In January of 2019, I did the first professional review of the Coda Technologies’ Continuum No. 8 amplifier and found it to be a stellar performer (reviewed here). I never doubted that the No. 8 amplifier’s build quality and engineering would be at a reference level, based on the history with Coda Technologies equipment. Still, I was quite impressed with its beautiful music presentation that competed with solid state-amplifiers that cost thousands of dollars more. For example, I had the Dan D’Agostino Progression Stereo amp (which retails for $15,500 more than the No. 8) in for review and the Coda amplifier outclassed it in tonality, transparency, speed, and soundstaging ability. I then went on to review Coda’s FET 07x preamplifier and put it on the list for Stereo Times “MOST WANTED COMPONENTS OF THE DECADE,” being the best performing solid-state preamplifier I had heard in over twenty years.
Both above mentioned Coda pieces were based on the modifications and breakthroughs that Doug Dale, President & CEO and house engineer Eric Lauchli had made in what was the fourth generation of honing the circuit topology and internal parts of these designs. This led to the development of the subject of this review - the new 16.0 amplifier. The 16.0 is Coda’s flagship Class-A stereo amplifier. It retails for $13,000 without meters or $16,000 with meters, sharing the design of the company’s 41.0 amplifiers. The 41.0 can produce even more power than the 16.0. However, it does not drop as much pure Class-A (100 watts) as the 16.0. Optimized for Class-A operation, the 16.0 is better suited to low-impedance speaker systems where higher current capability yields superior performance. I asked Doug Dale some comments on what he discovered in designing the No.8 that lead to the design of the 16.0.
Gtt 2018a.gif“We were initially working on the N0. 8, which we introduced early in 2019, we had altered our amplifier gain stages around a newly available low noise FET transistor. We found that the new device provided a much lower noise floor than the prior generation FETs that were available. The response we have gotten has been consistent and very positive. We substituted that part into our preamps which also were similarly altered. Naturally, when we started the 16.0, we incorporated the same components in that circuit as well with the same result. As manufacturers, we constantly look for interesting components and since all of our designs use FET based input sections every product in our line has benefited. (As I shared in my review on the Coda FET 07x preamplifier FET transistors work and measure in a similar fashion like tubes offering the color and spatial qualities that tubes provide in a system.)
In addition, the 16.0 amplifier has a 40% increase in power supply capacitance over the previous Model 15.5 to 280,000uf. Sonically, the lower noise and even larger power supply make the performance at lower power much more pleasant. It is subtle when necessary while having a huge reserve of power when needed. It is the best single chassis stereo amplifier we have ever produced. The 16.0 is also the most visually striking amplifier in the history of Coda.”
2019年1月，我对Coda Technologies的Continuum No.8放大器进行了第一次专业审查，发现它表现相当出色（此处进行了审查）。根据Coda Technologies设备的历史，我从不怀疑8号放大器的制造质量和工程设计将处于参考水平。尽管如此，我还是对它优美的音乐表现印象深刻，它将是1万美元下功放的强烈竞争对手。例如，我有丹·达戈斯蒂诺（Dan D’Agostino Progression）立体声放大器（零售价比第8号高出15500美元）供审查，而coda放大器在调性、透明度、速度和发声能力方面都超过了它。然后，我继续回顾Coda的FET 07x前置放大器，并将其列入立体声**“十年最受欢迎的元件”名单，这是我二十多年来听到的性能最好的晶体管前置放大器。
上述两个CODA产品都是基于总裁兼首席执行官道格·戴尔（Doug Dale）和内部工程师埃里克·劳奇利（Eric Lauchli）在第四代产品对电路从新优化和设计，内部选用了更加优质的部件。这导致了本次审查主题的发展——新的16.0放大器。16.0是Coda旗舰级**立体声放大器。它的零售价为13000美元（不带电表），16000美元（带电表），与该公司41.0放大器的设计相同。41.0可以产生比16.0更大的功率。但是，它的纯**（100瓦）功率下降不如16.0。针对**操作进行了优化，16.0更适合于低阻抗扬声器系统，在这种系统中，更高的电流能力产生更高的性能。我问了道格·戴尔一些关于他在设计8号时发现了什么导致了16.0的设计的评论。
“我们最初正在开发N0系列。我们在2019年初推出了NO.8，我们围绕新推出的低噪声FET晶体管改变了放大器增益级。我们发现，新设备提供了比上一代FET低得多的底噪。我们得到的反应是一致的，非常积极。我们将该部分替换为前置放大器，前置放大器也进行了类似的修改。当然，当我们启动16.0时，我们在电路中加入了相同的组件，也得到了相同的结果。作为制造商，我们不断寻找有趣的组件，因为我们所有的设计都使用基于FET的输入部分，所以我们生产线中的每一种产品都从中受益(正如我在对Coda FET 07x前置放大器的评论中所分享的，FET晶体管的工作和测量方式与电子管在系统中提供的颜色和空间质量类似。）
此外，16.0放大器的电源电容比以前的15.5型增加了40%，达到280000UF。在声音方面，更低的噪音和更大的电源使低功率下的性能更令人愉快。它在必要时是微妙的，而在需要时有巨大的能量储备。这是我们生产的最好的单机箱立体声放大器。16.0也是CODA历史上最引人注目的放大器。”
