Arcam - CD25 - Compact Disc Player

The Arcam CD25 is the finest CD player Arcam has ever produced. Dual-mono DAC architecture, low-noise linear power supply, vibration-damped disc mechanism, balanced XLR and RCA analogue outputs, optical and coaxial digital outputs, and support for WAV, FLAC, MP3 and AAC data files. Arcam-tuned via blind listening tests. Designed in Cambridge, UK.

A Celebration of Physical Music, Brought Vividly to Life

Arcam celebrates its enduring commitment to Compact Disc with the CD25 — a high-performance CD player designed to bring every album closer to the listener. Building on a heritage that began with the Delta 70 in 1986, the CD25 distils nearly four decades of digital expertise into a modern, musically engaging design that reaffirms the relevance of physical music in any serious hi-fi system.

The CD25 stands as the finest CD player Arcam has ever produced — a perfect partner for the Radia Series and a statement of what exceptional digital audio engineering can achieve.

Inquisitive Engineering, Emotional Performance

The CD25 was created through inquisitive engineering and a deep passion for music. Its performance was developed and verified using objective measurement and extensive blind listening tests, ensuring that what the CD25 delivers is both technically precise and emotionally compelling. This Arcam-tuned approach — combining measurement accuracy with genuine musical engagement — ensures the CD25 does more than simply read a disc accurately. It brings recordings to life.

Dual-Mono DAC Architecture

At the heart of the CD25 is an all-new dual-mono DAC design — one of the most important architectural decisions in the entire product. By dedicating a separate, independent DAC circuit to each channel, the CD25 achieves superior channel separation, lower noise and a more precise, spacious stereo image than conventional shared-DAC designs can provide. The left and right channels are kept entirely independent from input to output, preserving the integrity of the stereo image and delivering a sense of space and dimensionality that brings recordings to life.

Low-Noise Linear Power Supply

The CD25's low-noise linear power supply provides a stable, ultra-quiet electrical foundation for every circuit in the player. By isolating sensitive digital and analogue circuits from the interference that switching power supplies introduce, the linear supply allows fine musical detail and dynamic contrast to emerge with complete clarity — never smeared, never masked, always present.

Vibration-Damped Disc Mechanism

Mechanical vibration is one of the most significant and least discussed sources of degradation in CD playback. The CD25 addresses this directly with a vibration-damped disc mechanism that minimises mechanical interference during playback, improving timing accuracy, clarity and overall musical coherence. The result is a presentation that feels more stable, more natural and more engaged with the music — a quality that reveals itself most clearly on complex, dynamically demanding recordings.

Balanced XLR & RCA Analogue Outputs

The CD25 provides two analogue output pairs — one RCA and one balanced XLR — delivering maximum flexibility for system integration. The balanced XLR output provides 4.4V RMS at 0dBFS for connection to balanced preamplifiers and integrated amplifiers, including the Arcam A50 Signature and the wider Radia Series. The RCA output delivers 2.2V RMS. Both outputs share the same exceptional frequency response of 20Hz–20kHz (±0.1dB) and a signal-to-noise ratio of 106dB A-weighted.

Digital Outputs & Data File Support

Two digital outputs — optical and coaxial — allow the CD25 to serve as a high-quality transport feeding an external DAC. Both deliver a frequency response of 20Hz–20kHz (±0.1dB).

The CD25 also reads data CDs containing WAV (LPCM), FLAC, MP3 and AAC files, supporting WAV and FLAC at up to 96kHz/24-bit — giving it the versatility to play high-resolution audio files burned to disc alongside standard audio CDs and CD-Rs.

Designed in Cambridge, UK

The CD25 is designed in Cambridge, UK — the home of Arcam's engineering and acoustic heritage. Plastic-free packaging using natural materials throughout reflects Arcam's commitment to a more sustainable approach to product design and delivery.