@kairosman How did the Bryston amps compare against the CODA gear you owned? I have owned the CSiB and the #8 V1. I have owned older Bryton but not the cubed lineup.
Bryston 4B3 & 14B3
CODA CSiB & #8 V1 & S5.5
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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@yyzsantabarbara those Bryston amps were clear, neutral, dynamic and resolving, but the tonal characteristics of acoustic instruments were never "right" to my ears in my system, for whatever reason. A little "grey". The NAD was "grey" as well, the Kinki monos were thin, not meaty enough for my tastes. The BAT was the best of the lot, except for the S5.5 and Gryphon, I had it for years and really regret selling it. |
@aolmrd1241 NP and just as a kinda related aside, I just heard the new Diablo 333 at a dealer in LA and, WHOA, what an amp. My 300 is amazing but Gryphon have outdone themselves with the 333 (I heard it as part of an all-Gryphon system). They had the system at 100 db during my favorite AC/DC track "It’s A Long Way to the Top..." and there was ZERO hardness/harshness, and that recording is a crap recording. Massive sound with absolute control and clarity. I predict it's going to cannibalize sales of the Essence stack, just my opinion of course, but the 333 is all the amp anyone would ever need unless you were Putin and an audiophile and only a total oligarch system would do when you have your cronies over for your weekly "whose next on the chopping block" parties. |
FWIW for those waiting for their Coda S 5.5 amp. I talked to Doug yesterday, they have been waiting on anodizing to finish their faceplates and heat syncs. That was behind at least 4 weeks. They received a shipment last Friday and are working on my amp this week, maybe yours too? He said they will be shipping mine late this week or early next week. I also asked him about that power the amp makes into 4 ohms @ watts/Ch and he told me about 40. It’s not 50/100/200 (8/4/2) Anyway it’s nice to know I will be getting my amp soon to drive my Legacy Audio Focus XD’s I got last August. I sold my VAC Renaissance 70/70 Signature amp over a month ago. |
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