Does anyone own the new Coda S5.5 amp?

[FT251]

Looking for those that have this amp and how they like it. What are you driving and what preamp do you use with it. Thanks.

 

[Minatophase3]

I just purchased one, have had it for about 10 days now. I had been using an Accuphase E-380 integrated to drive my Spatial Audio M4 Sapphire open baffle speakers (4Ohm, 90db). I am now using the Accuphase E-380 as the preamp and connecting via RCA to the S5.5.

I love my Accuphase but the allure a a pure class A amp was too great not to try. Having listened to the S5.5 and done back to back comparisons withe the Accuphase I will say that the S5.5 does everything better than that Accuphase amp. It has much better control over the bass, and it is faster/tigher. The midrange is where the Accuphase shines in my opinion and I would say the S5.5 is equally as good. The upper range is where the S5.5 really pulls away from the Accuphase, it is much clearer, more detailed and airy. Not a bit of harshness and no listening fatigue.

The S5.5 has added so much detail and clarity to the music it is crazy. Everything is crystal clear and detailed yet the music just flows and sounds amazing, nothing harsh or clinical.

I know for 100% certain the S5.5 is staying in my system. The only question is do I sell the Accuphase and get a dedicated preamp or keep using the E-380 as a preamp only.

Highly recommend the S5.5!

 

[FT251]

@Minatophase3

Thanks, this is what I keep hearing on another forum, I went out on a limb and ordered this Amp 2.5 weeks ago, hoping it ships soon. I appreciate your reply sir.

 

[Minatophase3]

@Minatophase3

Thanks, this is what I keep hearing on another forum, I went out on a limb and ordered this Amp 2.5 weeks ago, hoping it ships soon. I appreciate your reply siI

I think you will love it! Post back once you have it, would be interested to hear what you think of it.

 

[Hankey]

I bought one and received it earlier last month. It now has well over 200 hours on it. I can’t recommend it enough! It sounds fantastic driving my Magico S5 speakers which are 89db and 4 ohms. It replaces a Luxman M900U amp which specs at three times the rated power Of the Coda. The little Coda sounds more powerful. It may be due to the 100 amperes that it produces.

The Luxman is a great amp and sounds more velvety but, the Coda is much more clear and silky smooth On top. It goes deeper in the bass and is much more articulate and nuanced. It sounds better to me in every way across the board.

I had a bit of buyer’s remorse while waiting for the Coda to arrive thinking that it would not be powerful enough but, that quickly went away when I inserted the amp in me system.

I’m using a Luxman C900U preamp which seems to be a very good match with the Coda. At the price of the Coda I think it is one of the best deals in high end audio.

 

[kairosman]

I have the S5.5 paired with a tube preamp, a Qualiton C200, and the stack is sonically on the same level as my Gryphon Diablo 300, just a different flavor. Indeed one of the great amp deals in hifi IMO right now, what a time to be an audiophile!

 

[FT251]

I have had my Coda S5.5 for a week now. It has 75 hr music through it and has been powered up over 200 hours.
Before I describe my new Coda S5.5’s sound I feel the need to reveal that I made several changes to the rig prior to adding a new amp. I placed my my VAC Cla1 Mk III tube preamp and VAC Renaissance 70/70 Mk III Signature amp on consignment to fund the change. However I’ve made several other improvements while waiting 9 weeks for it to arrive. Here are the things that have changed:

1. I now run an XLR Wireworld Gold Eclipse 8 from DAC to Wavelet II which is now used as the preamp/crossover/DSP unit. No preamp prior to the Wavelet II anymore.It used to be the Wireworld Eclipse 8 but RCA. I am now fully balanced end to end.
2. I purchased a used 1.5 meter Wireworld Gold Eclipse 8 XLR from Wavelet II to the Coda amp. I was using RCA Wireworld Eclipse 8 RCA before.
3. I added a very nice power box with DH labs wiring and Synergistic plugs and two DH Labs Red Wave Signature power cords to power the Legacy Audio Focus XD speakers internal bass amps replacing a pair of Waudio PC’s. The power unit is fed by the Shunyata PC I used before on a lower level API power box.
4. I added another DH labs Red Wave Signature PC to my Aurender N200 and moved the Wireworld Silver Electra 7 PC to the HDPlex linear power supply feeding the Wavelet II, an upgrade from the Wireworld Electra 7 PC that was on it before.
5. I used to run 2 BMI Whale elite PC’s on the VAC amp, those have been replaced by another DH Labs Red Wave Signature PC for the Coda.
6. I now run a AQ Diamond USB from Aurender to Hermes, but I still have the Wireworld coax connected too.

OK, whew! Now that is out of the way I also had to run new sweeps for the Bohmer Legacy Room correction software in the Wavelet II to reacquaint the room to speaker interaction to the refinements made since the last version of the system way back in December 2023. December is the last time I have heard my rig. I got rid of the VAC stuff immediately after arriving back home from our Florida winter after getting it repaired. So, lots going on here and I took my time discerning how it all changed and to what effect the amp had on it. (My system is in my signature if you want to see what else I have going on)

I am breaking in new power cords, new USB cable, new XLR’s and a new amp!

Anyway here is where I am at now in comparison switching from tubes to all solid state. A bit of a paradigm shift for me if you will after 25 years of just tubes. The VAC stuff was very good really, this is better but different. I have 75 hours of music run through and 200 hours total time on the system being powered up.



OK so here are comments in my listening notes:

• Sound is sorted out, I hear more of what's in there -clarity , see through transparency..
• Great driver integration vs tube, no lag, quick, keeps up better with the bass amp section through the outboard crossover in the Focus XD’s Their bass had become better defined and controlled.
• Great top end detail, not harsh at all. Amazing details.
• Dynamics! Very quick, fast.
• Quiet, blacker background.
• Lacks the bloom and fullness of the old tubed electronics. (A SS Tradeoff I expect) I think I could get a great result with either a tubed preamp or maybe a Lampizator Balitic 4 in the mix to get a taste of that back.
• Speakers still disappear, soundstage is the same front to back and side to side. BIG.
• Accurate tonality of instruments and textures.
• Better upper bass articulation and detailed more.
• Light, delicate, airy and quick
• Images are sharper with less “tube haze”
• Quick leading edges, such as on guitar riffs, great attack.
• Great rhythm and pace, outstanding.
• Can enjoy at lower volume, but it can play very loudly. I listen around 80-85Db average, I wish I had better hearing at age 69 but I do use hearing aides.

I like this amp very much. I consider it a great bargain. Terry london from Stereo Tims thinks so too. I am sure as it continues to get time on it and the system it will keep getting better. Which it has since I wrote this.

 

[Hankey]

I have pretty much the same thoughts as you as to the sound of this wonderful amp. It is an incredible bargain. I’m going to be trying a pair of NSMT Clarvoyant speakers in the next couple of weeks. It should be an awesome pairing.

 

[Hankey]

That is one heck of a nice room you have there! I’m jealous. Awesome system.

 

[skids929]

I just purchased one, have had it for about 10 days now. I had been using an Accuphase E-380 integrated to drive my Spatial Audio M4 Sapphire open baffle speakers (4Ohm, 90db). I am now using the Accuphase E-380 as the preamp and connecting via RCA to the S5.5.

I love my Accuphase but the allure a a pure class A amp was too great not to try. Having listened to the S5.5 and done back to back comparisons withe the Accuphase I will say that the S5.5 does everything better than that Accuphase amp. It has much better control over the bass, and it is faster/tigher. The midrange is where the Accuphase shines in my opinion and I would say the S5.5 is equally as good. The upper range is where the S5.5 really pulls away from the Accuphase, it is much clearer, more detailed and airy. Not a bit of harshness and no listening fatigue.

The S5.5 has added so much detail and clarity to the music it is crazy. Everything is crystal clear and detailed yet the music just flows and sounds amazing, nothing harsh or clinical.

I know for 100% certain the S5.5 is staying in my system. The only question is do I sell the Accuphase and get a dedicated preamp or keep using the E-380 as a preamp only.

Highly recommend the S5.5!

To be clear Coda amps are not "Pure Class A", they are biased designs, I believe they have a Class A mode-not sure how the bias applies but they are biased to A/B after a certain point. There is a difference, most Pure Class A designs are in the 30-50 watt range, while biased designs ("precision biasing" in Codas case) switch over to A/B. Very few Pure Class A designs go up much higher in wattage without being almost unreachable in price.

 

[FT251]

To be clear Coda amps are not "Pure Class A", they are biased designs, I believe they have a Class A mode-not sure how the bias applies but they are biased to A/B after a certain point. There is a difference, most Pure Class A designs are in the 30-50 watt range, while biased designs ("precision biasing" in Codas case) switch over to A/B. Very few Pure Class A designs go up much higher in wattage without being almost unreachable in price.

I talked to Doug Dale at Coda about this specifically regarding the amount of pure class A power into my 4 ohm speaker load and he replied that at 4ohm it was up to about 40 watts. Which is still plenty for the 95.4 Db efficient Legacy's. Being that my speakers are bi amped internally for the Bass below 250 Hz through an external crossover the Coda really isn't working too hard.

 

[Young Skywalker]

To be clear Coda amps are not "Pure Class A", they are biased designs, I believe they have a Class A mode-not sure how the bias applies but they are biased to A/B after a certain point. There is a difference, most Pure Class A designs are in the 30-50 watt range, while biased designs ("precision biasing" in Codas case) switch over to A/B. Very few Pure Class A designs go up much higher in wattage without being almost unreachable in price.

Isn’t that true of every transistor amplifier? Isn’t this just physics? I suspect that the key selling point of the Coda amplifiers is not their continuous rated output in class A, but the substantial current they can supply from their solidly engineered power supplies when the loudspeaker requires it.

 

[skids929]

Isn’t that true of every transistor amplifier? Isn’t this just physics? I suspect that the key selling point of the Coda amplifiers is not their continuous rated output in class A, but the substantial current they can supply from their solidly engineered power supplies when the loudspeaker requires it.

Not sure I understand your question but if I am understanding it not it's not true of all Pure Class A designs, those aren't biased. Most AB designs have some bias yes. Its in the switching where the distortion lives, so AB will never sound like Pure Class A. I don't completely understand Coda method for the switching but I am fairly certain it's a biased design that allows you to choose Pure or Biased.

I am not trying to say one is better than the other, but Pure Class A is different than biased Class A. Definitely my preferred method of amplification, very few AB designs I've heard sound as pure, delicate/sweet, fast and clean as a Pure Class A amp.

 

[Stratman]

I bought one and received it earlier last month. It now has well over 200 hours on it. I can’t recommend it enough! It sounds fantastic driving my Magico S5 speakers which are 89db and 4 ohms. It replaces a Luxman M900U amp which specs at three times the rated power Of the Coda. The little Coda sounds more powerful. It may be due to the 100 amperes that it produces.

The Luxman is a great amp and sounds more velvety but, the Coda is much more clear and silky smooth On top. It goes deeper in the bass and is much more articulate and nuanced. It sounds better to me in every way across the board.

I had a bit of buyer’s remorse while waiting for the Coda to arrive thinking that it would not be powerful enough but, that quickly went away when I inserted the amp in me system.

I’m using a Luxman C900U preamp which seems to be a very good match with the Coda. At the price of the Coda I think it is one of the best deals in high end audio.

Are you still happy with the Coda S5.5 driving your Magico S5's? I am considering this amp to drive my Magico A5's

 

[Hankey]

Yes I am. I’m still extremely happy with it. In fact I’m listening to it as I type this. I think you would be very happy with one. What amp are you using now?

Jeff

 

[Hankey]

Actually I need to tell you that I’ve since switched speakers. I now have NSMT Clairvoyant Duos. Believe it or not I think they are better than the Magico’s that I had. I Didn’t switch because of the match of Magico and the Coda s5.5. It was the best match that I had for the Magico’s. After almost ten years with the Magico’s I thought I’d try something different.

 

[Stratman]

Yes I am. I’m still extremely happy with it. In fact I’m listening to it as I type this. I think you would be very happy with one. What amp are you using now?

Jeff

Pass X250.8 Not disappointed with the sound, just trying to figure out if I'm missing anything. A5's are a recent acquisition=3 months, as is the Soulution 525=1 month. I'm losing my high frequency hearing so would like the system to be reproducing all of it. Thanks for responding

 

[Stratman]

Actually I need to tell you that I’ve since switched speakers. I now have NSMT Clairvoyant Duos. Believe it or not I think they are better than the Magico’s that I had. I Didn’t switch because of the match of Magico and the Coda s5.5. It was the best match that I had for the Magico’s. After almost ten years with the Magico’s I thought I’d try something different.

I'm not familiar with NSMT, so I just visited their website. Very interesting and great price point!

 

[Hankey]

It is a great price point. If you work with them or a dealer you can do even better. I found out about them from Terry London from Stereo Times just like the Coda. He has a great review on them on Stereo Times. Interesting read.

 

[analogsa]

but Pure Class A is different than biased Class A.

No such distinction exists.

Push pull solid state amps fall generally into 3 categories with respect to biasing

- a high steady bias sufficient for a specified power into a specified load.
once the power is exceeded, or the load impedance is reduced, a gradual switch over to AB follows.

- a modest steady bias with a very small class A area, from milliwatts to several watts

- a dynamic bias arrangement which makes certain the output devices are always in a state of conduction. This avoids switching distortion but is most definitely not class A. The correct way to call such amps is non-switching.

Single ended amps are the only type which works in class A until clipping - whether due to power or impedance limitations.