Sim_audio_nerd,
Congratulations, please do give us some feedback when you can; would love to hear your experience. Mine has been a revelation, hopefully the same in your system
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)
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The System 150 that is supposed to be released to Destination HiFi this month is the next iteration of the old System 150. There is also an old System 250 that likely gets the upgrade treatment. I do not think the S5.5 and the System 150 have any connection. More likely the System 150 and the #16 are the closet to each other. BTW - I solved my #16 being a bit too warm for my speakers by getting a neutral DAC.
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Hey Guys, I just submitted my review on the S5.5 to my editor at Stereo Times. I'll let you all know when it goes live on the website. For yyzsantabarbara, I asked Doug Dale to explain the difference in the S5.5 with the other Coda amps and here's some of what he shared, "The S5.5 uses different transistors then the other Coda amplifiers. This pair of transistors are very similar to those that were used in the System amp architecture but are produced in a way that precludes them being in our other amplifiers." There is more information contained in the review. However, the S5.5 could be called a "baby brother" to the prior generation of the System 150 amplifier. The S5.5, not the #16 is closer to the System 150. Teajay (Terry London)
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Here is my impression of the Coda S5.5 amp: System is: Quboz->Innuos Pulse streamer->Holo May KTE DAC->Supratek Signature Grange preamp->Coda S5.5->Silversmith Fidelium speaker cable->Coincident Super Victory III speakers (92.5dB/8 ohm load) To keep things simple, I will leave out all the glory details of my turntable/arm/cart, other cables, tweaks, room treatments, power conditioner etc... Comparison between Pass XA30.8 & Coda S5.5 - I simply changed the Coda amp for the comparison, keeping everything the same: 1. Speed - Coda is the winner, hands down. 2. Highs - Coda is the winner, by a good margin. More airy and open than Pass. 3. Midrange - Coda edges out Pass. 4. Bass - Coda is equal to Pass (The Coda has been playing around 40 hours or so and prior to getting the Coda, I had to change the rectifier tubes in my preamp. I bought the cheapest rectifier tubes I could find). Maybe with further run-in and changing the rectifier tube of better quality, Coda bass would be better? 5. Micro Detail Retrieval - Coda is winner. I am hearing micro details I haven heard before from my well known tracks. Decay is better with Coda. 6. Other minor details - Coda is half of Pass amp in weight and runs cooler than Pass. I like this :) 7. Build Quality - Pass nudges out Coda, but again it is a matter of personal likes. Overall, extremely happy with the S5.5. Overall musical fluidity, smoothness, micro detail retrieval, speed, listening enjoyment has increased by a significant margin. I wanted to thank @johnah5 for starting this thread. Terry, your insights on how the S5.5 would differ from Pass XA30.8 is SPOT ON!!! :) I look forward to reading your "official" review. Thanks to everyone else who has helped in this thread to make my decision buying the Coda amp. P.S= The synergy between the S5.5 and the Supratek Grange preamp is like a match made in heaven!!!
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- 530 posts total