Cambridge Audio Alva ST vs Thorens TD 402 DD
Side-by-side specifications and a plain-English account of the recorded differences. Full profiles: Cambridge Audio Alva ST · Thorens TD 402 DD.
| Specification | Cambridge Audio Alva ST |
Thorens TD 402 DD |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Highlighted difference. £849 | £899 |
| Category | Hi-fi | Hi-fi |
| Status | current | current |
| Years | 2021–present | 2019–present |
| Drive | belt drive | direct drive |
| Speeds | 33/45 rpm | 33/45 rpm |
| Operation | manual | semi-automatic |
| Cartridge supplied | Audio-Technica AT-VM95E | Audio-Technica AT-VM95E |
| Phono stage | Yes | Yes |
| USB output | No | No |
| Bluetooth | Highlighted difference. Yes | No |
| Platter | aluminium | aluminium |
| Tonearm | one-piece aluminium | straight aluminium |
| Wow & flutter | — | — |
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 Cambridge Audio Alva ST costs less, coming in £50 (about 6%) below the Thorens TD 402 DD.
The mechanics differ too: the Cambridge Audio Alva ST is belt-drive, the Thorens TD 402 DD is direct-drive. The Thorens TD 402 DD gets instant start-up, rock-steady speed under load, and enough torque to nudge or backspin the record — the reason DJs and scratch decks are built this way.
The Cambridge Audio Alva ST has Bluetooth streaming.
Operation differs: the Cambridge Audio Alva ST is manual, the Thorens TD 402 DD is semi-automatic.
Bottom line: £50 separates these reference prices. That difference is factual; this specification comparison does not assign an overall winner.
Live merchant offers
Checking current in-stock offers for Cambridge Audio Alva ST…
Merchant searches
8 UK merchants stock Cambridge Audio — linked directly to the product page where we have one, otherwise to a site search for the deck.
| Merchant | Type | Delivery | Product link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richer Sounds | hifi chain | Free UK delivery on most orders; click & collect from stores | View at Richer Sounds ↗ |
| Audio Affair | hifi independent | Free UK delivery over £50 | Search at Audio Affair ↗ |
| Audio T | hifi chain | Free UK delivery on most items; in-store demos | Search at Audio T ↗ |
| Fanthorpes HiFi | hifi independent | Free UK delivery on most hi-fi | Search at Fanthorpes HiFi ↗ |
| Hi-Fi Corner | hifi independent | UK delivery; Edinburgh & Falkirk stores | Search at Hi-Fi Corner ↗ |
| Peter Tyson | hifi independent | Free UK delivery on most hi-fi; competitive pricing | Search at Peter Tyson ↗ |
| Sevenoaks Sound & Vision | hifi chain | Free UK delivery over £100; in-store demonstration and setup | Search at Sevenoaks Sound & Vision ↗ |
| Superfi | hifi independent | Free UK delivery over £50 | Search at Superfi ↗ |
Live merchant offers
Checking current in-stock offers for Thorens TD 402 DD…
Merchant searches
1 UK merchant stock Thorens — each outbound link searches the deck on that merchant’s site.
| Merchant | Type | Delivery | Product search |
|---|---|---|---|
| eBay UK | used marketplace | Varies by seller | Search at eBay UK ↗ |