Cambridge Audio ALVA TT V2 Direct Drive Turntable w/ Bluetooth aptX HD & Integrated Phono-Stage

Description

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.

The Alva TT V2 looks very similar to the original Alva TT, which in a nutshell is sleek and simple. The appearance reminds us of the look of the CX series products which have a rounded, floating appearance. The footprint that sits on your shelf is smaller than the plinth, which gives it that floating look just like CX. The bottom part of the plinth is a dark matte gray finish with a solid aluminum top plate. Three small silver buttons are on the left side for power and speed control with an elegantly embossed Cambridge logo on the right.

The Alva TT V2 is a manual turntable, which means you need to lower the tonearm using the cueing lever at the beginning and end of the record. The tonearm has tracking force and anti-skate adjustments. However, there is no way to adjust the tonearm height.

Learn More About Manual vs. Automatic Turntables

Cambridge Audio intentionally designed the Alva TT V2 to have an appearance that gives you the confidence that it’s easy to set up and put right to use. We love the minimalist appearance with its rounded corners and clean lines.

Build quality is very good, as we see with all of their gear. This is one stout turntable. The plinth without the platter weighs almost 16 pounds, and when you add the 5-pound platter, you are just shy of 21 pounds total. Cambridge Audio includes a nice set of audio interconnect cables and a ground wire with the turntable, which we felt would not really need to be upgraded compared to some products that come with throwaway cables. And in what has become their trademark back panel design, the labels are printed both right side up and upside down to make them easy to read when leaning over the top.

Features & Technology

The Alva TT V2 sits on four feet that have some damping characteristics and feel slightly squishy to the touch. As we said earlier, the plinth is quite beefy with its solid aluminum top plate and anti-resonant base.

The platter is made from Polyoxymethylene (POM), a high-tech engineering thermoplastic used in precision parts that require high stiffness and excellent dimensional stability. There is a metal insert in the center with a slight indentation for the record label. Like many turntables with a high-tech plastic-based platter, it is designed to be used without a mat. For those of you who like to roll your own sound by changing mats, you need to bear in mind the arm is not height-adjustable, so it’s best to stick with no mat.