iFi ZEN Air Phono 2 vs Cambridge Alva Solo: Which One to Buy?
Flexibility against finish: two sub-£200 preamps with opposite philosophies
Choose the iFi ZEN Air Phono 2 if:
- You have an MM cartridge now but plan to move to an MC
- You want the subsonic filter for warped or second-hand records
- You want to spend less and keep the same preamp as the system grows
Choose the Cambridge Audio Alva Solo if:
- You are staying with moving magnet and have no interest in MC
- You want the better-finished object, with an aluminium front, to leave on show
- You value the balance control to correct small channel imbalances
Under £200, the phono stage splits into two opposite philosophies. On one side the iFi ZEN Air Phono 2: small, flexible, ready to follow you from MM to MC, with an intelligent subsonic filter. On the other the Cambridge Alva Solo: a better-finished, pricier box that does one thing — moving magnet — and does it with poise. This is not the usual spec-for-spec face-off. It is a choice between growing and refining.
- MM and MC compatible
- Selectable MM/MC gain modes
- Intelligent subsonic filter
- Symmetrical circuit
- RCA output
- MM only
- Always-on subsonic filter
- Balance control
- Brushed aluminium front panel
- Low-noise switch-mode PSU
Flexibility: MM, MC and adjustments
iFi ZEN Air Phono 2
Here the ZEN Air Phono 2 has the edge. It takes both MM and MC cartridges and offers selectable gain modes for each: the day you move to a moving coil, the preamp is already there. That is the difference between buying it once and buying it again when the cartridge changes.
The Alva Solo is MM only and not adjustable: no selectable gain, no loading. It is a deliberate choice of simplicity, but it shuts the door on moving coil. If you ever move to an MC, this preamp stays behind.
Build and finish
Cambridge Audio Alva Solo
The ZEN Air Phono 2 belongs to the Air line, iFi's most affordable: a compact, light chassis, functional, made to disappear behind the system. It does its job, but it is not the object you put on display.
The Alva Solo is the more finished piece of the two: a brushed aluminium front panel and details you do not expect at this price, like the balance control. It is a box you can leave on show.
The sound
According to Tracking Angle (Michael Fremer, September 2026), who listened to it with an Ortofon X40 MC, the ZEN Air Phono 2 has a quiet background, robust, controlled bass and solid imaging; at times, though, it sounds soft and stays a step behind on intensity and clarity. The subsonic filter, as iFi describes it, tells the sway of warped records apart from the musical content and removes only the former.
For the Alva Solo we found no professional review to cite, so we do not describe its sound here. The figures Cambridge Audio states are good for the class (THD+N below 0.0025%, signal-to-noise above 90 dB), but specifications do not tell you how it sounds.
Price and future-proofing
iFi ZEN Air Phono 2
One detail tips the scale: the more flexible preamp is also the cheaper one. The ZEN Air Phono 2 sits some thirty euros below the Alva Solo and does more — MM and MC against MM alone. For anyone thinking long term, the arithmetic does not favour Cambridge.
The Alva Solo asks more for a nicer box that does less. You pay the premium in finish and in those details — balance control, aluminium front — not in versatility.
- You have an MM cartridge now but plan to move to an MC
- You want the subsonic filter for warped or second-hand records
- You want to spend less and keep the same preamp as the system grows
- You are staying with moving magnet and have no interest in MC
- You want the better-finished object, with an aluminium front, to leave on show
- You value the balance control to correct small channel imbalances
Is the difference really audible, or is it just features?
We cannot say with a source: for the Alva Solo we found no professional review to set beside Tracking Angle's on the iFi. The certain gap is in flexibility and features: the ZEN Air Phono 2 handles MM and MC and has a more sophisticated subsonic filter, while the Alva Solo is MM only but has a balance control.
Can I use the Alva Solo with an MC cartridge?
No, it is MM only. For a moving coil you need the ZEN Air Phono 2 (which is MM/MC) or a preamp with a dedicated MC stage.
What is the difference between the ZEN Air Phono 2 and the ZEN Phono 3?
The ZEN Air Phono 2 is the entry version (~£149): lighter, with selectable MM/MC gain modes. The ZEN Phono 3 (~£199-229) is the step up, with four gain levels, four loading settings, balanced output and a more refined chassis.
