. I am wondering if I have every feature available on the remote. 2) How do you turn off the unit. I do not see a power on of off button on the 07x. I tried the ON and OFF on the remote but that also did not power off or send to standby. 3) I had an unusual situation last night when I played my DAC on Balanced 1 and had my Tuner on Balanced 2. The music on Balanced 1 would leak onto Balanced 2. I noticed this when I was manually changing stations with a rotary dial on the tuner. I need to test this out with 2 DACs on 1 and 2 but that will be done later since I need to unplug some things to do so. The unit does sound great. I wish the preamp had a trigger switch to power on my amp from standby. |
davkobza - i wanted to learn about your amp, and among other things, i found this; you may want to investigate... https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/design-flaw-for-line-magnetics-lm-508ia.871472/ doug s. |
Great system! There is a special synergy between Coda and Legacy, especially the amps and speakers. As good as the Focus XD speakers are, the Signature SE speakers would have been a better choice for my room. Yes, I've compared Coda products to a fair amount of others. Like some of the other posters, I've always been a tube guy. It's nice to leave everything on for max fidelity when I sit down to listen without worrying about tube wear. |
Regarding the negative comments about Coda and Legacy Focus XD speakers a number of posts back based on a youtube video. I have pretty much the same components; Coda 07x, Coda Continuum No 8 and Legacy Focus XD speakers (bass drivers powered by the internal Legacy amps and mids/highs with the No 8). A match made in heaven. My only complaint it that the Focus XD speakers are a little bit large for my room, no fault of the Legacys. |
@wturkey When I bought a used CODA CSiB last week the seller told me there is a surprise in the shipment. It turned out that he has programmed a Inteset remote control to work with the CSiB. After trying the CODA remote control I could see why the previous owner changed to the simpler Inteset remote. I hated the CODA remote after about 10 minutes of usage. Integrated is great though. Your 07x preamp is on my CODA remotes visual list of supported hardware. So I imagine whatever was done with my unit is applicable on your unit. |
I currently use a Lindemann Musicbook DSD streamer as a pre. Great DAC and CD player and it replaced a dedicated preamp. But having a Rega P10 mated to a Rogue Audio Area magnum while using the streamer as a preamp, you know my system is bastardized. Amazing clarity but a rather flat 2D stage and seems to lack the goodness of tubes. I'm also interested in the Coda 07X but have had my eye on the Micro ZOTL as well. And well the C900u. I may add GaN based amps at some point in my system. I'm using Nord class D, an AS1200 class D and a BMC S1(currently broken) for amplification. |
hi
smodtactical, mark porzilli and his partner have been threatening to return my melos any day now - for about the past 6 weeks. ;~) i am hoping to do a comparison if/when i ever get it back. meanwhile, the 07x is getting the job done - it does sound lovely. wturkey - i'm surprised to hear that coda aren't modding the earlier 07x's; it's my understanding that it's not a difficult mod. maybe they're too busy? maybe they believe it negatively affects sales of the new model? i'd query them again, about when they might be willing to offer it, and/or if there's another tech that can offer it. doug s. |
