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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 2 responses by charan

charan
16 posts
 

Hi @johnah5 Terry

Thanks for sharing your reviews here with this community. I for one find your reviews honest and educational. I bought my SPL S800 after reading your review, without auditioning it and I have been very happy with it. I then bought the SPL Elector as the preamp to go with the S800 and the pairing is very satisfying. However, the urge to upgrade has got hold of me and I am thinking of upgrading to the SPL S1200, which you also reviewed to be a great amplifier or this CODA 5.5 which you also seem to like a lot. If you had yo choose one between the two which would you pick purely on sonic quality alone. In terms of my preference of sound signature, I obviously like the S800 but i am looking for more speed/tighter bass/ even better dynamics/aliveness/punch. Will i get more of all that from SPL S1200 or Coda 5.5? Sorry, my speakers are Legacy Signature SE (92db / 4 ohm). Many thanks !

charan
16 posts
 

Hi @johnah5  Terry

Thanks for your quick and helpful response. From everything I have read about both those amps, I was kinda expecting something along the lines of what you said i.e that they are both very good, more similar than different and it will boil down to preferred flavour and system match. Once again, thank you.

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