I just tested this turntable and it's a very good option for people getting into vinyl

Cambridge Audio Alva ST review: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? An easy to use, very good-looking turntable
• Who is it for? People with a bit more money for a beginner turntable
• What does it cost? $599/£499
• What we like: The way that it looks, and the incredible build quality
• What we don’t like: There are some sound quality issues, and there’s little vibration isolation.

Cambridge Audio Alva ST review: Price and Availability

The Cambridge Audio Alva ST isn’t the most expensive turntable that you can buy today, but neither is it one of the cheapest. As of this review, we've seen it around the $599 price range, and at that price it performs very well when compared to the competition from the likes of Pro-Ject and Rega.

You can get hold of one easily from any reasonable HiFi outlet, or you can head over to Amazon. Thankfully, there’s not much you need to buy to get the most out of the Alva ST, given there’s a Bluetooth connection to listen via headphones, and a built-in phono pre-amp so that you can plug it into a pair of powered speakers. You’ll get the best out of it with a phone stage and a proper HiFi amplifier, but you don’t need to spend if you don’t want to — which is nice.

Cambridge Audio Alva ST review: Design and Build

• Solid, weighty construction
• Stylish design
• Easy setup and controls

From the moment you pull the Alva ST from the box, you notice how heavy it is. At nearly 20 pounds it weighs more than other wooden constructed turntables by a substantial degree, and it makes the whole package feel very premium and up-market. Interacting with the turntable is a joy as well, with clicky buttons, and a smooth, sturdy feeling tone arm. Everything feels effortlessly smooth, which lends a degree of confidence in the mechanicals of the device.

It looks the part too, thanks to its metal top and chunky grey base. If you don’t use the included clear dust cover, it could easily become a design focal point in a room, and it really shows off just how good Cambridge Audio is at making stunning-looking pieces of audio gear. Personally, I would use the dust cover to avoid, you know, dust, but it looks great all the same.

I really like the simple control scheme as well. This is a manual turntable, so the only button controls you get are on/off, 45rpm and 33rpm switches. There are little lights inlaid into the buttons, so you know what speed the turntable is running at as well. The motors when the turntable is running are all but completely silent, so you won’t hear much of anything (other than your music, of course) when you’re using the turntable.

There is just one problem with the build and design of the Alva ST, and that’s the feet. They’re two silicon strips that run along the bottom, and there’s no way to adjust them to make sure that the turntable lies flat. They’re also not incredible at dampening vibrations — I found that if I moved too much on the other side of the room, the vibrations of my movement were transferred across to the stylus, and thus, to the music. Now, vinyl is more sensitive, but it feels more pronounced here with the Alva ST. The lesson? Stay more still while listening, and try to make sure that it’s not on the same surface as your speakers where possible.

Cambridge Audio Alva ST review: Features

• Belt drive
• Bluetooth connection
• Built-in Phono pre-amp

The Cambridge Audio Alva ST is about as up-to-date as it's possible to be in TT terms, bar a USB port on the back. For one, there’s a competent built-in Phono pre-amp, so you don’t need to worry about plugging in a separate one, which is a big bonus. If you’ve already got one then you need to make sure you turn the one in the Alva ST off, or you’re in for a really gnarly time when you go to play some tunes and get an ungodly racket out of your speakers. You only need to do it once to learn that lesson.

There’s one feature that I really like though, and that’s the Bluetooth connection built in. That means you can stream your music to any number of different devices, such as one of the best Bluetooth speakers, or even a pair of the best wireless headphones. It’s fussy, don’t get me wrong — pairing two things that don’t have screens is a pain, especially when you’ve got loads of devices around pumping out Bluetooth. The Alva kept connecting to my TV before I had to turn the Bluetooth off and get my headphones connected.

Once connected though, it’s a fun way to play your vinyl without the need to plug in 300 wires. On the topic of plugging in wires, though, there’s one of my favorite Cambridge Audio features here — the text for the outputs is also printed upside down, so you can read what it says when you’re bent three ways to Sunday trying to plug-in the RCA connectors from over the top of the turntable.

Setting up the turntable is easy enough as well — although you’ll need to follow instructions if you’ve never done it before so that you can dial in the tracking force and anti-skating settings. Once done, you won’t have to worry about doing it again, thankfully.

Cambridge Audio Alva ST review: Sound Quality

• Warm sound
• Some laziness in the highs and the lows
• Solid Audio Technica cartridge out of the box

Get a disc spinning and you’ll find a very warm, velvety presentation from the Alva ST. It’s not as revealing as some might like though, with some low-end issues and a couple of niggles up top. The bass is slightly lazy — bass strikes last slightly too long, and there’s some flabbiness there that some won’t like. There’s a bit of clarity lost up top as well, but then we’re really getting into the weeds of audio-nitpickery. For the most part and for most people, the Alva ST is going to sound absolutely fine, and play their record collection over a pair of powered speakers with no problem at all.

Putting Bloodbath’s Survival of Sickest revealed a lot about the mid-range qualities of the turntable, and it really shines. There’s great definition to the mid-heavy distorted guitars, and the growled vocals had plenty of presence. It did lack some impact though, on account of a general lack of definition, but it was still a rip-roaring death metal experience.

Mastondon’s Blood Mountain was up next, and it did a solid job for the most part. The drum impact at the start of The Wolf is Loose was slightly lost, but the rest of the record was fairly controlled. I did notice that the otherwise excellent Audio Technica cartridge was more sensitive to dust here than other options, so factor that into your decision-making when choosing this TT — and make sure that your discs are nice and clean should you choose it at the end.

Finally, It’s Dua Lipa’s turn with Future Nostalgia. The flabby bass here wasn’t as present, and the retro style of the record blended with the performance of the turntable. Importantly, Lipa’s vocals were crisp and clear, and the dancing basslines were well-represented.

Cambridge Audio Alva ST review: Verdict

If you’re after a turntable that’s tight and controlled, you’re better off looking at the cold, almost surgical analysis of a Pro-Ject turntable. You’ll get a better sound experience there, and it’ll make you love vinyl as a medium rather than just a fashionable trend. That’s not what you get here with the Alva ST.

The Alva ST is perfect if you want to listen to vinyl occasionally, or if you want to get into the hobby without buying something that looks like you’ve made an investment into the medium. It’s stylish and incredibly well-built, but you might be left wanting for something more if you value excellent audio.

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