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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
yyzsantabarbara
4,524 posts
 

I recommend the Holo Serene preamp or the Benchmark LA4 preamp with either the #8 or #16. They replaced the CODA 07x preamp on my office system. The Serene is a bit warmer than the LA4. They really make the amps shine because they do not add to the already great sounding amps.

johnah5 OP
222 posts
 

Hey Guys,

Just got off the phone with John, who purchased the S5.5 last week and has spent a lot of time listening to it. He is extremely happy with the results compared to his reference tube amplifier. Overall a beautiful silky smooth presentation, airy extended high frequencies, deeper more controlled bass then his tube amp, a mid-range that he describes as very tube-like, and finally a sense of aliveness/energy that is quite exciting to him and his wife on their favorite music. I believe he uses a tube line-stage in his system to drive the S5.5.

Teajay

christianb5s4
231 posts
 

Does anyone have recommendations on a tube pre that matches well with Coda amps? Mainly preamps that are or offer balanced.

johnah5 OP
222 posts
 

Hey christianb5s4,

I recommend you give a call to Mike Kay (Audio Archon) who will give you the specs necessary for a tube based line-stage to optimally drive the S5.5 or the other Coda amplifiers. 

Teajay 

vthokie83
658 posts
 

christianb5s4,

After much consideration I looked at several tube preamps: Backert Labs Rhumba Extreme 1.4, BAT VK-80, Rogue RP-9, used Audio Research REF 5SE, and Aric Audio Motherlode XL....and had previously looked at Atma-Sphere MP-3, LTA MircroZOTL, along with a few others. The LTA MircoZOTL does not have XLR outputs, but does have XLR inputs.

I found the Backert Labs Rhumba Extreme and the BAT VK-80 to be favorites, thought the BAT was out of my price range....my friend however did buy one.

One thing to consider is that the CODA S5.5 has an input impedance of 10K Ohms on it's XLR outputs....which can be troublesome. I ended up purchasing the Aric Motherlode XL preamp, and Aric is modifying it's circuit to work with that 10K Ohm circuit. The Motherlode XL has 2 sets of XLR inputs, 2 sets of single ended RCA inputs, one XLR output, and one single ended RCA outputs.

I'd reach out to Aric 413 627 2543 to have a conversation about the S5.t combination, he's a GREAT guy to talk to, and is very helpful. I know he's created several Motherlode XLs for clients that will end using them with CODA S5.5s.

I also purchased my CODA S5.5 from Mike Kay at Audio Archon, he's also a great guy to talk to, and carries several tube preamps.

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