The new Coda S5.5 amplifier: It's a "Petite Beast"!

iovi66 and tmac1700,

       Your comments are very much appreciated and I second both your comments on Doug Dale and Coda. I had a lengthy phone conversation with Doug Dale a couple of days ago. I cannot praise Doug and Coda enough. Doug is a pleasure to talk with, so knowledgeable , possessing exemplary ethics and integrity! I am so thankful I tuned into this company and certainly Terry London and James of Destination HiFi were very influential in my decision.

       I am now trying to decide on adding a Coda No.8 or S5.5 to my current CSiB and control either with the internal ss preamp (07x topology based) in the CSiB. I was initially leaning to the S5.5 and I believe it should perform very well only in talking with Doug,  the topic of current came up for my maggies and possibly a set of Totem Acoustic speakers I am considering. Doug's views are  steering me more in the direction of the No. 8 and he is right on the advantages of  the CSiB essentially controlling twin No. 8s over an S5.5 and a No.8.  You can't go wrong with either amp though, only I may want to experiment with my ARC SP-8 tube amp and not so sure it's going to have as a good a synergy with the S5.5 as the No.8.

        Final decision on this not made yet and in no hurry.  Any comments on tube preamp synergy with the S5.5 and No.8 are factors in the decision process, along with the need for more current with some of my speakers. I see vthokie83 is proactively having AricAudio modify the Motherlode XL tube preamp, so his feedback on that will be interesting. For every problem there is a solution; it's finding it that's the challenge.  Thanks again all, joe 

Vthokie83,

        I am very interested in your feedback on the S5.5's with the Caladan's. It should be Stellar! What is the preamp section? Thanks, joe

firefly627s,

The CODA S5.5 just arrived and installed today, I just turned it on all day and left it to settle in with no listening.....I'll do a little of that tomorrow. The Caladan's are only a little over a week old, but sounding great. I did leave a rather detailed post on my initial listening thoughts if you want to look that over; though those thoughts were with the existing Denafrips Thallo amp.

Until I receive the Aric Audio Motherlode XL, I'm using my current Denafrips Hades SS preamp

Vthokie83,

Thank you for your reply and we’ll patiently wait for your S5.5 and Caladan’s to settle in. Looking forward to your review comments on both the S5.5 and Caladan’s, as well as the Motherlode XL down the road.

Not sure if you have any experience with Klipsch quasi horn speakers such as the Heritage line Forte 3, 4 or Cornwall 4. If you do, my interest in your opinion as to how the Caladan’s compare isn’t a matter of which sounds better to you as they will be definitely different, but more of what you feel are their relative strengths and weaknesses. Understandably, this is only possible if you have had some experience with the quasi horn speakers mentioned. Thanks again for your comments on the S5.5, Caladan’s, and the Motherload XL, as all three are on my ’candidates of high interest’ list! Thanks again, joe