@aolmrd1241 

          Thank you Mark! Yes agree and I should have made that clear. The S5.5 is still giving Class A into 4 ohm and likely lower impedances too but at power below 50 watts. Even 40wpc Class A power is excellent though because that should suffice for most speakers unless the speaker is really tough to drive.

I was looking for an integrated and bought my CSiB in 2023 and really like it. I know the S5.5 would sound better but they each have their pluses.  The CSiB is V-1 so the first 18wpc into 8 ohm is  Class A. It is 150wpc 8 ohm/300wpc 4ohm/600wpc 2ohm all AB. I still get some Class A at 4 ohm but maybe 9wpc or less which is good enough for an 8 ohm Forte 3 speaker. It drives LRS+ superbly but is all AB and the high current is key.  If I feel I need or want another amp though, the S5.5 is definitely my number one choice! Teajay and this thread are very convincing! I just hope Coda doesn't run out of those magic transistors.  

Channel reversal?

I've been in this hobby for decades so owned or auditioned many amps.  I've seen it both ways, logical from the front of the amp and logical from the rear.

But really, the labels are for convenience, you can wire up either way, just so the L/R speaker outputs match the input channels.

If this confuses you maybe you're a candidate for mono blocs?  ;^)

But at 4 ohms the amp is still running in class A up to around 40 watts. AB would then kick in over the 40 watt threshold.

@firefly627s 

Thanks for your well thought out explanation, it helps me to understand manufacturer thought processes rating amps.

My rather limited understanding of amp watt ratings was that a true class A amp would run in class A at all impedances.  As you mention, this amp is a class A amp at 8 ohms.

So by my way of looking at things which I believe you are confirming this is a class AB amp once speaker impedance falls below 8 ohms.

No indirect criticism here as I agree what matters is sound and I have only owned class AB amps.

I FINALLY got my Coda S5.5 going today. (I have been without the rig since December 2023!) It was quite an ordeal because yesterday when I got it connected there was distortion! It took me all day of fruitless trial and error. I narrowed it down the the Legacy Wavelet II so I emailed them this morning. (Ed at Legacy is great and answers me quickly every time) It seems that since my Dinafrips Venus II DAC XLR’s were into the Wavelet the gain was too high causing the distortion. Ed suggested I use the dip switches to take the input down and I did -3db then -6 Db then -12Db and that cleared it up! It took some trial and error to get the right dip switch settings. right, I ended up at -6 Db. So now it is finally sounding sweet and burning in. Yesterday I spend hours trying to troubleshoot the problem, trying cables, different configurations to isolate the issue, what an ordeal fearing it was my new amp. I am so happy now! I will report back after I get 100 hours on the rig. It sure shows great potential! Sidebar comment: I also needed some adapters from Silversmith to fit my Fidelium speaker wires into the posts, so I had to use some old heavy gauge Monster cable just to get it going, holy cow when I got the Silversmith speaker cables back in it later today what a revelation! Solid copper isn’t the answer in my case. The change was HUGE! I can already hear the same attributes previously noted in others impressions of this amp. I am transitioning from all tubes to all solid state so a big leap.

@jetter

I have reviewed specs of countless amps and haven’t found one yet, no matter if it is called a Class A amp or Class AB that gives you the information you are asking for; rather you will get what each manufacturer decides to give you as your guide. And power is not always the best gauge to sound quality or speaker drive capability.

Best explained maybe by a few examples. PASS Labs calls their INT-25 a Class A integrated amp and it’s rated at 25 amps Class A into 8 ohms. That’s all the power spec you get; yet it does transition into AB beyond that 25 watt limit or at lower speaker impedances (but is doing it AB even if it isn’t stated). The same PASS Labs calls their INT-60 a Class AB integrated amp, with a single power spec listed as 60WPC AB into 8 ohm. That’s all. But that amp is Class A for the first 30 watts into 8 ohm. There are countless examples. The bottom line is a Class A SS amp is going to have some region where it performs as AB and vice versa, just as you mentioned is the case for your Parasound amp. There is no apparent requirement for any manufacturer to give you the data you want to know. Yes it can be confusing at times. It becomes complicated though to know what the power ratings boil down to in terms of the WPC at various impedances for both Classes. So the specs manufacturers give are often limited, but serve to tell you something about where the component’s strength resides. And for the S5.5 it starts with 50WPC Class A in 8 ohms. Where it finishes though is at your ears and from all the reviews posted in this thread, it finishes in 1st place, by a wide margin.

This probably hasn’t helped your confusion on this but is an attempt to explain that you are not likely to find answers to the questions you ask in your post and even if you could, they won’t always relate to how good the component is going to perform.

It was explained earlier that the lower power side of the S5.5 allows the use of some unique transistors which are the reason behind the stellar sound being reported by everyone who has purchased the S5.5 amp on this thread, and these are critical listeners. The eye opening accurate reports of Terry London and all these users carries far more credence than any thorough list of power specs could ever convey (imo). Hope this helps some and any confusion on power ratings is understood and shared by many; however, in rare cases such as this Coda S5.5 thread, there just may be a more accurate criterion to focus on. Like who is winning all the races.

FYI based on a recent email (today) with Doug at CODA, at minimum any S5.5 manufactured in 2023 is also "current spec" parts and topology. He did not choose to elaborate on precisely when the current S5.5 spec was introduced. 

As for the Class A envelope into 4/2 ohms, my guess is the S5.5 topology is "sliding bias" so 25/12.5 watts in Class A, given the lack of heat (never more than 90 degrees F) generated by my S5.5 even after hours of high DB playback.

But as others have mentioned, does it matter really ? when even with very challenging loads like my B&W 804 D4s, the amp remains cool and "sweet" sounding. I detect zero hardening even with crap recordings. 

@aolmrd1241 Thanks for that! Very helpful.

Color me confused?

I have never had a class a amp.  I had the Parasound A21+ which was class A up to a certain point and then switched to AB.

But if I was going to buy a class A amp and was interested in its power rating (not including current) would I want to know (?):

Watts at 8, 4 and 2 ohms class A

As well as:

Watts at 8, 4 and 2 ohms class AB

@aolmrd1241 

       Does this sound like a correct interpretation based on your recent post and my discussion with Doug. In a sense the S5.5 is a 50 WPC at 8ohm  Class AB amp (it may be even slightly higher) except the first 50 watts are Class A; so it's a genuine 50WPC Class A amp for 8 ohm impedance. I am saying this because of how the No. 16 amp is rated in the manual as follows "150 WPC Class AB at 8 ohm (first 100 watts are Class A". For the S5.5, the doubling to 100WPC at 4 ohm and 200WPC at 2 ohm is not Class A but rather Class AB.  None of these power specs  matter much though because what does matter is how well  the amp is producing phenomenal audio. For the S5.5, at 4 ohm impedance the Class A WPC rating would therefore indeed  be less than 50WPC  (40 WPC Class A is reasonable) and at 2 ohm's even less wpc for the given output voltage of the amplifier. 

Again, the power ratings don't really matter. The S5.5 manual states only the key spec (50 watts into 8 ohm Class A). The sound the amp produces is what matters. The S5.5 is certainly looking like a phenomenal Class A amp and a true great value.  

Here is Doug Dales response to me about the S5.5 amp wattage rating. I think this will clear things up!

Mark

“The amp is smallest in production. It does double into 4 and again into 2 but at 2 Ohms there may be current limiting on transients and it is not optimal. Below 2 Ohms is not advised.

Unlike power the Class A region shrinks as you lower load impedance. The comment about 40 at 4 Ohms is likely a reference to the Class A wattage.”

@johnah5 

You are correct! The question is...why is the back of the amp labelled  the reverse of virtually all other HIFI equipment? I plan on contacting Coda tomorrow to ask about this and why the input impedance is so low. ; )

Jeez Guys, 

Like all amplifiers I have ever owned when you face the front of the amp the left input/speaker wire output is on the left and the right input/speaker wire output is on the right. Regardless of the manual this is a no brainer.

The S5.5 does double down to 100 watts into four ohms. Nobody, including myself, has yet used a speaker that the S5.5 has had any trouble driving effortlessly to very loud volume levels in many different systems. Vthokie83 is correct regarding that my review and this total thread is based on the brand new version of the S5.5 with the different transistors compared to earlier generations of this amplifier.

Teajay (Terry London)

yyzsantabarbara

One should be mindful of which S5.5 they are purchasing. The one that is currently for sale, was updated with new transistor hardware in 2024....and that is what now makes it so special. The S5.5 has been around for a bunch of years, but it is this latest improvement that is so critical......I'd make sure to only look for 2024 manufacture dates.....I wish they had just changed the model to something like the 5.6

Gain has nothing to do with power.  The 5.5 has more gain than the AGD (26db versus 23db) so plays louder with the same volume setting.  

Yes, the channels are reversed from the normal on other amplifiers (left on the left when facing the FRONT of the amp has become the norm). But if you just follow the labeling on the amp itself you will be fine. Use the balance control on your preamp to verify. Also if you use a streaming service search for test tones. They usually have a left channel / right channel signal you can use to verify.

Regarding power level at 4 ohms, I have Caladans which are 4 ohms. My other amp is an AGD Tempo (100w at 8, 200w at 4). The S5.5 plays louder than the AGD does for the same preamp setting. I don't play music really loud, so maybe the 5.5 clips sooner, I don't know. But it is hard for me to believe that this thing runs out of steam into 4 ohms under any but the most extreme circumstances. 

@grk it's very confusing. Just put the speaker cables like you would normally put...

Also the interconnects..I did what the manual said..soon I realized listening to tracks I know the channels were reversed. I swapped them like I did for the speaker cables and bingo..it was back..

Not sure why Coda has it like that in the manual..very confusing 

@aolmrd1241 Seriously? 40 watts into 4? Here is the claim on the Destination Hi-Fi website: "Rated Power: 50 Watts Class A into 8 Ohms, 100 Watts per channel into 4 Ohms, 200 Watts per channel into 2 Ohms." 
Both can't be true. Must get to the bottom of this before proceeding further!

This has been (kinda) covered before, but I can't get over that the R&L inputs and speaker outputs are reversed as per the owner's manual. Any amp I have owned has the R&L connections "correct when facing the amp. So, does one just ignore that and hook up cabling as though they were not reversed or do you follow the manual instructions? If the instructions from the manual are followed you will have to cross the cabling. Are people doing that?

From the manual:

"DETAILED INSTALLATION
I. Connections
The connectors and controls are clearly marked on the back panel of the AMPLIFIER. Note the correct left or right channel orientation. The function and channel markings on the rear panel correspond to the front panel controls and their signal paths.
1.The UNBALANCED and BALANCED inputs should be attached to the appropriate unbalanced and balanced outputs of a preamplifier either directly or through a crossover or processor, as appropriate to the application.
2.The LEFT OUTPUT and RIGHT OUTPUT should be attached to the left and right speakers"

I am going to pick up a used CODA S5.5's when people decide they want more power. I think it will be great with the soon to purchase RAAL 1995 Immanis headphone. I have something like 5 ways to play those phones, one of them being the $800 Schitt Aegir amp (pretty good). The S5.5 should be better than the Aegir. The other amp I considered was the First Watt, but I think CODA amps are more to my liking.

Doug Dale said the S5.5 does about 40 watts into 4 ohms…No doubling anywhere!

The S5.5 supposedly doubles power at 4 ohms AND REDOUBLES AT 2 OHMS. Sounds perfect for nominal 4ohm speakers with impedance dips in the bass?

Terry knocks another one out of the park. Nicely written review. Thanks.

I should have clarified; that's the engineering community.

In the audiophile community, it's usually straight wire as tone control. LOL.

Straight wire with gain as we say in the industry. The ultimate design goal.

Hey charliee,

That’s a great question. It depends on what speakers I’m using with S5.5 in the system. For example the Musician Audio’s Knight 1 speaker is a great two-way design that has a touch of overall warmth/fullness. Therefore, I like the synergy with the S5.5 being driven with either the Coda 07x or SPL Elector which are more neutral with this speaker that does not need more warmth. When I use the S5.5 with my NSMT Clairvoyant / System two which are more neutral/transparent then I like the touch of warmth that the tube based AricAudio Motherload adds using 6SN7 tubes. Remember, the S5.5 is brilliantly transparent and will pass on the signature of your source and preamplifier, so matching this to your speakers is based on your personal taste.

Teajay

Teajay

Pardon me if I missed it here in the thread, but which of your pre amps do you prefer with the S5.5? The Aric Audio Motherload, the Coda 07X, or the SPL Elector?

Hey Jeff,

Thanks for your kind words towards my review. Regarding the S5.5 as being one of the best bargains in audio, I just got an Email from a listener who replaced a pair of $14000 mono-blocks with the S5.5 because it performed at a higher level than his mono-blocks to his great delight.

Teajay

Hey Terry. Great review!  You articulated better than I could exactly what I’m hearing from my S5.5 and I have completely different speakers. I think it is one of the best bargains in audio. 
 

Jeff

Great review @johnah5  UPS tracking has it scheduled for 5/23/24. However I leave for the holiday for 4 days so won't get it running until after Memorial day. I'll give it a few days to settle in before any reports. Needless to say I am very happy. 

Hey Mark,

Thanks for your kind words regarding the review.

Thanks, Teajay

Great review Terry! Thanks...

Mark

@markmuse thanks for letting us your initial thoughts. Lovely system!!

Regarding 4 ohm output, for those not familiar with them the Caladans are 4 ohm. I didn’t make that clear above. 

Received mine today. Jeez, right out of the box it sounded great. Interesting comparison with my AGD Tempo. Sonically the Coda has better micro and global dynamics; is more nuanced; has better imaging depth; and just sounds more musical / real. None of this is a vast difference, but there clearly is a difference. Keep in mind this is the first version of the Tempo. There is an update which I will get. 

Regarding the 5.5’s power into 4 ohms, the Tempo is rated 200 into 4, 100 into 8, yet I have the volume control lower on my preamp into the Coda for the same subjective output volume. And it seems to advance volume more rapidly than into the Tempo. I’m not technical with electronics, so who knows. Maybe the Coda has more input sensitivity (balanced input). But there certainly is plenty of power going into my Caladans.

One criticism - the indicator lights are way too bright. I’ve had to cover them. 

My system: Aurender n200, PS Audio DSD Mk2, Backert Labs Rhythm 1.3, Coda S5.5 / AGD Tempo, Clayton Shaw Caladans / Fyne F1-8, and a sub.

Thanks for the update Terry, really looking forward to reading your review.....should be outstanding

Hey Guys,

My Stereo Times review should be posted the beginning of next week. I have a section were I include many of your superlative remarks regarding the S5.5's performance, build quality, and cost vs performance ratio.

Thanks to all of you who have shared, and will be looking forward to Fred's remarks!

Teajay (Terry London)

Right on, Fred!!!

@fthompson251 Congratulations, I know it has been a long wait.  Looking forward to hearing what you think about it once it arrives.

Congrats Fred, can't wait to hear your thoughts

My S5.5 ships Monday! 

willywonka

I agree with you. I'm pretty sure colors aren't patented. It might not have been a threat and may just have been a friendly request ...

The legal term is "trade dress" and it's an interesting area of the law with some unusual court cases. See: Kodak v. Fotomat, for example, where the court granted relief to Kodak regarding Fotomat's yellow color scheme.

From what I understand McIntosh has a patient on their specific meter design… not the color of said meters.

My #8 has amber colored meters same as what Luxman uses among others. I see no conflict there.

Could be a courtesy as mentioned, Only Coda can answer for sure!

@aolmrd1241 I agree with you. I'm pretty sure colors aren't patented. It might not have been a threat and may just have been a friendly request, I'm not sure of those details. 

Sorry, the correct word is copyright and not "trademark", my bad..

From Rose Audio- "We apologize for any inconvenience caused.
Since Macintosh has a copyright on the blue Vu-meter, we have removed the corresponding Vu-meter."

I don’t think a color can be classified as a trademark. If so,the colors of the worlds manufactured products would be a one and done color scheme with no repeats!

@markmuse the high current #16 is the best amp I have tried on the LRS+. However, a $16k amp on a $1k speaker is a bit of a misalignment of funds. The Sanders Magtech is more than powerful enough to drive the LRS+ and sounds almost as good. Roger Sanders told me the Mag+Tech was specifically created for Magnepans. CODA built the amp back in the day for Sanders. The power supply on the Magtech is supposed to be unique.