Parasound vs Coda

@yyzsantabarbara I suppose the 16 is better than the 8.  For $10,700 more, it should be. I think most people, including myself, could be happy with an 8. In it's price range, I think it's an excellent value. 

You can get a used #16 around $9k and used #8 for less than $5k. 

@yyzsantabarbara  I traded my old Coda Continuum in to Doug Dale at Coda. The capacitors were starting to go.  He offered to repair it for a reasonable price, or I could trade it in.  He wasn't pushy about trading up like another manufacturer that I know.  He did say that the 8 would be better than my old amp if I decided to repair it. It was around 25 years old. Great guy. 

For my system and speakers, he recommended the No 8, V1.  The 16 was beyond what I wanted to spend.  I gotta stop somewhere.  lol. 

@sls883 Everyone that I have spoken with about CODA and Doug have nothing but positive comments. I worked with him to resolve an issue with my now sold CODA 07x preamp. I purchased a new 07x when it came out a few years ago. He eventually rebuilt the entire assembly with new parts except the old case. I appreciated the effort he undertook, and it resolved the gremlins.

I also had an almost current version of the CSiB integrated amp and the 07x and #8. They were all very good but not that much different. The #16 is different and much better. I love the #16 with my Benchmark LA4 and Holo Audio Serene preamps. Same with the CODA #8 and these 2 preamps.

You should read the very interesting take on the CODA amps by Jeff Fritz of SoundStageUltra.com. He no longer writes for them but a few years ago he had a series of articles about getting a reference system for a fixed price point. His comment on the CODA #11 really surprised and enlightened me.

Finally, my list must include some model of vintage amplifier. For a couple months now I’ve been using a Coda Technologies Model 11, and I’ve been so satisfied -- no, thrilled -- with its performance that I’ve found myself asking: How much better can it get? I’ve paraded expensive amplifiers through the Music Vault for many years, and now, with this 20-something-year-old amp, I’m not missing any of them? What gives? The whole experience has got me thinking about other vintage amps, perhaps with a couple grand invested for new capacitors and a thorough tune-up.

Jeff’s Getting a New Stereo System: Part Five

Jeff’s Getting a New Stereo System: Part Three

CODA 11 Power Amplifier. 100 WPC Precision Bias Class A For Sale - US Audio Mart

Just an FYI to anyone else.

Doug is building me a front panel for a cosmetic issue on my #16. After I replace my current panel with new panel, I may sell my #16. I am thinking of using my used $450 Schitt Aegir v1 20-watt Class A amp to drive a new speaker a friend is building. It only needs about 5 watts of power and it is not cheap so a sale of the #16 maybe needed.

Doug told me the super powerful #16 will not blow up the new speaker but I have concerns.

@yyzsantabarbara I didn't have an 11. I had their entry level amp. 

@sls883 I thought the article on the 11 was very interesting. I enjoyed reading a lot of Jeff Fritz's articles.

I am assuming you traded in your old amp for the #8

@yyzsantabarbara Yeah, I traded my old amp for the No 8.  I'm using it with a Linear Tube Audio MicroZOTL preamp.  I like a tube preamp with a solid state amp.  Works well for me. 

Dear @graafz   : 20.6?

rauliruegas@hotmail.com

Keep in touch.

R.

@yyzsantabarbara Yeah, I traded my old amp for the No 8.  I'm using it with a Linear Tube Audio MicroZOTL preamp.  I like a tube preamp with a solid state amp.  Works well for me. 

I like and do the same with my Cary Tube preamp combined in with an alternate Class A 50w SS Pass/Forte' amp I rotate in place of my tube mono block amps.   For my larger speakers I've been eyeballing the Coda S20. Have a note out to Doug @coda, would like to find out how many watts are Class A before it switches to Class AB. Coda is local to me 15m away so might check it out more fwiw.  

@decooney 

Check out the manual: 

The S20 normally operates in stereo mode, providing a maximum output power of 10 watts Class A (into an 8-ohm load) per channel. In BRIDGED mode, both channels act as one amplifier providing a maximum output power of 800 watts.

Thanks @mclinnguy I just checked out the manual.  Also shows the front end never enters class class B operation as-is common with most amps - I'd still need to find out if Class A power doubles with 4ohm speakers.  The only reason I'm interested is they are local and future repairs would be easy, and it's a lighter weight amp compared to all of my other SS amps over the years. Something to check out in any case.  Thx

@decooney Yes, must be nice to be so close. Shipping my 140lb monster will cost $370 CDN each way.

I’ll tell you though, it is speaker dependent of course, not sure what you got, but I am currently running my 4 ohm speakers (98db) with less than 2 watts per side from this little Yamamoto 45 tube amp, and it’s shocking how much output that is, and it is plenty loud- I understand there is a difference between tube and solid state watts, but 10 watts of class A Coda would be overkill for me on these speakers.

I have a Coda #8 V1 (Blue meters) with a BAT VK-80 Tube preamp. I had the Holo Audio Serene KTE preamp before, but this BAT preamp brought everything to a new level. The Parasound brand is good, and I have listened to them, but the Coda amps are better. I did consider getting a #16 Coda but with the large cost difference and the extreme weight I decided to get the #8 and couldn't be happier! BTW I don't buy my equipment used so that wouldn't matter in my case. My #8 barely gets warm driving my current hungry Magnepans. Since it's a V1, it puts out 150 watts into 8 ohms yet has the heatsinks for a 400 watt amp (V3). 

We are a coda dealer and sold parasound for years  we also sell focal

yz the coda isnt warmer then an xd series Krell however with Krells current unknown status you can get a coda amplifier a lot easier then a Krell

Dave and Troy

Audio Intellect NJ

Coda and Focal dealer

forrmer Parasound and Krell dealers