What’s New

High End Munich has become the largest 2-channel hi-fi show in the world with attendance this year of more than 22,000 people from across the globe. Over 550 exhibitors representing more than 1,000 brands all gathered at the M.O.C. convention center in Munich from 9-12 May for a celebration of all things relating to hi-fi audio systems. Our Luxury Audio team used this platform for the global debut of the second phase of our ARCAM Radia hi-fi components.

As our readers will recall, we first introduced the Radia Series last October with a dedicated launch event in London where the first five models were unveiled including the A25, A15, and A5 integrated amplifiers alongside the ST5 streamer and CD5 compact disc player. We found immediate success with these products led by their distinguished industrial design and their remarkable performance value. Two of the models – the A5 and CD5 – went on to win 2023 product of the year awards from What Hi-Fi in the UK.

Our room at High End Munich this year was dedicated to the ARCAM brand and to the announcement of three fantastic new Radia Series phase two products. We are excited to be able to share these with our customers and we are confident they will see the same success as the first models. The second phase is led by the flagship SA45 integrated amplifier, with the SA35 integrated amplifier and ST25 streamer joining the mix. All three include high-resolution streaming and large full-color graphical displays.

Attendees to our room were greeted with our Radia campaign and the invitation to “be the center of the music”. As you entered our space, you found nine product display pedestals with each of the eight Radia models and one for the Roon Nucleus Titan music server that was being shown in a conceptual Radia finish. The three pedestals with the new SA45, SA35, and ST25 were the focal point and were up against a display wall that sectioned off the demonstration area behind it. The demo area featured two electronic systems – the SA35, and the A25/ST25 combo – alternately powering a pair of JBL S3900 floorstanding loudspeakers.

The new models drew serious attention due to the large full-color displays on their front panels – 6.5-inch on the ST25 and SA35 and 8.8-inch on the SA45. But while their looks drew rave reviews, it was ultimately their stellar audio quality that won over show-goers. The ST25 pairing with the A25 shows off the step-up in performance from the ST5 to the ST25 and really allows the A25 to sing! Moving to the SA35 with its integrated streaming capability demonstrated the power of its Class G amplifier and how effortlessly it can drive a large loudspeaker like the JBL S3900.

As part of the announcement activities, we hosted German rock performer and producer Leslie Mandoki, who was also the celebrity ambassador for the 2024 High End show. Leslie and members of his band Mandoki Soulmates joined us for a press event to announce the release of his latest album A Memory of Our Future. We played tracks from the album on compact disc via the ARCAM CD5, from streaming via the ARCAM ST25, and from vinyl via the Mark Levinson № 5105MC turntable. Leslie and his bandmates were floored by the sound quality of the system feeling it conveyed the music as they had intended. Earlier in the day, musician Object Blue had joined us and listened to many of her own tracks streamed from Qobuz via Roon into our ARCAM rig with the same positive response. She even pointed out that she could tell the difference in who had produced her tracks due to the clarity of the sound she was hearing.

High End Munich remains the best place in the world to see and hear anything and everything related to high performance audio. Attendance was strong this year and this proved to be a great platform to share the new ARCAM Radia models with the world. More information on these products is available on the ARCAM website and we invite you to give them a preview. The SA45, SA35, and ST25 will be available in the fourth quarter this year at ARCAM retailers around the world.