Cambridge Audio has launched the world's first turntable featuring aptX HD audio, enabling you to stream 24-bit/48kHz high-quality audio to your receiver or another compatible device. Put simply, it's a must-have if you value vinyl at the highest quality and want to stream wirelessly.
There have been a few other turntable launches at CES 2019 but the Alva TT offers something genuinely new with aptX HD, developed by Qualcomm for high-quality audio over Bluetooth connections. Streaming over aptX HD is to all intents and purposes as good as connecting via cable.
It's a great time for vinyl at the moment - as CD sales decline, vinyl sales increase and it seems the format is here to stay (again). We'll gloss over the fact that most of the records sold are copies of Dark Side of the Moon or other seminal albums by established artists; many new releases are also now coming out on vinyl, too.
As with many such turntables, there's also a built-in phono stage or pre-amp so there's no need for extra gear, meaning that you can place the Alva TT pretty much anywhere in the home; useful if you have a receiver/amplifier connected to your TV yet you'd rather put the turntable on a sideboard or elsewhere.
The Alva TT has a single-piece tonearm and is supplied with a specific moving coil cartridge for the Alva TT, which you can buy separately.
Available in April, it will set you back the not-insignificant sum of £1,500 or $1,700 in the US. The Alva MC cartridge will cost £450 or $500 in the US.