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

Showing 2 responses by ronkent

I would like to add my 2 cents to this thread.  I have a Coda 16 amp which i really like and it replaced a set of PS mono blocks.  I do not think the 16 is really any better sonically than the PS BHK monos,  but I did not want to deal with tubes anymore.

However my reason for writing is to comment on the 07x.  My last three preamps have been the BHK preamp from PS,  then a Pass XP22, and then the 07X.  to my ear,  the Coda is the Goldilocks of the three.  not as euphonic as the BHK, not as clinical as the Pass,  but just right.  I really have enjoyed my system so much more since getting it. It too is a little beastie.  

hope that helps.

 

 

hi Santabarbara,  I too get a bit of hiss when i put my ear to the speaker but cannot hear it from 8 ft away.  the PS BHK preamp was noisier for sure.  i recall the Pass XP22 being a bit quieter but it was not a good fit for my system.