2. amps-preamps
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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
grk
223 posts
 

Sorry, didn't mean to highjack this thread, but AGD amps were brought up.

johnah5 OP
235 posts
 

Hey grk,

You did not highjack the thread, just sharing information about other's opinions/experiences with D amplifiers. Yes, indeed Dr. Bump raved about the pair of AGD amps he had in for review. Yet, I have listened to AGD's Vivace MKII amps and at best thought they were competent, nothing special or extraordinary to my ears. Of course this boils down to personal taste and system matching. No right or wrong answer. However, I know at least three buyers of AGD amplifiers who regretted selling off their Class A amplifiers and did not get connected to the music with the D amplifier. Obviously, the Dr. Bump had a very different experience compared to his VAC amplifier.

Teajay

aw-agd
17 posts
 

@johnah5 

Dr. Michael Bump is a renowned musician and among other things, Professor of Percussion Studies at the Truman State University (Department of Music) and a Director at the Percussive Arts Society Board of Directors.

I guess the only regret your friends may have now, is the reduced heating in winter those CLASS-A amps provided that now have to be somehow provided by a more efficient means of heating generation, maybe a heat pump. On the other hand, maybe they will be happier in summer....personal taste of course.

ghasley
2,499 posts
 

@aw-agd @johnah5 

Dr. Michael Bump is a renowned musician and among other things, Professor of Percussion Studies at the Truman State University (Department of Music) and a Director at the Percussive Arts Society Board of Directors.

I guess that changes everything.

vthokie83
877 posts
 

My CODA S5.5 just showed up late yesterday, and I unpacked it this morning. What a gorgeous beast it is, mine is silver with gold buttons (both are available choices). It is moderately heavy but actually manageable, huge heat sinks, oozes quality, and I didn't expect the WBT highline connectors.

I'll put it into place of the Denafrips Thallo amplifier this afternoon, and allow it to break in along with the Clayton Shaw Caladan speakers. I'll try to get some early thoughts together in the next day or so.

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