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. $699 | $1,100 |
| 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 $401 (about 57%) 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: $401 separates these reference prices. That difference is factual; this specification comparison does not assign an overall winner.
Live retailer offers
Checking current in-stock offers for Cambridge Audio Alva ST…
Retailer searches
3 US retailers stock Cambridge Audio — linked directly to the product page where we have one, otherwise to a site search for the deck.
| Retailer | Type | Shipping | Product link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turntable Lab | hifi independent | Free shipping to the continental US on most orders (bulk/oversized items excluded). | View at Turntable Lab ↗ |
| Amazon | marketplace | Free shipping on $35+ orders (free on most items with Prime, often same/next day). | Search at Amazon ↗ |
| eBay | marketplace | Shipping set per seller; many listings ship free within the US. | Search at eBay ↗ |
Live retailer offers
Checking current in-stock offers for Thorens TD 402 DD…
Retailer searches
2 US retailers stock Thorens — each outbound link searches the deck on that retailer’s site.
| Retailer | Type | Shipping | Product search |
|---|---|---|---|
| eBay | marketplace | Shipping set per seller; many listings ship free within the US. | Search at eBay ↗ |
| Reverb | used marketplace | Shipping set per seller; many listings ship free within the US. | Search at Reverb ↗ |