The new Coda S5.5 amplifier: It's a "Petite Beast"!


I have in-house the New Coda Technologies S5.5 amplifier for review for Stereo Times website. It will be awhile before I write the review. However, I'm so impressed by the performance of this petite amplifier, it only weights 45 pounds, that I wanted to give a heads up to you GON members if you are in the market for a balanced pure class A amplifier, delivers 50 watts @ 8 Ohms, and can drop 100 Amperes of current on a peak!

The world class build quality of Coda amplifiers is on display with the S5.5, along with the most beautiful purity of tonality, precise sound-staging, complete liquidity offered by pure class A design, and what might be the best top end regarding details, decays, and a natural shimmering without brightness or any edge at all.

The S5.5 uses extremely wide bandwidth output transistors instead of the usual TO3 devices used in most transistor designs. I own the Coda #16, which is great, but the midrange/high end is taken to another level of musical enjoyment with the S5.5. The S5.5 has a sense of speed/aliveness that is exciting to listen to that you experience in live music. The amp is dynamic as hell, has driven with ease any speaker I have tried it with, hence my nickname of the "Petite Beast". Remember, 50 watts pure class A, can drop 100 amperes of current and only weights 45 pounds.

Teajay (Terry London)

johnah5

Showing 5 responses by 5560

I’ve experienced a lift sound quality by replacing factory fuses.

There is a 12 amp fuse for main power supply, in the back of the S5.5. Four other fuses are on top of the circuit boards inside the amp. Replacing all five fuses would be prohibitively expensive. I’m wondering if anyone has replaced just the back fuse and experienced a bump up in sonics? Hopefully the four internal board fuses have less effect on sound.

I checked the Acme web site. Looks great.  I plan to pick a few fuses from them. 
Appreciate the recommendation.

I’ve had a number of ARC Preamps. They don’t present any odd output impedance nor, do they lean either direction sonically, so there wouldn’t be any issue with an ARC. I’m going to try a Backert Labs with my S5.5.

I’ve had a number of ARC Preamps. They don’t present any odd output impedance nor, do they lean either direction sonically, so there wouldn’t be any issue with an ARC. I’m going to try a Backert Labs with my S5.5.