Arcam Radia Hi-Fi separates major on style as well as sound
Three stereo amps, a streamer and a CD player land for sensible money
British Hi-Fi brand Arcam is out to change people’s perceptions with its new line of stereo amplifiers and separates. The Arcam Radia range is a radical departure on the design front, opting for thoroughly modern looks and as few buttons as possible – the polar opposite to some of its older models. The five-product series also aims to keep prices in check, while still delivering the epic audio Arcam has earned a reputation for.
The A5, A15 and A25 stereo amplifiers, CD5 CD player and ST5 network music player are all rocking an all-black design with screens stealthed beneath frosted glass, subtle yellow trim and the bare minimum of physical controls. Each comes with its own yellow and black remote control, which goes down the Apple TV route of “fewer buttons is better”.
All three amplifiers are equipped with aptX Adaptive Bluetooth – a sign of the times Arcam is happy to get on board with, while still offering plenty of analogue and digital in and outputs for a traditional speaker system. They all have moving magnet phono stages for hooking up a turntable, and use ESS DACs.
The 50W per channel, Class A/B amplified A5 kicks off the range at $699/£749/€849. The A15 steps up to 80W per channel for $999/£1099/€1249, while the A25 gets class G amplification at 100W per channel. It’s rocking an improved DAC, an OLED display, and illuminated highlights around the volume dial. There’s also a USB-C input for direct streaming from a smartphone – handy if you have an Apple iPhone 15 and lossless Apple Music subscription. One of these will set you back $1499/£1499/€1799.
Arcam used to offer combined CD players and media streamers, but has split them into separate units for the Radia series. The $699/£699/€799 CD5 has a bespoke power supply, its own ESS DAC with configurable filters, and support for USB playback of 24-bit/192kHz high-resolution files.
The $799/£799/€949 ST5 is as comprehensive as streamer separates get, with Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect built-in, along with Chromecast, AirPlay 2 and UPnP support. It has internet radio on board, and the revamped smartphone companion app has Qobuz and Amazon HD Music build in. There’s full integration with the Radia amplifiers, so the system acts as a single product – cutting down on the need to swap remotes or apps.
The entire Radia range will be on sale this month, from all authorised Arcam dealers.
Tom Morgan-Freelander
Deputy Editor