John Darko
Arcam has today announced the new Radia series that, according to the press release, “will inform how ARCAM products come to market in the future.” That is to say, Radia is an industrial design refresh and a marketing refresh. The new range comprises five sleek-looking components: three integrated amplifiers, a network streamer and a CD player.
From the press release: “Radia family products offer a subtle symmetrical design that compliments their aluminium shells. They are adorned with seamless front fascias, redesigned knobs, and gentle lighting effects, creating a sense of power and finesse.”
The A5 and A15 integrated are Class A/B designs offering 50wpc and 80wpc respectively. The A25 offers 100wpc but via a Class G topology for which Arcam is well-known. All three amplifiers sport internal DACs with aptX Bluetooth, coaxial (x 2) and TOSLINK inputs. The A25 adds a USB-C input to the mix but we must ask, as others surely will, why no HDMI ARC?
Chip models alone tell us little (if anything) about the quality of D/A conversion on offer but for those who wish to know, the A5 and A15’s DAC circuits are built around an ESS ES9018 DAC chip whilst the A25’s DAC centres on an ESS ES9280AQ chip. The two-way nature of the Bluetooth module permits connection to a pair of Bluetooth wireless headphones.
On the analogue front, each amplifier features an MM phono input, three line-level inputs and pre-amplifier outputs but only the A25 sports “LED illuminated highlights and a seamless OLED display on the front panel.” According to Arcam, both front panel control knobs have been finished with a texture that hides fingerprints and the ‘car spoiler’ that overhangs the rear is designed to partially obscure ‘unsightly’ wired connections.
The ST5 network streamer borrows heavily from the Radia amplifiers’ industrial design to support Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect (with MQA support), Apple AirPlay 2 and Google Chromecast. Arcam doesn’t say if the ST5’s Roon support is ‘Roon Ready’ or the less useful ‘Roon Certified’ but a companion UPnP app integrates Qobuz, Amazon Music, Internet radio and podcasts. The ST5’s internal DAC is built around an ESS ES9018 chip and supports PCM up to 24bit/192kHz.
The CD5 utilises the same DAC chip as the ST5 but as well as being a CD/CD-R/CD-RW player, it will playback files up to 24bit/192kHz from a USB storage device inserted into its rear panel USB socket.
The final words on Arcam’s Radia series go to the press release: “The products showcase a smooth, matte black surface cut through with the new signature Radia yellow highlights. On the top, ventilation cut-outs are masterfully hidden within a pattern of dynamic lines, ensuring a flawless aesthetic. The rear sports a connector cowl, reminiscent of ornate rear diffusers found in performance cars, that effectively hides unsightly connector housings from view. And, to ensure optimal user interaction, the redesigned knobs are elegantly curved, finished in satin black, and textured to mask fingerprints.”
Pricing on the five Radia models is as follows:
Arcam A5: £749, €849 or US$699 + sales tax
Arcam A15: £1099, €1249 or US$999 + sales tax
Arcam A25: £1499, €1799 or US$1499 + sales tax
Arcam CD5: £699, €799 or US$699 + sales tax
Arcam ST5: £799, €949 or US$799 + sales tax
Shipping begins sometime in Q4 2023.
Further information: Arcam
