Cambridge Audio Alva Duo Phonostage

Here we have a well-regarded budget phono stage from British based company Cambridge Audio. As well as offering inputs for both moving magnet and moving coil cartridges the Alva Duo has the added benefit of a built in headphone amplifier. Our unit is in very good condition and comes in original packaging along with manual, mains cable and our normal three month warranty.
Cambridge Audio Say….
Squeeze every inch of detail from your record collection with our highest quality moving magnet and moving coil phono stage, with integrated headphone amp; the Duo Phono Preamplifier.
Whether you’re dusting off your record collection or embracing analogue through the vinyl revival, there’s a unique experience to be had from the moment you drop the needle on your favourite album. To preserve the unique warmth of the vinyl sound, the Duo phono preamplifier has been carefully designed with a state-of-the-art switch mode power supply and a new surface mounted circuit board layout to reduce unwanted noise.
Due to the low-level signals created by a turntable, not all hi-fi amplifiers will let you connect directly to a record player. The phono preamplifier boosts this signal to something a power amplifier can work with. The challenge at this stage though is that noise can easily be added.
This is why we’ve designed the Duo around exceptional components that deliver the warm and detailed sound that’s synonymous with vinyl, all without distorting the signal from your moving magnet cartridge turntable. The switch mode power supply improves performance by switching outside of audible frequency to drastically reduce hum and new circuit board layout uses surface-mount components to reduce noise.
Enjoy the warmth of vinyl privately thanks to Duo’s integrated headphone output. Uniquely, we integrated a 6.35mm headphone jack directly into the phono stage, so you can still enjoy your records when there’s no option to play out loud.
The integrated headphone output also means no need to turn on your amplifier just to power your headphones, resulting in a more eco-friendly listening experience.
If some records in your collection are a little worse for wear, the subsonic filter will help to eliminate low frequency rumbles that can be caused by imperfections within your vinyl. Combine this with the balance control for handling potential cartridge imbalances in your record player (that can cause a difference between the left and right channels) and the result is a detailed experience with accurate soundstage.
The Duo phono preamplifier is green at heart with less than half a watt standby power consumption and auto power down feature if the unit is not used after a 20 minute period. This in turn gives the unit the same worldwide voltage for compatibility wherever you are in the world.
Specifications:
Max Power Consumption: 10W
Cartridge Support: Moving Magnet | Moving Coil
Gain @ 1 kHz: MM: 39 dB; MC: 60 dB
Nominal Output: 300 mV
Sensitivity For Nominal Output: MM: 3.35 mV; MC: 305 μV
Equivalent Input Noise (A-Weighted): MM: ~0.09 μV | MC: ~0.08 μV
RIAA Curve Accuracy: +/- 0.3 dB 30 Hz – 20 kHz
Signal To Noise Ratio Grounded Inputs Ref. 1 V Output (20 Hz – 20kHz BW): MM: > 90 dB; MC: > 70 dB
THD+N 1 kHz (20 – 20 kHz BW): MM: < 0.0025%; MC: < 0.20%
Input Impedance: MM: 47 kOhms; MC: 100 Ohms
Input Capacitance: 100 pF
Overload Margin: > 30 dB
Crosstalk @ 10 kHz: MM: > 85 dB; MC: 75 dB
Dimensions: 215 (W) x 159 (D) x 48 (H) mm
Weight 0.95 kg

To read a review from What Hi-Fi? magazine please click here