Cambridge Audio Alva ST vs Rega Planar 3

Side-by-side specifications and a plain-English account of the recorded differences. Full profiles: Cambridge Audio Alva ST · Rega Planar 3.

Practical differences

Highlighted cells show a lower reference price, support for more listed speeds, or the presence of a convenience feature. They are not an overall score.

On price alone the Rega Planar 3 costs less, coming in £9 (about 1%) below the Cambridge Audio Alva ST.

Both are belt-drive, so that part of the experience should feel similar on either deck: a motor that's mechanically isolated from the platter by an elastic belt, which is the usual route to a quieter noise floor — the default choice across most of hi-fi.

The Cambridge Audio Alva ST has a built-in phono stage and Bluetooth streaming. Skip the phono stage and you'll need one built into your amp, or a separate box, to play through normal speakers.

Bottom line: £9 separates these reference prices. That difference is factual; this specification comparison does not assign an overall winner.

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