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Fern and Roby The Montrose Turntable
Belt Drive Turntable with Schroder CB Tonearm
The Montrose turntable now will be supplied solely with the Schroder CB arm with a carbon fiber wand.
With a platter and plinth made from Richlite and Brass in our machine shop in Richmond, Virginia, the Montrose turntable was designed to help you easily get the most out of your music. It is easy to set up and a pleasure for anyone to spin records on.
What Is Included & Upgrade Options
The Montrose Turntable is provided with the following:
Tonearm: Schroder CB tonearm with carbon fiber wand
*Shipping is $175 to anywhere in the continental USA
Spinning At The Right Speed
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 odular, ctive, .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!
Cartridges
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.
We offer several other great brands as well. Call us to discuss the options.
*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!
MAP Drive and Turntable Design
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.
Specifications
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!
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Professional Reviews 92/100
Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
93/100
Build Quality
93/100
Features Usability
90/100
Value for Money
90/100
The Montrose pairs high-mass authority with surprising air, delivering a balanced, low-noise presentation that feels both solid and alive. Part Time Audiophile praised its precise engineering, user-friendly arm, and ability to render space and bass with uncanny confidence, making it a distinctive turntable that sounds as refined as it looks.
What Reviewers Are Saying
Pros
Combines weighty bass control with airy, lively musicality for a balanced, engaging sound.
The included unipivot tonearm is unusually easy to set up, with precise alignment and VTA adjustment.
Build quality feels exceptionally solid, with thoughtful details like a built-in bubble level and careful cable routing.
Offers strong perceived value, with the price feeling reasonable after extended listening.
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 93/100
Reviewers describe a turntable that blends high-mass authority with surprising air and liveliness. The Montrose is praised for balanced, natural sound, strong bass weight, and the ability to render space and detail in realistic proportions without sounding constrained or forced.
Overall Sound
95/100
Marc Phillips says he was 'getting everything I needed from the Montrose, sound-wise,' with 'one single valid complaint' impossible to find. He highlights a balanced presentation that is 'solid yet ethereal when necessary' and notes that he had never heard one track sound better on his system, which points to genuinely standout musical performance.
Speed Stability
90/100
The review does not dwell on measured speed behavior or pitch drift, but the presentation is described as composed, precise, and musically confident. There is no sign of instability or wavering in the listening notes, though the evidence is more about convincing musical flow than explicit timing test commentary.
Tonearm Performance
92/100
The included Fern & Roby unipivot arm is described as 'one of the least fiddly and precarious unipivots' the reviewer has used. Cartridge mounting, alignment, overhang setup, and VTA adjustment are all praised for being easy and precise, showing a well-executed arm rather than merely a functional one.
Noise Isolation
92/100
Phillips calls out 'a solid, quiet feeling in the groove' and 'the incredibly low noise floor.' That supports clearly strong isolation and a black, unobtrusive background, even if the review stops short of claiming absolute silence or class-leading, benchmark-level rejection of outside vibration.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
93/100
The Montrose is repeatedly described as incredibly solid, exact in execution, and full of thoughtful details. Reviewers point to the dense Richlite plinth and platter, brass inserts, built-in bubble level, carefully executed feet and spikes, and accessible leveling hardware as evidence of careful, confidence-inspiring construction.
Features Usability
90/100
This is a fairly purist turntable, but the review emphasizes unusually good usability for that type of design. The built-in leveling aids, cable management clip, precise tonearm adjustments, and easy cartridge setup make it friendly to live with, even though it does not rely on a long list of electronic conveniences.
Value for Money
90/100
Phillips says the price 'seemed reasonable' after extended use and that the Montrose 'offers so much for the money.' He frames it as a product that is hard to ignore rather than a budget bargain, suggesting a justified premium and a strong case within its competitive niche.
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Authorized dealers for Fern and Roby The Montrose Turntable
- Afton Mountain Audio — in-store — Afton, Virginia, United States (website)
- fern roby — online and in-store — Richmond, Virginia, United States (website)
- Mimic Audio — online and in-store — Chicago, Illinois, United States (website)
- Turntable Lab — online and in-store — Brooklyn, New York, United States (website)