ARCAM Radia
In 1972, two Cambridge University students with a passion and curiosity to reproduce music in a new way got together and designed an integrated amp called the A&R A60. Features like a toroidal transformer, large reservoir capacitors, a great output stage with high-powered transistors, and short circuit paths for the most reliable and consistent audio performance were the key ingredients to their design. Their goal was to sell 50 of these to their friends and family. However, by the early 1980s, they had outpaced their goal of 50 units sold by about 31,950! That’s correct; they had sold around 32,000 units worldwide to their fast-growing fanbase.
Fast forward to 2023, and that original A60 integrated amp is the main ancestor of most modern ARCAM products today. In fact, John Dawson, the original co-founder of ARCAM, still visits their offices weekly to share his passion and vision with the entire team. ARCAM is now paying tribute to the original A60 with a brand new lineup called their Radia Series. The new collection is comprised of the A5, A15, and A25 Integrated Amps, the CD5 CD Player, and the ST5 high-resolution streamer.
Our team visited The Vinyl Factory in London, where ARCAM announced its fresh new branding strategy to lead its product development and design into the future. The new branding is centered around great sound, British heritage, and making luxury accessible. The bright yellow lights and circles all over the floor and ceiling of the event made it clear that they are really leaning into the new world of design and audio, and we couldn’t be more excited!
ARCAM A5 Integrated Amp
The ARCAM A5 Integrated Amp will be the perfect option for those who love intimate music listening with smaller-sized bookshelf speakers. The A5 provides 50W per channel at 8 ohms with Class AB amplification. Inside, you have a high-quality 24-bit/192kHz ESS ES9018 DAC.
ARCAM A15 Integrated Amp
Stepping up to the A15, you’ll get similar features but more power. The A15 provides 80W per channel at 8 ohms with Class AB discrete amplification. It has a larger heatsink and power supply inside the unit, making it a bit taller than the A5. This amplifier topology will allow it to power low-impedance loads with ease. The rest of the A15 is the same as the A5. If you want a bit more dynamic sound and need to power tower speakers in a larger room, the A15 will be a better choice than the A5.
ARCAM A25 Integrated Amp
And finally, the flagship integrated amp in the Radia Series is the A25. The A25 steps it up in almost every department, making it stand out as the best-sounding unit in the lineup by a mile. Providing 100W per channel at 8 ohms with Class G amplification, the A25 gives you incredible dynamics and sound quality.
ARCAM ST5 Music Streamer
The ST5 music streamer is a high-resolution upgrade to any Radia Integrated amp. It can be connected to your WiFi network, placed under any of the Radia amps, and connect the digital out on the ST5 to the digital in on your amp, and you’re ready for 24-bit/192kHz high-resolution audio streaming. Like the CD5, it sports the same DAC as the A5/A15. The ST5 supports Airplay, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Amazon Music, Qobuz, and is Roon Ready.
ARCAM CD5 CD Player
ARCAM has designed the CD5 to be a high-quality CD player that integrates seamlessly with any integrated amp in the Radia Series.
It sports the same 24-bit/192kHz ESS ES9018 DAC as the A5/A15 units and is capable of CD, CD-R, and CD-RW playback. In addition, it plays hi-res FLAC and WAV-encoded CDs and USB files.
ARCAM provided Audio Advice with units from their upcoming Radia Series, allowing us an exclusive early look to evaluate their performance thoroughly. Be sure to be on the lookout for our full, in-depth review of the new Radia Series!