Verdict
The money you drop here could buy you a turntable that sounds a little more staring than the Cambridge Audio – but it wo n’t buy anything approaching the brilliance of the Alva TT V2 ’s spec .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
In 2019 , Cambridge Audio committed hello - fi heresy with the launching of itsAlva TT turntable . Yes , it was recognisably a criminal record musician ; but its integrated phono microscope stage brought a degree of convenience to the notoriously inconvenient formatting .
Even more remarkably , the Alva TT featuredaptX HD Bluetoothstreaming at an undeniably high - resolution 24bit/48kHz monetary standard – which meant a soundly unturntable - like story of flexibility where location , connections and so on were touch on .
Three year subsequently , here ’s the Alva TT V2 . At a glance , it ’s very similar indeed ( except for the price tatter , that is ) ; but there have been changes , amendments and upgrade . So do these maintain Cambridge Audio ’s stance as purveyor of the humanity ’s most convenient ( and thus least audiophile ) audiophile turntable ?
The Cambridge Audio Alva TT V2 is on sale now , and in the UK it currently cost £ 1699 . That equates to $ 1999 in the USA , while in Australia you ’re looking at AU$3699 or thereabouts .
Not only does this represent an increase in price over the example it replaces ( the Alva TT cost £ 1499 when it launched ) , but it bring the Cambridge Audio into lineal competitor with some very well - consider model from some very well - regard brand . Clearaudio , Pro - Ject , Technics , Rega and VPI are just some of the bad - hitters selling similarly price turntables – although , as we shall see , in most eccentric the Alva TT V2 makes them appear ( in spec terms , at least ) more than a niggling feebleminded in their thinking .
Design
Put the original Alva TT next to this new model , and at a glance you ’d be intemperately - pushed to tell the divergence . Both feature a hearty , nicely tactile aluminium footstall above a tidy humbled material body . Both have a chunky and inert polyoxymethylene phonograph recording – although the V2 ’s is only the size of it of a 12 in vinyl radical saucer , rather than slightly bigger as the original ’s was . Both have a smoked - plastic , hinged dust - natural covering ; both have the “ Cambridge ” logo punched into the footstall at the bottom right , just below where the cartridge sits when it ’s at relaxation .
Both are direct - drive designs , too . It ’s a form that ’s more readily associated with DJ decks by Technics and all those Technics aspirant . However , Cambridge Audio does n’t envisage you using the Alva TT V2 two at a sentence in conjunction with a mixer . The ship’s company reckons a medium - torsion motor ( which is what it has fitted ) , allied to a high - density disk ( again , what it has fitted ) provides ultimate rotational constancy . It ’s true that the platter read a little longer to get up to speed than most alternative designs , but once it ’s there , it seems disinclined to flutter .
The more observant – or compulsive – among us will zero - in on the differences , though . The tonearm frolic a new pattern , now with anti - skate as well as counterweight adjustment . The headshell , which fall pre - accommodate with a Cambridge Audio gamy - output moving coil cartridge ( replacement of which will set you back £ 499 ) , is now detachable via its bayonet fixing .
As far as existent , literaldesignis relate , however , Cambridge Audio has very prudently left well enough alone . There was nothing untimely with the means the original Alva TT looked , after all . And as far as the design of record actor in general is concerned , there ’s a limit to what you’re able to do and even greater limits on what ’s satisfactory .
Features
The Alva TT V2 has all the characteristic you ’d look in a turntable at this sort of money . High - tone tonearm fit out with a high-pitched - quality cartridge ? mark . Inputs for stereophonic system RCA analogue connections and mains power , rather than hard - wired alternatives ? Tick . Switches for selecting either 33.3 or 45rpm speeds ? Tick and tick again .
The Alva TT V2 also has an integrate phono point , based nearly on Cambridge Audio ’s well - regardedAlva Duostand - alone phono stage . This is n’t an unheard - of feature in turntable these days , but it ’s most certainly utilitarian . It allows the Alva TT V2 to slot into system that lack the necessary oomph to amplify a turntable ’s doormat signaling on their own . And because it ’s switchable ( unlike the original Alva TT , which was always on ) , owners with a system that has phono amplification on board can compare and counterpoint .
However , what really set the Alva TT V2 apart is itsBluetooth streamingcapability . Again , there are other turntables that can pour wirelessly ; but this is the only one that does a high - resolution caper on your vinyl radical . With aptX HD codec compatibility , the Cambridge Audio is able to send the sound of your records , wirelessly , at a 24bit/48kHz banner .
This means the Alva TT V2 is a turntable that can actually be used like lazy Susan are in the film : positioned all by itself on a ledge , with no cables visible ( because you ’ve hidden the mains power overseas telegram , obviously ) , and miles away from the organization to which it ’s streaming .
Sound Quality
Despite its versatility , the Cambridge Audio Alva TT V2 is unmistakably ordered in its overall performance , no matter how you opt to listen to it . It ’s three sides of the same coin , if that can ever be a matter .
Of course , the enticement is just to use it wirelessly ; it is n’t only first-rate - convenient , it never stops being impressive . Just a main lead ? That ’s all ? It ’s get on for spooky .
stream a heavyweight reissue of Kruder & Dorfmeister ’s The K&D Sessions , the Alva TT V2 is a weighty , control and detailed listen . The top of the frequency grasp is just slightly understated , it ’s unfeigned , but there ’s still a point of bite and attack to dual sounds . Bass is deep , textured and fairly direct - border , so the sound never wants for momentum or solidness . And in - between the mid - reach is seemingly every combat of particular held in the vinyl groove – there ’s real eloquence and sureness to the way the Cambridge Audio hands over voice .
The overall unity of the presentment is impressive , too . Vinyl has long been deem as the prime data format when it comes to presenting music as a coherent and unified whole , and the Alva TT V2 does nothing to sully that reputation . The adept of the “ performance ” it ’s able-bodied to engender , even with music that ’s simple machine - sire to a lesser or great extent , is considerable .
Switching a hard - wire joining to an amplifier ( with the lazy Susan ’s integrated phono stage shift on ) firstly seems to demonstrate that for all its convenience , wirelessly is n’t the unspoilt way to take heed to this deck . Using a wired connection there ’s noticeably nifty positivity and control to the lowest frequencies , and a little more pungency and alacrity at the top - terminal . Rhythmic expression is a little more naturalistic , too .
But this shape also serves to highlight those few areas where the Cambridge Audio is a little off the footstep . It just is n’t that direct- or assertive - sound a record player . Its aim , it seems , is to be as smooth and melodic as possible .
That ’s a laudable ambition , of course , but it means the Alva TT V2 is n’t the most dynamic criminal record player around . It does good work with the 2nd - stagecoach dynamical element of a transcription , but where the more attacking and upfront moral force of book and intensity variance are concerned , it ’s a little inhibited . No one actively wants to be startled by their track record player ; but sometimes , a transcription call for it .
It ’s deserving notice how capable the Alva TT V2 ’s integrated phono pre - amp is . Cambridge Audio has long delivered some of the best Sudanese pound - for - pound pedestal - alone preamplifiers around , and the onboard version here does n’t let the side down . Certainly you ’re wait at around £ 400 for an international option , if you want to make a decisive improvement on what ’s on offer here .
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Should you buy it?
Other Bluetooth lazy Susan be , but none vocalise as good as this .
The Alva TT V2 sounds great – but it can be bettered ( by true less convenient and well - intend alternative ) .
Final Thoughts
Judged in purely sonic terms , the Alva TT V2 is giving away the last shred of carrying out ( specially where effort and zing is concerned ) to the best of its rivals . But those competition can reallyonlybe judged in sonic terms – but the Cambridge Audio has its integrated amplification and hi - res wireless specification headline with which to influence you . And allure you it will .
Trusted Score
How we test
We test every turntable we review soundly over an prolonged period of clock time . We use industry stock tests to equate features properly . We ’ll always tell you what we find . We never , ever , accept money to review a Cartesian product .
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FAQs
The Alva TT V2 record book player supports SBC , AAC and aptX - HD Bluetooth .
Full Specs
