Cambridge Audio - Alva Duo Moving Magnet / Moving Coil Phono Stage

The Alva Duo is a moving magnet and moving coil phono stage with a built-in headphone amplifier — pure, immersive vinyl playback for any turntable.

The Alva Duo supports both MM and MC cartridges for wide turntable compatibility, delivering 39dB of gain for moving magnet and 60dB for moving coil designs. A surface-mounted circuit board is engineered for pure signal transmission, while the switch-mode power supply operates outside audible frequencies to banish hum and interference — RIAA equalisation is accurate to ±0.3dB from 30Hz to 20kHz.

A subsonic filter removes low-frequency rumble from worn and warped records, a rear-panel balance control compensates for cartridge channel imbalance, and the 6.35mm headphone output means you can enjoy private vinyl sessions with no separate amplifier required. Auto power-down after 20 minutes of inactivity keeps standby consumption below 0.5W.

Features

• Supports both moving magnet (MM) and moving coil (MC) cartridges
• Built-in headphone amplifier with 6.35mm output
• Surface-mounted circuit board for pure signal transmission
• Switch-mode power supply operating outside audible frequencies
• Subsonic filter for worn or warped records
• Rear-panel balance adjustment control
• MM/MC selector with indicator lights
• Auto power-down after 20 minutes
• Subsonic filter rolls off warp and rumble energy below 15 Hz
• Internal power supply on an IEC inlet — no wall wart

Specifications

• THD+N: Less than 0.0025% at 1 kHz for moving magnet; less than 0.020% for moving coil
• Signal-to-Noise Ratio: MM greater than 90dB / MC greater than 70dB
• Sensitivity: MM 3.35mV / MC 305µV
• Input Impedance: MM 47k ohms / MC 100 ohms
• Gain: MM 39dB / MC 60dB
• RIAA Accuracy: ±0.3dB (30Hz - 20kHz)
• Overload Margin: Greater than 30dB
• Nominal Output Level: 300mV
• Inputs: Separate dedicated RCA input pairs for moving magnet and moving coil
• Loading: Fixed — there are no adjustable loading options
• Subsonic Filter: Fitted — -3 dB at 15 Hz, 12 dB per octave
• Balance Control: Rear panel, for correcting cartridge channel imbalance
• Outputs: RCA line level. There are no balanced XLR outputs
• Headphone Output: 6.35 mm (1/4″) front-panel jack with volume control
• Ground Terminal: Yes, rear-panel ground screw
• Auto Power Down: After 20 minutes of inactivity
• Power: Internal switch-mode supply on an IEC inlet, AC 100-240 V. US operation 120 V, 60 Hz
• Max Power Consumption: 10W (standby less than 0.5W)
• Dimensions: 1.9 x 8.5 x 6.3 in (48 x 215 x 159 mm)
• Weight: 2.1 lbs (0.95 kg)
• Included: Mains lead, user manual, safety guide
• Compared to the Alva Solo: The Solo is moving magnet only, has no headphone output, and its RIAA accuracy is plus or minus 0.65 dB against the Duo's plus or minus 0.3 dB