I've been collecting records for years. I even worked in a record store once
So i understand the importance of having the right equipment to truly bring your favourite songs to life
So here i am, talking to you about a beautiful bit of kit that's going to make listening to your records even better
This is the Alva ST
A turntable that we've designed to make it as easy as possible to enjoy your most loved albums on vinyl
Most of the complicated calibration is done by the experts at our factory
But there are a couple of relatively simple steps you need to follow in order to get started
Firstly figure out where you're going to place your turntable
A turntable is an entirely mechanical method of music reproduction
from the stylus that tracks the grooves to the motor that spins it
It can be sensitive to outside influences
So we recommend placing your turntable on a flat surface away from any potential sources of vibration
We don't package the turntable with the platter attached
It's heavy and we wouldn't want it moving around during transit and causing damage
Place the platter on the base plate over the spindle
and attach the belt over the motor
Before then putting the rubber mat on top
Once you've completed this step you won't need to lift the platter again
as speed control is handled by these two electronic buttons
so you can effortlessly switch between playing albums and singles
Next attach the head shell to the tone arm and tighten the collar
The last piece that needs attaching is the tone arm counterweight
We leave this off to save the tonearm from undue stress in the box
All you need to do is simply push and rotate onto the thread
The next thing is to set the tracking force
This is the pressure that the stylus applies to the record
Now too much pressure and the stylus won't track the grooves properly
which can cause distortion and lost information as well as avoidable wear to your precious records
Too little pressure and the stylus will jump and could potentially damage your collection
We don't want that
So you can see the value in getting it right
A correctly set counterweight makes sure the stylus
runs properly in the groove of the record
And you use this force gauge to get the right balance
The tracking force required varies by tone arm and cartridge
With the Alva ST, the tone arm and cartridge combination
needs a tracking force of two grams
It doesn't sound like much
But when you consider the minute size of the stylus tip, it's plenty
Now before you go any further, ensure the bias dial is set to zero.
We'll come back to this once we've set the counterweight
Place the gauge on the platter, unclick the tone arm
and remove the cover from the cartridge
Rest the stylus on the appropriate point on the gauge
in this case, two
You want the gauge to balance on its pivot point unassisted
We'd advise making your adjustments with the tone arm in the armrest
to avoid any potential damage to the cartridge
If the stylus pushes the gauge down, it's too heavy
and you'll need to move the counterweight towards the back of the tonearm
If the gauge pushes the stylus up, it's too light so move the counterweight forward
this part requires a little bit of care and patience, but it's important
Once you've got the gauge balanced go back to your bias dial
As a stylus runs through the groove of a record it's pulled towards the centre
The bias setting allows us to apply an opposite force
to ensure that the stylus stays upright and reads both sides of the groove equally
This is vital for accurate stereo playback
Set the bias dial to position two in order to match the tracking force
We're nearly there
Once you've fitted the dust cover using the supplied hinges
You'll need to decide how to connect your turntable to your amp
Whether it's wired, wireless or both
If you choose wired, remember that Alva ST has a switchable phono stage built in
A phono stage is a specialist piece of amplification equipment that can take the tiny level
of current generated by the cartridge and amplify it to a level where a
regular amplifier can work with it
Some amplifiers also have a phono stage built in
so if you already have a phono stage in your system
it is REALLY important that the one inside Alva ST is switched to the PHONO position
as otherwise it will not only sound terrible but it could also damage your speakers
if you need to use the Alva ST's built-in phono stage
make sure the switch is set to LINE
If you are unsure about this step consult your owner's manual
before making any connections
If you're going down the wireless route you'll need to pair the Alva ST with a Bluetooth receiver
Either a speaker, an amplifier or a set of headphones
Ideally your receiver should be apt-X HD certified
But no worries if not, the Alva ST supports standard Bluetooth connections
You just won't get the highest quality connection it's capable of
To start the pairing process we advise turning off all Bluetooth devices other than the Alva ST and the device you want to pair it to
Turn on the Alva ST and press the Bluetooth pairing button located on the rear for two seconds
The blue LED will flash quickly, to indicate it's in pairing mode
Once successful, the blue LED will stop flashing and will enter paired mode
A solid light indicates a standard Bluetooth connection
Whilst long, solid intervals indicate a higher quality aptX HD connection
Once you've paired the turntable it will automatically pair to the last device
So no need to go through the setup again
And that's it, you're all done. Now it's time for the fun part
Go and pick out that record you haven't listened to for ages
That one you really love Turn the volume up
Kick back and enjoy You deserve it