The Montrose Turntable is provided with the following:

Tonearm: Our Unipivot tonearm is included in the base price. 

- Included Accessories: A set of our Isolation Feet, our Aluminum LP Weight, our Alignment Protractor.

*Shipping is $175 to anywhere in the continental USA

Upgrade Options:

Tonearm: Schröder CB tonearm by Thrax (price on request)

One of the most important things a turntable should do is go the right speed right? Humans sense difference exceptionally well and when a platter is spinning inconsistently you will hear it. This is called "Wow" and "Flutter". Most most manufacturers of decks just assume you won't hear this or that you won't care anyways if you do and allow people to start with cheap, inferior products with the knowledge that eventually they will want something better, an outboard motor controller, a more expensive table with a better but simple control... We believe you should be offered the option of buying your last turntable when you buy your first and that a smart motor controller integrated into the design is part of what makes that possible so we include this in every one of our decks.

Our turntables are built around our Modular, Active, P.I.D. Drive Unit (we call it the MAP Drive). The MAP Drive incorporates a computer controlled, real-time P.I.D. controller (You can learn about the P.I.D. concept here). The Controller uses "active" feedback from the platter to regulate the performance of the deck. The MAP Drive can be easily removed and swapped out by the end-user for service and replacement. 

This design breakthrough has allowed us to support our clients affordably from any distance and made it feasible for us to sell internationally without needing costly service centers and training programs in each region. We can handle taking care of our clients quickly and affordably without the deck leaving your home!

A central feature of The Montrose Turntable is the Unipivot tonearm, which comes standard with this deck—we feel that a great affordable turntable should come with a world-class arm, so we designed and now make our own. A fully adjustable tonearm is a critical part of a hi-fidelity analog experience. Anyone who has spent time working with turntables knows that not all tonearms are easy and straightforward to calibrate. We have spent three years learning what it takes to get the most out of a great analog system, and our design is intended to make this an accessible experience for everyone.

Additional Tonearm wands: We can provide a second Unipivot tonearm wand for $1,500 each

We also offer the option of a Schröder CB tonearm, with an ebony or carbon fiber arm wand. More information and pricing upon request

We offer a range of great cartridges: 

Soundsmith: We are proud to offer all of the Soundsmith line of cartridges. Our favorites are the Zephyr MIMC, The Paua, and The Sussurro. These are all low compliance, Low output carts designed around a Moving Iron paradigm which reduces the moving mass on the cantilever delivering amazing detail and speed. Please let us know if you are interested in these amazing carts.  

Hana: Our favorites from this great company are the Hana ML, SL, and the Hana EL. These cartridges are made in Japan, and use high rigidity aluminum cantilevers, and cross-shaped armatures, providing you with brilliant and gorgeous sound. 

Denon: The Denon DL-103R, a classic moving coil component cartridge that is an excellent entry point into hi-fidelity. 

*If you already have a favorite cartridge or are buying from somewhere else that is fine! We will help you make certain it will work well with our setup!

Our MAP Drive couples a traditional synchronous AC motor with modern digital speed control techniques including real-time measurements of the platter speed, with an optical sensor feedback to control the platter speed and make micro adjustments as needed. Most turntables in its class use the 60Hz of the AC mains to turn the motor at a fixed speed and then rely on pulley size ratios to achieve the desired platter speed (33 ⅓ or 45 RPM). In this topology, there is no way to account for belt slip, pulley wear or the effects of temperature change on the system. In addition, the mass of the platter design is constrained by the “stall torque” of the motor. A platter of desirable (large) mass would require a motor of undesirable size and noise.

By synthesizing the sinusoidal drive waveforms required to turn the motor, the Fern & Roby MAP Drive system is not limited to a fixed motor speed or fixed drive power. This allows for a design with extravagant platter mass coupled to a modestly sized motor. From a standstill, the platter is accelerated gradually to the desired speed in order to stay below the motor’s stall torque. The platter’s speed is determined 48 times per revolution with a precision-cut optical interrupter wheel mounted on its underside.

A green LED indicator beside the mode selector switch is used to indicate “in-bounds” platter speed. Any time the platter speed is more than 0.23% above or below the target speed, the LED indicator switches from green to orange while the motor control compensates to correct the speed into the desired rpm.

The Montrose has the same great bearing, motor control, and user interface of the Tredegar. Without compromising on the principles of a fantastic reference grade table and arm, we have made a great turntable that is within reach of a large audience, making our goal to deliver a relevant reference-grade table to a lot more people possible. We are proud to design & manufacture our products in Richmond, Virginia.

Turntable Dimensions : 20 3/4" side x 15" deep x 5" tall Weight : 40 lbs

We are happy to answer any questions you may have, call us or email to get started!