Arcam CD25 Compact Disc Player – Harman Luxury Audio brings dual-mono DAC technology to the Radia Series

HARMAN Luxury Audio presented the new Arcam CD25 Compact Disc Player at HIGH END Vienna 2026, giving the Compact Disc a clearly defined role within the modern Arcam Radia Series. The new CD player expands the range with a dedicated disc component and reaches back to a digital audio lineage that began for Arcam with the Arcam Delta 70 in 1986. Rather than framing the CD25 as a sentimental nod to a past format, Arcam puts the emphasis on accurate disc reading, contemporary conversion technology and a clean analogue output stage. The Arcam A50 Signature, also presented in Vienna, is the obvious amplifier partner within the Radia Series, but the focus here is deliberately on the CD25 as a source component in its own right.

Key Facts Arcam CD25 Compact Disc Player

• Premium CD player for the Arcam Radia Series
• World premiere at HIGH END Vienna 2026
• Arcam CD heritage dating back to the Delta 70 of 1986
• Dual-mono DAC architecture with two ESS ES9039Q2M converters
• ESS Hyperstream 4 DAC technology and ESS reference voltage regulators
• Vibration-damped disc mechanism and linear power supply
• Analogue outputs via Cinch and balanced XLR
• Digital outputs via S/PDIF optical and S/PDIF coaxial
• Playback of CD, CD-R, CD-RW as well as WAV, FLAC, MP3 and AAC
• Available from the third quarter of 2026 at € 1.599,-

Compact Disc as a serious source

With the Arcam CD25 Compact Disc Player, HARMAN Luxury Audio adds a component to the Arcam Radia Series that refuses to treat the CD merely as an archive format. This is not a transport designed for the occasional rediscovery of a forgotten silver disc. It is intended as a fully fledged HiFi source for listeners who still regard their physical music collection as something worth building a system around.

That position is entirely consistent with Arcam’s history. The company has been developing CD players since the 1980s, and the Arcam Delta 70 of 1986 marked an early statement in the brand’s approach to digital music replay. The CD25 continues that line, though not through retro styling or borrowed sentiment. Its argument is technical: a stable disc mechanism, separate conversion for the two channels, a carefully specified power supply and a coherent place within the Radia Series system concept.

Dual-mono DAC design with modern ESS technology

At the heart of the Arcam CD25 Compact Disc Player is a dual-mono DAC architecture built around two ESS ES9039Q2M converters. Each DAC is assigned to one channel and operates in balanced mode, an arrangement that, according to the manufacturer, is intended to benefit channel separation, noise performance and spatial presentation. The circuit is supported by ESS reference voltage regulators and ESS Hyperstream 4 technology.

This takes the CD25 beyond the level of a straightforward digital-to-analogue conversion stage. Arcam clearly wants the player to be understood not only as a device that reads data from a disc, but as an analogue source component with its own sonic responsibility. That distinction matters in traditional HiFi systems. It prevents the Compact Disc from being reduced to the role of a data carrier and instead treats it as a musical source whose final performance depends on mechanics, clocking, conversion, power supply and output circuitry working together.

Vibration-damped mechanism and linear power supply

A significant part of the CD25 concept lies in its mechanical foundation. The Compact Disc mechanism is mounted on an internally vibration-damped chassis, designed to minimise mechanical interference and support stable disc reading. In a CD player this is no cosmetic detail. Every subsequent stage of the signal chain begins with the consistency and composure of the disc read process.

Power is supplied by a low-noise linear power supply. Arcam describes this as a stable and particularly quiet electrical foundation, intended to help fine detail and dynamic shading emerge with greater clarity. The CD25 therefore follows a classic HiFi logic: not maximum feature density in the smallest possible box, but a precisely defined component built around one job and built to do it properly.

Tuned with measurements and blind listening tests

Arcam does not describe the CD25 solely through parts selection and circuit topology. The company also points to the development process, stating that the player was tuned using objective measurements and extensive blind listening tests. The intention is to bring technical precision and musical judgement into the same engineering process.

That combination is particularly relevant in a CD player. The Compact Disc is a fixed and technically well-defined format, yet the implementation of the transport, clocking, conversion stage, power supply and analogue output section still determines how confidently a player performs. The CD25 is positioned as a source designed for controlled, detailed and spatially stable replay rather than merely competent disc access.

Connections for different system layouts

The Arcam CD25 Compact Disc Player provides analogue outputs via both Cinch and balanced XLR. This allows it to slot easily into conventional HiFi systems while also pairing with more ambitious amplifiers that offer balanced inputs. Within the Radia Series, Arcam identifies the new Arcam A50 Signature and the Arcam SA45 as natural partners, while the Cinch outputs also make sense with models such as the Arcam A25+ and Arcam SA35.

Two digital outputs are also provided: S/PDIF optical and S/PDIF coaxial. This means the CD25 can be used purely as a transport with an external D/A converter or digital preamplifier. That flexibility is welcome in practice, because good audio systems tend to evolve over years. A well-specified disc source should be able to remain useful even as amplification, conversion or system architecture changes around it.

CD, CD-R, CD-RW and data formats

In addition to standard audio CDs, the Arcam CD25 Compact Disc Player supports CD-R and CD-RW discs, both as audio discs and as data CDs. For data CDs, the player can handle WAV in Linear PCM, FLAC, MP3 and AAC. WAV and FLAC are supported at 16 Bit to 24 Bit with sampling rates up to 96 kHz, while MP3 and AAC are supported at 32 kHz, 44,1 kHz and 48 kHz.

This does not turn the CD25 into a network player, nor is that its purpose. The product remains deliberately focused on disc replay, while allowing sensible use of self-created or archived data discs. It is a pragmatic extension of the classic CD player concept, without blurring what the product is meant to be.

Elegant Arcam Radia Series design with glass front and OLED display

Visually, the Arcam CD25 Compact Disc Player follows the design language of the Arcam Radia Series. The glass front, OLED display and metal enclosure place it firmly within the current product family. Around the back, the layout is clear and orderly, with analogue outputs, digital outputs, service interface and mains connection arranged in a straightforward manner.

Arcam also points to a more contemporary approach in the packaging. According to the manufacturer, the CD25 is supplied in plastic-free packaging designed to allow straightforward disposal or the use of natural materials. It is not a sonic argument, of course, but it is the kind of detail increasingly expected of a modern premium audio product.

All benefits at a glance

• High-quality disc replay for existing and newly built CD collections
• Dedicated source component for the Arcam Radia Series
• Dual-mono DAC architecture for cleaner channel separation
• Two ESS ES9039Q2M converters with ESS Hyperstream 4 technology
• Linear power supply for a quieter electrical foundation
• Vibration-damped disc mechanism for more stable reading
• Balanced XLR outputs for higher-grade amplifier connections
• Cinch outputs for straightforward integration into classic HiFi systems
• S/PDIF optical and S/PDIF coaxial outputs for external D/A converters
• Support for audio CDs, CD-R, CD-RW and data CDs
• Playback of WAV in Linear PCM, FLAC, MP3 and AAC from data discs
• Tuning based on measurements and blind listening tests
• Plastic-free packaging as a contemporary product detail

Price and availability

The Arcam CD25 Compact Disc Player made its world premiere at HIGH END Vienna 2026 and is scheduled to become available from authorised Arcam retailers in the third quarter of 2026. The recommended retail price for Europe is listed at € 1.599,-. The Arcam A50 Signature integrated amplifier, presented at the same event, is a natural system partner within the Radia Series, but will be covered separately.

Conclusion

The Arcam CD25 Compact Disc Player is appealing precisely because it is so clearly defined. It is not a streaming platform, not a multi-purpose digital hub and not a lifestyle player dressed up as HiFi. It is a properly specified CD player with a serious mechanical base, modern conversion technology and a carefully considered analogue output stage. For anyone building an Arcam Radia Series system, or looking to bring a substantial CD collection into a contemporary HiFi setup, the CD25 looks like a focused and credible answer.

Technical Data Arcam CD25 Compact Disc Player