I’ve wanted a DAB Digital Radio and Bluetooth speaker for ages, with one of my biggest requirements being that it looked good, I didn’t want any plastic or gimmicky designs. Obviously I wanted great sound with great technical features, so it took me a while to find the right one for me. When I found ‘Monty’ I was smitten, that real wood walnut finish and smart grey suede handle won me over and Monty now lives here at Little House.

It was easy to set up, has the required great sound, I’ve programmed in my fave radio stations and all the family can connect via Bluetooth. It can travel from room to room (and looks good in all of them!). It also has dual alarms with settings for week days or weekends and also features a USB charge port so you can power-up your phone or tablet. Although Monty is mains powered you can also purchase an optional rechargeable battery pack.

Another fabulous thing that attracted me to this product was the price, Monty retails at just £99.99. BUT VQ have given me their Black Friday deal a week early with a special code for the website for £20 off!

Code: MONTY20B

(£20.00 off price for following products: ALL Monty finishes – making them £79.99 limited to 2 Montys only at checkout. From 18th November until the 23rd November) Click here to buy

 

As well as the walnut, Monty also comes with an Oak finish AND these three brand new finishes released this week: Green Grass Oak, Limed Oak and Black Zebra.

Here’s what VQ say and the spec:

Monty is a comprehensively connected device with DAB, DAB+ and FM radio reception, letting you listen to your favourite stations on digital or analogue. Bluetooth of course comes as standard, VQ as a manufacturer have never charged a premium for Bluetooth and it’s included in all their models. The ability to supplement live radio with on-demand content be it; music streaming service, podcasts or audiobooks is just a natural expectation for consumers these days and VQ aren’t a brand that under deliver.

Monty certainly isn’t a case of style over substance, VQ have taken some truly innovative steps to ensure this radio is one of their best sounding, ever. The full range ultra-wide 10 watt single speaker is powerful enough to provide a room filling experience but it’s not simple brute force. Monty features a unique piece of technology, analogue sound processing (ASP), developed by VQ

This MyVQ.com intelligent piece of software automatically adjusts the bass and treble of music or speech to give the very best possible audio experience.

The key to the ASP technology is the use of an analogue system as opposed to digital sound processing which is more common in this application. Analogue sound technology produces a naturally warmer, richer acoustic experience but crucially removes any opportunity for interference with Digital Radio signals. This means Monty features premium acoustics and uncompromised DAB/DAB+ Digital Radio Reception. VQ understand that sound is subjective though, so a full function equaliser is included with a range of presets and the MyEQ function to tailor bass & treble to personal tastes.

Further acoustic advantages are gained from the real wood case, in a choice of Oak or Walnut, this particular piece of design also has obvious aesthetic benefits too. The use of organic materials and clean lines are a nod to modern Scandinavian design. In fact when it comes to aesthetics and design, attention is paid from head to toe on Monty, real cork feet are a beautiful touch but also reduce vibration when listening at higher volumes.

An ideal choice for the kitchen, bedroom or lounge Monty would complement country kitchen style with exposed real wood surfaces or the style of more ardent modernists with an eye for the minimalist approach, of course not forgetting a perfect pairing with furniture from the world’s favourite Swedish store.

Monty is more than just a radio and Bluetooth speaker with a range of other features to make you wonder how you ever lived without it. For those planning to use Monty in the bedroom the dual alarms with settings for week days or weekends will be invaluable especially with the adjustable snooze and sleep timers. As with all VQ radios Monty also features a USB charge port so you can power-up your phone or tablet. Last but by no means least, Monty is perfectly portable with an optional lithium-ion rechargeable battery pack available to purchase