While the audiophile scene at CES (consumer electronics show) in Las Vegas has dwindled since its heyday years ago, some interesting news still managed to make its way out of the show in 2022. New from Cambridge Audio is a pair of fresh turntables, further expanding their Alva line of bluetooth-enabled disc spinners.
The first is the Cambridge Audio Alva V2, a second generation upgrade to 2019’s direct drive table. The second is a belt driven variant of the same name, dubbed the Alva ST. Release timing is “this spring” with the V2 priced at $2k, and the ST as TBD.
Both turntables feature a new tonearm over previous generations, along with SBC/aptX/aptX HD on the wireless end of things. There is also a defeatable built in phono preamp onboard for both models for those who still bank on the old school wired technology for their musical transfers.
More details on the V2 from the product site:
ALVA TT V2
You’ve spent years curating the perfect record collection, searching for hidden gems in record shops and online – because you love music. Our shared love means that we didn’t stop with Alva TT.
We pushed on to create Alva TT V2; with a direct drive system, bespoke MC cartridge, an all-new tone-arm, and Hi-Res Bluetooth with an integrated phono stage – both now switchable.
Alva TT V2 is for people who want to listen to records at exceptional quality – without the need to choose or fit extra components. TT V2 comes with a bespoke designed cartridge pre-installed. It connects to pretty much any audio system too, thanks to a switchable integrated phono-stage. It even works wirelessly with high quality Bluetooth speaker systems.
Built-in Bluetooth aptX HD liberates Alva from the rest of your hi-fi. With the freedom to place an Alva deck on any flat surface, your records take centre-stage. Music can be streamed to any compatible Bluetooth kit, including headphones, at up to 24bit/48kHz Hi-Res quality. Or, you can deactivate it and simply use phono cables – it’s your call.
Alva TT V2 has an integrated phono stage (phono pre-amp), derived from our award-winning Alva Duo – to reveal incredible detail from your records. It means you can connect TT V2 to any amp or compatible speaker system. You can deactivate the deck’s phono stage, too – ideal if your amp already has one or to keep upgrade options open.
Alva TT V2’s bespoke cartridge is ready fitted – so there’s no tricky set-up, and its sound is perfectly matched to the other components in the turntable. We designed the high-output Moving Coil (MC) cartridge with an exposed cantilever. It reduces unwanted resonance and vibration, delivers high levels of gain and outstanding musical detail during playback.
Alva TT V2 has a medium-torque Direct Drive motor, like its predecessor the TT. The 8 pole, 3 phase, brushless DC motor is quartz controlled to ensure accurate turntable speed. With precision control, and silent running, Alva TT V2 achieves just 0.06% wow and flutter. This means excellent pitch stability – particularly during longer, more sustained, musical notes.
Complimenting the direct drive motor, Alva TT V2’s platter has the feel of finely polished stone. It’s made from Polyoxymethylene, a semi-crystalline thermoplastic used in precision engineering applications, where high stiffness and dimensional stability are demanded. The weight of the platter, coupled with our medium torque direct drive motor, ensures excellent speed stability during playback of records.
After hours of testing, our engineers selected a new high-mass, low-resonance tonearm for Alva TT V2 and Alva ST. By minimising resonant frequencies, and in combination with the cartridge, it helps retrieve the maximum detail from your records. A detachable die-cast aluminium headshell makes swapping cartridges easy – then fine-tuned with greater precision thanks to a new anti-skating dial.
A record collection can last a lifetime, so why shouldn’t a turntable? We built Alva TT V2 to endure, starting with a top plate hewn from 6mm aluminium plate, and layer of EVA to absorb vibration sitting on MDF. It’s cradled in a composite chassis and weighs an impressive 10.9kg. Reassuring solid construction, with great acoustic qualities too.
Finished with a lunar-grey aluminium top plate and matt black plinth, tapering to our trademark floating wedge base, Alva TT V2 celebrates our timeless house-style. It’s the perfect match for our best-selling CX Series hi-fi separates and shares the laser-etched brand logo with our premium Edge Series.
More info: Cambridge Audio Alva Turntable