Micromega M100 vs Coda CSib, vs Pass ? vs

@mojo I was considering the Micromega along with the KRELL and CODA. I did not want DSP on my unit (I prefer a computer) so that was a deciding factor for me to not try the Micromega. I was at first down on the amp fan (I think Micromega has one) but my KRELL also has a fan and I do not hear it sitting 1 foot from it.

I actually did sell my KRELL K-300i but took it back because the buyer had some issue with the lettering on the faceplate. I never noticed it when I sold it. I am so happy I still have the unit. I sent it back to KRELL to fix the faceplate, and they replaced it with a completely new faceplate. The new ones no longer have white lettering pasted on. Instead it is grey lettering that is etched on the faceplate.

In regards to CODA...

Couple things... mostly for @audiotroy and @yyzsantabarbara

 

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When paired with the right dac...which dacs are we talking about? I had either the denaphrips pontus ii or venus ii in mind.

Can u guys describe the sound signature for coda and what kind a speakers pairs well with it? CODA seems to fly under the radar and because of that it’s hard to find people who talk about their experiences with it. The csib should be able to let most speakers shine at their best should it not? I always hear good clean current is important in an amp and one way to tell if a amp does that is by looking at its specs and if the watts double into 4ohm and tipple into 2ohm then that shows the amplifier is able to get the very best out of most speakers. Seems as though csib does this. Would u guys be comfortable pairing it the csib with $10-15000 speakers or is about $7-8000 speakers the limit?

 

I’m all over the map with this because for some reason I’m drawn to tge CODA csib. Maybe it’s because it seems to have a great performance for the money value. It also looks great in silver. I just never heard one. And haven’t found many people who have.

@tmac1700 I had a CSiB from 2019 and the amp section on that was not the latest (supposedly the current CSiB is the same as the #8). I found that the clarity on the CSiB was not the very best I have owned. My Benchmark LA4 + AHB2 (same price as CSiB) was better at that. Given a proper speaker match I would take the Benchmark pair over the CSiB any day. I love the Benchmark sound, though it is not for everyone. I use AHB2 mono in my living room with KEF LS50’s (until better speakers).

I now own the CODA 07x and CODA #8 in my office system. I am planning to get the CODA #16 if some investments work out. The #16 is noticeable better than the #8. The #16 sounds like the AHB2 in terms of clarity. It also has many other attributes that differentiate it from the AHB2, more power, warmth and others. I would have been better off not listening to the #16 with the 07x preamp. I was already happy with the #8. The latest CSiB should sound like the #8 in the amp section.

The 07x and #8 are more refined than the CSiB I owned. In fact, the buyer of my CSiB sold it to someone else because he also said he wanted a bit more clarity on top. The 07x and #8 pairing are a bit better and I hear more on top, and the bass is great with my hard to drive Thiel CS3.7 speakers. This may not be worth the extra money to you, but it was to me.

Another big reason I went with the CODA 07x preamp was because I have a killer headphone, the RAAL SR1a, and I am able to "roll amps" with the dual XLR outputs on the 07x. One set to my CODA #8 + Thiel CS3.7 and the other set to another amp + RAAL SR1a. At the moment I am rolling a Parasound A21+.

A couple of points of interest. The CODA 07x is not dead silent, it has a bit of hiss. It also has source leaks when multiple sources are playing at the same time. This is by design to get the best sound from a single source that is playing. I hate the volume control since it is easy to bump and mess up the balance settings. My wife’s dog has done this a few times. I hated the volume control of the CSib because it was buttons. The remote control for the CSiB and 07x are the same and it is awful to use. However, the 07x and #8 do sound wonderful together.

There are times when I want an utterly quiet preamp sound, so I have my Benchmark LA4 ($2500) also in my office system. I will post some photos of this tonight on Virtual Systems. I am DONE with the office system now.

The final piece to this system was the incredible Musetec 005 DAC. I got it on the sale price of $2969. The very best DAC I have owned. In a perfect world I would have 3 of them for my 3 systems. Read the Mustec thread on A’gon.

L.K.S Audio MH-DA005 ES9038 Pro x 2 DAC Coaxial OPT AES EBU Flagship (shenzhenaudio.com)

BTW - I think prices of audio gear is utter BS for the most part. I like CODA, Benchmark, and KRELL for the value I get from their products. I also like the Chinese DACs, Topping, Gustard, and now Musetec.

Your room is the most important factor in setting up your system. A CSiB would drive most speakers well in a moderately sized room (use volume calculation). If you need room treatments or things like DSP (Convolution in ROON, DSP in hardware), those are more important to me than more money on speakers.

If I were you, I would get the ROON READY KRELL K-300i integrated and find a suitable speaker for it. If you use the internal DAC in it like I do for my bedroom system you can have digital streaming up with just 1 Ethernet cable. I had a young family member come over yesterday from Ohio. I found out he was looking to buy a system. I told him to get the KRELL K-300i. Not only does it sound great with my Thiel CS3.7’s, but it has also so many features. It is also the very best sound with my RAAL SR1a headphones which is an added bonus, and something he said he will buy.

"BTW - I think prices of audio gear is utter BS for the most part. "

Amen to that!