Alva Duo Phono Preamplifier

“Rarely does Cambridge fire too wide of the mark, but the Duo hits right at the center of the target.”– ‘What Hi-Fi’ – 5 Star review. Quality headphone amp If you want to hear every nuance and background detail of your favorite music then listening with headphones takes some beating. Use the dedicated headphone amp built into the Alva Duo and you’ll experience a whole new level of detail. With precise volume control, you’ll get exactly the right level – whatever your choice of headphones. Perfect for amps without a phono preamp built-in Many amplifiers no longer come with a built-in phono preamp, which is fine if you don’t use vinyl but not so good if you want to spin some records. The Cambridge Audio Alva Duo is a dedicated phono preamp, meaning you can add a record deck to just about any amp or system with a standard AUX input. This means your choice of stereo amp or a receiver is greatly expanded and, of course, you can retain the Alva Duo phono preamp if you upgrade your main amp. Perfect for amps with a phono preamp built-in! Even if your main amplifier already has a phono preamp built-in, the chances are that the one inside the Alva Duo is considerably better. Using a dedicated, switch-mode power supply, the Duo is far quieter than most built-in phono preamps. The revised circuit board layout with surface-mount components further reduces noise and distortion. Factor in the shielded casing and you’ll simply hear more music and less background noise. MC cartridge compatibility One of the biggest advances over its little brother, the Solo, is the ability to amplify MC (Moving Coil) cartridges. These have an even lower output than MM (Moving Magnet) cartridges and require dedicated amplification. Once correctly amplified, the sound quality is stunning with a smoother yet more detailed sound. If you’re serious about vinyl then fitting a good quality MC cartridge is an upgrade that you won’t regret. Subsonic filter Not all records are pressed the same – due to the poor quality of vinyl used, some sound considerably noisier than others. Wear and tear can play a role in reducing quality, too. With its subsonic filter, the Alva Duo filters out low-frequency rumble; reducing distortion and protecting your speakers’ woofers from excessive wear. Give your system a double whammy upgrade, with the Cambridge Audio Alva Duo.