New Amp on the Way

I should wait to post but I'm anxiously waiting. I placed the order for a Coda Technologies 8 power amplifier.

If this amp comes close to the description it should be outstanding. Coda's website is under construction and has been for a while. Could be part of the reason they keep under the radar. Destination Audio is one site that has Coda's amps listed. I was able to secure at least a 2 week audition window but was told none has come back. The 8 is said to have a super low noise floor due to the type of FET being used.

Something else I learned and not even mentioned in the reviews, there are actually 3 versions of the 8, then you can actually choose whether or not you want the meters. I think it's only a couple hundred dollars difference one way or the other for meters. I chose to get them although I can't really see them, I thought the amp would look better with them.
v1 = 150x2 into 8 ohms up to 18 watts Class A
v2 = 250x2 into 8 ohms up to 12 watts Class A
v3 = 400x2 into 8 ohms up to 6 watts Class A

I got version 2. All versions are the same amp just biased differently. You also have choice of silver or black and color of buttons, gold, silver or black. I was real tempted to just to get the version 1 but went with a bit more power.

"The $6,200 Coda No. 8 is very musical yet very detailed in ways that make me think that a fairer comparison would be my $13,5000 Pass Labs XA-60.8 monoblocks, which is a significant accolade for the Coda No. 8, as the Pass 60.8s are mean competitors costing far more money." -Read the review, here

150 watts into 8 ohms

300 watts into 4 ohms

The first 18 watts of power is pure Class A

20 individual output transistors per channel, with a combined power capability of 3,600 watts and 75 amps with a bandwidth of 10 MHz

150 amperes on dynamic peaks

Damping factor of 200

Distortion rating- .0089 % THD

1 Pair XLR Inputs

1 Pair RCA Inputs

62 pounds

5.5 inches high by 17 inches wide by 14 inches deep

I would imagine it is still the same company that has been flying under the radar for at least a few decades? Much like Audible Illusions, Coda always offered a tremendous sonic bang for the audiophile buck. I’ve owned a Coda and AI many years ago and they were both solid performers.

Coda Technologies are what's left of the OG Threshold Audio going back to the René Besne/Joe Sammut/Nelson Pass era. This is purely aesthetic but I like the gold plated PCBs they carried over from the threshold days, the internals of FET 10 preamp for example was a thing of beauty and current Coda gear is built to similar standards.

Cool! Congrats. Looking forward to your impressions.


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Congrats! Looks real nice.

Congrats on the new amp! You weren't kidding about the website. You would think that with the amount of research people do before stepping foot into a dealership (if there is even a dealership to step into), a manufacturer would want a way to present their products in the best light possible. I feel like I stepped back into the late 1990s with their current site.

There were not many reviews over the years but I do remember one from 2005 and DarTZeel came into comparison against Coda... ;)

Coda Technologies S5 power amplifier | Stereophile.com

Coda originally were Ex Threshold Corp employees , those generation Threshold amplifiers are still competitive today ..


Regard ..

Excellent! Congratulations. Can't wait for your thoughts.

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Originally Posted by Mr Peabody

[...]
20 individual output transistors per channel, with a combined power capability of 3,600 watts and 75 amps with a bandwidth of 10 MHz

150 amperes on dynamic peaks

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Wow. I wonder whether they are using ThermalTrak audio output devices?

I auditioned one of their integrated amplifiers years back and thought highly it apart from the slider controls used settings such as volume.

Look forward to reading your thoughts on the amp.

Here’s a review of its bigger brother, the 16. Looks like a great amp! Congrats!

Coda Technologies 16.0 Amplifier by Terry London

Thanks for the support.

I still have one of Coda's CSX amps and had a Threshold 300i Stasis. The Threshold was a really nice amp, I think I put it on my components I loved list, however, the Coda amps, even the CSX far exceed the performance of the Threshold I had. I could live with the CSX but I want more bass detail and maybe not so polite.

Coda is waiting for some faceplates to arrive, my amp should ship this Friday/Saturday, so I know what I will be doing on my 3 day weekend. Yeah, I'm lucky enough to get Columbus Day.

Congrats Bryan,

If I ever get to fly out to listen to the MA's maybe I can stop by for a listen.

I got my amp in on the 13th, a bit of delay waiting on the faceplate.

Out of the box the amp was super quiet and transparent, quick response, however, I was impressed with some Jazz recordings but other popular stuff didn't wow me. There was also a bit of energy in the upper mid/lower treble that made strings, cymbals and snare sound a bit off to me or glossy. I listened for several hours that day and left the amp on, out of standby. I've gotten into the habit of doing that now, leaving my amps on. I listened a bit yesterday and left a playlist playing low while I went to do something for about an hour. When I came back I noticed the amp sounded different, better, and I didn't hear that "glossiness". I did a couple things on my phone and put it down.

I listened to a couple tracks off the playlist that sounded really good, then went back to tracks I played in the last couple days to see if I hadn't lost my mind. Well the amp has exceeded all expectations, simply amazing. The review compared the amp more like Pass XA60.8 monoblocks but but to my memory of a short audition the 8 sounds more like MSB except the detail on the 8 is easier to hear from what I remember of the MSB. Of course, not apples to apples as different gear, room etc. What is similar I am hearing a very large sound stage beyond my room boundaries, beautiful music emerging from an absolute black background, it's the feel or character that brings back the memory of MSB.

The 8 is a steal at the price, I hate to bring price into the discussion but I am in shock as to the level of performance I was able to get. I liked my 532h that retailed $8500.00, the 8 sound is different but I'd say on a whole next level from the 532h. It's crazy.

I've had electronics break in and change before, the Pass XP10 comes to mind, where it was quite a bit better over time. I can't remember any electronics transforming as drastic as the 8. Some speakers come close but not electronics.

I sat up last night just listening in aw and wishing I didn't have to work today :)

I couldn't edit my original post, the website and place I got the Coda from is Destination Hi Fi, not, audio.

:congrats: now where are the pics !

As I stated in a prior post, if anyone don't believe in break/burn in I'd like them to hav an 8 out of the box listen for a month or so an then tell me they don't believe.

So, now the amp no longer rminds me of MSB. I can understand some comparison to Pass but the 8 is quick and don't give me such a feeling of being polite like Pass.

I finally got around to putting the 532h back into the system. At first I was pretty excited about the 532h having sharper leading edges and better attack. I listened to a few songs I listened to prior with the 8. Then I went back to the 8 and realized it provided more macro/micro type dynamics. For example, piano flowed nicely on the532h an notes were clear, with th 8 the notes weren't quite as present but along with the note I got more of the body of the piano information, so piano on the 8 was more natural. I think the notes may have semed more present on the 532h due to that lack of additional textural information. On the 8 multiple horns were more separated to where individual horns were heard, less smeared together.

The 532h was always fun to listen to but the 8 brings mor of the performance information to me. The 532h has more prominent top end but the 8 has more ample and powerful bass while remaining detailed. The 8 has nice top end it's just a bit more recessed by cmparison. Vocals have mor nturl tone on the 8.

That is excellent and congratulations. Sounds like fantastic amps! However:

:einstein:

You know the rules.... we need pictures :).

I'd like to post pictures but don't have much luck using the phone for that, the phone is easier since that's where the pictures would be.

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Originally Posted by Mr Peabody

I'd like to post pictures but don't have much luck using the phone for that, the phone is easier since that's where the pictures would be.

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How to upload photos

And have you tried Tapatalk from your phone. Its what Mike recommends.

great an honest write up, after the photo's , meters are the way to go, looks great, glad you are happy,

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...3a59d347d1.jpg


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I have had the #8 for about 60 days now, it should be fully broken in I would think. After the initial excitement and the amp not showing any more sonic changes I settled in each session just for listening pleasure. I wanted to share some information that I feel is important for any potential buyer.

I noticed that as good as the amp was I was not completely satisfied It seemed to my ears the mids/highs were more prominent, the sound wasn't balanced and my attention kept going to the mids/highs and not allowing me to hear into the presentation. Hope that makes sense. Fortunately, for me the 4367's have mid/igh adjustments. After room treatments I found flat perfect for the 532h. I found one click down on both mids and highs good for the #8, full two clicks cut too much. There are only suppose to be .5 dB adjustments but they seem to do mor than that.

Not everyone will have a way to adjust the sound in their system so the #8 will require some careful speaker matching and I recommend buying with as much audition/return time as possible. The break-in took some time. I thought I heard the imbalance in early stages but I gave the amp plenty of time to settle and for me to conclude what was bugging me about wat I was hearing.

So glad everything worked out well and you were able to tweak the sound. I used to shun any type of adjustments aka tone controls. I’ve since realized not every room and recording is perfect so I welcome some adjustments.

I miss my 4367, happy you still have them.

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Originally Posted by RDSChicago

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...3a59d347d1.jpg


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That’s pretty cool looking!

https://www.hifisentralen.no/forumet...2s-jpg.680806/

Hi Wizard, I followed your link, I don't see well enough to see the pictures, my screen reader found some text on the S20 butI didn't find anything on the #8, was there some info there? Thanks for adding to the thread.

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Originally Posted by Mr Peabody

Hi Wizard, I followed your link, I don't see well enough to see the pictures, my screen reader found some text on the S20 butI didn't find anything on the #8, was there some info there? Thanks for adding to the thread.

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I didn't see any pics of No 8 in this thread so I posted one.
No 8 is a great design, the output stage uses bipolar transitors who are better than the ones used in D'Agostino Relentless.

If you want more current and power you should try No 8 mono or 16.0.

I didn't know monoblocks were coming,not surprised.

I don't need more power or current, the sonic imbalance was the issue. I also expected more punch or authority in the bottom end. Amps like krell (older) or Levinson have good grip on the bass and detail but the bass has authority. I will say, the #8 reveals great bass detail though. I listened to Royals by Lord last night, the 8 revealed layers and separated the bass lines in that track like I've never heard before.

Have you heard any of these Coda amps? Now that I found a good setting on my speakers to compensate I think the 8 will work out fine. But some may not have any way to compensate for the mids/highs so it's something that needs to be brought out or addressed.

Even though I found the mids/highs stand out more they wer never harsh or strident, just took my attention and kept me from fully enjoying what I was hearing.

I should add that the performance you get from the 8 at it's price, is amazing. Amps I compare the 8 to are those that cost more. On the other hand there were some bold statements made about the 8 in the published reviews.

Hi,
Thanks for your wonderful review about the coda 8.
Do you still have the amp and how does it compare to the pass x250 or 532h for bass. Does it have the same bass slam as the pass?

Many thanks

I sold the 8, I don't know if it didn't have good synergy withmy Levinson pre or a character of the amp and I was more sensitive to it. Coda doesn't allow much audition time so use it wisely if you purchase. I kept allowing for break in and biased by good reviews and friends comments, I let my window close. In other words I really tried to like it andgive it time but it just didn't work out for me.

The 8 bass response is faster and more lean then what I hear from Pass. I felt both Pass and the 32h had better midbass. The 8 has a slight edge in transparency over my 532h and easily so from what I remember of my X250.

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "slam", the Pass bass is thicker, mor rich but not as fast as the 8. I would say the 532h has mor slam over the 8, due to the more midbass you feel the bass more, like in your chest.

It's really hard for me to describe what I didn't like about the 8, it just had like a glassiness and didn't fool me as much that I might be listening to actual performers.

A guy I know, mentioned above, has the 8, the 150x2 version, but bought the Coda Preamp, he loves the 8 and still maintains it's better than his former Krell ksa-250. Unfortunately we haven't been able to get together yet for me to hear his system.

My personal taste would lean to Pass or 532h over the 8 as I just wasn't able to live with it.

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Originally Posted by Music123

Hi,
Thanks for your wonderful review about the coda 8.
Do you still have the amp and how does it compare to the pass x250 or 532h for bass. Does it have the same bass slam as the pass?

Many thanks

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Mr P, thanks for your thoughts on the Coda 8. I know from the past the you opinions are very valuable when comes to sound quality.

I abandoned my Pass Labs X150.5 after several years of enjoyment. Yes, it's a "polite" sounding amp and always agreeable. But when I got my Purifi 1ET400A-based amp I realized the the Pass just wasn't the great when it came to ultimate resolution and crisp dynamics which is were the Purifi amp excels.

A major up-side to the Purifi, unlike Mark Levinson or Coda, is that it is affordable to less well-heeled folks like myself. If there is a downside it's that the Purifi isn't "warm" at all, (unlike the Pass), so it helps to match it with a good tube preamp.

Which Purifi amp did you purchase?

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Originally Posted by RDSChicago

Which Purifi amp did you purchase?

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From Feanor's signature system details: VTV Purifi 1ET400A stereo amp with Sparkos SS3602 op amps

Feanor, congrats. Did you consider getting the VTV Purifi Eigentakt Stereo Amplifier based on EVAL-1, which I believe is how Bruno designed it and doesn’t come with a choice of op amps? I’m thinking about trying one and am deciding which brand and model to choose. Thanks.

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Originally Posted by RDSChicago

Feanor, congrats. Did you consider getting the VTV Purifi Eigentakt Stereo Amplifier based on EVAL-1, which I believe is how Bruno designed it and doesn’t come with a choice of op amps? I’m thinking about trying one and am deciding which brand and model to choose. Thanks.

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VTV's EVAL-1 based version wasn't available when I bought my Purifi, so I first ordered it with the Hypex evaluation buffer -- this was horrible, IMO: on the louder passages the treble was weirdly shrill. I bought the VTV buffer with the Sparkos SS3602 which got rid of that anomaly, thank goodness. I tried other op amps: OPA1612, OPA627, and Burson V6 Vivid but like the Sparkos best.

Just placed an order for VTV's EVAL-1 based version. Thanks for turning me on to the brand.

Hope you start a thread with your experience, I am not familiar with Purifi either.

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Originally Posted by RDSChicago

Just placed an order for VTV's EVAL-1 based version. Thanks for turning me on to the brand.

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Originally Posted by Mr Peabody

Hope you start a thread with your experience, I am not familiar with Purifi either.

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Well since we've got on the subject of Purifi amps ...

Purifi makes class D amplifier models, their only current model being the 1ET400A, a.k.a. "Eigentakt" See ... 1ET400A - PURIFI.

To demonstrate their product Purifi produce the "EVAL-1" which includes an input buffer which includes inputs and outputs and also produces a extra gain. A number of makers are using the 1ET400A modules; some have developed their own I/O modules and some, such as VTV, now also offer amps using the EVAL-1 I/O.

See ASR's Review and Measurements of Purifi 1ET400A Amplifier. The Purifi 1ET400A's distortion is close to as low as it gets; this makes it a darling of the objectivists in particular.

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Originally Posted by Mr Peabody

Hope you start a thread with your experience, I am not familiar with Purifi either.

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Well since we've got on the subject of Purifi amps ...

Purifi makes class D amplifier models, their only current model being the 1ET400A, a.k.a. "Eigentakt" See ... 1ET400A - PURIFI.

To demonstrate their product Purifi produce the "EVAL-1" which includes an input buffer which includes inputs and outputs and also produces a extra gain. A number of makers are using the 1ET400A modules; some have developed their own I/O modules and some, such as VTV, now also offer amps using the EVAL-1 I/O.

See ASR's Review and Measurements of Purifi 1ET400A Amplifier. The Purifi 1ET400A's distortion is close to as low as it gets; this makes it a darling of the objectivists in particular.

Measurements from the class- D friendly site ...! :)

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Originally Posted by a.wayne

Measurements from the class- D friendly site ...! :)

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Indeed....ASR cracks me up. I skimmed the "review" and the attached thread. I didn't see any mention of sound quality, did I miss it?

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Originally Posted by stereogeek

Indeed....ASR cracks me up. I skimmed the "review" and the attached thread. I didn't see any mention of sound quality, did I miss it?

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Uh-oh, Danger, Will Robinson!! Discussion has suddenly shifted from amps to ASR. :popcorn:

No, Amir virtually never comments on the SQ of electronics, (to some extent in case of speakers).

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Originally Posted by TheOctopus

I would imagine it is still the same company that has been flying under the radar for at least a few decades? Much like Audible Illusions, Coda always offered a tremendous sonic bang for the audiophile buck. I’ve owned a Coda and AI many years ago and they were both solid performers.

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Have you ever paired the audible illusions with the coda amp? How did it sound?