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

Hey Everybody,

This last night received another Email from a Gon member who had purchased the S5.5 after reading about it on this thread. He is totally enthralled with its performance. He had been using a P/P EL34 based amplifier and took a risk trying this solid state amplifier. As he said, "I got everything that I had with the tubes plus much better extension on the top and bottom, a lot more details and clarity, and, this surprised him the most, beautiful colors and a overall smooth/silky tonality. 

I hope other members, including this one, will post their experiences with the S5.5 in their systems.

Teajay

8 on this page alone have been deleted. ???

Wonder why the last 3 posts have been deleted?

@firefly627s I owned the CSiB from 2019 so it is not the best version of it, but it was pretty good. The #8 was better and the #16 is so much better. The Sanders Magtech sounds better to me than the #8 but not the #16. I had the Sanders on the LRS+ for about 6-months and I loved it. My slight dissatisfaction with the #16 on my Yamaha NS5000 made me move the #16 to the LRS+. It is over the top amazing. A perfect match for the brighter LRS+. The Sanders Magtech is really good on the LRS+ but the #16 is so good that I have been constantly stopping my office work and listening.

I use the KEF KC62 sub in my office LRS+ system. It is not essential since the #16 really pumps out some bass in the small room, but the sub does add a nice touch,

If I get the new CODA System 150, which I can when I start a second job in September, I will replace the Sanders. Have 2 CODA amps and be done.

I asked James at Destination HiFi what was up with the listing for the SYTEM 150 already on the web site. Here is the response:

The amp Doug is sending here is the very latest and newest version of the Coda System 150. It’s so new, that Doug is still building it!

There are internal improvements being made.

There are no new specifications to be updated, so there is nothing to update on either the Coda website or Destination HiFi, for the time being.

BTW - The Magna Risers are great for the LRS+. They also come with a wire to plug into the speaker connections. It made a big difference for me.

Vogue is sounding great. Switching over to the new Judas Priest.

Jfrmusic,

Call Doug Dale at CODA, he is easy to talk to, free with his opinions, and an all around great guy. I've spoken to him a few times before and after buying the S5.5, and he was easy to reach.....actually he picked up the phone each time.

He'll be straight with you and give you an honest "yay" or "nay". He probably can give you a better understanding of the correlation of WPC compared to current delivery than most of us can

Thanks guys for the information about WPC and Current. Not sure I completely understand it but from what you’ve describing the 5.5 would easily drive and control the Harbeth C7. Also since it’s 6 ohm the WPC would be somewhere between 50 and 100. Probably 75. 

So given the high current of the 5.5 you’re saying it will have the reserve power to handle dynamic events when listening at the 70-80 DB level? Again I listen to large scale classical such as Mahler, Opera,Film Scores etc. 

Is there a way to compare the current delivery to WPC? For example 100 Amps current is equivalent to X WPC max. 

I believe those specs were listed in the old Coda website which dealers at the time copied into their web pages.

laginz,

Sorry I seemed to have missed your post. Currently with the Denafrips Hades preamp > CODA S5.5 > Clayton Shaw Caladans, the soundstage is more similar to what I would consider a live performance. Soundstage is outside of the speaker width maybe a foot and sometimes more. The vocals are front and center with instruments in their location, and the whole presentation comes from a "platform of sound" and not from the speakers themselves. I have not noticed vocals coming forward of that stage, but I may have just missed it if it does.

One of my favorite bands Poi Dog Pondering is a collection of 8 to upwards of 16 musicians and vocalists depending on the track, and I have never heard them properly placed in a recording before.....at least compared to live performances where I have seen them more than a dozen times. Also the instruments all have their own audio space as well, being able to pick out synth, from electric violin, to recorder, to horns, to xylophone, to accordian, to harmonica. The CODA and Caladans do this for me.

I don't tend to listen to a lot of small presentations with minimalist vocals or instruments.

Off topic for you streamers, I'd recommend listening to a couple of albums from Poi Dog "Wishing Like A Mountain, and Thinking Like a Sea", "Pomegranate", and "Natural Thing".....may or may not be your cup of tea, but a real workout for a system.

Yes waiting for Coda review!

Hey Jeff,

I'm very interested in what happens going from the Luxman to the Coda S5.5 in your system. Both, excellent, but different. I predict that the S5.5 will bring a sense of aliveness/overall dynamics to your rig. Also, the clarity of micro-details across the board with a much more airy high-end. The Coda overall is silky smooth compared to the Luxman's overall velvety perspective.

Hey vthokie83,

I totally agree with you statement about Mike and Aric. Both are great people, take care of their customers, and are totally knowledgeable about what they either build or sell.

Teajay

+1 for speaking with Mike Kay at Audio Archon. He's a great guy to talk audio with, and he carries some high end brands including CODA and Harbeth.

What was really helpful to me personally, was that Mike is friendly with Aric Kimball of Aric Audio and he was helpful in talking through the pairing I ended up with: Aric Audio Motherlode XL and CODA S5.5. His prices are also more than fair, even for new equipment

I should be receiving my Coda S5.5 tomorrow. I’ll keep you all posted as to my impressions after a few days as it continues to break in. It will be driving a pair of Magico S5 speakers which need a lot of current. I’ll be comparing it to my Luxman M900U amplifier which is 150 watts at 8 ohms and 300 watts at 4 ohms with the first 12 watts in class A but, must less current. 
 

Jeff

As a former long time owner of Harbeth C-7s who tried a number of different tube and solid state amps I can assure you that they do like power. However, focusing solely on WPC misses the mark and a high quality amp like the Coda will deliver plenty of juice—I suspect the 5.5 will work very well with the C-7s.

Hey jfrmusic,

My dear friend Mike Kay (Audio Archon) is a Harbeth dealer and finds the S5.5 drives them wonderfully. You are forgetting that it's no only the watts but the current loading that makes a great difference in driving speakers effortlessly.

The Pass Labs and Bryston amps pale in comparison to any of the Coda amps, including the S5.5, which can drop a 100 amps. This is almost double the current loading of either the Pass Labs or Bryston.

Teajay

Please audition Bryston in your stereo before you consider buying. Often in reviews, Coda is compared with Pass as both designers worked together years ago at Threshold. In most cases, the equivalent spec but much more expensive Pass (someone has to pay for all those full page color ads and other marketing) is close but not preferred over the Coda.

Harbeth recommends a Minimum of 45 watts for my C7es-XD and states that 100 watts really needed to bring out the characteristics of the speaker and a also that even more power would yield improvement especially if in a damped room with carpeting, drapes and  furnishings. That describes my room. So I’m looking for at least 200 watts per channel. Bridging the 5.5s is attractive but as I expected CODA doesn’t recommend it. So my search will continue. Maybe the CODA 8 but then that’s a lot heavier. The Bryston line and the Pass Lab line are carried by my local dealer and he will deliver and set up for a small fee. Wish there was a local CODA dealer. 

Hey yowser,

This was addressed earlier in the thread. Coda did not change the name/generation of the S5.5. However, some recent important changes were made in the front-end and in using different power transistors. If you have questions regarding this just give a call to Doug who will answer any of your questions.

I'm waiting for you guys getting your S5.5 in the near future to share what you hear. So far, all the feedback in conversations and posts here confirm what I'm hearing in my system. The S5.5 is a great amplifier.

Teajay

Am I missing something?  The title of the thread says "new" Coda s5.5, but it appears to have been released 7 years ago.

Let us know your thoughts when you receive it....would love to hear your impressions

Congrats Fred, welcome to the club; you're going to love it.

I placed my order for my Coda S5.5 in Black today, thank you @vinylvalet for working with me, what a great stand up guy. Recommended. It will be paired with my Legacy Audio Focus XD's and Wavelet II.  Also thanks to @johnah5 for the heads up Agon post. I think Doug will sell a bunch of these.

@minatophase3 In my experience, there's minimal to no change from turning the amp on using the bias feature on my #16. As I understand it, it essentially keeps everything charged but turns off the amp output.

For anyone worried about the S5.5 driving a tough load, it drives my B&W 804 D4s easily, and the D4s are a VERY complicated load for an amp. Lol JA's measurements in the Stereophile review had the ASR zombies frothing at the mouth.

Thanks @minatophase3 can't wait till you get to try the Serene, Spring 3 and S5.5 all together. Hopefully it's awesome. I thought I was a tube guy but turns out I prefer SS more, but with a touch of warmth. Also, appreciate @vthokie83 @yyzsantabarbara for the great feedback and discussion - it's really helpful too.

@yyzsantabarbara my fiend also had the Benchmark preamp prior to the Serene.  Wonderful preamp and adds very little coloration to the music. Unlike you, I prefer a warmer sound.  I am going to give the Accuphase a fair trial and if that doesn't produce the sound I like I will probably end up with the 07x for the exact reasons you didn't like it 😀.

Nice thing about this hobby is there are so many excellent choices for every taste.

I had the CODA 07x with the #8. It was not my personal favorite. I am not a huge tube fan. Though my headphone amp is an incredible tube amp (RAAL VM-1a).  I changed to the Holo Serene and the CODA #16. This combo is perfect for my ears with the Magnepan LRS+.

I have also used the Benchmark LA4 with the #16 and loved it too. It is slightly less warm than the Serene. I like both preamps with the #16, but if I could trade my Serene for a Benchmark HPA4 I would since I would like BALANCE control in my office preamp. I cannot move the Serene to where the LA4 is used (space issues).

Unfortunately, I do not have the shipping box for the Serene.

Both of these preamps do not add much to the sound and are utterly quiet.

@minatophase3 The Holo Serene Coda S5.5 pairing would be very interesting. Please do share your impressions when you try them together.

@jceahodges I also have the Spring 3 KTE Dac and a friend of mine has the Serene pre-amp.  Once I get the S5.5 I will have him bring over the Serene to see how it does with the S5.5.  Will report my findings. 

I have no personal experience with the Serene or the MicroZOTL (though I considered it), but the Rhumba Extreme 1.4 is the real deal. In the end I chose the Aric Audio Motherlode XL, but it was not an easy decision....it's really good.

Soundstage-wise, are all images at the speaker level and behind …or do images also project forward of the speakers. I’m principally thinking of solo vocals or instruments in this regard. Thx:)

Hello there - this thread is a textbook example of how a discussion should be conducted - to learn and provide tangible experiences that may help fellow users. Bravo. I'm following this discusssion very closely as I'm interest in the S5.5 as well and would like to build my current system around it. I now use a CODA CSiB integrated which has been my first foray to the brand. I must say, I love their sound, build quality, and even the looks. Like one poster early on said, maybe @yyzsantabarbara, "the CSiB is what got him into separates..." I feel the same way and want to head down that path too. Right now I have the CSiB feeding Klipsch Cornwall IV's, Holo Audio Spring 3 KTE DAC, and my weak link, Bluesound NODE 130 streamer with upgraded LPS. I'll be upgrading to an Innuos Pulse very soon, but wondering like others which pre-amp to go with; especially considering the Cornwall's are here to stay. Although I'll likely consider some Volti's down the road. Like its been said, I could certainly use the CSiB as the pre-amp and I'd been fine with that, but also open to other options. Short list looks like Holo Audion Serene, Backert Labs Rhumba Extreme, and possible LTS MicroZOTL tube pre-amp. Any thoughts or suggestions are very welcome. Thanks to @johnah5 for starting this discussion and folks like @vthokies83, @yyzsantabarbara, and many others for providing such great hands-on experience with the CODA products. Thanks and looking very FW to that S5.5 review!

@vthokie83 

Yeah. I currently have the No.8 which is also 10k balanced.  I was just using the 20x  for impedance matching and it seemed legit to me. $200 for extra room is a good deal though. I'll reach out to them. Thank you.  

@minatophase3 They are big and heavy and visually imposing.  I got used to them and my better half likes to listen to music with me so it wasn't a WAF issue at all.  Mine are piano black so they look cool too.  

@olesno I will have to make sure to give serious consideration to Tekton if I decide to upgrade my speakers.  Not sure they would pass the WAF though 😀

tmac1700,

The inputs to the CODA S5.5 is what we are discussing. The RCA unbalanced 50K ohms are no issue, it is the 10K ohms on the XLR inputs. It was not a big deal really, I believe Aric is adding a couple of 1.0 uf caps.....maybe another change? Cost an extra $200 for the mods, and Aric is perfectly comfortable with the pairing with the mods added.

If you have any questions, reach out to Aric....he's quick to reply by email, and a great guy to talk to on the phone

@vthokie83 shoot. I thought the Motherlode XL preamp would've been an OK match as is. What is he modifying it to? Currently it's 300ohm balanced right? 

I like my Ulfberhts a lot.  My pair has one Be tweeter installed and I made that decision right before I ordered them about four years ago.  Never regretted it. They are big but they literally disappear in my room with the right performance.  All you hear is vocals and instruments in space, unattached to the speakers.  In my opinion they are highly undervalued.  Outside of the Ulfs some of the other speakers I had within the last 20 years were... KEF Blade 2, Gershman Black Swan or Piega.  Also Gallo Acoustics and Legacy long time ago.

@olesno How do you like your Ulfberhts?  I have looked at Tekton offerings in the past and find them interesting.  Never heard them in person.  What other speakers have you had in the past to compare them to?

Very nice pre-amp you have coming!  I like the tube sound but don't want any tubes in my system,  I have too much tube anxiiety 🙂  So the next best thing is to find a pre-amp that has a somewhat "tube" sound to it.  Sounds like the Coda 07x does.  I think my Accuphase integrated does as well.  Will find out shortly if the Accuphase gets more of the "tube" sound from the amp section or the pre-amp section.  My hope is it is from the pre-amp section and I will be happy with it.

minatophase3,

I am currently using a Denafrips Hades preamp, which surprisingly has not been a bad combo with the CODA S5.5. I initially thought it would be totally outclassed, but it's held it's own so far....but yes more performance is there to be had.

I have an Aric Audio Motherlode XL preamp on order right now, should be about 6 weeks out by now (intially 12 weeks)? I spoke with Aric about the 10K ohm XLR issue, which is the very edge of the Motherlode's comfort level....and he is modifying it for me to be good with the CODA's low XLR load.

So far I have not bothered with the stand by as I don't mind burning it in a bit more. I spoke with Doug Dale at CODA, and he said the S5.5s get about a week burning in before they are shipped.

@vthokie83 what preamp are you using with the S5.5? 

Also, to owners of the S5.5, I have read that to put the amp in stand by you hit the bias button on the front and to take it out of stand by hit it again.  Once you take the amp out of stand by and start using it, does it take a while to warm up and sound good or is it good right away? 

I assume when not using you leave it on and just put it into stand by mode?