A gentle evolution of the classy original turntable
Turntable | £1700 | whf.cm/AlvaTTV2
Cambridge Audio is best known for its capable and often Award-winning range of electronics, but in recent years its reach has extended into the turntable market. The company currently makes two models, with the Alva TT being the range topper. This new V2 variant marks a gentle but thoughtful evolution from the original we tested back in 2019.
Classy and well-built
The headline changes for the Cambridge Audio Alva TT V2 are a new tonearm with a detachable headshell, and the ability to toggle both the built-in phono stage and the Bluetooth module on and off. The new tonearm replaces the previous generation’s Rega-based design and makes it easier to change cartridges when required. The decision to make both the Bluetooth and phono stage switchable is a response to customer feedback on the previous generation. The rest of the Alva is unchanged, and none the worse for that.
This is a classy and well-built product that attempts to marry the performance of the purist offerings at this level – hello Rega Planar 6 – with a useful range of features that those designs usually ignore. The built-in phono stage is a big deal here. It instantly makes the Alva TT V2 a more versatile product than most others at this price, and makes it easier to integrate the deck into a wider range of systems.
The Alva TT V2’s phono module is based on Cambridge’s excellent Duo, which bodes well given the glowing review it received when we tested it. Beyond that, the inclusion of a phono stage means one box fewer in the system and the resultant loss of a pair of interconnects; who would object to that?
The inclusion of aptX HD Bluetooth is important too. It opens the deck up for use with wireless headphones and speakers. While we appreciate that Bluetooth, even the aptX HD variety, won’t sound as good as a wired connection, it does allow the Alva TT V2 to be used with equipment and in locations that wouldn’t normally be practical. We think Cambridge Audio deserves praise for its far-sighted approach in specifying this deck.
Elsewhere we are on familiar ground. This remains a direct-drive deck at a price where most rival turntables are belt driven. While there are challenges in such a design, it also gives potential advantages in terms of speed stability and quick start-up times. The platter is suitably hefty and is made of polyoxymethylene (an engineering plastic), while the solid plinth is reinforced with a smart aluminium top plate. Bar some soft
