British hi-fi brand Arcam, part of the Harman Group, has introduced a brand new range of hi-fi components. The range consists of the Arcam A5, A15 and A25 integrated amplifiers, the CD player CD5 and the HD streamer ST5.
According to Arcam, the Radia series represents “a combination of aesthetic design and advanced audio technology.”
Common to the two smallest amplifiers in the series is a digital part built over the ESS ES9018 digital converter. The Arcam Radia A5 and Radia A15 are both class AB amplifiers with an output power of 2 x 50 W and 2 x 80 W respectively.
The Arcam Radia A25 does not have significantly higher output power, but differs by working in class G. The digital converter is the ESS ES9280AQ. The Radia A25 also has USB-C audio inputs.
“When we set out to create the Radia Series, there were a number of technical innovations that we wanted to introduce into the product and we ended up with what we think is one of the best sounding amplifiers we’ve ever created,” says Jim Garrett, Senior Director, Product Strategy and Planning, Harman Luxury Audio.
The ST5 music streamer offers Wi-Fi connectivity and supports music services such as Amazon Music Unlimited, Qobuz, Tidal Connect and Spotify Connect. It also includes support for MQA, Google Chromecast, Apple Airplay2 and Roon.
Arcam wants to make high-end products that are affordable - and with appeal to a lifestyle-orientated audience.
The CD5 CD player can play all common CD formats, including home discs, and supports FLAC, WAV and MP3 formats. It is equipped with an ESS ES9018 DAC with 24-bit/192 kHz resolution.
Price and availability
The products were unveiled in London on 3 October and will be available from retailers in the fourth quarter of 2023. Prices are as listed below:
Arcam A5: €849
Arcam A15: €1,249
Arcam A25: €1,799
Arcam CD5: €799
Arcam ST5: €949
