Parasound vs Coda

@christianb5s4 If you do buy a used #16 be aware that there is some special setup needed to be done on the amp before it is shipped. Luckily, the guy I bought my used amp from had it checked out by CODA and they informed him how to pack for shipping. You need to open the top panel and insert provided foam inserts so that certain internals do not fall. This is to be overly cautious.

I just bought the PeachTree GAN400 amp again for $1200. I will sell it again once I have decided on what amp to get later (or maybe be happy with the GAN400 and save money). I was wrong I need an amp in my office immediately.

With the Focals I think I would go with the KRELL. For my Yamaha NS5000, which has a tinge of warmth, I went with the less warm CODA #16. That is how I hear it but a KRELL dealer I am working with insists the CODA is warmer.

@yyzsantabarbara  That's the first I've seen about the packing point, interesting! 

I'm going to Sunny and see if maybe I can put a deposit down to demo it. That would be ideal but not sure if they would. I just don't want warmth at the expense of detail really. And something that will play nice with a variety of genres!

I have the same speakers with a CODA No.8, fed by a Lyngdorf MP-40.  So not the exact same pre, but maybe helpful to know.  Before the Coda, I was running a Cherry Amp that had a better midrange, tubey magic than the Coda, but it was lost when sending in for upgrades and the owner passed around the same time.  The Coda is a more 'polite' amp than the Cherry but still very full bodied.  I still miss the Cherry for the addictive midrange magic.  I have thought about tubes for these speakers, but I think I would give up certain aspects of the sound by making that move, since the Kanta's are so needy in the mid bass and bass (power wise).

@bccarpenter I was also thinking about tubes but was wondering what my #8 would sound like with a decent tube preamp like Prima Luna EVO 400, Luxman or other somewhat high-quality tube preamp. Like yyzsantabarbara  I'm using an Audio Holo Serene KTE, now.

Coda(16) and Aric Audio(Motherlode) is a match that I have settled on for the last four years now after swapping pieces in and out at a fevered pace. I (at last)have no desire to alter this pairing as it sounds sublime in my home environment. In my experience, Pass makes great sounding amps, but their preamps are anemic and lifeless(and yes, I owned both the XP-20 and XP-30 paired with the XA60.8 and XA 160.8). Each of the XA (amazing amps) sounded far better when paired with the Motherlode Preamp. Bottom line if you take anything from my post...Pass on Pass preamps!