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

Hey irave,

Sonus Faber itself recommends 100 to 500 watts, so I don't agree with these "people" regarding the excessive amount of power to drive optimally an Amati speaker. They also are 4ohms and about 90dB efficient, a rather easy load to drive. With what the S5.5 delivers regarding its current loading and class A 100 watts into 4ohms it could be a mighty combo regarding the sound quality it might produce. I'm not a fan of the McIntosh house sound, so I believe the Coda driving the Sonus Faber speaker would be more to my personal taste.

Teajay

Just to add to this, my #16 has much better low to mid volume dynamics vs my JC5 which had way more wattage. Current makes the difference. 

@johnah5 

           Hi Terry, do you have solid confirmation from Doug at Coda that the S5.5 puts out 100wpc at 4 ohm in Class A, not AB (or some hybrid?)? I recommend checking on this just to be sure just for sake of accuracy. The S5.5 is sonically a great performer irrespective of this, but please confirm with Doug what happens above 50 watts or below 8 ohms regarding amplification class for the S5.5.   Thanks.

Hey firefly627s,

I have talked to Doug about this a couple weeks ago. The S5.5 doubles down into 100 watts class A into 4 ohms. 

Teajay

@johnah5

Thanks Teajay and glad to hear the S5.5 doubles down to 100 Class A watts into 4 ohm. Interestingly enough, the No. 16 amplifier is reported to deliver the first 100 watts as Class A into 8 ohms or 4 ohms, and above 100 watts,  it's Class AB). 

When I spoke with Doug last week I did get a different answer. Maybe I heard wrong or there was some misinterpretation so I won't go into the details. I don’t know why they (Coda Tech) don’t state it on the Coda site specs or put in print in the manual instead of only stating 50WPC Class A into 8 ohm. Maybe it’s just me but if you can double down to 100WPC into 4ohm Class A, don’t hide it, flaunt it.

I know the dealers say 100WPC into 4ohm but it’s ambiguous to me if I don’t see "A" specified, so I was thinking that’s AB. The S5.5 is certainly an outstanding amplifier and quite a value! What are specs anyway? Performance is what matters and the 100 amp current the S5.5 and 16 have are doing the job quite well!

Again, thank you!

@irave I have my S5.5 driving B&W 804 D4s which are at least as difficult a load as your Amatis and the sound is sublime, zero sense of compression or hardening or lack of dynamics. Preamp is a Audio Hungary Qualiton C200. 

@firefly627s Specs do matter to me. I spoke to Doug about getting the S5.5 for my Yamaha NS5000 and he said it may work since it is a 6 Ohm speaker. 

I told him the 100-watt Benchmark AHB2 does work with it to some OK volume level. However, the amp is almost at 90% volume, and it seems to be pushing it.

On my Sanders Magtech amp, the sound was bigger and louder. That amp is 500 | 900 @ 8 | 4. On my CODA #16 it was similar to the Sanders with some sonic differences that I cannot remember now, essentially a Class AB vs A thing.

After those comments Doug said the S5.5 would not be a good choice for me. That is how we eventually ended up with the topic of the new CODA SYSTEM 150 coming out next month.

I may have a buyer for my Sanders amp and the AHB2 may also go. I will use 2 CODA amps on my 2 systems, but not the S5.5. 

BTW - I thought the #16 was 50 watts Class A in 4 Ohm. Though that is an old recollection.

@yyzsantabarbara 

       Thank you for your helpful comments as always! Much appreciated!

       To all from my previous posts, Doug may have been extra conservative with me because I am in a Magnepan LRS+ phase. I really am not a specification person at all and it's odd I even raised this question. I believe it was  truly intended to help others on this thread, in case any of us were placing a specification as a key criterion for purchasing the amp, that there were no unintentional or inadvertent oversights,  misunderstandings or false presumptions here . There certainly doesn't appear to be any. And would it even matter if there were any? Probably not!

        The S5.5 is hitting the ball out of the park  for everyone, so that has much more practical value to us than specs or what is printed in the manuals. I totally agree with YYZ though that specs are important; however, the bottomline is how a component sounds to each user, in their room with their equipment and their music. Teajay loved the sound these S5.5's were producing and everyone else does too. That says it all! I am not chancing it with Maggies though. Doug steered me back to my CSiB.  Enjoy the music! YYZ thanks again for chiming in! Best, joe

@yyzsantabarbara 

        On your last point on the #16 and this is from the manual as well as Teajays past review on the 16 powerhouse amplifier.

  No.16 is 150wpc/8 AB, 300wpc/4  AB with the first 100watts being pure Class A into 8 ohms or 4 ohms. When CODA states the No. 16 is "100 Watts of Pure Class A Precision Bias Operation" , with no impedance qualifiers, it translates to the amp being  a 100 Watt Pure Class A amp for 8 ohm or 4 ohm loads. Above 100 watts at either impedances, transitioning enters into Class AB as per above spec maxima. 

Added HP in the #16,  so the amp does not stress at lower impedance is; 3Kv power supply, 280,000 uf capacitance and of course the Coda magic; >100amps current.

Hi guys.  Sorry for the long silence on my part. Quick explanation is that we had a heavy snow storm here on Saturday and we lost power which caused a big power surge that took our both of my components on one circuit. Unfortunately one of them was my 3 DAY OLD Coda amp!  Not to worry but, it took a few days to figure it out and it only blew out an internal fuse in the right  channel. I didn’t realize at first that there are two fuses per channel inside. The only fuse I knew of is the one you can see on the back which is the only fuse mentioned in the owner’s manual. 
 

Moving the good fuses from one side to the other indicated that all is good. The problem is that I’ve can’t find the correct fuses locally so, I had to order them online and won’t receive them until Friday. 
 

yyzsantabarbara: before the incident I did play the amp continuously at about 84db and the amp didn’t seem any warmer to the touch. I was going to try it at 90db when my wife wasn’t home. It will obviously have to wait a few days. 
 

irave: surprisingly with its published power numbers I don’t feel that it is lacking in power at all driving my somewhat inefficient speakers. It plays way louder than I need with no strain or excess heat. The bass is just as deep as my Luxman m900u but different. The bass is tighter and more tuneful. I was thinking when I first ordered the amp that it might be a bit under powered but I was completely wrong. It has plenty of power for me and my speakers. 
 

I hope this helps. 
 

Jeff

My S5.5 arrived today!  Plugged it in and waited about 2 hours before listening.  I know it will take some time to break in but I couldn't wait 😀.  Initial impressions compared to my Accuphase E-380 integrated (still using the Accuphase as preamp):  Bass is much tighter, cleaner and there is more of it!  Top end is much more detailed and clear, my Accuphase tends to roll off the highs a bit.  I find the S5.5 to be just slightly to the warm side of neutral, the Accuphase is slightly warmer.  Both sound really good.  Overall detail and clarity easily go to the S5.5 as well as a blacker background.

I will let this break in for a while and report back, but so far it is looking very positive!

Hey minatophase3,

Thanks for sharing your cursory listening experiences with us. So far, what you are hearing makes total sense to me. Both your amps are great, it now will be your personal taste and synergy with your speakers to decide on your "reference".

Have fun and let us know what going on as the S5.5 burns in.

Teajay

Just wanted to share: 

I'm packing up a pair of Analysis Audio Epsilon planar speakers that I reviewed months ago and are going to be packed up to be sent back to the importer. These large planar speakers are only 86dB and a nominal 4 ohms. 

So what the hack, I decided to see what the S5.5 would do at driving them. Well, the speakers were driven effortlessly, and all the virtues of the S5.5 - beautiful high end frequencies, midrange details, total transparency, tight extended bass, and finally an "aliveness" were present and made the panels sing with great musicality.

Teajay

@hanki Thanks for the follow-up and sorry to hear about the fuse issue. Those things can give some stress. 

@minatophase3 congrats on the S5.5. I think you were the one going to get a Holo Serene from a friend to try out. You are going to love it. I am so blown away by the Serene and #16 combo. Now that I have used this pairing for a while, I think it is the best sound I have ever had in my house. That is with a $1000 Magnepan LRS+ which is not my best speaker. 

@yyzsantabarbara Yes, the date has been set, a week from tomorrow I will try the Serene with the S5.5 and compare it to the Accuphase as a preamp.  That should be enough time for the S5.5 to break in sufficiently. 

Will report back with my findings. 

@johnah5   And others…. How would the S5.5 work with a 16 ohm LS3/5 speaker (Falcon gold badge)?  I know they like a lot of current, but is this enough power?

Hey Peter,

Great question. The answer is yes, the S5.5 drove a Devore 096, which I believe is a 16 ohm nominal load with a no difficulties at all. So I'm assuming it would do fine with your LS3/5 speakers.

Teajay

@johnah5 Looks like the 096 impedance is 10 ohms....

I spoke with Doug this morning about the S5.5 going into 15 ohm speakers with a sensitivity of 83 dB. He did not think it was a good pairing as it would be underpowered. He recommended the model 16 or 41 amplifier.

When I asked Doug a couple years back about the S5.5 vs the #8 he recommended the S 5.5 be paired with a higher sensitivity loudspeaker only. Since the newer version amp has the same watt/amp ratings he’s likely of the same opinion I would think. Always best to call him and make sure first…

Hey aolmrd1241,

I agree, I would always defer to the designer regarding the optimum parameters regarding their pieces of equipment. Doug always is available to get feedback on these types of questions.

As I shared above, I tried the S5.5 on pretty inefficient,  down to around 82 dB and a nominal 4 ohm rating, speakers and the amp effortlessly drove them in a relatively large space. So parameters like your acoustic space, do you listen at very high volume levels, and the speakers own unique perks are part of the equation. I have had SET amps matched with speakers at times that should have not really worked well, but they turned out to be a great sounding combo.

Teajay 

Terry,check your messages…Mark

Sorry for the extra long delay in getting my CODA S5.5 notes out, but things have taken longer than expected. Not only did I receive the CODA, but my Clayton Shaw Caladans have been breaking in at the same time (about a month old); and I wanted to make sure my notes reflected the CODA as much as possible. To help with that, I have been going back and forth with my Buchardt Audio S400 MKIIs which I have had for two years.

My notes are a combination of: Audiolab 6000CDT transport, Denafrips Pontus II DAC, Denafrips Hades preamp, and CODA S5.5 amplifier….back and forth with the Caladan and the Buchardt speakers. Also my current listening room and speaker position is not ideal, so I’m sure it is affecting bass/soundstage. Parts of my notes are re-posted from my original Caladan review....as they apply

Music used for critical listening (all CD, whole album listened to): Poi Dog Pondering “Wishing Like a Mountain and Thinking Like a Sea” & “Pomegranate” – Eagles “One of These Nights” – Nirvana “MTV Unplugged” – Chris Isaak “Heart Shaped World” – Gorillaz “Demon Days” – The Talking Heads “Stop Making Sense Remastered” – Chris Stapleton “Traveler” – 10,000 Maniacs “MTV Unplugged” – Johnny Cash American IV - Supertramp “Crime of the Century” – Dire Straits “Brothers in Arms” – Memoirs of a Geisha “Soundtrack” – The Civil Wars “Barton Hollow” – Atlanta Rhythm Section “Champagne Jam” – Amy Winehouse “Back to Black”

Several of the albums I chose for their difficulty. Some can be bright, some can be congested (Poi Dog sometimes up to 16 musicians and vocalists on stage), some to get a variety of genres, and some because I just love the album.

First impressions of the CODA: It’s beautiful, solid, well made with high quality components (didn’t expect the WBT fittings), a statement piece…..mine is silver with the gold button option. It’s relatively easy to move this amp around, which was unnerving at first, “there’s no way this amp can produce much power” was a thought that did waft through my head. A couple of buttons for bias (turns on components) and input selector, and 3 LEDs….simple, elegant. I installed the amp using a newly broken in Zavfino Majestic OCC 12 AWG power cable, with Morrow Audio MA4 XLR cables from the Hades preamp. Speaker cables so far have been Anti-Cables 3.1 which I know really well, and are fully broken in.

This amplifier is dead nuts quiet. The background is black, and music comes from a much lower base compared to the Denafrips Thallo that it replaced. Listening at lower more comfortable levels is really enjoyable since the difference between black and even lower levels is more dynamic than I’m accustomed to. Crank on the volume and more is more, not just louder more SPL  reveals more information in the recording. Relaxed loudness? I did crank it up past my comfort level, but all I got was more really loud gorgeous sound. The amp also never ran hot, certainly not uncomfortably hot….even when pushed to my discomfort level for a full 5 minutes or so.

Bass: is punchy, quick, tight, detailed, and effortless…..never ever sloppy or slow. Deep bass is delivered as needed, but I’m not going to be the final voice on that; as neither the Caladans (yet) nor the Buchardts are going to dig really deep down, but I have no reason to believe the CODA won’t be up for the task. Transients are quick and very dynamic, there is nothing slow about this amp at all.

Midrange and highs: Holy shite!

Now we are playing to the strengths of the Caladans and Buchardts, but this can only be explained as magic, joy, happiness, and whatever descriptive I can think of. Vocals are Ethereal, is the word I’m looking for that I haven’t used before. Oxford definition “extremely delicate and light in a way that seems too perfect for this world”. What a wonderful tone, liquid, vocals are detailed and show every piece of frailty, grit, nuance, breath, emotion, intensity (Chris Stapelton, Natalie Merchant, Johnny Cash, David Byrne, Mark Knopfler, Amy Winehouse, Bruce Springsteen). Vocalists have their own distinct space and separation (multiple vocalists), hang in the air, and completely separate from the music itself. Presented more like what would be common in a live performance, nothing is muddied together.

Highs are extremely detailed, airy, and you get the beginning and end of notes….decay is noticeable which I often find hard to notice. One thing that this amp delivers is the ability to “un-jumble” detail, especially on complicated music; with lots of vocalists and musicians present. Every musician and vocalist is present, and separate, and available. More like a live performance where each has their own space on stage and in the performance…..except in a recording.

All of this “extra” in vocals and highs comes with no harshness, or sibilance, or edge. The music is more “alive” than I’ve heard in my home, and more what I hear in some of my audiophile friend’s systems that are north of $100,000/$200,000……and certainly not in a $25,000 system.

Presentation: Soundstage is wider despite the less than perfect room, going a couple of feet outside of the speakers. Height is there as well, better than normal……and finally some depth. I am positive this will all be improved when I finish my dedicated listening room sometime this year. I’ve said this before regarding the Caladans, but even more so with adding the CODA; the music just seems to be presented from a “stage” of music, and does not come from a pair of speakers. The speakers do not completely disappear yet, they are still there….but I can see me getting there in a better room.

The CODA S5.5 is a great addition, and upgrades every single audio aspect versus the Denafrips, and even my Tubes4hifi VTA ST-120 tube amp. As you can tell from the above, I am in love with this amp and what it has been able to do in my home. It plays extremely well with both the Buchardt and Caladan speakers, but the Caladan pairing has a special synergy that brings out the best in both…..bringing each more alive.

If you take this as a hype piece without any honest opinion, I’m sorry as that is not my intention. And yes there are improvements to be had, but I truly believe that getting to my properly built, properly dimensioned, and treated room will yield those results. REMEMBER that we are talking about a $6,400, 45 pound class A amplifier here that is attainable for most audiophiles…….this is not some esoteric $50,000 200 pound beast. How can I not be enthralled, my last two purchases (Caladan and CODA) yielded exactly what I wanted and had hoped for….even more

At this point I am still using the Denafrips Hades preamp, which is WAY better than I ever gave it credit for….amazing performance for a $1,400 preamp, and fully balanced as well. But it will soon be going up for sale, as I’ve got to make room for the Aric Audio Motherlode XL which should be here in about 4 weeks, and I cannot imagine what that final pairing will be like. I’ll probably not be able to give a detailed review once that is in place, I’m out of superlatives.

Hey vthokie83,

Thanks for your very detailed and informed sharing on the S5.5. I just got off the phone with Aric (AricAudio). You are in for another treat when you get your Motherlode in the near future. The combo of the S5.5 and Aric’s great preamplifier will blow your mind!

Thanks again for sharing, Teajay

@vthokie83 thanks so much for your impressions.

I guess the Caledons + Coda and soon Aric Audio preamp would be a knock out combination.

I should be getting my Coda S5.5 amp soon. It will be paired with Supratek Signature Grange preamp.

I will post my impressions when I get the amp in a few weeks..

sim_audio_nerd,

I look forward to your thoughts, be nice to hear from another set of ears

@vthokie83 Great write up!  I plan on providing more thoughts on my S5.5 in about a week or so.  My write up will be no where as detailed as yours but I can say now after listening to the amp for several days I am hearing the same things that you are.

I bet the addition of the Aric Audio pre-amp will take your system to a new level of bliss! 

Hey guys,

Isn't it great even with different listeners/personal taste, different equipment in each system, and different  acoustic spaces, the sonic virtues/traits of the S5.5 are still clearly heard. Now its around 20 people, through this thread or Emails, stating that the S5.5 is/or might be one of the best Solid State amps they ever bought. Not inexpensive, but what a value at its retail price compared to much more expensive amps that are not built to the same quality or perform at the same level.

Remarkable, over 20 new owners and not one disappointed over what they are experiencing with the S5.5!

Teajay

I estimate I am about a week out for my Black Coda S5.5.....maybe a bit more due to Easter.........you guys are getting me excited!  I shipped out my VAC amp and Preamp today to be sold @ TMR.  Deciding on what to do for a preamp, will use my Wavelet II for now. Thanks @vthokie83 for you review, I like a LOT of the music you listed in your report. My amp will only be driving the mid and top range of the Focus XD's....where you state it shines. All good news!

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

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

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

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 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

@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.

@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!

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?

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

@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.

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

Laginz,

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

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

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

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

Ok thanks teajay . 

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

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?

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

@aolmrd1241 +1.