The Montrose Turntable

[The Montrose Turntable does] not just any motor, not just any bearing, not just any plinth... no, the Montrose is not just any table. Chris has spent considerable time and effort to get things just right. And what is great is that he continues to find ways to improve his products all of which are retro-fit-able to past products.

[With the Montrose Turntable] we find ourselves playing LPs at a higher volume and for longer with no hint of fatigue. Any visitors are truly transfixed with tapping feet and nodding heads… the music is there. It fills the room. It is quite stellar. We are buying the table and cartridge. Not leaving the room. Sold.

Love the look. Love the finish. Love the functionality of the design. Love the supplied feet and record weight. Love the simplicity and yet stability of the table. Stability such that once set, there is nothing else to do other than to listen to as many LPs as time will permit. We are buying a ton of vinyl now, which is good and not so good... we are retired and so money is pretty much fixed. Oh well, what can you do when you have an audio component that makes you want to have more music?

A couple of observations. The table does require a decent stand as it weighs a good 45-50 lbs. Two people make it easier to do things than one. Leveling is simple and elegant with the supplied screwdriver. In assembling, make sure that the motor pulley is down far enough, but not too far or it will rub on the top of the motor assembly. Make sure that the large nut is tight on the underside of the table that holds the bearing assembly. Make a simple Oxbow with the tonearm wire so that it has as little impact on the arm's tracking. Tighten things to finger tight, no need to use brute force with any of the screws and bolts. If you feel a need too, try getting a torque driver and think about some testosterone inhibitors. Sit back and enjoy.

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Yeah, we are that smitten. Quite smitten. For sure this is a rave, just not sure what else to say. Heck, I can't find anything to dismiss or quibble over. The Montrose turntable and Soundsmith cartridge "rocks... and I want more please."

Read the entire review here.

One of the things that held me back from listening to records with our previous turntable was that it was confusing, and to be honest I never felt inspired to figure out how to make the Transrotor work. I'm sure I could have, I just really didn't want to. Additionally, I wasn't inspired by the way it sounded. So, I just let my records sit on the shelf.

With the Montrose, however, not only did I want to learn how to use it, I found it's quite simple to use. To start with I needed to figure out system logistics. I am happy to say; I did this on my own. Preamplifier first, and then amplifier. Easy enough. The turntable has a simple knob you turn, first stop for 33 1/3, the next for 45. There's a light that glows amber at first, then locks in to green when the steady speed is reached. Don't laugh, but the next part is where the logistics comes in. Turning everything on is simple, getting the music to come out of the speakers is another matter. Our BHK Signature preamplifier comes with a remote. I studied that first and found the section labeled "preamp" with a series of inputs. Turns out the turntable was input 2. This was much easier than anticipated.

I selected a stack of records, and sat down to listen.

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This is not an inexpensive entry level turntable, but if you are in the market for a high-end table, this one is highly recommended. You not only get the gear, but you get the support and expertise of the company behind it. Christopher was available to answer questions, and everything went very smoothly.

Over the last couple of years I’ve used a few heavy, high-mass turntables and I’ve come away a big fan. I love that solid, quiet feeling in the groove, the weight in the low frequencies, the incredibly low noise floor. Big turntables sound big in all the best ways.

The Fern and Roby Montrose turntable seemed to capture that high-mass sound with ease—in a package that is smaller and less expensive than those other rigs. And yet it also produced a sound that’s identified with lighter turntables such as Regas, an energy and liveliness that’s full of air and light. In high-end audio, we often talk about overdoing it when it comes to damping and vibration control. Too much and you wind up with a sound that’s a little dead inside, a denizen of the dreaded “uncanny valley” syndrome. I’ve heard this before with huge turntables that cost a lot of money. Huge, heavy turntables that require three men to move around. You probably have heard this as well.

What the Fern and Roby Montrose turntable suggests is that the truth resides somewhere in the middle (my life’s motto, by the way). The Montrose sits between those massive and inert record playing machines made of iron and blood and fire and those delicate open-architecture ‘tables that look like they can be folded up and put in a briefcase. That’s when I started thinking…is it the Richlite? Is it the perfect compromise between everything and nothing?

Read the entire review here.