CLEARAUDIO OVATION TURNTABLE AND UNIVERSAL TONEARM REVIEW
November 3, 2023 § 1 Comment
Late in the audition an Acoustic Signature Montana Neo arrived. With all the accessories, the entire Ovation kit costs less than half of the cost of the Montana Neo without a tonearm. The sound of the Montana Neo is bigger and bolder, more dynamic, and with a larger, better-defined sound stage. Incrementally better, for sure. But what surprised me more than any specific improvement is that none of these upgrades in the sonic presentation reflected poorly on the excellent performance of the Ovation turntable. If the Montana Neo gets an “A+” rating, the Ovation is not far behind with a solid “A” rating. The Ovation simply blew the tonearm off a Technics SL-1200G, when the direct drive table sounded significantly inferior.
The Clearaudio Ovation, with options, is an excellent music maker, simple to operate, easy to set up, and reliable in long term use. I am happy having the Montana Neo, specifically for its ability to support two tonearms. But knowing what I know now about the apparent but small improvements attainable with more than double the cost, it is without reservation that the Clearaudio Ovation is recommended as a very high performance and enjoyable turntable.
Audiophilepure 
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