All change for Arcam as it intros radical Radia Hi-Fi family

Arcam has unveiled a whole new generation of Hi-Fi products, dubbed the Arcam Radia Series, featuring an all new industrial design.

The line comprises the A5, A15 and A25 integrated amplifiers, the CD5 CD player, and the ARCAM ST5 high-resolution streamer.

The new family represents a radical redesign for the UK brand, and point to a whole new direction for the lauded brand.

“When we set out to create the Radia Series, there were a number of technical innovations that we wanted to put into the product, and we ultimately settled on a design that we think is one of the best sounding amplifiers we have ever created,” said Jim Garrett, Senior Director, Product Strategy and Planning, HARMAN Luxury Audio.

“In addition to a sleek new design that will define ARCAM’s image for years to come, with the Radia family, we’ve renewed our focus on intimate performance and embraced the very latest audio technologies. For today’s audio enthusiasts, especially younger ones looking to get into a luxury audio system at a reasonable cost, the resulting solutions surpass not only our past offerings but any product that’s come before.”

The Radia family utilise a symmetrical design for their aluminium shells. They feature seamless front fascias, redesigned knobs, and gentle lighting effects.

A smooth, matte black surface is enlivened with new signature Radia yellow highlights. Up top, ventilation cut-outs are hidden within a pattern of dynamic lines.

The rear sports a connector cowl, that hides connector housings from view. To ensure optimal user interaction, the redesigned knobs are curved, finished in satin black, and textured to mask fingerprints.

The new Radia amplifiers have Bluetooth aptX Adaptive receivers, internal antennas, digital inputs, and the brand’s signature MM phono stage.

The 2x50W A5 and 2x100W A15 Class AB amplifiers include new digital circuitry based on the ESS ES9018 DAC. The 2x100W A25 steps up to a Class G amplifier and the ESS ES9280AQ DAC, in addition to USB-C inputs, LED illuminated highlights, and an OLED display on the front panel.

With an internal Wi-Fi antenna, the ST5 music streamer supports Amazon Music Unlimited, Qobuz, Internet radio, podcasts, Tidal Connect, and Spotify Connect. In addition, the streamer offers support for MQA, Google Chromecast, Apple Airplay2, and Roon.

The CD5 CD player offers CD, CD-R, and CD-RW playback; playback from USB mass storage; and support for FLAC, WAV, and MP3 formats. Both the ST5 and CD5 feature an ESS ES9018 DAC and boast 24-bit/192-kHz resolution.

Arcam launched its new flagship family at an event, at the Vinyl Factory in London. Products will be available at retailers in the fourth quarter of 2023.