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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)

johnah5
laginz
44 posts
 

Yeah, I thought that room sounded good, but no better than a number of others. As usual, I was disappointed by the limited musical material used to display equipment at the show. While I have nothing against a female jazz singer, a bass and a piano player, I’d like to see a bit of variety to show what systems can do in varying contexts.

teajay
1,691 posts
 

Just wanted to share that I have been driving the S5.5 with a SPL Volume2 preamplifier with superlative results. What's terrific about this combo is that the SPL Volume2 only costs $450, active balanced with a single input/output, which allows the S5.5 to "sing" just as well as my other preamplifiers that cost thousand of dollars more. No remote, but if ultimate performance for pennies on the dollar is the most important priority to you, this could be the preamp to use with your S5.5.

vinylvalet
902 posts
 

Thanks, Terry. I might try this in one of our production studios as well driving. Looking forward to seeing how it mates with active ATC pro monitors.

aolmrd1241
1,042 posts
 

I guess maybe that’s a wrap…No more listening updates guys after some long term use?

minatophase3
33 posts
 

@aolmrd1241 - I am still thrilled with mine!  Changed out my RCA cables connecting my Accuphase to the Coda with a pair of Silversmith Fidelium and the sound opened up even more.  More bass, faster, more holographic. 

When I first got the amp I loved it but missed some of the warmth of the Accuphase.  I made a change on the backend of my system (removed a filter on the modem power supply) and everything improved so much.  Now I have the "warmth" that my Accuphase provided but have the top end shimmer, low end slam and ultra detail that the Coda provides.  I couldn't be happier and would still highly recommend the Coda S5.5! 

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