2. amps-preamps
  3. 188282-170518

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 4 responses by jetter

jetter
3,098 posts
 

@jaudio1 

+1 great question.

jetter
3,098 posts
 

@paoz

A good question I think others are curious about.  Another poster asked this early on, I easily may have missed it, but I don’t remember it being addressed.  Maybe it will be included in the online review.

jetter
3,098 posts
 

@firefly627s 

Thanks for your well thought out explanation, it helps me to understand manufacturer thought processes rating amps.

My rather limited understanding of amp watt ratings was that a true class A amp would run in class A at all impedances.  As you mention, this amp is a class A amp at 8 ohms.

So by my way of looking at things which I believe you are confirming this is a class AB amp once speaker impedance falls below 8 ohms.

No indirect criticism here as I agree what matters is sound and I have only owned class AB amps.

jetter
3,098 posts
 

Color me confused?

I have never had a class a amp.  I had the Parasound A21+ which was class A up to a certain point and then switched to AB.

But if I was going to buy a class A amp and was interested in its power rating (not including current) would I want to know (?):

Watts at 8, 4 and 2 ohms class A

As well as:

Watts at 8, 4 and 2 ohms class AB

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