Cambridge Audio Alva TT V2

Cambridge Audio’s TT V2 is best seen as a considered revision of the original Alva TT (HFC 453) rather than a wholesale change. It is a direct-drive design with electronic speed control allowing 33 and 45rpm to be selected via buttons on the plinth.

This acts on an acrylic platter with no additional matt and the turntable is unsuspended. The biggest visible change is the tonearm. Gone is the Rega-sourced one of the original and in its place is a slimmer design with detachable headshell. It has a straight tube so the headshell incorporates the offset. The supplied Alva MC is a high-output moving coil that acquitted itself well in our Group Test (HFC 452) and combines a nude elliptical stylus on an aluminium cantilever. The 2mV output is a little low for a ‘high-output’ moving coil, but not unusably so. There is also an internal phono stage fitted, which can now be switched out of the circuit and the TT V2 used with an external one if you wish. Like the original Alva TT, the new version includes the ability to transmit the output of the phono stage wirelessly via aptX HD Bluetooth and, like the original, I am not sure why.

Sound quality