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Should I keep the Turntable or sell it?

I’ve been back and forth on this decision for about a month, and the more I learn, the harder this decision gets.

Backstory: I won the brand new Cambridge Audio Alva TT turntable in an online contest in mid-May, and while it sounds great, I decided to list it for sale a couple weeks ago. I’ve always wanted to try out a Rega P6 or P3 with a really nice cart, because I feel like I’m not getting enough out of my Pro-Ject Debut Carbon. Prior to winning the Alva TT, I switched the Red Ortofon out for the Blue, and there was a great improvement in sound quality. But after comparing the Pro-Ject to the Alva TT and hearing what a $1700 turntable can sound like, I definitely am interested in exploring more high fidelity turntables. The issue is that I feel like I prefer the sound of tubes over solid state, and the Alva TT uses an integrated Alva Duo phono preamp for the RCA out, and their own DAC for the Bluetooth out if I want to go that route. I don’t have a ton of experience with tubes, and maybe it’s just the “cool factor” I actually like and I’m just having a placebo effect.

So I decided to list it for sale to try and get a Rega, because I heard so many great things about them. But over the last week or so, I’ve learned more about the Alva TT and how it uses Rega’s famous tonearm. I looked up the cart and it is listed at $500 separately, which is probably why it sounds better than the Pro-Ject w/ Ortofon Blue. I’ve also read on these boards about direct drive being better than belt, which the Alva has as well. It also has the added bonus of Bluetooth that go directly to my KEF LS50 Wireless, but I would most likely just use interconnects.

So I would love to get some advice from you all. I’ve gone back and forth about keeping the Alva or selling it, along with my Pro-Ject Debut Carbon, and buying/trading for something like a Rega P3 or P6. If you had my first world problem, what would you do?
bignamehere
bignamehere OP
56 posts
 
@mulveling I just started playing with tubes, and agree, they are quite fun and I love the warmth. Adding a cheap tube phone and an Ortofon Blue to my Pro-Ject made the The Doors vinyl come alive! But I’ve read they color the sound quite a bit compared to solid state. Audio purists and analog purists seem to battle on this topic a lot. It seems everyone has very strong opinions about how they enjoy music and the best way others should enjoy music as well. 😊

The Alva TT has no phono bypass, so I can’t do tubes with it.
noromance's avatar
noromance
9,573 posts
 
This is bizarre. OP comes on looking for advice and rejects it calling a long-standing analog user of some expertise a "fan-boy." The OP's comment on tubes adding coloration is also off the mark but it appears the OP knows best. $1800 or less for the GR is a steal.
rbstehno
1,407 posts
 
A couple of things: there is no “high end” rega anything. They make a nice product fairly cheap. For cheap cartridges, the rega will be ok, but if you want to move up the chain to a much batter cartridge, your tonearm will be critical, and you won’t be using a rega.
The technics is a good turntable. Is it worth $4000, yes, does it crush $30k turntables? NO! 
As for direct drive, not a lot of your top turntable manufacturers use DD, they use belts. How do you use DD on a 50lb plinth? You don’t. I have 2 large motors with 6 belts to spin my 40+lb plinth on my turntable. 
If you think you will keep using a lower priced/lower quality cartridge, then get the technics or a vpi scout or many other tt’s. If there is a chance you want to go better, then save your money and get a good tt with a nice arm and you will be ready fo any cartridge you throw at it
uberwaltz's avatar
uberwaltz
13,381 posts
 
I am in agreement with Lewm on this one.

Stick with what you have for at least long enough to become fully accustomed to all its nuances and flavours of playback.
That way you will have a good basis for a solid comparison.
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
I appreciate the detailed info on the Technics, although some of your reply was a bit off putting. I know there is a large Technics fanboy club here, so I won’t get into it with you on the turntable. I’ve listened a few times to a high end Technics table at a friend’s father’s house who talked my ear off about it and his Martin Logans. In his opinion, owning anything other than those brands wasn’t good quality. I can’t recall his other components. Luckily we have similar taste in music, but definitely not the same budget.

No offense, but whenever someone has such a high loyalty for one company and downplays all other brands and even downplays huge advances in technologies to be trivial, I have to take the advice with a big grain of salt. And obviously I’m asking the community to get ideas, so it’s hard to digest someone cramming a single brand down your throat when clearly there are many options to consider. But I greatly appreciate the info, and will read up on Technics.

It is funny, because my turntables are two Luxman PD-444 and now Denon DP-80 ... anyway, vintage japanese Direct Drive is what i like in the main system, i sold my Technics SP-10 mkII and SP-20 last year. Still have upgraded SL1210mkII, but not in the main system. 

But as many users pointed out the Technics for you is probably the best you can get (NEW) without payin' too much (and definitely better than some tables you have mentioned). 

So i don't belong to a group of people who prefer new turntables, actually i prefer vintage turntables, but it might be too complicated for newbie. 



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