We highly recommend a stereo sound system — particularly for listening at home.

We should mention with a $1500 price range you’ll have plenty of alternatives to choose from... and we need to say that crackles, hiss and pops has little (if anything at all) to do with the quality of your speakers but could be caused by any number of things not related to the quality, price or manufacturer of your sound system.

Hiss could be a gain staging issue, crackles and pops could be due to cabling, loose connections, incompatibility... etc., etc., etc.
If you are setting up a home studio environment a pair of quality near-field studio monitors is recommended.

As the “near-field” implies, these speakers are optimized for listening in an intimate setting — where you can be seated. Literally, near the monitors. They are not long throw speakers and are not designed to fill a club or auditorium. They are optimized for the “sweet spot” located at the apex of an equilateral triangle limited to a few feet...

Consumer products vs. professional studio monitors... (learn to appreciate the difference) we highly recommend you listen to the speakers if at all possible. Contact a reputable music store, discuss with them exactly what you are planning to do. They will tell you (with some experience) what you can expect with your choice. And what you’ll need to connect your products to them. What, in addition to your keyboard needs to be connected? Consumer speakers are not necessarily looking musical instruments as inputs. (Gain staging is the process of preparing signal for connection to the stage in the audio chain).

Thanks for your reply... I currently have a pro keyboard amp.. It came with tremendous white noise and the music store replaced the unit. The sound now actually isn't any of the above sounds. It is a sizzle cracking sound, I moved the amp to another location and it now is graduating to other montage sound effects.. Only on the 5th Key of D... It may be other keys too but it certainly is resonating at D enough to record it .

I do believe it might be a flaw from a dry speaker... who knows how long these sat around til it experienced Arizona's dries summer in 100 years. It started out early in the summer at the 5th key of E... and now has moved down one tone to D.... So, that leads me to hunch of a cone or speaker tear or crack. getting bigger wella lower note. .. It is not a sound that one hears when a pot is dusty and it is turned to the left and right. The speaker is still under warranty so they are getting the info Monday.

And, how about that Bosendorfer effect which I can't even use.. I wish you had commented on that one ... I have already downloaded the Bosy twice and it isn't any better than the way it arrived. I purchased the Montage just for the Bosy which is now a huge disappointment that it sounds so awful... The only grand that sounds good is the CFX... My keyboard puts out very little full sounds as compared it's own demos, which on the Montage exhibits the most amazing demo sounds with full range of intonations and clarity.. When I play at the same volume on my keyboard it is about half the fullness and volume as the demos. Kind of like Fake News..

I'm going to take both of these issues up with Yamaha tomorrow since it is still under warranty too.

My best results are under headphones... I have tried several of the near fields and find the ones I've tried pretty high pitched...

That's why I wonder why there aren't a hundred recommendations on this forum as to favorite speakers to use that owners have been enjoying.

Anyway, I am calling everyone tomorrow... It's not that I want to spend $1500.. but I already spent $1200 on the amp and that's not wonderful so I am expecting to need to spend alot more for satisfaction. I live 3 hours from the nearest music store with a Bosy and the last time I was down there, some guy was bogarding the keyboard so I couldn't try it out..

So, it's been purchase and return, purchase and return.

I did spend $300 on some low end PA and they only sound good off my computer but sound like a coffee can off the BOSY..

So, if anyone else has come up some natural sounding speakers they are can share the name of I would like to know.

Just another day in the world of covid trying to get satisfaction from what should be the most amazing keyboard in the world.

Well here are some facts: the Bosendorfer Performances sound spectacular. Any problem your having is due the weakest link in your audio chain. No comment is necessary here — ask around, many consider it their favorite, others have other favorites... but it sounds spectacular. If it doesn’t something is wrong — keyboard amp would be my guess. (I’m not a fan of keyboard amplifiers). Perhaps your downloaded data is corrupted—there is no way for me to tell from here. If other sounds, seem okay and only the Bosendorfer data is wonky, perhaps you should download it again, or get a second opinion.

The Bosendorfer is sampled in stereo. To reproduce it in all its glory, you should endeavor to recreate it in stereo. Listening to a stereo recording in mono is like listening to music with one ear. Yeah, it’s making noise that you can hear it but it’s not optimum. Music requires both your ears — stereo requires both of your ears to create the grand illusion of space and your relation to sound in that space. Stereo sounds better than mono, particularly when playing a stereo instrument.

Highly recommended: Use both your ears!!!

My best results are under headphones...

Headphones should sound wonderful — both of your ears are involved. And if you have the Left ear piece on your left ear and the Right on your right ear, you should feel like your seated at the piano with low notes on your left and high notes on your right — the middle octaves in the center.

You don’t get any of this imaging in a mono system - even if you spent $1200 or 12 thousand dollars on it. I’d take a good pair of 8 or 10” powered studio monitor speakers at a fraction of that price.

Talk with your store, they'll be able to help you. It is obvious to me you need to be taken through your options.

Not sure what you mean by “high pitched” in your description of the monitor speakers you’ve listened to... what about high pitches?
If you’re into low frequency punch, studio monitoring systems often have a matching SubWoofer option.

If you get 5” or 6.5” monitors you may prefer to get the matching subwoofer... but by the time you get to 8” or 10” or more, subwoofer is optional (personal taste).

You can begin your research here:
__ Yamaha HS (Home Studio) Monitors
__Yamaha MSP (Monitor Speaker Professional) Series

There have been several previous threads covering monitors for Montage (and other synthesizers). When I go to google and type:

"site:yamahasynth.com monitor speakers" - I see several.

https://www.yamahasynth.com/ask-a-question/calling-all-piano-player-audiophiles-help
https://www.yamahasynth.com/ask-a-question/speakers-of-choice-for-montage
... this next one has links to other messages inside
https://www.yamahasynth.com/ask-a-question/amplifier-and-speakers

... some related setup tips
https://www.yamahasynth.com/ask-a-question/monitor-speakers-master-volume
https://www.yamahasynth.com/ask-a-question/volume-issues-monitoring-with-headphones-and-speakers

... and for other keyboards - but equally as valid
https://www.yamahasynth.com/ask-a-question/i-need-an-advice-on-how-to-choose-a-good-speaker-system

... there's more threads to be found.

Note that the store used Yamaha HS-series studio monitors (including a sub - at least in the early demos) on the demo unit. I see a similar setup from Yamaha at NAMM. Dom Sigalas uses what appears to be Adam Studio monitors in his videos featuring his studio.

I have HS-series monitors and balanced cables as Montage and HS-series monitors both are designed for balanced connectivity. Also, high quality cables are worth the possibility of additional expense.

I use a set of Yamaha small studio monitors and they sound full and no noises. I would say regular powered speakers are more focus on live sound and some noise is acceptable in that situation. Studio monitors people expect quiet and they generally are.

Also make sure you're using good balanced cables. Also experiment with the level you sending, if too low your raising your speakers level and that would generate noise.

I have returned my Montage to the dealer to have them listen to the problems I am experiencing with the Bosendorfer patch. I want them to send it back to Yamaha if they can not figure it out. Apparently there is no reason to not be enjoying amazing ambient articulate full range wonderfulness from top to bottom on my keyboard when using the Bosy patch. I do hope this is what I get back in the mail.. They have my keyboard amp too so they can listen to it how I am listening.. I am not real big on playing under head phones much although, I have a great pair and do use them. I want to fill the room with music. But, the Bosy doesn't sound that great under head phones either. So, I will give them a chance to tweek it and fix it. Apparently they were surprised I tried to reload the program on my own. When they heard that, they were all in on getting it back...
Will respond when I have it again in playing condition.
thanks for the response and suggestions on the speakers for it.

Keene