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

I have a Coda #8 and it definitely responds to different interconnects. I have tried cheapos, Analysis Plus and am now trying Wireworld with Acoustic Zen on deck. AP was a bit lean, Wireworld has a good full sound, AZ is TBD. 

I’m using Kubala Sosna Elation interconnects (xlr) and speaker cables. They are very open, detailed, weighty and slightly warm. They seem to be a great match for the S5.5 and the rest of my system. 
 

I now have over 120 hours on the amp and it is sounding wonderful. It has all the power I need to drive my somewhat inefficient speakers. 
 

I definitely have more weight and dynamics than my other amp. It is easily the best I’ve heard in my system. 
 

Jeff

I borrowed a pair of Nordost Heimdall 2 RCA's to connect my E-380 to the S5.5.  I was amazed at the increased detail, clarity and speed they added to the music.  The downside is that they are a bit too revealing and made the music sound a bit clinical and a tad bright.  But it made it clear that I want to upgrade my RCA's if I keep the Accuphase as my preamp.

I would prefer a slightly more laid back presentation leaning to the warmer side.  The Heimdall's are excellent but almost too much is coming through 😀. 

I am currently using Signal Cable Analog Two Interconnects with upgraded Neutrik ProFi connectors.  I really like the way they sound, they are just holding back some of the detail and dynamics.  But given the choice between those and the Heimdalls I would stick with the Signal Cables.  Not as detailed but easier to listen to. 

Would be interested to hear what interconnects others are using. 

How does the 5.5 treat the presence and “weight” of instruments in front of you?With certain amps, usually ones that are a bit forward in presentation, you can almost feel the palpable weight of the instruments in the room with you. It’s a combination of not just focus and size of images,  but also I suspect of  dynamics and frequency balance. How does the 5.5 compare in this regard?

yyzsantabarbara

Thanks for the reply. If your speakers need the power then the #16 is a great way to go...

Mark

Just like yyzsantabarbara I have reviewed and owned the Coda # 8, # 16, and the 07x preamplifier. All terrific pieces at their price points. Unless you need the extra watts /current of the #16 to drive either very inefficient speakers or listen at insane dB levels the S5.5 will be plenty of amplifier for your system.

Their is no doubt in my mind that regarding the mid-range and high frequency range that, as of right now, the S5.5 has more pristine tonality, refinement in the micro-details, and one of the most beautiful presentations of the top end compared to the other Coda amps.. I would not call it "night and day" in its difference in these areas compared to the #16, but you can clearly hear it. Until, the System 150 amp ( which is a two chassis design and will retail for around $25,000) is released I believe the S5.5 is the most musical of all the Coda amplifiers and the least expensive! The only caveat is your speakers are not "pigs" to drive. So far I have tried the S5.5 with five very different speakers that it drove effortlessly and its sonic virtues shined through each time.

Teajay

I have not heard the S5.5, but have owned the #8, #16, and 07x preamp. I have also discussed the S5.5 with Doug at CODA about the appropriateness of using the S5.5 with either my Yamaha NS5000 or Magnepan LRS+ speaker. After I gave him feedback on what other amps sounded good with these speakers, he said not to get the S5.5. I am going to go with Doug's opinion on the CODA gear. He suggested the new SYSTEM 150 amp coming out next month for my needs (keeping the #16).  This will be their new flagship. Things went a little pear-shaped for me with regards to affordability last week so that new CODA amp is on hold until the long term.

The S5.5 sounds ideal for speakers like my friend's crossover less prototype that can be driven by even 5 watts. For my current speakers the S5.5 is a downgrade from the #16. The S5.5 seems great for the new headphones I am getting.

I was able to figure out how to drum up the money for the headphones without selling the #16. I will have to sacrifice my fav speaker cable, Audience FrontRow (buy it again later). Amongst a few other items. Unfortunately, I have expensive tastes and low income.

Have you compared the #16 to the S5.5? From what Terry is saying…the S5.5 is a step up in quality of sound all the way around.

@aolmrd1241 The S5.5 is not really comparable to the #16.  Definitely with the speakers I listen to. I have 2 other amps that I think I can sell I and I am exploring that first. Though that would mean 1 system will be unplayable.

@firefly627s I took down my great streamer and DAC and cables. However, his router was in a spot behind 200lbs of marble. We said the heck with that has just used a low-end CD player into the Serene connected by RCA. This was only for the crossover less speaker. We used a computer and RME DAC for the more elaborate phones tests with my incredible RAAL VM-1a amp.

Next week the phones I heard are heading off to The Absolute Sound and then Stereophile. I do not think they has as good gear as I have for these phones.

One reason I want to get whatever he builds is because I think he is a bit of an audio genius. Stevie Wonder uses his mic's, Keith Richards uses his guitar strings, etc ...

@yyzsantabarbara 

            What was your music source gear feeding the serene and the passive?

             Great find on a simpler, cost effective,  yet capable, passive path! Kudos to you and your friend!

Your #16 might be a hard sale now with the S5.5 raves making the rounds…with the cost difference in favor of the latter.

Some additional observations on the Serene preamp. I disconnected the Serene from my office system (Magenpan LRS+ and CODA #16) and drove it down to my friends place in Ventura, CA.

I wanted to hear the new RAAL 1995 Magna and Immanis headphones. I am a 2-channel guy but the older CA-1a and SR1a are spectacular, and I wanted to hear the new ones that are supposedly way better.

I took the Serene because it has a headphone only XLR output on the back. Last week, I spent $200 and bought the required cable from Kitsune.

My friend was building a crossover less speaker. It was a prototype and we listened to it with a passive preamp (volume control) that he had also built and my Serene. After just a few minutes I could tell that the Serene was outclassed by the passive. Everything was better across the board. I would expect the same result if I used that same passive preamp with the CODA #16.

My friend is thinking of building a balanced 4-input passive with dual XLR outputs. I told him to keep it cheap and let me know. I am keeping the Serene but no longer with the CODA #16. I will move the Serene downstairs to function as a headphone amp and 2-channel preamp.

The 2 new phones I heard were amazing. So good that I want to get the one I preferred for rock music, the Immanis. I am not sure how I can pull that off without selling the CODA #16. If it has to go it will, to get the Immanis.

@aricaudio 

           Thank you Aric for your fast reply and the information. I can picture them better now on their stands; the Spectre 12  w/stands being about the same height as a Magnepan LRS+ . I think that's a great height for the ribbon tweeter too! Excellent!

            I have been  looking at the products you offer and various reviews along with comments on this thread and am very impressed with the products you have to offer, your high quality ethic, and the fact that you have a strong customer focus based on your guidance to customers for their specific applications. Thanks again, and when I am ready to move on changing some of my components, you are right at the top of my list! Thanks again. Best, joe

@firefly627s Thanks for your interest! The dimensions on the site are for the speakers only and does not include the stands, which are not quite ready yet. They are currently being built by the cabinet maker, out of wood and finished to match the speakers. The speaker will simply sit atop the stands. The stands themselves will be 13” off the floor with the footers included in that height which puts the total height of the speaker at 48”. TJ currently has a different set of stands which put the speakers at roughly this same height for his review process.
Best regards, Aric

@johnah5

Hey, TJ. Those new Spectre 12 speakers from Aric Audio look really impressive! High quality! In your post you refer to them as a "large stand mount". The Spectre 12’s are very close to the size and weight of a Klipsch Forte 3/4 floor stander. The published dimensions for the Spectre 12 on Aric’s site are 35" x 14" x 13"; is that just for the speaker itself, which I am guessing is the case, or does that published 35" height include the stand as well which accompanies the S-12’s?

Anyway, I am curious on the stands that are provided with the Spectre 12’s. If they are not included in that 35" height, how much higher do the included stands elevate the Spectre 12? And are the stands wider and/or deeper than the speaker itself ? Also, do you hard attach the stand to the speaker, or does the speaker simply rest on the stand? What are the stands made of (metal, wood, other?); if wood,do they match the speaker cabinet?

In your listening tests how are the off-axis highs from the Spectre 12's Ribbon? 

If you have the complete dimensions for the stand itself, please share those with us. There were no photos of the Spectre 12 on its stand on Aric’s website unless I missed them. I am of course assuming the stands are not part of the published Spectre 12 dimensions of 35" x 14" x 13" off Aric’s site. Thanks Teajay! Joe

Also wanted to post my findings on comparing the Accuphase E-380 used as a pre-amp vs using a Holo Audio Serene pre-amp.

I am using relatively inexpensive RCA's to connect my E-380 the S5.5.  They are good but not at the same level as the rest of my cabling, but I bought them to test the Accuphase as a pre-amp with the understanding that I would either sell the Accupphase and get dedicated pre-amp and connect via XLR or I would purchase a higher end set of RCA's if I wanted to keep the Accuphase.

My friend brought over his Serene and we fist listened to the Accuphase and then listened to the Serene using the same RCA's.  We found the Serene to be a very good fit with the S5.5 as is the Accuphase.  They both sounded very similar but there were 2 main differences.

1. Using the Serene the bass was quite a bit better.  Faster and more of it.

2. Using the Accuphase the upper range frequencies had more sparkle and sounded a bit better.

I would be happy with either and they both seemed to fit really well with the S5.5.  Then we swapped out the XLR connection on his Serene.  Once we did that there was a huge difference in overall sound quality, clarity, bass, etc.  Everything just got a lot better.  It is worth noting that the RCA's I am using are around $100 where the XLR's we tested are around $2,000.  So, how much of the difference is in the XLR connection vs RCA and how much is due to the cable?  That is the big question.  I tend to think about 80%+ is due to the quality of cable but I am not sure.

I did just borrow a pair of Nordost Heimdall 2 RCA cables from my local hi-fi dealer and will test this weekend with a higher quality pair of RCAs. 

I do not know enough to know if RCA or XLR connection from the pre-amp will yield better sound, but will find out in a little while if a nicer pair of RCA's enhances the sound.

Have had my S5.5 for about 10 days now and wanted to post my impressions after letting it break in a bit.  I have the S5.5 plugged into an UberBuss with a Revelation Audio Labs silver power cord.  I am using a Lumin T2 streamer going into a Holo Audio Spring 3 KTE DAC.  My Accuphase E-380 integrated amplifier is acting as the pre-amp.  It only has RCA out so that is how it is connecting to the S5.5

Speakers are Spatial Audio M4 Sapphire open baffle (90db, 4Ohm)

Initial thoughts were that the Accuphase had a better mid-range while the S5.5 had a better lower and upper range.  After listening for several days and a lot of listening to both I have changed my opinion slightly.  I feel that the mid-range on both are roughly the same, meaning they are both Excellent!  I would say the Accuphase has good lower and upper ranges and an Excellent mid-range.  The S5.5 is Excellent across all 3 ranges.  Because of this the mid-range in the Accuphase stands out when you listen to it because it is the star of the show.  Not so with the S5.5, the lower range is keeping pace with the mid-range and I would say the upper-range is the star of the show on the S5.5.

If I were to rate on a scale of 1-10 I would rate them like so:

Accuphase - Lower (7) Mid (9) Highs (7.5)

S5.5 - Lower (9) Mid (9) Highs (9.5)

The S5.5 does everything the Accuphase does and then improves upon it.  The background is blacker, more detail and slightly wider and deeper soundstage.  I am extremely pleased with this purchase and would like to thank Terry and everyone else for this thread!

Today marks 3 weeks since my amp order was received by Coda, the wait is killing me.  Maybe next week. 🙏

Hey Everybody,

Just wanted to share that I have tested the S5.5 with another speaker I have in for review. Two points here:

1) I have now tried the S5.5 with 5 very different types of speakers and it drove all them superlatively/effortlessly with great musicality.

2) The new speaker I have in-house for a StereoTimes review is Aric's (AricAudio) first commercial design called the Spectre 12. He has been working on this speaker for over 8 years to get it where it is now. Where it is now is mind blowing! It is large stand mount which weights around 80 pounds, six drivers, front ported, Baltic birch cabinet, is 8 ohms and rated at 96 dB efficiency, and goes down to 30 Hz and up to around 30 KHz because of its ribbon tweeter. I'll be writing a review on the AricAudio two chassis reference 2A3 SET amplifier in conjunction with his new speaker. The point I'm trying to make here is that Aric's speaker sounds wonderful with his own great SET amplifier. However, the S5.5, on these speakers sounds like a SET on steroids, retaining the beautiful harmonics/tonality of the 2A3 tube and adds on the drive and dynamics of solid state high current delivery. The S5.5 and Aric's new speaker is a killer combo! You GON members who own AricAudio tube based gear owe it to yourself to hear these speakers being driven by Aric's own amplifiers.

Teajay

Hey aolmrd1241 and vthokie83,

You guys are so right on in your remarks regarding the looks and performance of the S5.5. I have been reviewing for close to 15 years and this amplifier charmed this "jaded" reviewer. And to think how many SS amps I have had in for review that cost over 20K that did not even come close to the performance (such as Dagostino - Boulder) of the "Petite Beast" which is such a bargain at its price!

Teajay

tabl10s,

Looks are incredibly subjective of course, but I find the CODA S5.5 to be very appealing. The performance of the S5.5 is stellar, and aolmrd1241 said......you'll be missing out on an amazing sounding (and relatively inexpensive for what you get) amplifier. I'm excited every day to put on a new CD and listen to the CODA/Caladan pairing.....a great match

Looks aside…you would be missing out on some of the finest sounding audio equipment money can buy!

I've never liked the look of Coda amps and that would be enough to go bypass it. 

aolmrd1241 - Great information, thanks for posting.

@Paoz - I think the specs for the CP preamp are listed incorrectly on the website, I think the Output Impedance is the same as the 07x 50 Ohm / 100 Ohm.  If you download the manual for the CP it lists them the same as the 07x.  The info in the specs on the website for the CP shows 50 kOhms / 100 kOhms. 

Which begs the question...why do some manufacturers design amps with such low input impedance in the first place? Is it to limit equipment that can be used from other companies?

thank you very much! you have been very helpful.

now I understand It ok

I’ m not asking about sound quality.

I was asking about the technical data.

the two coda preamps have different outputs.

how many ohm outputs should a preamp have to have a good match with the s5.5 (which has an input of 10k ohms)

100ohms output should be good?

Hey paoz,

The 07x is a great preamplifier. When I reviewed it, and bought it, I put it on the Stereo Times "component of the decade" list. It was the first solid state preamp that rivaled my tube based line-stages in tonality/color and spatiality. The combo of the S5.5 and 07x would be the heart of a reference level system.

Teajay

@aolmrd1241 +1.

Either one will be fine…I own the 07x and it is a wonderful preamp. You won’t be disappointed in the least…

I'm looking to coda preamp:

07x model has an Output Impedance 100 Ohms

Cp model has and Output Impedance 100kOhms

Does the 07x work well with the s5.5?

I wish the 5.5 had the glowing logo like the meteess #16 

Ok thanks teajay . 

Hey paoz,

The Pass punches above its very conservative ratings of its watts rating. However, the S5.5 not only is rated 100 watts into 8 ohms but has almost double the current loading of the XA-25. I have both amps and the S5.5 will drive more speakers effortlessly then the Pass Labs.

Teajay

but does anyone know how many watts it gets in class a/b?
the pass should reach around 80watts.
according to a stereophile review of the old s5,
It has a power of around 65watts.
Is this also the case for this S5.5 model?
in theory the pass remains more powerful

I bought mine from Mike Kay at Audio Archon near Chicago, great guy to deal with.....but have no idea on return policy

Laginz,

Check on the CODA site, they have their list of dealers

Hey Guys,

I did address what is the difference between the Pass Labs XA-25 vs. the Coda S5.5 earlier in this thread. I have owned the XA-25, its a great amplifier, my favorite of the present XA generation of Pass Labs amps, The S5.5 is quieter, more detailed, faster/dynamic, with tighter bass, and a much more airy extended top end. Both are great amplifiers, its a matter of personal taste and synergy with your system. 

Teajay

@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.

can anyone compare the sound of the coda 5.5 vs pass xa25??

Am I correct that there is no way of purchasing a 5.5 with a trial period or any money back return period,  in case the buyer concludes it’s not the best match for his or her system?

@grk you're right.  I verified in the manual, it says this about the front buttons:

2. The INPUT SELECTOR button switches between the balanced and unbalanced inputs.

4. This two color LED indicates that the main power is on. When it is green the balanced inputs are in use. When it is yellow the unbalanced inputs are in use.

So as long as I don't mind walking over to hit the button instead of using a remote, this option will allow me to use any preamp without bypass support.   Nice!

@irave  Don't do it...the amp will explode! 😉

If it is a truly balanced design, that should not be an issue. I have a SPL Performer S1200 amp with both balanced and RCA inputs. I also use a tubed preamp with balanced and RCA outputs. (Some preamps and amps run the RCA and XLR inputs parallel, so they are not truly balanced) I use the preamp and amp balanced connections for LP and CD listening and bypass the preamp using the RCA connections while listening to internet radio running directly into the amp. Since I tend to have the tuner on for at least 2-3 hours a day (for background music), it saves wear and tear on the preamp tubes. There is an input switch on the back of the amp for both inputs making the change easy. It appears the Coda has an input switch on the front.

Hey irave,

I suggest you call Doug at Coda to answer your question. My hunch is that it would be OK, but check with him.

Teajay

Sorry if this is a little off-topic, but I’ve been struggling to find good preamp options that have HT bypass. I need the preamp to take bypassed input from a surround processor, and normal input from a streamer. Then it occurred to me. The S5.5 itself has XLR and SE inputs. Is it possible to bypass the preamp altogether and connect the surround processor to the amp SE inputs, while the streamer/preamp is connected to the amp XLR inputs? What will happen if there is a signal being sent from both sources, will it mix the audio or explode?

Hey vthokie83,

You have been a very busy audiophile recently, indeed. However, you have purchased gear from to of my favorite companies and people, Coda (Doug) and AricAudio (Aric). Both offer great performing gear that is well built, and very reasonably priced. Each is a good person who takes care of each and everyone of their customers with respect and on-going support.

Well, your wife will ultimately forgive you, I hope, and now you  have a very good tube amplifier for variety in the future. I’m really curious about what your impressions will be of the S5.5 with your Motherlode preamplifier. I love my piece and have great fun rolling the 6SN7s, which are my favorite signal tube in a line-stage.

Let us know, Teajay

Teajay,

To add to my insanity recently, I also made a decision that has put me in the dog house with my wife. I was on Aric's Facebook page, and noticed that he had one of his Transcend "push-pull" amplifiers up for sale at a really nice discount. This was the same unit that Bob Grossman reviewed for "Enjoy The Music", except Aric is upgrading the caps to Jupiter Copper foils, which he said really transform the amp even further. I'm really done for a while, can focus on building my DIY power and speaker cables that have been waiting for me to complete....and breaking in some equipment.

 https://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/1223/Aric_Audio_Transcend_Push_Pull_Amplifier_Review.htm

Fred,

Before I bought the Aric Audio Motherlode XL, I auditioned quite a few preamps. The two that stood out the most for me were the BAT VK-80 and the Backert Labs Rhumba Extreme 1.4.

The BAT was out of my price range at $10K (though my friend purchased one which he loves), and in the end I decided I really liked the idea of a 6SN7 preamp. Also I have been blown away by everything I have heard or read about Aric, and my emails and conversations with him have only confirmed that. Really looking forward to that preamp