Sorry for the extra long delay in getting my CODA S5.5 notes out, but things have taken longer than expected. Not only did I receive the CODA, but my Clayton Shaw Caladans have been breaking in at the same time (about a month old); and I wanted to make sure my notes reflected the CODA as much as possible. To help with that, I have been going back and forth with my Buchardt Audio S400 MKIIs which I have had for two years.
My notes are a combination of: Audiolab 6000CDT transport, Denafrips Pontus II DAC, Denafrips Hades preamp, and CODA S5.5 amplifier….back and forth with the Caladan and the Buchardt speakers. Also my current listening room and speaker position is not ideal, so I’m sure it is affecting bass/soundstage. Parts of my notes are re-posted from my original Caladan review....as they apply
Music used for critical listening (all CD, whole album listened to): Poi Dog Pondering “Wishing Like a Mountain and Thinking Like a Sea” & “Pomegranate” – Eagles “One of These Nights” – Nirvana “MTV Unplugged” – Chris Isaak “Heart Shaped World” – Gorillaz “Demon Days” – The Talking Heads “Stop Making Sense Remastered” – Chris Stapleton “Traveler” – 10,000 Maniacs “MTV Unplugged” – Johnny Cash American IV - Supertramp “Crime of the Century” – Dire Straits “Brothers in Arms” – Memoirs of a Geisha “Soundtrack” – The Civil Wars “Barton Hollow” – Atlanta Rhythm Section “Champagne Jam” – Amy Winehouse “Back to Black”
Several of the albums I chose for their difficulty. Some can be bright, some can be congested (Poi Dog sometimes up to 16 musicians and vocalists on stage), some to get a variety of genres, and some because I just love the album.
First impressions of the CODA: It’s beautiful, solid, well made with high quality components (didn’t expect the WBT fittings), a statement piece…..mine is silver with the gold button option. It’s relatively easy to move this amp around, which was unnerving at first, “there’s no way this amp can produce much power” was a thought that did waft through my head. A couple of buttons for bias (turns on components) and input selector, and 3 LEDs….simple, elegant. I installed the amp using a newly broken in Zavfino Majestic OCC 12 AWG power cable, with Morrow Audio MA4 XLR cables from the Hades preamp. Speaker cables so far have been Anti-Cables 3.1 which I know really well, and are fully broken in.
This amplifier is dead nuts quiet. The background is black, and music comes from a much lower base compared to the Denafrips Thallo that it replaced. Listening at lower more comfortable levels is really enjoyable since the difference between black and even lower levels is more dynamic than I’m accustomed to. Crank on the volume and more is more, not just louder more SPL reveals more information in the recording. Relaxed loudness? I did crank it up past my comfort level, but all I got was more really loud gorgeous sound. The amp also never ran hot, certainly not uncomfortably hot….even when pushed to my discomfort level for a full 5 minutes or so.
Bass: is punchy, quick, tight, detailed, and effortless…..never ever sloppy or slow. Deep bass is delivered as needed, but I’m not going to be the final voice on that; as neither the Caladans (yet) nor the Buchardts are going to dig really deep down, but I have no reason to believe the CODA won’t be up for the task. Transients are quick and very dynamic, there is nothing slow about this amp at all.
Midrange and highs: Holy shite!
Now we are playing to the strengths of the Caladans and Buchardts, but this can only be explained as magic, joy, happiness, and whatever descriptive I can think of. Vocals are Ethereal, is the word I’m looking for that I haven’t used before. Oxford definition “extremely delicate and light in a way that seems too perfect for this world”. What a wonderful tone, liquid, vocals are detailed and show every piece of frailty, grit, nuance, breath, emotion, intensity (Chris Stapelton, Natalie Merchant, Johnny Cash, David Byrne, Mark Knopfler, Amy Winehouse, Bruce Springsteen). Vocalists have their own distinct space and separation (multiple vocalists), hang in the air, and completely separate from the music itself. Presented more like what would be common in a live performance, nothing is muddied together.
Highs are extremely detailed, airy, and you get the beginning and end of notes….decay is noticeable which I often find hard to notice. One thing that this amp delivers is the ability to “un-jumble” detail, especially on complicated music; with lots of vocalists and musicians present. Every musician and vocalist is present, and separate, and available. More like a live performance where each has their own space on stage and in the performance…..except in a recording.
All of this “extra” in vocals and highs comes with no harshness, or sibilance, or edge. The music is more “alive” than I’ve heard in my home, and more what I hear in some of my audiophile friend’s systems that are north of $100,000/$200,000……and certainly not in a $25,000 system.
Presentation: Soundstage is wider despite the less than perfect room, going a couple of feet outside of the speakers. Height is there as well, better than normal……and finally some depth. I am positive this will all be improved when I finish my dedicated listening room sometime this year. I’ve said this before regarding the Caladans, but even more so with adding the CODA; the music just seems to be presented from a “stage” of music, and does not come from a pair of speakers. The speakers do not completely disappear yet, they are still there….but I can see me getting there in a better room.
The CODA S5.5 is a great addition, and upgrades every single audio aspect versus the Denafrips, and even my Tubes4hifi VTA ST-120 tube amp. As you can tell from the above, I am in love with this amp and what it has been able to do in my home. It plays extremely well with both the Buchardt and Caladan speakers, but the Caladan pairing has a special synergy that brings out the best in both…..bringing each more alive.
If you take this as a hype piece without any honest opinion, I’m sorry as that is not my intention. And yes there are improvements to be had, but I truly believe that getting to my properly built, properly dimensioned, and treated room will yield those results. REMEMBER that we are talking about a $6,400, 45 pound class A amplifier here that is attainable for most audiophiles…….this is not some esoteric $50,000 200 pound beast. How can I not be enthralled, my last two purchases (Caladan and CODA) yielded exactly what I wanted and had hoped for….even more
At this point I am still using the Denafrips Hades preamp, which is WAY better than I ever gave it credit for….amazing performance for a $1,400 preamp, and fully balanced as well. But it will soon be going up for sale, as I’ve got to make room for the Aric Audio Motherlode XL which should be here in about 4 weeks, and I cannot imagine what that final pairing will be like. I’ll probably not be able to give a detailed review once that is in place, I’m out of superlatives.
