Is your budget turntable system in need of a sonic boost? This compact and useful vinyl accessory could be the missing link

Cambridge Audio Duo MM/MC on desk with records in background

(Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

If you have a beloved old turntable and don't want to replace your perfectly functional vinyl hi-fi system, but still want to give it a sonic refresh and some extra features, then an outboard phono stage is an excellent upgrade path.

Alternatively, you might have bought a new budget turntable and have a pair of active desktop speakers, but are missing the crucial phono stage element in the chain.

In our Duo review, we said this is "a well-specified, full-bodied, dynamic performer, as classy as a matinée idol in a smoking jacket. You really can’t go wrong."
The compact phono stage supports both MM and MC cartridges, and its integrated headphone amplifier is a bonus – especially if your vinyl system is missing one.

Deal also available at <a href="https://target.georiot.com/Proxy.ashx?tsid=40397&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Famazon.co.uk%2FCambridge-Audio-Alva-DUO-Preamplifier%2Fdp%2FB07C825XK5%3Ftag%3Dhawk-future-21%26ascsubtag%3Dhawk-custom-tracking-21">Amazon and <a href="https://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?awinmid=36294&awinaffid=103504&clickref=whathifi-gb-1394287867874492695&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cambridgeaudio.com%2Fgbr%2Fen%2Fproducts%2Fhi-fi%2Falva%2Fduo">CambridgeAudio.com

The five-star outboard phono stage is compatible with both moving magnet (MM) and moving coil (MC) cartridges. Best of all, it includes a built-in headphone amplifier stage and volume dial, which is highly unusual for most standalone phono stages, no matter the price.

This is ideal if your ageing turntable-based hi-fi system doesn't have a headphone socket, and you want to enjoy listening to your records late into the night and without disturbing anyone else in the house.

The Cambridge Audio Duo's full-size 6.3mm headphone socket means you can easily plug in a pair of great wired headphones – such as the Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro X, the Grado SR325x, the Austrian Audio Hi-X20 or your trusty old Sennheiser HD 600 – and enjoy your records with their quality largely intact.

For those embarking on their first turntable adventure, the addition of this Duo phono stage to a pair of active speakers (one that already has amplification built in) will ensure your vinyl records will be heard with a smooth, detailed and full-bodied sound.

You do get a punchier and more rhythmically precise sound from our current Award-winning Rega Fono MM Mk5 phono stage for a similar price, but it doesn't have any of the extra features that make the Cambridge Duo so enticing.

Most budget to mid-price turntables that we would recommend using the Duo with will likely be equipped with MM cartridges as standard, but if you were to explore MC options in the future (be warned: they tend to be much, much pricier), the Duo gives you the option to expand your horizons when the time comes.

Whether it's the missing link in your compact desktop vinyl system or a modern refresh to an ageing but much-loved hi-fi system, the stylish little Duo with its dynamic sound and great features is worth considering as an upgrade. Snap it up for its deal price of £249 at Amazon or Richer Sounds before Black Friday is over.

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Kashfia is the Hi-Fi and Audio Editor of What Hi-Fi? and first joined the brand 13 years ago. During her time in the consumer tech industry, she has reviewed hundreds of products (including speakers, amplifiers, turntables and headphones), been to countless trade shows across the world and fallen in love with hi-fi kit much bigger than her. In her spare time, Kash can be found tending to an ever-growing houseplant collection and shooing her cat Jolene away from spinning records.

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