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)
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 |
Ok, I am going to borrow from Wikipedia, and also add some things I have found to work.
If you think of your preamp as a source, and your power amp as a load, then you may consider that maximum power transfer can occur when the output impedance of the preamp matches the input impedance of the power amp. However, in high fidelity audio, it is typically considered optimum to have a source with low impedance connected to a load with high impedance. In that case, the power that can pass through the connection is limited by the higher impedance (so power transfer is not maximum), but the electrical voltage transfer is higher and less prone to corruption than if the impedances had been matched. When matching preamps to power amps, a general rule of thumb is for the load (amp) input impedance to be at least 10 times higher than the source (preamp) output impedance to provide a suitably flat frequency response. Many prefer using a minimum ratio closer to 20 to 1, or having an amp with input impedance 20 times or more greater than the preamp output impedance. With solid state preamps, this is generally not a problem since most have output impedance of only a few hundred ohms or less, while most SS amps have input impedance of at least 10K ohms. However, you must pay much closer attention when trying to match tubed preamps to SS amps, since many tubed preamps have an output impedance of several thousand ohms or greater. Another thing to watch is how the output impedance spec is reported, since it is sometimes limited to a measurement at a given frequency such as 1K Hz, while the actual output impedance may vary with frequency. It is not unusual for the output impedance of tubed preamps to rise significantly as the signal approaches a lower frequency of 20 Hz, because of the size of coupling capacitors used in the preamp. In these cases, a low frequency roll off can occur whereby, for the same power output, the lower frequencies drop in output compared to the rest of the frequency range, resulting in a loss of deep bass. The good news is that most tubed amps have sufficiently high input impedance to allow the use of most preamps, tubed or SS. Also, for SS power amps, input impedances of around 50K ohms and above are common and these amps should work well with the vast majority of tubed and SS preamps. Only a couple of manufacturers make SS amps with input impedances of 10K ohms (e.g., McCormack DNA500), and a couple (such as Pass) make SS amps with input impedance of 20K ohms. These lower impedance amps would require careful matching with tubed preamps. If you are trying to match a preamp with one of these lower input impedance amps, you should try to find information on your preamp’s output impedance throughout the entire frequency range. Some manufacturer’s report this information and some do not. A good source is a Stereophile review, since JA commonly provides the information as part of his measurements. Others will likely have good suggestions I have missed, but this information should give you a good starting point. |
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. |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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!
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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. |
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 |
@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. |
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 |
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.
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@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 ...
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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. |
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
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yyzsantabarbaraThanks for the reply. If your speakers need the power then the #16 is a great way to go... Mark |
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?
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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. |
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 |
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@yyzsantabarbara Curious how the Benchmark LA-4 might compare to your friend's passive pre. Or are the Benchmark and Serene more similar to each other than the passive pre. You can PM me as I don't wish to derail this Coda thread. |
@jc4659 I would assume that the LA4 would be not as good. My friend said anytime you add a power supply you are going to be a bit worse than passive. I have the CODA #16 and the LA4 back together again. It is a bit different than the Serene and CODA #16. I’ll send you a DM. |
Hey laginz, To answer your question regarding how the S5,5 presents individual instruments and overall sound-staging: 1) On five different speakers the sound-stage was wide and deep an behind the front of the speakers. It also in my system offered excellent layering and exact positions of the players on the stage. 2) What I call image density or "meat on the bones" imaging was very well done. However, it was not at the expense of what you were describing of having the images thrust towards the front of the other instruments. The individual images stayed accurately placed in the sound-stage. Teajay |
Teajay, Got some good news this week, Aric Audio is shipping my new modified Motherlode XL preamp! It will be a little while for me to reconfigure my setup, but really looking forward to hearing the CODA S5.5 and Aric Audio Transcend "Push Pull" amp through the Motherlode.....lot's of fun listening ahead. |
@vthokie83 that sounds like it going to be killer combo wise! I’ll be getting my Coda S5.5 next week. It will be: source-->Supratek Signature Grange preamp/phono-->Coda S5.5-->Coincident Super Victory IIIs. |
FYI - I saw a CODA 07x preamp on sale for an amazing price on USAM. I am listening to the Class A Schitt Mjolnir V3 preamp ($1200, no remote) with my CODA #16. I am using a bight Benchmark DAC3B with this setup. This is a really good combo and I bet sounds as good with the S5.5. Something to consider for a low-cost preamp. I have the Benchmark LA4 and Mjolnir connected to the #16 at the same time since the #16 supports such as setup. |
@sim_audio_nerd Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the Grange and the Coda synergy, I myself have the Supratek Cabernet driving a Belles SA30 class A power amp, it sounds great on my Graham Audio LS 5/9 also very nice on low volume, my amp gets quite warm 56c so is very useful for heating up the listening room in the winter, although in summer it can be a bit annoying, only thing I sometimes wish for is more detail, but at the same time I don’t want to lose my systems musicality, have also wonder about the Atmasphere class d offering and the Musiklab 200. Good luck with your purchase 👍🏻 |
@minatophase3 Is this new Class A Coda amp equal or better than my anticipated purchase of the Westminster Labs REI (I know they have double the power but I have 96db 6 ohm efficient speakers so that's not an issue). |
@fleschler I am not sure, I have an Accuphase E-380, never heard the Westminster labs REI. Compared to the Accuphase I think the S5.5 is better in every way with the exception of the Accuphase has a bit warmer sound which I like but that is personal preference. Lows and Highs are better on the S5.5 and I would count the Midrange to be equal on both. |
@gryphongryph totally will do. I have a hunch the Supratek+Coda would be great match but I hope my hunch is true! |
This thread by Terry has caused quite a stir for Coda, as of today my 5.5 S has been on order for 5 weeks and it may ship maybe by next week! And Terry's review has not even gone live yet! Selling like hot cakes just from this thread evidently. Cannot wait to hear from those that get their amp and can report back here how they like them. for me it's going to provide my "escape route" from a lifetime with tubes, hope it works out for me! I need to simplify my life. |
Hey fthompson251, Besides the very satisfied owners who have already posted on this thread that they love their new S5.5, I have received another 3 Emails from other individuals raving about what this amp has added to the enjoyment of their systems. So please, when you get yours let us know what your experience. I believe you are in for quite the treat! I hope to write the review on the S5.5 in the next two weeks. It will be a fun one to write because its such a great piece. Teajay (Terry London) |
Hey everybody, I have begun to write my review on the S5.5 for Stereo Times and will be including the comments of participants who have shared their experiences with the S5.5 on this thread. If anyone wants to add new information based on further listening/experience with the amp or new owners that have not posted yet, please do. Thanks to all of you who have shared, Teajay (Terry London) |
Doug at CODA told me that bridging 2 S5.5's is not a good way to use them. I was wondering if you could use 2 bridged S5.5's instead of a CODA #16. The standard gremlins that apply to bridging a 2-channel stereo amp also applies to the S5.5. BTW - I changed my DAC from a Schitt Yggi+ LIM to the Schitt Yggi+ OG. I moved the LIM to my office. The complaints I had with my CODA #16, lack of detail, is now pretty much resolved. The OG is more detailed while the LIM is the warm and "musical" one. I am thinking of replacing my Holo Serene preamp with another Benchmark HPA4 preamp on the CODA #16 system.
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