Turntable Reviews

As a hi-fi enthusiast who began his career reviewing all manner of digital and analog equipment long before becoming a dedicated vinyl fanboy, Cambridge Audio and I have certainly crossed paths throughout the years. Though renowned as a budget brand of sorts, there was nothing lightweight about Cambridge Audio’s Edge A integrated amp ($5,000), which I reviewed for our sister site Stereophile in December 2018, nor with their CXA81 integrated amp ($1,299), which I also reviewed there in December 2020.

Beyond those pair of reviews, I’ve also put my money where my mouth is. As I recounted in my review of the Edge A, “One summer in the mid-2000s, I purchased a pair of Cambridge Audio components for my Texas girlfriend. I paired a Cambridge Azur integrated amplifier and CD player with a pair of Triangle Titus XS minimonitors. The sound produced by this quartet was clean, precise, and altogether pleasurable — for a total of about $1,300.” I also still fondly recall that one summer I spent browsing the racks at Princeton Record Exchange in Princeton, New Jersey, playing my vinyl finds on an entry-level Audio-Technica turntable connected to Cambridge Audio separates.

But now, some company background. Founded in 1968 by Cambridge University graduates, Cambridge Audio (a.k.a. CA), a legacy British company with deep roots in audio, have consistently delivered value. Notable milestones include their P40 integrated amp, the first to utilize a toroidal transformer, plus the A1 integrated amp, their successful CX Series, and their first wireless component in 2013. Now part of Audio Partnership, CA continues to design products in Britain, with manufacturing based in China.

Today, CA fully embraces vinyl playback with their latest offering, the Alva TT V2 turntable, an update on the original Alva table that was reviewed here on AP a few years back. The Alva TT V2 table’s SRP was originally $1,900, but it is now available for $1,499. Let’s see how it fares.

Features & Specs
The direct-drive Alva TT V2 table boasts a comprehensive feature set, including switchable Bluetooth aptX HD, CA’s built-in switchable Duo phono preamp, and a pre-installed high-output MC cartridge. Notably, at this price point, the TT V2 table features a newly designed tonearm with a removable headshell, enhancing upgradeability. High-quality Cambridge Audio interconnects are also included. (As I have no digital equipment, the Bluetooth option was unused in this review.)

The TT V2 table features a polyoxymethylene (POM) platter and a composite plinth topped with a fingerprint-resistant aluminum plate. The 9in tonearm is mounted with Cambridge Audio’s Alva MC moving coil cartridge ($389), which boasts a high output of 2mV, comparable to some lower-output MM cartridges. This cart features an elliptical stylus mounted on an aluminum cantilever, delivering a frequency response of 30Hz-20kHz with a recommended load of 47k ohms.

The Alva TT V2 table stands 17 x 5.47 x 14.4in (w/h/d), and weighs 24lb. Wow and flutter is given as <0.1%, phono preamp gain as 42dB, impedance as 47kohms, and capacitance as 330pF. The table is built upon a damped composite chassis topped by a 6mm-thick aluminum plate. Its 21mm-thick platter, weighing 5lb, directly supports the record without the need for a mat, as its surface is grippy and tactile. The table employs an 8-pole, 3-phase brushless DC motor with quartz-crystal-referenced speed control designed for precise and stable rotation.

Included in the box is a dustcover (which remained unused), premounted removable headshell with cartridge, counterweight, Ortofon stylus gauge, Cambridge Audio interconnects, power cord, and installation/quick start guide.

Setup
The sleek, stylish TT V2 turntable is a looker, in my opinion, adding a touch of sophistication to any audio system even before the first needle-drop. For this review, I utilized a system comprising a Tavish Design Adagio phono preamp, Treehaus Audiolab preamp, a Rogue Audio Stereo 100 power amp, and Volti Audio Lucera loudspeakers. AudioQuest and Triode Wire Labs interconnects and speaker cables completed the system.

The Alva TT V2 table lacks conventional feet, instead using ultra slim discs that allow for zero clearance between the table and whatever shelf it sits upon. I imagine this approach couples the table to the surface of the rack to hopefully achieve better bass response. I slid shims under the TT V2 to achieve proper leveling. Also, the provided interconnects were extremely short — less than a meter — so, instead, I used a pair of the aforementioned Triode Wire Labs interconnects to connect the table to my Tavish Audio Design phono preamp.

To assess the table’s noise and resonance damping, I employed my standard “stethoscope-meets-knuckle-rapping” method. Placing the stethoscope’s bell on the plinth’s surface, I detected a faint whirring sound emanating from the rotating platter. However, when I struck the same spot on the plinth with my knuckles while the volume was raised, the table remained remarkably silent producing only silence through the speakers. This was quite surprising, as I’ve encountered more expensive turntables that exhibited audible noise. Using my RPM app, I verified the platter’s speed, which consistently maintained a steady 33.45rpms. The Alva TT V2 is a well-built and well-engineered turntable.

Checking the table further, I found the alignment of the preset cartridge was off by several mm. Using my trusty Feickert Universal Alignment Protractor fixed that. The supplied Ortofon tracking force gauge was also a dud. VTF was instead confirmed by use of the Riverstone Audio Gauge, a much more reliable tool.

Incidentally, I wanted to experiment with other carts for this review, but CA didn’t send additional diagonal headshells (which go for approximately $20 each), so that was ruled out. I did evaluate the Alva TT V2’s onboard phono preamp but found it lackluster, so using my mighty Adagio instead was the right way to go here.

Listening Sessions
With those initial issues resolved, I began with “Vigil” by John Coltrane, from his 1966 LP Kulu Sé Mama (Impulse! AS-9106). The experience was electric — a sonic gale force wind bordering on a mini-hurricane. Music surged from the Alva TT V2, its dead silence providing an ideal backdrop for clear, resolved, and transparent sounds to ring out with the force of a clarion call.

While the sound might be described as slightly lean in absolute terms, there was no shortage of bass definition or tonal richness — it simply lacked the depth-charge impact and weight of more expensive turntables. However, the vitality and life force emanating from the Alva TT V2 were undeniably captivating and impressive. On it, music had pace, drive, gumption, power, and force.

The Alva TT V2 table’s MC cart performed admirably, tracking the grooves with detailed resolution, dramatic impact, and a respectable level of refinement. Its dynamic punch and tracking ability were showcased on 1961’s Piano Concerto No. 3 LP, and especially the titular Rachmaninoff piece as performed by pianist Byron Janis with Antal Dorati conducting the London Symphony (Mercury Living Presence SR90283). While piano notes exhibited a slight gauziness and occasional hardness, the overall performance was charged with energy, and was quite engaging. Music flowed effortlessly, with a vibrant palette of colors reminiscent of a Disney film. The Alva TT V2 seemed to shape the music with an almost conductor-like authority.

Art Pepper’s rendition of “You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To,” from the Acoustic Sounds Series 2023 reissue of his 1957 LP Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section (Craft CR00382), unfolded with gale force finery on the Alva. While Pepper’s alto sax exhibited a slight edginess at times, the overall presentation was tactile and visceral, pulsating with life and swinging effortlessly. The Alva TT V2 table excelled in capturing the nuances of the performance, demonstrating impressive tonal accuracy and rhythmic precision.

Conclusions
Competitively priced, the CA Alva TT V2 table faces rivals like the VPI Cliffwood (cartridge included) and the Elac Miracord 60 (cartridge sold separately), which are both priced similarly. Rega’s Planar 3 (cartridge sold separately) sits at a slightly higher price point at $1,600.

All that said, the Cambridge Audio Alva TT V2 turntable, paired with the supplied Alva MC cartridge, was an absolute joy to listen to. It delivered excellent tonal color and dramatic, lifelike dynamics with impressive pacing, scale, and depth. Into the arena strides Cambridge Audio’s Alva TT V2, and it means business. Give it a spin.

For more about Cambridge Audio, go here.
To find an authorized Cambridge Audio retailer, go here.

Author bio: Former musician, former artist, and former legal wastrel Ken Micallef has written numerous hi-fi equipment reviews for Stereophile and Analog Planet, and his byline has also appeared within Mojo, Electronic Musician, and The Grammys. You can also find him at YouTube (Ken Micallef Jazz Vinyl Audiophile).