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)
I was very fortunate when I ordered mine (3/12), was told about a month but since I ordered the black one it shipped within 2 weeks. Doug said he had quite a few silver orders and was waiting to get the silver chasis back in stock so mine moved up on the list as he had the black chasis in stock. This was back in mid March. While waiting is no fun, I can assure you it will be worth the wait. My system has never sounded so good! |
@sim_audio_nerd would you have any comments on how Sim Audio Moon amps compare to the S5.5? I assume you were running them at some point. |
@irave I was running Moon 390 pre with the 330A amp few years back. In my opinion, there is no comparison between the Moon 330A and the S5.5. The S5.5 is in a different league. I haven't heard the Moon new "North" line though but again they are very expensive |
@gryphongryph The Supratek is a high gain pre. Inspite of that, both the preamp and the Coda is quiet as a mouse. No noise when music is not playing and components are turned on. I went close and put my ears against the tweeter and there is dead silence. No "clicking" noise when pre or amp is turned on, but of course you can hear the tubes engaging when the tube pre is turned on. The sound is not at all bright and no sibilance with female vocals. |
