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

Which begs the question...why do some manufacturers design amps with such low input impedance in the first place? Is it to limit equipment that can be used from other companies?

aolmrd1241 - Great information, thanks for posting.

 

@Paoz - I think the specs for the CP preamp are listed incorrectly on the website, I think the Output Impedance is the same as the 07x 50 Ohm / 100 Ohm.  If you download the manual for the CP it lists them the same as the 07x.  The info in the specs on the website for the CP shows 50 kOhms / 100 kOhms. 

I've never liked the look of Coda amps and that would be enough to go bypass it. 

Looks aside…you would be missing out on some of the finest sounding audio equipment money can buy!

tabl10s,

Looks are incredibly subjective of course, but I find the CODA S5.5 to be very appealing. The performance of the S5.5 is stellar, and aolmrd1241 said......you'll be missing out on an amazing sounding (and relatively inexpensive for what you get) amplifier. I'm excited every day to put on a new CD and listen to the CODA/Caladan pairing.....a great match