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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
markmuse
288 posts
 

@johnah5   @riaa_award_collectors_on_facebook 

I am using a pair of AGD Tempo's. These are stereo amps, the single chassis amp referred to above. I am using one channel of each (not bridged), using as monobocks. 

Teajay, I really want Class D GaNFETs to work for me. They are extremely clean and detailed with no edge. I have never heard one bit of strain from them. I can't put my finger on anything specific wrong with them, and yet.... I think I'll try some different tubes in my linestage. I'm really concerned about an all class A amp design - there are far more efficient ways to heat a room. Though I must say your comments about the little Coda make it sound very appealing. It is nice to have some low-powered high-quality solid state amps to choose from. 

johnah5 OP
235 posts
 

Hey riaa_award_collectors_on_facebook,

Very interesting. Your statement, "I can't put my finger on anything specific wrong with them, and yet...". My friend's way of trying to explain his discontent was that the music he loved sounded boring and he found it harder and harder to want to listen to his system.

If your major concern is the amount of heat generated by Class A amps, remember the S5.5 runs warm but not HOT like a Pass Labs XA-25 or XA-30.8. I leave the S5.5 with no problems all regarding being a "heater" in my room.

Teajay

sim_audio_nerd
60 posts
 

@johnah5 thank again for your comments. I am strongly considering and spoke to a dealer. 

If it's somewhat close to SET sounding, I want to try the S5.5 from my XA30.8s.

johnah5 OP
235 posts
 

Hey sim_audio_nerd,

You are welcome. I have a great SET 2A3 and 300B tube amplifier, both two chassis AricAudio designs-one of my favorite tube companies, and of course you have to use the right speakers with flea SET amplifiers. However, when using the S5.5 on these same speakers, Omega single driver, the Coda does not take a back seat regarding beauty of timbres/tonality, image density, or sound-staging.

Teajay 

vthokie83
888 posts
 

jonah5,

Thank you for the reply, sorry I didn't get back sooner....I was soaking up some sun on vacation. The more I read on the CODA S5.5, the more it made sense for me.....so I purchased mine, silver with gold buttons. I had quite a few conversations with Mike Kay at Audio Archon prior to pulling the trigger, and he really likes the combo with the Aric Audio Motherlode XL as well.

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