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)
I have had the Backert Rhythm 1.3 for a couple of years, using with AGD Tempo amps. It is indeed a special preamp. And only 2 tubes. Tube rolling is affective. I ordered a S5.5 but won't have it for a month. Then burn in. So it will be a while yet before I can comment on the pairing. I do think it will be fine though. If you can wait and stay in contact I will let you know what I think. |
@markmuse Thanks for chiming in. I'm in no particular rush, so I've definitely got the time to see all these synergy tests that are happening to come to fruition. |
My issue with the 07x was documented here on A’gon a few years ago. I will repeat. When I first got the 07x I found it a lot noisier than the Benchmark LA4 which I had. The 07x was supposed to an upgrade from that. I used the 07x with the CODA #8. Both were upgrades from the CSiB. I spoke with Doug about the noise issue, and he initially thought it was my DAC. A Benchmark DAC3B and/or the AufioMagic Tubadour (do no remember). After about a month my dealer asked me to bring it to the Los Angeles store. We put my 07x on top of this 07x and compared. Mine was noisier. We sent my 07x to Doug to diagnose and fix. Now the dealers 07x was noisier than the Benchmark LA4 I owned. After a few weeks Doug got back to me and said he could not find the issue but could hear the noise. He said he replaced every part except the casework, great service in my opinion. When I got it back the 07x was much quieter but still not silent and I could hear it. I lost $2k selling it but all I could hear from that point forward was the hiss. Drove me batty, maybe to match the ears.
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