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)

johnah5

@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!

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).