Very nice pre-amp you have coming! I like the tube sound but don't want any tubes in my system, I have too much tube anxiiety 🙂 So the next best thing is to find a pre-amp that has a somewhat "tube" sound to it. Sounds like the Coda 07x does. I think my Accuphase integrated does as well. Will find out shortly if the Accuphase gets more of the "tube" sound from the amp section or the pre-amp section. My hope is it is from the pre-amp section and I will be happy with it.
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)
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@olesno How do you like your Ulfberhts? I have looked at Tekton offerings in the past and find them interesting. Never heard them in person. What other speakers have you had in the past to compare them to?
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I like my Ulfberhts a lot. My pair has one Be tweeter installed and I made that decision right before I ordered them about four years ago. Never regretted it. They are big but they literally disappear in my room with the right performance. All you hear is vocals and instruments in space, unattached to the speakers. In my opinion they are highly undervalued. Outside of the Ulfs some of the other speakers I had within the last 20 years were... KEF Blade 2, Gershman Black Swan or Piega. Also Gallo Acoustics and Legacy long time ago. |
@vthokie83 shoot. I thought the Motherlode XL preamp would've been an OK match as is. What is he modifying it to? Currently it's 300ohm balanced right? |
tmac1700, The inputs to the CODA S5.5 is what we are discussing. The RCA unbalanced 50K ohms are no issue, it is the 10K ohms on the XLR inputs. It was not a big deal really, I believe Aric is adding a couple of 1.0 uf caps.....maybe another change? Cost an extra $200 for the mods, and Aric is perfectly comfortable with the pairing with the mods added. If you have any questions, reach out to Aric....he's quick to reply by email, and a great guy to talk to on the phone |
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