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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
fthompson251's avatar
fthompson251
349 posts
 

Great review @johnah5  UPS tracking has it scheduled for 5/23/24. However I leave for the holiday for 4 days so won't get it running until after Memorial day. I'll give it a few days to settle in before any reports. Needless to say I am very happy. 

hanki
27 posts
 

Hey Terry. Great review!  You articulated better than I could exactly what I’m hearing from my S5.5 and I have completely different speakers. I think it is one of the best bargains in audio. 
 

Jeff

johnah5 OP
234 posts
 

Hey Jeff,

Thanks for your kind words towards my review. Regarding the S5.5 as being one of the best bargains in audio, I just got an Email from a listener who replaced a pair of $14000 mono-blocks with the S5.5 because it performed at a higher level than his mono-blocks to his great delight.

Teajay

charliee's avatar
charliee
161 posts
 

Teajay

Pardon me if I missed it here in the thread, but which of your pre amps do you prefer with the S5.5? The Aric Audio Motherload, the Coda 07X, or the SPL Elector?

johnah5 OP
234 posts
 

Hey charliee,

That’s a great question. It depends on what speakers I’m using with S5.5 in the system. For example the Musician Audio’s Knight 1 speaker is a great two-way design that has a touch of overall warmth/fullness. Therefore, I like the synergy with the S5.5 being driven with either the Coda 07x or SPL Elector which are more neutral with this speaker that does not need more warmth. When I use the S5.5 with my NSMT Clairvoyant / System two which are more neutral/transparent then I like the touch of warmth that the tube based AricAudio Motherload adds using 6SN7 tubes. Remember, the S5.5 is brilliantly transparent and will pass on the signature of your source and preamplifier, so matching this to your speakers is based on your personal taste.

Teajay

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