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

Has anyone addressed the 2 blue headlights beaming at you when this thing is on? 

Totally agree, they are very, very bright. I just bought a pack of Black LED Light Dimming Stickers for less than five dollars and they work really well and don't really detract from the aesthetics of the 5.5. The pack comes with many sizes and shapes, so it's easy to find ones that fit nicely. Hope that helps.

I had taped a couple of guitar picks on the amp to cover the blue lights. While that looked pretty nice (ha) I got some of those LED stickers today. Works like a charm. 

Terry is indeed correct. I have the amp and it may be the best 6k  Ive spent on solidstate. For context I had the 16 and I - in my room with my ears - feel like the S5.5 bests it in every way. Imaging rythym nuance and dynamic expression are out of this world. The only amp Ive personally owned that I feel was “better” by a slight margin was the luxman M10x. But only slightly and that’s a $20k amp. Bravo CODA. Instant classic.