SIMPLY AMAZING: Coda Technologies 07x Preamplifier

@rlovendale I will test this again tonight with 2 DACs. I know Tuners can bleed with other gear I have used. I will use Balanced 1 and 2 for the 2 DACs I will be testing with.

@wturkey When I bought a used CODA CSiB last week the seller told me there is a surprise in the shipment. It turned out that he has programmed a Inteset remote control to work with the CSiB. After trying the CODA remote control I could see why the previous owner changed to the simpler Inteset remote. I hated the CODA remote after about 10 minutes of usage. Integrated is great though.

Your 07x preamp is on my CODA remotes visual list of supported hardware. So I imagine whatever was done with my unit is applicable on your unit.

I now have a CODA 07x in the house and have some issues I would like to get cleared up. Since today is Sat and Mon is the day I can call CODA I thought I would ask here.

1) What is the manufacturer to select when setting up the remote. Though I now see the remote is working even though the test part in the setup failed. I am wondering if I have every feature available on the remote.

2) How do you turn off the unit. I do not see a power on of off button on the 07x. I tried the ON and OFF on the remote but that also did not power off or send to standby.

3) I had an unusual situation last night when I played my DAC on Balanced 1 and had my Tuner on Balanced 2. The music on Balanced 1 would leak onto Balanced 2. I noticed this when I was manually changing stations with a rotary dial on the tuner. I need to test this out with 2 DACs on 1 and 2 but that will be done later since I need to unplug some things to do so.

The unit does sound great. I wish the preamp had a trigger switch to power on my amp from standby. 

Last Night I had the following (with the bleed on Balanced 2):

Balanced 1:  Gustard X26 Pro DAC
Balanced 2: Magnum Dynalab MD102 Tuner
Disk:
Aux: 

Today, I now have the following setup:

Balanced 1: Gustard X26 Pro DAC
Balanced 2: AudioMirror Tubadour III SE DAC
Disk:
Aux: Magnum Dynalab MD102 Tuner

With todays setup I am not able to reproduce the bleed. I tried with all 3 sources playing at the same time and other combinations with 1 of them off.

I should note that about a decade ago this same tuner had some bleed with either a BAT preamp or Bryston preamp. I am going to put this issue down to the tuner since I cannot reproduce it with the new configuration.

@wturkey Thanks. I love the sound of the preamp. I mates well with the D-sonic amp I have. Though I am a disappointed in the spartan feature set. A mute button on the unit is needed. Along with a trigger and a standby.

The bleed is not a big deal.

I now have a lot of hours on the CODA 07x in my office system and this unit has helped me setup my gear in an interesting way. It also made the decision to sell my KRELL K-300i integrated a lot easier.

This weekend I brought back my Benchmark AHB2’s from my living room and hooked up each AHB2 to the XLR output sets of the 07x. One set of outputs go to the AHB2 driving my Thiel CS3.7. The other output goes to the AHB2 driving my RAAL SR1a headphones.

In the past I came to the conclusion that the AHB2 did not sound good with the RAAL SR1a. It was too harsh and the RAAL is the most revealing speaker I have ever heard. I also said that the AHB2 in stereo is not hard hitting with the Thiel CS3.7. It felt underpowered.

The RAAL SR1a was sounding so good with my CODA 07x + AudioMirror Tubadour III SE + D-Sonic Class D amp that I thought I should put back the Benchmark AHB2 to see if it sounds better wit the 07x as compared with the Benchmark HPA4 preamp I used previously. I think the AHB2 is an incredible amp and replacing the D-Sonic with the AHB2 did what I expected. The smidgen of harshness that I felt was there with the D-Sonic was gone with the AHB2. It sounds amazing and I have decided to use the AHB2 as my RAAL SR1a amp, this is a complete 180 degree turn for me based on my prior gear combos. This result I attribute solely to the CODA 07x taming the RAAL’s high frequencies.

On my Thiel CS3.7 I liked the AHB2 in mono over a single stereo unit. However, now with the CODA 07x and the Gustard X26 Pro DAC I am hearing the very best combo of gear on the CS3.7. Prior to this new combo the best gear I had on it was the Benchmark DAC3B + HPA4 + AHB2 mono. I attribute the brilliance of the new combo to both the CODA 07x and the Gustard X26 Pro. Maybe more of a push to the Gustard. It certainly does not feel underpowered, though I have heard more bass with my KRELL K-300i integrated.

The CODA 07x and the Benchmark AHB2 is an amazing combo. The dealer said as such to me when I was looking at the CODA 07x. He said a few of his clients are using that combo. I will say that this combo I have now sounds better than the CODA CSiB I had (from a 2018 build). I am looking to get the CODA #8 or #16 but I will definitely keep the AHB2’s in the office.

Don’t get me wrong on the Benchmark HPA4 preamp. It is also an incredible preamp, it is just not as warm as the CODA 07x. It has no sound to it. The D-Sonic is also an amp that I like a lot. Today it is rocking my KEF LS50s with the HPA4 preamp. No harshness with speakers, just with the RAAL.

One day in the future, I am going to switch the Gustard X26 Pro (connected to the CODA 07x) with the Benchmark DAC3B (connected to the HPA4) to see what is contributing the most to the great sound I am hearing now on my floor standers. Is it the CODA 07x or the Gustard?

The bleed through is likely a common issue on all the 07x's. Mine has it and also another A'goner who was DM'ing me on the CODA 07x has the same issue.

I hate the push button volume control that can accidently go into the unwanted state if you inadvertently hit the knob. You also need to have the 07x placed close to eye level so that you know what operational state it is in. It is hard to read the GUI.

I hate the fact that it is not dead silent. At least in comparison to my previous preamp, the Benchmark HPA4.

If this unit did not sound so good I would sell it. Since my need for 2 sets of XLR's is diminished the Benchmark LA4 preamp will come back into the system to potentially replace the 07x. I should add that I now also own the CODA # 8 amp, which I like a lot. The KRELL K-300i integrated that I was planning on selling was kept and I am so happy I kept it. So the CODA 07x is on shaky ground with me.

Another issue I had was that the volume control's internal wire had become loose from shipping. I was getting all manner of problems with the preamp due to that issue. I opened up the case and pushed the wire connection together and that solved all the crazy operational errors that I was having. Doug Dale was very helpful in working with me to resolve it, though I figured it out.