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

Only GaN for me I am done with the heavy slugs that cause climate change. 

sim__audio_nerd,

Congrats! You are in for a lot of musical pleasure.

I would not call the Coda amps as sensitive, but revealing to the quality of power cords and wires you run in your system. The footers that the S5.5 comes with are first rate. I have experimented with isolation devices and heard no differences compared to the standard Coda footers.

Teajay

In a word yes...Coda is very refined with high resolution and will definitely lay bare the sound quality of cables.

@johnah5 placed an order for Silver unit. Are Coda amps generally sensitive to power cords, interconnects, isolation footers?

It will be paired with Supratek Grange Signature preamp.

Getting excited now to get it..want to extract the most from my first Coda amp! 😄

Hey vthokie83,

Congrats! Both on your vacation and your purchasing the S5,5 amp. Mike Kay is a very close friend of mine and his customers at Audio Archon love to do business with him because he's a straight up guy, carries great lines of equipment, and is very knowledgeable. Please let us know what you hear after you get your S5.5 in the near future.

Teajay

jonah5,

Thank you for the reply, sorry I didn't get back sooner....I was soaking up some sun on vacation. The more I read on the CODA S5.5, the more it made sense for me.....so I purchased mine, silver with gold buttons. I had quite a few conversations with Mike Kay at Audio Archon prior to pulling the trigger, and he really likes the combo with the Aric Audio Motherlode XL as well.

Hey sim_audio_nerd,

You are welcome. I have a great SET 2A3 and 300B tube amplifier, both two chassis AricAudio designs-one of my favorite tube companies, and of course you have to use the right speakers with flea SET amplifiers. However, when using the S5.5 on these same speakers, Omega single driver, the Coda does not take a back seat regarding beauty of timbres/tonality, image density, or sound-staging.

Teajay 

@johnah5 thank again for your comments. I am strongly considering and spoke to a dealer. 

If it's somewhat close to SET sounding, I want to try the S5.5 from my XA30.8s.

Hey riaa_award_collectors_on_facebook,

Very interesting. Your statement, "I can't put my finger on anything specific wrong with them, and yet...". My friend's way of trying to explain his discontent was that the music he loved sounded boring and he found it harder and harder to want to listen to his system.

If your major concern is the amount of heat generated by Class A amps, remember the S5.5 runs warm but not HOT like a Pass Labs XA-25 or XA-30.8. I leave the S5.5 with no problems all regarding being a "heater" in my room.

Teajay

@johnah5   @riaa_award_collectors_on_facebook 

I am using a pair of AGD Tempo's. These are stereo amps, the single chassis amp referred to above. I am using one channel of each (not bridged), using as monobocks. 

Teajay, I really want Class D GaNFETs to work for me. They are extremely clean and detailed with no edge. I have never heard one bit of strain from them. I can't put my finger on anything specific wrong with them, and yet.... I think I'll try some different tubes in my linestage. I'm really concerned about an all class A amp design - there are far more efficient ways to heat a room. Though I must say your comments about the little Coda make it sound very appealing. It is nice to have some low-powered high-quality solid state amps to choose from. 

Hey riaa_award_collectors_on_facebook,

He had the Vivace MKII mono-blocks, which I heard in his system. I heard one of the single chassis models in my system that someone brought over to compare to my Coda #16 and SPL S1200. Don't remember the model number.

Teajay

What version of the AGD amps did your friend have  1, 2 or 3?? and which ones did YOU hear??

Hey,

To be quite honest I believe the AGD amps are good , but very over rated. A dear friend of mine with very good ears bought the hype about the AGD amps and sold off his Coda #8 to buy one. Very quickly he had great regret. As he said it to me my new AGD amp does everything right, but he never connected on an emotional level with the music and relax into it as he did with the Coda #8 amp. When I listened to the AGD amplifiers I don't find them unpleasant, but theirs still something missing compared to a great Class A amp with a big power supply, like the S5.5 and the other Coda amplifiers.

Teajay

@johnah5  Teajay, If you have ever listened enough to have a sense of them, the tonality of AGD amps compared to this Coda? TIA

Mark

Hey hanki,

I don't know what your front end gear is, analog or digital, but you would get a very different perspective overall on the music if you went from the Luxman amp to the S5.5. You would unlash the potential of your S5's dynamics/aliveness, along with getting the most out of its great tweeter. The details, shimmer, sparkle would be beautiful with no edge or brightness. Also, the current loading of the S5.5 is vastly more powerful then the Luxman so the bottom end would have more control.

Teajay

My speakers are Magico S5’s. I’m not sure if I would really need the extra power but was curious about the mono block configuration. I currently have a Luxman m900u driving the speakers which I think works very well but, am curious if more power would sound even better. The Luxman has 150 watts into 8 Ohms with the first 12 being class A and 300 watts into 4 Ohms. Thanks for your response. 
 

Hey hanki,

I would love to answer your question, but Coda only sent one S5.5 for review! What are you trying to power that would require a bridged pair of S5.5?

Teajay

Has anyone tried using two of these amps in bridged mono mode? If so, how does it compare to one in stereo?.  Thanks. 

@johnah5 thank you Teajay. Much appreciated for your feedback!! I will explore this more!

Hey sim_audio_nerd,

I'm very familiar with your XA30.8 amplifier. Actually your amp and the XA-25 are my favorite amplifiers in the .8 generation of Pass Labs amplifiers. 

I don't believe that the Coda S5.5 would be a lateral move for the following reasons. The S5.5 compared to your XA30.8 will have a more airy/open detailed top end, will present more easily heard micro-details because its noise floor is lower, will be overall more dynamic/faster, and have a more controlled/tighter bottom end. If these differences appeal to your sonic palette you would totally enjoy the S5.5. The XA30.8 is a great amplifier, and so is the S5.5, so which is better is based on your personal taste and how each amplifier matches up with the speakers in your system.

Teajay

Hmm..I have Pass XA30.8 with Supratek preamp and thinking about this..maybe it would be lateral move? When was the S5.5 released? Is it fairly new?

Hey vthokie83,

Congrats, on your AricAudio Motherlode XL preamplifier. I own the Motherlode MKII and its a great line-stage. If you do purchase the Coda S5.5, you will have a killer combo, indeed! I know because I have heard the combo in-house.

Any speaker you mention on your list would easily/effortlessly be driven by the S5.5.

Teajay

Hey vinylvalet,

Totally agree, most of the Coda pieces that owners are selling don't last to long before they are bought up. Secondly, most of the owners of Coda gear that I communicate with keep their pieces for long periods of time and then move up the Coda chain, instead of going to a different brand.

Just had my "golden ear" friend come over to hear the S5.5. He's really a tube based listener. Yet, he thought that the level of musicality, top-end air, and mid-range spatiality was rivaling his tube based system!

Teajay 

Teejay and all,

I am strongly considering purchasing the S5.5 in the next few days, and it will be paired with an Aric Audio Motherlode XL preamp I've ordered. I've already talked to Aric about the low 10k XLR values, and he is making a slight change to Motherlode to adjust for that.

I don't think this will be an issue, but just wanted to ask: Do you see any problems driving a "reasonable" pair of speakers. I know the Clayton Shaw Caladans at 93db will be no problem, but I also have a pair of Thiel CS2.3 (4 ohms/87db....no lower than 3 ohms), and a pair of Buchardt Audio S400 MKII bookshelf (4 ohm/87db).

Perfect, thanks. Where did you find this?

50 wpc into 8 ohms

100 wpc into 4 ohms

200 wpc into 2 ohms

@johnah5 , Teajay, do you know its output into  4 ohms? I can’t find it in the specs on the Coda site.

I must say I’m tempted, not that I need another amp!

Sorry for being off topic but do you know if there is or will be in the future a Coda S5.5 integrated amp?

I emailed Doug at Coda and he sent me this answer: 'It is not conceivable due to the size.' Still, $6400 for this amp itself sounds good to me.

Love my Coda #8 and 07x preamp combo…At the end of the day… a better sounding/built/top value component at Coda’s price point is a rare bird indeed!

Hearing is believing!!!

I've resold several Coda pieces. They go fast. Folks that know this product line generally keep their purchases.

CODA is not the easiest to sell but people who have heard it are quick to buy. I sold a few CODA items before, CSiB, 07x, and #8. I have the #16 now.

I also have a Sanders Magtech that I really love with my Magnepan LRS+. I was told by Roger Sanders it was first designed for Maggies. The reason I mention it is because I think CODA builds the Sanders amp. I also think the Magtech is a bit better than the #8, not the #16. I bought a 10-year-old used Magtech (refurbished) from Sanders for $4k. I threw out the Magtech shipping box.

BTW - I did some critical listening with the #16 and the Holo Serene preamp this morning with my new replacement powerline streaming (use fibre at the end). The Serene and the #16 sound great together. Highly recommended with CODA amps.

@speedthrills yup I think reselling CODA amps might not be as easy as McIntosh, I imagine the circle of CODA buyers and sellers is somewhat self-contained but then also self-sustaining. I’ve owned 3, all were rock solid amps. The S5.5 is $6.5K new, the only other amp I’ve heard in my system that’s of similar price/build quality/warranty/sonics is a Pass XA25. And that thing runs HOT. There isn’t a lot out there you can buy new that’s of similar quality (unless you like Class D, which I haven’t had success with), personally I’d love to hear from others which amps they’ve owned and felt were of a similar price/quality ratio.

Thanks and in general I can mostly agree with the explanations of not wanting to advertise or pay etc. BUT the reality is that there are plenty of reviews on products that don't advertise and even more that see value in going to a couple fo the big industry events in order to get some exposure and buzz, even if they have to partner / share a room with other vendors. It just makes good business sense. For those who buy/sell/upgrade regularly it can be a stretch to invest 15k in a brand that even if superlative has no reviews from the mainstream reviewers and little or no industry presence in terms of shows. When it comes time for reselling this may or may not become an impediment on either how long it takes to resell the item or how much of a discount is required to get it sold. Perhaps Coda is different based on word of mouth and resales are fast and at top dollar, people who own them seem to love them!

@speedthrills I live in Sacramento and Coda is a 15-minute drive from my house. I bought my amp directly from Doug Dale and was fortunate to have a long talk with him recently and I asked some of the questions you were asking. Many magazine review sites are pay to play and require money or require you to be an advertiser. Doug doesn't feel they need to do this. Much of their business comes from overseas and Asia. Doug is in poor health and according to him that is the reason he never brings their equipment to any of the shows such as Axpona. I'm fortunate to be close to him which makes changing versions on my #8 easy. I have a version #1 now but am considering buying some Magnepan 3.7i/x soon and may have him bump up the power with the #2. So far Doug has been very responsive to my question. Great company. 

Hey Teajay! Only five amps!? ;  )

Hey grk,

Forget the diagram. When I face the S5.5 head-on the left channel is on the left and the right channel is on the right, like every other amplifier I have in-house (five).

Teajay

@audioman has a point...the left and right channels are reversed from most amps! I don't recall having seen that before. It's shown not only in the diagram but also in a picture on their website. The channels should be labeled as such when one is facing the front of the amp.Wonder why they did that? It may not ultimately matter, but it does seem rather odd.

Matching it with a tube preamp in balanced mode could be an issue with some, since the balanced input impedance is only 10k ohms.

@tyray, great point and question. I have a Coda amp and would love to recommend Coda to any of my friends who are in the market for an integrated amp. Unfortunately, none of them can afford the CSiB (definitely not new and probably not used); so, having another option at a lower price point would be good (and smart).

teajay,

Sorry for being off topic but do you know if there is or will be in the future a Coda S5.5 integrated amp?

Hey ddafoe,

I did a review on the Pass Labs X250.8, excellent amplifier, and the bass control on all the Coda amps, including the S5.5, is much better controlled/dynamic because of the loading of 100 amps of current based on their giant power supply sections.

Teajay 

Does anyone know the damping factor for this amp?  I don't see it listed, but do see 200 listed for the no-8.    I had a Pass X250.8 and XA-30.8 (both listed at 150) and really liked them but didn't find either as good as a few other amps I've owned relative to bass control with the 30.8 being a little loose in the bass at times.  If the 5.5 has solid bass control it definitely looks very appealing for the $.   

@jaudio1 

+1 great question.

Hi Teajay, thanks for the heads up on this CODA. How would you say it compares to the Pass XA-25 ? I know you mentioned in the past that you thought it was the best of the pass labs amps. Would a move from the XA-25 to the CODA be more of a sideways move or a step up in your opinion ?

Yes I had a #8 and a CSIB and ended up with the S5.5 and agree with Terry it's the best of the lot, and by a considerable margin, at least in my system. Yet it is the cheapest amp CODA makes. I have it paired with an Audio Hungary Qualiton C200 tube preamp, and there is no musical genre the stack doesn't render faithfully, at least to my ears. 

Just now I finished listening to two tracks (via Tidal) that had me spellbound:

-Art Pepper's "Nature Boy" 

-Leonard Cohen's "The Night of Santiago"

The tonal verisimilitude of the acoustic instruments was breathtaking. Cohen's voice was so eerily "present" in the room, when I turned the lights back on I had to chuckle at my goosebumps.

The system is as follows:

Puritan PSM156 conditioner -> Melco S100 ethernet switch (fiber optic output) -> Lumin U1-> Gustard R26 w/external masterclock -> Qualiton C200 -> S5.5 -> Mofi Sourcepoint 10s (cabling is all by Transparent)

I sometimes prefer this setup to my main setup in the living room, where the amp is a Gryphon Diablo 300 running B&W 804 D4s, especially for small scale acoustical music.

Regardless, the point is IMO someone could build a killer system with the S5.5 at its heart for under $20K.

@tucki08 I have a Krell 300xd amp, I’ve had Coda’s CSiB integrated.  I would agree with yyz’s assessment.  If you are looking for a smooth, tube like SS amp that also has the power, command of SA Krell is tough to beat.  Coda wasn’t better or worse in my opinion, it had a different sound signature.  I agree with Terry, I’d put Coda’s gear up against anyone’s, price aside.  They use extremely high quality parts and really know how to design, get the most out of those parts. 

@tucki08 If you want to hear a very smooth, relaxing, and yet detailed Class A amp check out the Krell Duo XD lineup. I liked the KRELL Duo 175XD over my CODA #8 (sold). I like the CODA #16 more than the 175XD (sold). I had the CODA 07x preamp when I had the 175XD and the #8. I use the Holo Serene preamp now.

Next week if I manage to get a job, I am seriously considering trading in my CODA #16 for the KRELL KSA i400. That is 400 watts in Class A and doubling to 1600 at 2 Ohm. I think the Class A stays at 400 as it doubles.

The KRELL XD lineup can be had for similar price as the CODA lineup. Both are great, I think the KRELL is a little smoother sounding. Normally this smoothness is not my preference, but I had the KRELL XD’s I owned sounding great with my other gear.

Terry, that’s great feedback. Thank you!

Hey tuckia08,

Remember, for certain people not having meters would be a deal breaker! That's why the meters are an option. I ordered my #16 without meters, because I too I'm not attracted to them. The S5.5 does not have the meters, just a half inch attractive engraved faceplate.

I do not experience that the S5.5 sounds like its big brother #16. It has the virtues of the other Coda amplifiers and then adds on a sense of overall aliveness/transient speed and the best top end of any solid state amplifier I have heard in my system. It sounds different then either the #8 or #16, which are both great in their own right, and is turning out to possibly be my favorite of all the Coda amplifiers.

Of the list of amplifiers you mention in your post, which are the "cream of the crop" in solid state Class A amplifiers, I have heard them and still would argue that the S5.5 competes with them easily for far less money.

Teajay