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)
Hi @johnah5 Terry Thanks for your quick and helpful response. From everything I have read about both those amps, I was kinda expecting something along the lines of what you said i.e that they are both very good, more similar than different and it will boil down to preferred flavour and system match. Once again, thank you. |
@kairosman how does the S5.5 differ from the no.8? I have the no.8 v2 |
@yyzsantabarbara is the SYSTEM 150 his new preamp? |
@tmac1700 faster more dynamic and much more resolution yet less sibilance more refined more open/airy. Rare combination of sonic virtues. Despite the lower wattage vs the #8 it has zero problems driving any of my speakers including some B&W 804 D4s, mind you my room is smallish and I don’t very often blast AC/DC. Pairs well with tube preamps and is quiet too as others here have mentioned. I think for SS under $15K it’s the best I’ve encountered at least in my system, lol sometimes in hifi there does exist excellent value for money, and in this case, CODA just might have a true Unicorn 🦄 |
@tmac1700 The System 150 is composed of 2 parts. One regulates voltage (I think) and looks like the 07x preamp. The other section looks like the CODA #16. You would need to use a preamp or DAC with volume control into one of the 2 pieces. I think it is the smaller unit System 150 unit that a preamp would be connected to. This model is not new, they are updating the old model. The description of the general layout of the old model should be the same for the new model.
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